McNutt Quad will be home of Kelley Living Learning Center

If spending class time with other students in the same major isn’t enough, students in the Kelley School of Business will have the opportunity to live with one another.

The Kelley Living Learning Center, located in McNutt Quadrangle, will house 250 undergraduates in its first year starting next fall.

In the center’s second year, 500 students will be admitted, and it will reach its capacity with 750 students in its third year, said Lura Forcum, communications manager for the Kelley School of Business.

About half the students will be direct admits into the Kelley School, and about half of the students will be pre-business students.

“It’s a larger commitment on the part of the student and the school,” said JoAnne Namy, director of the Kelley Living Learning Center. “It’s bringing classes, Kelley staff and overseas study staff into the residence halls.”

The Kelley School of Business currently has a thematic community made up of about 100 students, Namy said. The thematic community houses two floors of students who are interested in business, but there are no class requirements or structured programs.

“What we realized is IU’s a big University, but this allows students to form in a community,” said Munirpallam Venkataramanan, chair of Kelley’s undergraduate program. “If they live in this tight-knit community, they feel it’s a much better experience, and they can learn from each other.”

Students will also take classes beyond their normal business requirements. Students will be exposed to opera, visual arts, musical performances, language study and sporting events.

“We want to open all the good things to every student,” Venkataramanan said. “They will take some classes together and experience all the cultural experiences IU offers. We think word of mouth will make it very attractive.”