A new chapter for Business Information Systems

This fall, the Department of Business Information Systems will begin a new chapter—one rooted in growth and the space to imagine what’s next.

After years of calling Grawn Hall home, BIS will relocate to Powers Hall, gaining expanded classroom and lab space, increased office capacity, access to the ballroom for events, and a newly updated HVAC system. For a department built around innovation, integration, and preparing students for a digital economy, the move represents more than a change of address. It creates room to grow.

In Grawn, office space has long been limited. Faculty have shared offices. Labs and classrooms have required careful scheduling. As enrollment and program offerings expanded, so did the need for space that reflects the department’s trajectory.

Powers Hall offers that opportunity.

Since 1939, Powers Hall has reinvented itself multiple times—first as a student gathering space, later as a center for music and performance, and eventually as home to academic departments across campus. Each chapter has reflected the needs of its time. Now, as the home of Business Information Systems, the historic building once again adapts—supporting a field defined by innovation and constant change.

“BIS is a dynamic, forward-thinking department and this move paves the way for them to expand. The new space in Powers centers collaboration and student success, offering new experiential learning spaces, a student lounge, and space for events” said CBA Associate Dean Misty Bennett. “Our goal throughout the space reallocation process has been to ensure every department has the identity, resources, and environment it needs to thrive while maintaining the CBA culture.”

A building built for reinvention

Opened in 1939, Powers Hall has always evolved to meet the needs of Central Michigan University. It began as a student union and residence hall. It later became a center for music and performance. Over the decades, it has adapted—serving as a place of gathering, creativity, and professional preparation.

Now, it enters its next chapter.

“Powers Hall is a beautiful building, at the heart of campus, which has long been a place where students come to prepare for their future. That tradition makes it a fitting home for BIS as we continue to expand programs that connect technology, business, and communication,” said BIS faculty member Kyle Nothstine. “I am excited for the opportunity to help breathe new life into its halls. Standing in the hallway today, I can’t help but notice the empty, echoing space, a sharp contrast to what lies ahead. This fall, I look forward to seeing Powers Hall once again filled with energy and bustling activity.”

While Grawn Hall holds a special place in CMU history as the oldest existing building on campus, the move to Powers is not about leaving history behind. It is about extending it.

“The new space gives BIS the room to think bigger about how we teach, collaborate, and serve students,” said department chair Zhenyu Huang. “Expanded labs and gathering areas will bring faculty innovation and student learning together more naturally, while also creating opportunities to welcome alumni and industry partners for events and advisory engagement. This move strengthens what we already do well and helps us imagine new possibilities for the future.”

Space to innovate

BIS programs in information systems, applied business communication, data analytics, project management, enterprise systems, and cybersecurity prepare students for careers where business and technology are inseparable. That preparation depends on hands-on labs, collaborative learning, and faculty accessibility.

The expanded footprint in Powers Hall will provide:

• Additional classroom, lab space, and collaboration center
• Increased office space for faculty
• Room for collaboration and student engagement, including a dedicated student lounge for honors and graduate students
• Access to the ballroom for department events and programming

For students, the difference will be tangible: more room to work in teams, more opportunities to host industry events, and a stronger departmental identity within a shared space. Just as important, the move places the department in closer proximity to campus partners who help shape and support student success.

“Moving to Powers Hall represents a significant milestone for the BIS Department. Its central location provides us with a physical bridge to key campus partners, including the Honors College and the Opperman Leadership Institute and excellent proximity to Bovee University Center,” said BIS faculty member Ryan Murphy. “I see this as an opportunity for the College of Business Administration to serve as stewards for this historic building while continuing to build a collaborative future for our students, faculty, and staff.”

A shared identity

During a recent walkthrough of Powers Hall, faculty toured the space and began envisioning how it could support the department’s mission. The energy in the room was telling. What began as a logistical conversation quickly became one about possibility—virtual labs, expanded cybersecurity workspaces, industry panels in the ballroom, collaborative hubs for applied business communication and analytics students.

Rather than fragmenting the department, the move creates a more unified home—one where programs are connected and growth is intentional. As BIS looks ahead, Powers Hall will not simply house offices and classrooms. It will support a department that continues to evolve alongside the industries it serves.