A collaborative effort is underway to bring a proposed degree emphasis in facilities management to Wichita State University.

On Thursday, Nov. 29, representatives from Koch Business Solutions, Spirit AeroSystems, Mahaney Roofing, The Wichita Chapter of the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) and representatives from the WSU's W. Frank Barton School of Business and College of Engineering Technology partnered to present a proposal to the Interdisciplinary Competition Committee and campus community for an inter-disciplinary degree emphasis in facilities management.

The degree would be a Bachelor's of Science in Engineering Technology with an emphasis in facilities management.

The proposal is the culmination of years of discussions and planning between the organizations to help fill the need for qualified, professional facility managers.

“We are very excited and thankful for the industry's buy-in to help give our students another career path that coincides with our university's mission,” says WSU engineering educator Kara McCluskey.

There are only about a dozen facilities management degree programs in the United States. Providing this opportunity at Wichita State would meet a need for hands-on applied learning for WSU students. Facilities management programs historically offer nearly 100 percent placement for graduates.

“The opportunity for the students is amazing, and it will fill a very real need for employers and provide outstanding value for all involved,” says Scott Rains, Capital Program Manager at Koch Business Solutions.

The mixture of course work will be approximately 50/50 between the College of Engineering and the School of Business, with only one additional course needed that can be fulfilled through partnerships with the local IFMA Chapter, business community and industry.

“I can envision in the very near future a pipeline from high school to WSU to the business community that supplies our industries with the professional facilities managers of tomorrow,” says Mahaney Vice President and IFMA Chapter President Damon Young.

Wichita State's College of Engineering and School of Business will take feedback from the presentation and finalize the proposal for possible acceptance by fall 2019.

IFMA is the world's largest and most widely recognized international association for facility management professionals, supporting 24,000 members in more than 100 countries. IFMA Wichita has over 70 members providing monthly educational meetings and networking opportunities for its members.

---

The mission of Wichita State University is to be an essential educational, cultural and economic driver for Kansas and the greater public good. Wichita State is a doctoral research university enrolling nearly 15,000 students and offering 59 undergraduate degree programs in more than 150 areas of study in seven undergraduate colleges. The Graduate School offers 45 master's and 12 doctoral degrees that offer study in more than 100 areas. Wichita State's Innovation Campus is an interconnected community of partnership buildings, laboratories and mixed-use areas where students, faculty, staff, entrepreneurs and businesses have access to the university's vast resources and technology. For more information, follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wichitastate and Facebook at www.facebook.com/wichita.state.