Plans underway to establish new School of Business and Technology at McDaniel

McDaniel College President Julia Jasken has announced the creation of the college’s first comprehensive school, a new School of Business and Technology, which is targeted to open as early as fall 2027. McDaniel is launching a national search for the inaugural dean of the School of Business and Technology, along with a new Endowed Professor of Computer Science and Technology Innovation.

Lewis Recitation Hall currently houses the college's Economics and Business Administration department.

McDaniel College President Julia Jasken has announced plans to establish the college’s first comprehensive school, a new School of Business and Technology.

As part of McDaniel’s commitment to strengthen academic offerings and prepare current and future students for evolving workforce demands, the new school is targeted to open as early as fall 2027.

Faculty in both the Economics and Business Administration and Mathematics and Computer Science departments conducted a yearlong assessment and review of their program offerings in collaboration with college leadership. Following that review, McDaniel College’s Board of Trustees unanimously endorsed moving forward with the new school at its February meeting.

“Business-related programs are already among McDaniel’s most popular offerings, and the integration of technology presents an opportunity for stronger alignment,” said President Jasken. "Moving towards a specialized school model provides the opportunity to enhance interdisciplinary learning and create clearer pathways for students."

The School of Business and Technology will house the college’s existing programs in Accounting, Business Administration, Computer Science, Economics, Entrepreneurship, International Business, Marketing, and Management.

McDaniel is launching a national search for the inaugural dean of the School of Business and Technology to help define the school’s identity and strategic direction. A concurrent search is underway for a new Endowed Professor of Computer Science and Technology Innovation, which was funded by a $2 million grant from the Maryland E-Nnovation Initiative Fund (MEIF), administered by the Maryland Department of Commerce, and matched in part from the largest gift in the college’s history, a record-breaking $15 million bequest from the late Jonas Eshelman, an alumnus of the Class of 1950. Both the dean and endowed professor are slated to start at the college for the 2026-27 academic year.

Moving towards a specialized school model provides the opportunity to enhance interdisciplinary learning and create clearer pathways for students.

President Julia Jasken