APPLETON, Wis. — Jason Brozek is excited to bring students and community organizations into the new business and entrepreneurship center at Lawrence University.
The facility is part of the new Fox Commons development in the city’s downtown.
“This is really part of an effort to grow the university in ways that are consistent with our values and our mission to expand the kind of work we’ve been doing for well over a century and half into new places and into new ideas,” said Brozek, who is an associate professor of government.
The commons is a private development that includes university housing, businesses and additional educational spaces.
“All of higher ed is struggling right now,” Brozek said. “This is a difficult time for higher education. I’m happy to say I’m really glad to be the kind of place that’s trying to grow our way through that rather than cutting our way out.”
Closer to campus, the college is working in conjunction with the Trout Museum of Art on a building that includes the museum and more student housing on the upper levels.
“We’ve had pretty steady enrollment for many, many years,” said Laurie Carter, the university’s president. “Right now, we’re looking to grow that enrollment. We want to grow it because we think this is an education that can really make a difference for students.”
Lawrence has just shy of 1,500 students.
“In order to bring more students to Lawrence, we have to prepare our campus to receive them,” Carter said. “These new spaces allow us to do that and provide spaces that really speak to the future.”
Brozek said prospective students are seeking everything from old school ivy and brick to the newest in technology. Lawrence is embracing both.
“Walk down to Main Hall, take a look at Brokaw, the other buildings on campus, Memorial Chapel — these are like the classic university architecture,” he said. “Then you walk into a space like this and it feels like you are in a modern business, entrepreneurship setting. This feels like a startup.”
