The former Alabama Center for Real Estate Research and Education at the Capstone has changed its name and hired a new director.
Grayson Glaze, the new director of the Alabama Center for Real Estate, said he will lead the center in new directions.
Glaze has taught as an adjunct professor at the University, and he is a member of the National Association of Realtors, the Alabama Association of Realtors and the Birmingham Association of Realtors and is a licensed Alabama real estate broker.
A special emphasis will be placed on cultivating a strong and supportive relationship with the real estate students within the College of Commerce and Business Administration, he said.
Glaze said the center's team should be in place by the middle of October and will begin the formal process of establishing a strategic business plan with the goal of fulfilling the center's guiding principles.
The plan will be presented to the UA System Board of Trustees before the end of the year, and Glaze said the new initiatives should begin to gain momentum at the beginning of 2008.
J. Barry Mason, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration, said the center's emphasis is shifting from research to service for the real estate community.
"In addition, we will focus more on educating our students in a fashion that will allow them to understand the economic impact and the supply and demand side of real estate," Mason said.
Mason also said interest in real estate courses has rapidly increased, making it necessary for additional classroom instruction. The number of students concentrating in real estate has climbed from 200 to 500.
The center plans to work closely with the career development office within Culverhouse to heighten internships and career opportunities within the industry, Glaze said.
Glaze said he also hopes to find mores student internships in the real estate community and will be looking for ways to increase student participation through student-oriented activities.
The center is also establishing an office dedicated to student use. The room is equipped with computers and will be a place for students to gather class research or career related information.
Glaze said he also plans to expand the center's Web site to provide more assistance to the real estate community, and he said he hopes to create distance-learning programs for real estate professionals, along with Web seminars and conferences.
Students will also be able to post their résumés on the site, and employers will be able to post job opportunities, allowing for more efficient job related communication.
"The Center will be passionately focused on our students' success and delivering the highest level of service with a smile measured by accuracy, integrity and professionalism," Glaze said. "We simply believe in creating value through relationships and establishing a reputation as a trusted partner."
Be the first to comment on this article!
Log in to be able to post comments.