The new building at the Alcorn State University Natchez campus is a landmark move for the university, said Steve Wells, associate dean for graduate business programs and professor of accounting.

When the formal ribbon cutting takes place at 2 p.m. Tuesday, the entire community is invited to come and join in the celebration, Wells said.

&8220;We&8217;re excited about the grand opening of our new facility,&8221; he said. &8220;The establishment of these programs in Natchez and Adams County is a significant economic development tool. The graduate business programs can be extremely valuable for those who are responsible for the economic growth of this area.&8221;

ASU President Clinton Bristow said the new building is a commitment the university made several years ago.

&8220;We made a commitment to build a building that was state of the art, and we have accomplished that goal. We made a commitment to house an MBA program different from others &8212; a small, boutique, value-added, customer-oriented program; we have accomplished goal number two,&8221; he said.

&8220;The third goal was to add new degree programs,and we&8217;re in the process of doing that now,&8221; he said.

Two programs, the master of accountancy program and the executive MBA in hospitality and gaming, are expected to open in the fall.

The ribbon cutting will be only one part of the Tuesday program. Visitors also may tour the building, including the learning resource center and the grand lecture hall, Wells said.

&8220;I hope everyone will take advantage of this time to see the building. All of it is designed with the most current up-to-date technology,&8221; he said.

In addition to the lecture halls and faculty classrooms and lounge, a suite for the executive management program is an important, stand-alone section. &8220;This is entirely separate from the rest of the building so it can be used on the weekends or any time of the week. The suite is designed as a self-sufficient space of its own for medium- to upper-level management people.&8221;

Daye Dearing, who directs community outreach programs at the school, said Natchez residents could not ask for a better facility.

&8220;I worked at Mississippi State for 10 years. There is not a nicer building on that campus,&8221; she said. &8220;I hope the community will embrace this program and use the building not only for activities that will involve business but other interests, as well. The sky is the limit.&8221;

Classes moved from the ASU School of Nursing, adjacent to the new building, when the new term began in August. &8220;Everything has gone well,&8221; Wells said. &8220;It was not completely furnished at the time, and we&8217;re still waiting for a few items for the learning resource center and some of the audio-visual equipment.&8221;

Seventy-five students have completed the Alcorn program, receiving master of business administration degrees or bachelor&8217;s degrees in accounting or business administration.

&8220;More than half of them are from the Natchez area or from the 10 or 12 counties or parishes around Adams County,&8221; Wells said. &8220;And we have students from outside the state, from Wyoming, Connecticut and from the countries of France, Russia and India, for example.&8221;

Students who complete the MBA course of study have provided evidence of the program&8217;s effectiveness. &8220;These graduates bring valuable new skills to their employers,&8221; Wells said. In addition to business skills, they develop leadership skills. &8220;They can fulfill leadership roles more easily. This affects their families, their jobs and even their churches.&8221;

Approximately 120 students now attend classes at the new building. Full-time faculty includes six to eight professors and those from the Lorman campus who come on an as-needed basis.

In the fall, the two-plus-two program with Copiah-Lincoln Community College Natchez campus began. &8220;We&8217;re very pleased with that. We have 40 students in that program now, working toward undergraduate degrees in business with an eye toward continuing in the master&8217;s program,&8221; Wells said.

Bristow said the executive MBA in hospitality and gaming to be offered at Alcorn is the only program in the state. It has national implications, he said. In Mississippi, the program will fulfill a growing need.

&8220;Gaming in our state is a major industry, and the industry is announcing major expansion now that they can build land-based facilities,&8221; Bristow said. &8220;I think there will be a great demand for this program.&8221;

The new building and its growing programs are another of many exciting things happening in the Natchez area, Bristow said. Natchez is getting attention from major companies, and people are talking about its potential.

Wells reminisced about the beginning of the business school project idea. &8220;I came in 1996 to look at this site with an architectural consultant,&8221; Wells said. &8220;All of this is due to Dr. Bristow&8217;s vision for the Natchez campus. His insight and vision is for the university to play a broader role in the community.&8221;

The Natchez program has had &8220;strong support from the university administration, from the local business community and an excellent working relationship with our partners across the street, Copiah-Lincoln,&8221; he said.

Bristow said the cooperation between university and its partners in business and political arenas must continue for the Natchez area to take advantage of all its potential. &8220;We want to stay in the present and look to the future. We don&8217;t want to look back. Looking to the future gets people excited,&8221; he said.