Loras College in Dubuque announced today it is launching a business school that will begin accepting students for the fall 2018 semester. The Francis J. Noonan School of Business is named after the late Francis J. Noonan, a 43-year member of the Loras faculty who retired in 1991 as professor emeritus. “The addition of the Noonan School of Business will offer students new learning opportunities and meet the critical need in society to have well-formed, ethical leaders in business and related fields,” Jim Collins, president of Loras College, said. The college’s existing Executive MBA in Analytics will remain as a key component of the Noonan School. The college’s Keane Hall will be renovated to house new business faculty offices, seminar space and classrooms. Immediate future plans include the construction of a state of the art Finance Resource Lab. Additional offerings currently being explored include the development of a Certified Financial Planning certificate program, entrepreneurial courses, and expanded internship and study-away opportunities. An anonymous couple recently provided a $5 million endowed contribution to establish funding for the dean of the business school and corresponding operational expenses. A nationwide search will begin immediately for an experienced dean.