Recent Princeton Review national rankings complement gift
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) and the UMKC Foundation are pleased to announce a $32 million gift from Henry W. Bloch – the largest outright gift in UMKC’s history and among the top 24 largest in 2011 according to The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
The gift will fund a state-of-the-art building to house the Henry W. Bloch School of Management’s (Bloch School) graduate and executive programs.
“We are extremely grateful to Henry Bloch for his years of support of the Bloch School of Management,” said Leo E. Morton, Chancellor of UMKC. “Henry understands the importance of education and entrepreneurship, and he is helping the school establish a unique position in Kansas City’s future.”
Henry Bloch has been a lifelong advocate of education and began supporting the UMKC School of Business Administration when he endowed the School in 1986.
“I chose to make this significant gift because now is the right time,” Bloch, co-founder of H&R Block and benefactor of the Bloch School, said. “I stand behind the Chancellor and Dean Tan’s purposeful vision for the Bloch School and have already seen them execute successful strategic initiatives that will propel the school toward national and international renown. The new mission and vision of the School both respect and directly tie into the legacy of Kansas City and align with what this community wants and needs from its business school.”
Bloch cites another reason for his decision to make the gift is the success of the Bloch School’s Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Most recently, The Princeton Review recognized the Bloch School’s undergraduate and graduate programs among the top 25 entrepreneurship programs in the country. Only 11 schools nationwide have both undergraduate and graduate programs included in this ranking.
“The new building will be dedicated to our graduate studies such as Executive Education, E-Scholars (Entrepreneurship Scholar Program), MBA, EMBA, MSC Accounting, MPA, EMPA, Master of Finance and our Master of Entrepreneurial Real Estate program,” said Teng-Kee Tan, dean of the Bloch School. “We researched top innovative workspaces across the country such as Google, Proctor and Gamble, IDEO and various design schools for ideas on how to create a one-of-a-kind space.”
Tan said a unique feature of the building will be its purpose-built, design-led innovation laboratory space architecture. It will allow students to conduct entrepreneurial and innovation studies with brain-storming, simulation, concept-making, proto-typing, proof of concept design studio and flexible classrooms for participative & collaborative team learning.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be announced at a later date.
About Bloch School
The Henry W. Bloch School of Management aspires to be Kansas City’s nationally and globally preeminent school of management focusing on entrepreneurial and innovative thinking as the foundation for transforming talent and achieving sustainable growth in for-profit, public and nonprofit enterprises. Bloch has degree offerings at the undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and executive (non-degree) education levels.
About UMKC
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four University of Missouri campuses, is a public university serving more than 15,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based on a four-part mission: life and health sciences; visual and performing arts; urban issues and education; and a vibrant learning and campus life experience. For more information about UMKC, visit www.umkc.edu. You can also find us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and watch us on YouTube.