AUSTIN, TexasATandT Inc. (NYSE: T) and The University of Texas at Austin have announced the naming of the university’s new ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center and an exclusive communications services agreement in recognition of a $25 million commitment from ATandT to the university.
As the official communications partner of the center, ATandT will deploy the latest technology to enrich the communications and learning experience for continuing education students and guests and to connect the worlds of academia and commerce.
The center embraces and extends the university’s mission by providing a world-class learning environment for academics and business professionals. It is destined to become a new gateway to the university, and it will be used for conferences, seminars and continuing and executive education programs that will bring internationally renowned business and thought leaders to the university.
Plans call for the facility to feature educational opportunities for learners of all ages and academic disciplines. The university’s 16 colleges and schools, research institutes and museums have already expressed interest in bringing state, national and international programs to the center.
“With this very generous commitment, ATandT has joined the university in this ambitious undertaking for lifelong learning,” said William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin. “Together, we’ll bring forth a center that bridges academia with enterprise and prepares future leaders worldwide.”
The architecturally unique facility will contain seven tiered classrooms, a 300-seat amphitheater, multiple break-out rooms, several conference rooms and an 800-seat ballroom to complement 300 guest rooms and three restaurants.
Scheduled to open in August 2008, the center is designed to foster interaction among symposia, workshop or class participants and will serve the meeting and conferencing needs of the university community and state and national higher education associations.With its comprehensive array of features, it will be among the premier executive education facilities in the nation.
Bounded by University Avenue, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Whitis Avenue, and 20th Street, the center will be two blocks from the university’s McCombs School of Business. It will position the business school, which is the anchor client for the facility, as one of the leading providers of both degree and nondegree executive education in the United States. McCombs is one of only a few top-20 business schools that lacks an executive education center; its Master of Business Administration program is the only top-10 program without a center that provides accommodations for executive education functions. With ATandT’s commitment, the center will soon be a technologically advanced educational environment supporting the business school and many other university programs.
Under terms of the 25-year partnership, ATandT will equip the center with the latest innovations in voice, broadband, wireless and television services. The university will provide visitors and guests with complimentary ATandT Wi-Fi service and ATandT television in individual guest rooms, the lobby, educational spaces and other public common areas. Each guest room and conference room will be equipped with universal cell phone and PDA charging stations. ATandT will also equip a full-service business center to provide state-of-the-art technology and communications services. All ATandT services will be provided to the university at or below market rates.
“By combining UT’s long history of educational excellence with ATandT’s 130 years of communications expertise, we will together create one of the best facilities of its kind in America,” said Jim Cicconi, ATandT senior executive vice president for External and Legislative Affairs. “As befits a university of the first class, this center will be cutting edge in every respect.”
ATandT engineers, personnel and subcontractors will work with the university’s project designers to coordinate the installation of ATandT systems and equipment with the building plans and specifications.
About The University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is one of the world’s leading public research universities. Through its renowned educational and research programs and its commitment to community service, the university is an important contributor to the quality of life in Texas and the economic vitality of the state. The University of Texas at Austin is Austin’s largest employer and one of the largest in the state. It is one of the largest single-campus universities in the nation, serving 50,000 students.
About ATandT
ATandT Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates, ATandT operating companies, are the providers of ATandT services in the United States and around the world. Among their offerings are the world’s most advanced IP-based business communications services and the nation’s leading wireless, high speed Internet access and voice services. In domestic markets, ATandT is known for the directory publishing and advertising sales leadership of its Yellow Pages and YELLOWPAGES.COM organizations, and the ATandT brand is licensed to innovators in such fields as communications equipment. As part of its three-screen integration strategy, ATandT is expanding its TV entertainment offerings.
ATandT Executive Education and Conference Center contact: Web site: http://www.meetattexas.com/; Main Switchboard, 512-404-1900; Guest Room Reservations, 512-404-3600 or 1-877-744-8822; Group Inquiries and Bookings, 512-404-3629; Catering Inquiries and Bookings, 512-404-3625.
Media contacts: For The University of Texas at Austin: Pat Clubb, vice president for employee and campus services, 512-232-7745; For ATandT: Jodi Bart, ATandT spokesperson, 512-495-7173 or 512-657-8297.
