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Kohl's donation to establish retailing center at UW-Madison
Published May 19, 2008 - BizTimes Daily
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Menomonee Falls-based Kohl's Department Stores announced today that it is donating $3 million to the University of Wisconsin-Madison to establish the Kohl's Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence.
The gift will provide an endowment for administration and programming for the center and a "state-of-the-art" facility for the center that will be built in the expanded and renovated UW's School of Human Ecology building.
With the Kohl's gift, the enhanced retailing center will have dedicated space for students to meet and increase the number of students it can serve. Construction of the $48 million addition and renovation to the Human Ecology building, including the Kohl’s Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence, is scheduled to begin in September 2009 and expected to be completed in 2013.
The Kohl's donation is the largest corporate gift ever given to the School of Human Ecology. The largest gift toward the school's building project was $8 million given by alumni Nancy and Albert "Ab" Nicholas
"While we have great partnerships with many universities, our longest-standing relationship is with UW-Madison," said Telvin Jefferies, executive vice president of human resources for Kohl's. "The University has been a valuable resource for Kohl’s by consistently offering graduates who demonstrate initiative and leadership. In fact, many of our associates are alumni. It is a pleasure to invest in and showcase the university's retail major and offerings with the Kohl's Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence."
The Kohl's Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence will create a link between the retail industry and the faculty, staff and students of UW-Madison, allowing students to interact with industry professionals and explore careers and job opportunities.
UW-Madison is one of few institutions in the nation to offer a Bachelor of Science retailing degree.
"This gift will transform the center into a single portal where retailers can identify students from the many fields across which they hire," said School of Human Ecology Dean Robin A. Douthitt. "We expect the Kohl's Department Stores Center for Retailing Excellence will connect retailers with cutting-edge faculty and graduate student research across campus."
