Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall, the state-of-the-art facility that will be home to the W. Frank Barton School of Business at Wichita State University, is set to open for classes Aug. 22.

While faculty and staff are already at work in Woolsey Hall in preparation for the fall semester, finishing touches inside the building and landscaping work remain in progress.

Woolsey Hall is focused on creating an environment for students and faculty that inspires collaboration, innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset. Its location on the Innovation Campus will nurture applied learning experiences with partners and businesses active there. It is anticipated that the 125,000-square-foot building will be certified with a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver rating, the most widely used green building rating system.

Key features of Woolsey Hall include a social staircase, a curated art collection including both outdoor sculptures and interior pieces, ample study rooms and collaborative spaces, state-of-the-art classrooms with flexible learning environments, the Cargill Café, Fidelity Bank Ballroom and the Frank A. Boettger Auditorium, which seats 300 people. All of these amenities are available to the Wichita State community. 

At the October 2020 groundbreaking ceremony for the building, Barton School Dean Larisa Genin told students the facility will be a place “where you will explore your full potential and ambitions.”

“Whether it’s launching a career, starting your own business or working to solve problems in our world, Woolsey Hall will be your lab, your sandbox, your incubator, your oyster to create amazing pearls. I can’t wait to see what you accomplish,” Genin said.

Woolsey Hall is named for the Wichita couple who provided the lead gift to the WSU Foundation’s fundraising campaign. In May, the Woolsey family made an additional gift from their trust to Wayne and Kay Woolsey Hall. A portion of the gift will be used to create the Kay Woolsey Garden, with the remainder going toward the Woolsey Hall Technology Fund.

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Construction continues on the Promise Bridge, a 300-foot-long pedestrian bridge spanning across the water feature south of Woolsey Hall. The intent of the bridge is to provide a literal and symbolic connection between Wichita State’s main campus and Innovation Campus. 

The building will replace Clinton Hall, built in 1970, as the home of the Barton School. Starting in September, Clinton Hall will change into the Shocker Success Center. The Shocker Success Center will house 17 student services that are currently scattered across campus in 10 buildings: the Office of Adult Learning, CARE Team, Career Closet, Military and Veteran Services, Office of Disability Services, OneStop Student Services, Shocker Support Locker, Office of Student Success, Tech Help, Testing Services, TRIO Disability Services, TRIO Student Support Services, Writing Center, Math Lab, Supplemental Instruction, Physics Lab, and the Shocker Learning Center.