Bucknell's Freeman College of Management celebrates fifth anniversary
Jul. 4—LEWISBURG — In its first five years, Bucknell University's Freeman College of Management has increased the size of its entering class and added more classes and majors, while also giving students more access to those whose footsteps they will follow.
"The remarkable naming gift from Ken and Janice Freeman has enabled us to double the size of our entering class, broaden our academic offerings to eight majors and two minors, and pair every student with an alumni mentor," Raquel Alexander, professor and dean of the college, said as Freeman College celebrated its fifth anniversary on July 1.
The expansion of educational offerings at Freeman include the launch of a new major program in business analytics, the reimagining of the college's finance and accounting curriculum and the debut of a minor in real estate built upon the support of alumni working in the industry.
Programs like these placed Freeman College at the vanguard of innovation in management education from its very inception, Alexander said.
"Our approach to management education, both interdisciplinary and experiential, prepares students to lead ethically and solve complex challenges that will face current and future generations. The world needs more leaders," Alexander said.
Ken Freeman, former chair of the Bucknell Council of Trustees, was instrumental in the formation of the college now bearing his name.
"The faculty and staff of the College of Management have made amazing progress in a few short years, from quickly gaining accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), to creating an array of innovative learning opportunities for students, to constructing a state of the art facility that uniquely brings business and art together under one roof and more," Freeman said.
The university has great pride in what has been accomplished and are excited about the future, he added.
Luke Grover and Bridget Tobin, who both graduated this year, spoke highly of the college.
"I think Freeman's evolution in the leadership sense, where it's not just academic and it's pushed toward that sustainable, empathetic leadership side of every student, is something that's evolved since I started," said Grover, now associate auditor in banking capital markets for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
"It provides a holistic view for you to explore whatever you want and then do whatever you want," Tobin, wealth management strategy analyst at Bank of America, said.
The said opportunities for students to connect with and be mentored by alumni grow stronger every year and deepen the educational experience. Tobin said she is looking forward to the opportunity to share her experiences with future generations of Freeman students.
"Many alumni we met were not part of the management college, so we'll be some of the first Freeman College of Management alumni. I think that will be really special when we come back," Tobin said.
