Edward & Cathryn Rasmuson Hall

This building represented the first of many new additions to University of Alaska Anchorage’s Goose Lake campus in the 1990s and 2000s. Located on the central quad in the broader University-Medical District of the municipality, the Business Education Building's completion made it the first to occupy the space of the former community college campus. The four-story building, with its tiered design, green steel trim, concrete supports, and large exterior glass windows, is among the most recognizable on campus..  

The building is also the westernmost facility to connect to an elevated walkway commonly referred to as the “Spine.” The elevated walkway was entirely enclosed by 2002 and today provides cover from inclement weather and has become a gathering space for students to study and socialize in addition to connecting the older west side of campus to the newer east side. Campus buildings that are connected by the Spine include Rasmuson Hall, the Student Union and recreational gymnasium, the Consortium Library, and the Social Science Building. In 2005 the building was renamed Rasmuson Hall, after a gift by Alaska philanthropists Edward and Kathryn Rasmuson. 

The building is known as the central hub for all Business majors at UAA, with a majority of business courses being taught within its halls. There are also a wide range of student resources found within Rasmuson Hall such as the Student Health and Counseling Center, Disability Support Services, the Multicultural Center, Office of Student Affairs, Native Student Services, and several others.

A recent addition to Rasmuson Hall includes a state-of-the-art additional classroom found on the first floor known as the Weidner Center. These classrooms feature “smart” technology, such as interactive learning boards, computer labs, and wireless connections. This classroom is dedicated specifically to Business majors pursuing the Property Management and Real Estate program. The building was designed with open space in mind and encourages collaboration. The lobby opens up a view to the above floors, and several large skylights provide natural light.

While Rasmuson Hall hosts most of the courses for the College of Business and Public Policy, it is also home to several related departments, such as Economics, Finance, Accounting, and Business, in addition to UAA's Multicultural Center. The building opened at a time when the university’s enrollment began increasing over five percent each year and reflects an optimism of the 1990s under which UAA expanded rapidly and emerged as a center for higher education in Alaska.