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Monday, May 19.2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
U' opens Business Engagement Center
New office hopes to
spark revenue increase
By CHARLES GREGG-GRIST
Daily News Editor
Relationships between business-
es and the University used to be
coordinated by individual schools
and fundraising staffs. But that's
changing with the creation of the
Business Engagement Center, a
new office set up to solicit and coor-
dinate corporate involvement with
the University.
The BEC moved into permanent
offices on South University Avenue
Wednesday, where staff will work
to attract speakers, research con-
tracts and corporate gifts to the
University. Daryl Weinert, the
center's executive director, said the
staff is now poised to undertake
what he calls "an elaborate match-
making project."
Weinert's staff of "relationship
managers" will help businesses
find faculty experts, research-
era and licensing opportunities.
Weinert said he hopes the new
model will bring the University a
drastic increase in revenue from
businesses.
When the College of Engineering
implemented a similar program six
years ago, revenue from corporate
partnerships and donations rose.
by about 75 percent, said Weinert.
Weinert, who is also the director of
corporate relations for the College
of Engineering, said he hopes the
BEG sparks an increase that will
"approach that same level."
The Office of Development has
traditionally run all of the Univer-
sity's interactions'with businesses,
but Weinert said that was limiting
because staff focused almost exclu-
sively on soliciting donations.
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