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Vol. 24, No. 13 February 1, 1999

New State-of-the-Art Business/Law Building Opens on Amsterdam Avenue

BY HANNAH FAIRFIELD

More than 500 students gathered at the new Business-Law building on Jan. 21 to celebrate the dedication of the Robert W. Lear Amphitheater and were treated to an unofficial demonstration of the building's state-of-the-art capabilities.

The Lear classroom is one of six new amphitheater-style rooms that seat about 70 people, and the high-tech video and audio equipment was inagurated immediately-used for a simulcast to the overflow crowd who came to hear the speech by Lear, founder of the Executive-in-Residence Program.

The Business and Law Schools share Columbia's newest building-named the William and June Warren Hall in honor of the Law School's former dean. It is located on the corner of Amsterdam Avenue and 115th Street. The first floor has facilities for both schools, but floors 2-4 are primarily the Business School space, and the basement level as well as floors 5-8 are the Law School's.

"We are extremely pleased with our new facility and the immediate feedback that we're getting," said Professor Meyer Feldberg (MBA '65), dean of the Business School. "Our students describe a great environment for learning-technology that enhances what the faculty teach in a well-designed space."

The Business School floors contain predominantly classroom space and the Executive MBA Program's administrative offices. There are nine new classrooms, including the amphitheater style spaces. A student lounge, faculty office space and 11 breakout rooms for small study groups are also part of the Business School space. Each classroom seat features an Internet connection and the amphitheater classrooms have audiovisual systems that allow instructors to use audio, video and computer sources to teach. A telephone bridge enables an instructor to conduct telephone interviews with members of the business community, hands-free, using a wireless microphone so that the class can hear both sides of the conversation.

The Law School built five classrooms in its space, four of which are amphitheater-style and have Internet connectivity . The Law School will also house its student services and academic services, financial aid, development and external relations, the International Law center, registration and career services.

New classroom teleconferencing capabilities even allow Columbia Law Professor Kim Crenshaw in California to co-teach a class with Law Professor Conrad Johnson, so students benefit from both instructors.

Law School classrooms have been named in honor of the law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, and the Prospect Hill and Edith C. Blum Foundations.