CEDARVILLE, OHIO, Oct. 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On October 1, during the official groundbreaking ceremony of the Lorne C. Scharnberg Business Center, Cedarville University announced the official naming of the University’s business school as the Robert W. Plaster School of Business.  

The Plaster Foundation has partnered with more than 20 colleges and universities across the United States to expand educational access and promote the virtues of the American free enterprise system through named capital projects.  

“We are thankful for the investment of the Robert W. Plaster Foundation in our business program and its recognition of our shared commitment to free enterprise,” said Dr. Thomas White, president of Cedarville University. “We want to train students with excellence to stand for free enterprise, to be entrepreneurs, and to incorporate a biblical worldview in their vocational calling.”  

Cedarville’s business school mission emphasizes excellence, stewardship, leadership, and Kingdom influence. Its commitment to free enterprise has also been recognized by the Berry Family Foundation of Dayton. In 2021, the University announced a $1 million donation to the Scharnberg Business Center project that also established the Berry Center for Free Enterprise to be housed in the new facility. 

With 550 students enrolled in 12 undergraduate programs of study, The Plaster School of Business is the second largest academic unit on campus. The school also enrolls 86 graduate students in its Master of Business Administration and M.A. in innovation programs. According to data provided by the university's career services department, 100% of recent business and accounting graduates gained employment or were pursuing a master’s degree within six months of graduation. In addition, according to the most recent release of CPA data, 71.4% of Cedarville’s accounting majors passed the CPA exam on their first attempt, which placed Cedarville's pass rate second highest among all Ohio universities. The national CPA pass rate is 55%.  

“Our aim as a business school,” said Dr. Jeff Haymond, dean of the Robert W. Plaster School of Business, “is to pursue excellence in all that we do so our graduates are prepared to enter the business world as ambassadors for Christ.” 

The construction of the Lorne C. Scharnberg Business Center is currently underway on the university’s campus. Located beside Cedar Lake, this $40-million facility will offer stunning views and ample community space for students to gather and collaborate. The facility will feature classrooms and offices for the department of communication, the Center for the Advancement of Cybersecurity, and the Robert W. Plaster School of Business. This world-class facility will be dedicated to training students for marketplace success from a biblical worldview. 

The Plaster Foundation is a nonprofit organization named in honor of Robert Plaster, an American businessman who supported free enterprise and business education until his passing in 2008.  

"We believe Robert W. Plaster would be quite pleased for his foundation to name the School of Business at Cedarville University, a beacon of light guiding students as they prepare for their lives in faith, family and work," said Jason Hannasch, executive director for the Plaster Foundation. "We applaud Mr. Lorne Scharnberg, the Berry Family Foundation, and all other supporters of these projects at Cedarville University which are helping provide world-class facilities for faculty and students to study business and free enterprise.  And of course, we cannot wait to see what Cedarville University students accomplish."

Located in southwest Ohio, Cedarville University is an accredited, Christ-centered, Baptist institution with an enrollment of 5,082 undergraduate, graduate, and online students in more than 175 areas of study. Founded in 1887, Cedarville is one of the largest private universities in Ohio, recognized nationally for its authentic Christian community, rigorous academic programs, including the School of Business, the Master’s in Business Administration, Master of Arts in Innovation, high graduation, and retention rates, accredited professional and health science offerings, and high student engagement ranking. For more information about the University, visit cedarville.edu.  

Attachments

• Breaking Ground
• Presidential Comments

Mark D. Weinstein
Cedarville University
937-766-8800
mweinstein@cedarville.edu