This proposal requests funding to renovate BAS S309 into a new Finance Instructional Lab to support experiential, technology-enhanced learning in the Department of Economics and Finance. The current finance lab located in BAS N127 is being displaced to accommodate the College’s new Student Success Center, making the creation of a modern replacement lab essential to maintaining instructional capacity and program quality.
The renovated BAS S309 Finance Lab will feature 14 new mobile computers with an integrated power rack, movable dual-use tables to support collaborative and experiential learning, wall-mounted monitors, and whiteboards to facilitate active instruction, data analysis, and financial modeling exercises. These resources are critical for finance pedagogy, which increasingly relies on hands-on use of financial databases, spreadsheet modeling, simulation, and team-based problem solving.
The project also includes a comprehensive upgrade of the instructor workstation consisting multiple display screens, a new ADA-compliant lectern with touch monitor, upgraded control system with touch panel, USB-C laptop interface, wireless AV, improved lighting, a lecture recording system, and an auto-tracking instructor camera. These upgrades will improve accessibility, instructional flexibility, and hybrid teaching capability. A new Key Shop–managed door lock will replace the existing Learn Lock as part of construction.
The Finance Lab will directly benefit approximately 300–350 undergraduate and graduate students annually, based on average enrollments across Finance, Risk Management & Insurance, and Economics courses scheduled in the space each academic year. Students will use the technology during class meetings, labs, simulations, and applied projects integral to finance instruction.
