Lenoir-Rhyne University’s Asheville Center invites the public to join in a grand opening ceremony for its newly renovated 7,000 square feet of space on Monday, April 23rd, at 4:00 pm.
The Asheville Center is located at 36 Montford Ave., in the same building that houses the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Renovations to the new space began in August 2017 and were completed in January. The project added two classrooms, one seminar room, an entrepreneurship mentoring space, and seven offices. The total cost of the project, purchase, and renovation was $2.3 million.
“Our increased footprint symbolizes the university’s deepening dedication to Western North Carolina,” said Michael Dempsey, the center’s dean and director. “Our intention is to provide even more learning opportunities and community services for area residents, and our growing space on the cusp of downtown Asheville is the perfect place to do this.”
During the event, tours of the renovated facilities will be provided. In addition, Asheville’s newest certified B Corporation, JB Media Group, will debut the center’s new community networking space, the Lenoir-Rhyne Exchange (LRX), by leading an interactive conversation about what it means to be a mission-driven organization. Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy light hors d’oeuvres while mingling with students, alumni, faculty, staff, and administration.
LRU’s Asheville Center entered its sixth year of operations in January. There are nearly 230 students enrolled in graduate and adult learner programs at the center, which added three new business programs last year. Graduate programs currently offered at the center include a master of business administration (MBA), MBA in social entrepreneurship, MBA in non-profit management, master of arts in counseling, dietetic internship, master of public health, master of science in sustainability studies, master of arts in writing, master of arts in teaching, and a bachelor of science in business administration, which is specially designed for students with an associate degree or those who have completed extensive undergraduate hours toward completion of a bachelor’s degree.
For more information, visit lr.edu/Asheville.