A New Era in Integrated Student Services

Created to provide a holistic approach for recruiting, retaining, developing, and placing students, the Beard Center includes both a facilities renovation as well as a major reorganization of staff roles and offices. 

In early 2022, a multimillion-dollar, full renovation of the 7th floor of Rockwell Hall began that took over six months to complete. The design of the floor included “activity quads” for new student recruiting, student coaching/advising, corporate engagement, and student job placement. The centerpiece of the floor is the Welcome Center – a large, flexible space for School events and corporate networking that otherwise serves as a student lounge for socializing and project work. In essence, the vision for the new floor was to create a student-centric hub designed to facilitate the goals of the Beard Center. The floor houses all of the Student Success team, as well as the Dean’s Office and School Admissions.
Having these teams in the same space allows for greater collaboration and a seamless student experience. Since the Beard Center opened, students have been gravitating toward the 7th floor, quickly turning the Welcome Center into one of Rockwell Hall’s most popular hang-out spots.

The need for a new approach to engaging and serving students became apparent over the past few years. According to Dr. Karen Donovan, Senior Associate Dean of Academic Programs and Executive Education, the School has seen an evolution of both student goals and employer needs. “We have noticed that students have raised their expectations for their university experience, particularly when it comes to activities and support services that increase their engagement and commitment to make a difference. This goes hand-in-hand with what we are hearing from employers. Companies are increasingly looking for graduates who can think critically, be entrepreneurial and collaborate to solve important business challenges,” she said.

With the launch of the Beard Center, business students receive a comprehensive experience, from their first contact with the School as high school students through graduation and their transition to alumni. Guiding this experience are the School’s Student Success Coaches. They fill a role previously occupied by advisors, but more than just the name has changed.

Rather than advising students in a variety of majors, each Coach is assigned to specific academic programs, advising and counseling all of the students in the programs they are responsible for. This
change allows Coaches to have a deeper understanding of their programs, allowing them to better meet the needs of their students. The shift to Coaches has also allowed the Student Success team to gain a deeper level of integration with faculty and to become more involved in recruiting. Each Coach has the opportunity to support their students from their first visit to campus through graduation.

“The new Beard Center for Student Success offers unparalleled access to an entire network of support."

Student Success Coach Chris Hilf sees the opening of the Beard Center as a conduit for student achievement. According to Chris, “The new Beard Center for Student Success offers unparalleled
access to an entire network of support. With Coaches more involved in the recruitment process, the student-Coach relationship begins earlier than ever so that new students hit the ground running, planning out their paths to graduation early in the process, and Coaches can find ways to maximize opportunities that they may have never considered.”

Alum Shelby Coughenour (MBA’21) believes that staff support is a key feature that sets the School of Business apart. “You will be able to live up to your full potential with the help of the staff and all the professors. They truly care for each of us, including our success in the School and outside of the School. The relationships, knowledge, and care that you will receive here are the best, and I wouldn’t change my choice to attend Duquesne for anything,” she said.

The School’s two Associate Dean positions were also redesigned to better align with Beard Center goals and objectives. The Associate Dean positions launched on July 1, 2022. Dr. Karen Donovan became the new Senior Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Executive Education, while Dr. Risa Kumazawa became the new Associate Dean for Academic Systems and Accreditation. Karen’s role now supports all academic programs, admissions, and career development, while Risa’s position focuses on data and systems, allowing the School to make informed decisions. In that sense, Karen is the School’s “Chief Operating Officer” while Risa is the School’s “Chief Information Officer.”

According to Chris Rouhier, Senior Director of Recruitment and Admissions, the creation of the Beard Center has been beneficial to his team. “We have had the opportunity to align best practices
of both undergraduate and graduate recruitment, and the Center has provided an opportunity to offer synergies in how graduate programs are promoted to undergraduate students. Our team is
also looking forward to bringing more recruiting events to campus,” he said.

The Beard Center was made possible through the generous support of Eugene P. Beard, a two-time graduate of Duquesne University (B’59, MBA’61), who donated $1.5 million dollars for the renovation. Mr. Beard is a longtime supporter of the School of Business, and his backing of the new Eugene P. Beard Center for Student Success underscores his tremendous commitment to helping our students achieve difference-making education.