Rendering of the Mace Business Education Complex, scheduled for completion in Spring 2025
Mays Business School
Texas A&M University’s Mays School of Business will hold a ceremony on Friday, October 2 at 2 p.m. to break ground for the expansion of the new Business Education Complex (BEC). 28. The ceremony will include a short program hosted by Texas A&M Foundation President Tyson Voelkel ’96, which will feature Texas A&M University President M. Katherine Banks, recently retired Abrigo President and CEO Wayne Roberts ’85, Texas A&M Student Council President Case Harris ’22 and Mays Interim Dean Ricky Griffin speak.
The groundbreaking of the complex – which will expand Mace’s footprint beyond Weiner Building and Cox Hall to include a new state-of-the-art building and stunning outdoor spaces – marks the school’s quest to become national excellence A key milestone for the public business school. Mace is already number one. 23rd overall and 2nd. 13 The public in U.S. News & World Report Ranked #35 in Entrepreneurship Research The Princeton Review.
Scheduled for completion and commissioning in the spring 2025 semester, the new building will expand and enhance Mays’ strong commitment to being a vibrant learning organization. “The new building is designed for the 21st century and advanced models of learning,” said Roberts, who pledged $7.5 million as the new building’s major donor. “It will be beautiful both aesthetically and architecturally, and it will be an important part of the campus.”
Jerry Cox ’72, president and chairman of Cox and Perkins Exploration, who pledged $5 million to the new building’s atrium, said, “To earn the title of excellence, we need the best students, the best faculty, the best leadership and The best facility. This new facility will be one of the most innovative and creative environments of any business school in the country.”
The complex will be the hub of activity at Texas A&M West Campus. The design of the new building will foster interaction, creativity and knowledge through a variety of flexible spaces, including a large atrium, a café, and spaces for collaboration and crowding. Additionally, the complex’s collaboration plaza will provide outdoor seating, providing Aggies and visitors a place to relax, meet or study.
The new building will also feature high-energy, flexible learning studios with the latest technology, which will enable teachers to create engaging teaching experiences through teamwork and a blended learning environment. In addition, school officials said, it will house one of Mace’s main assets, the Administrative Development Center, furthering Mace’s commitment to lifelong learning.
Funding for the construction of the BEC expansion project came from a mix of funding from the Office of the President and the Office of the Provost, as well as substantial private donations from the Texas A&M Foundation.
Private donations include commitments totaling more than $36 million from Mays’ broad and dedicated community of former students, current students, faculty, and partners. “This amazing addition to the business education complex would not have been possible without the unwavering support and financial investment of our donors large and small, who believe in our mission and vision. Wayne Roberts, Jerry and Kay Cox, along with the Mace family — and many others — stepped up and helped us on the path to excellence,” Griffin said. “This new world-class facility will help us further showcase all the wonderful things we’re doing at the Mays Business School.”
When it opens, the new complex will be a central part of the business school’s commitment to developing transformational leaders who can help drive the world to prosperity. “BEC will enable students to become more active learners and ultimately lifelong learners,” said Kathy Mays Johnson, president of the Mays Family Foundation and Lowry Mays ’57, the business school’s namesake ‘s daughter. As a major donor to the collective BEC, the Mace Foundation pledged $15 million. “It’s all about fostering transformational leadership and inspiring students to excel while creating a better future for everyone.”