High Point University to Add Home Furnishings Management Major

Furniture World Magazine

High Point University will add a major in home furnishings management, beginning with the 1997 fall semester. It will be the third home-furnishings-related major offered by the university. The new major and the other two related majors, home furnishings marketing and interior design! all lead to the bachelor of science degree. The B.S. degree in home furnishings management requires students to take a strong core of business courses that provide a broad background in all functional areas of management. They also will take a variety of industry specific courses such as: Introduction to furniture. Furniture retailing. Management applications for furniture manufacturers. Graduates could fill a variety of positions such as operations management in a retail organization, a variety of general management positions with furniture manufacturers or furniture suppliers. The majors are offered in both the day and evening degree programs on the High Point campus. "By attending classes full time, students should be able to graduate in four years," says Dr. Richard Bennington, director of the Home Furnishings Program. "This new major will allow us to broaden our program beyond marketing and interior design, " he says. "It is offered in response to requests by students who are interested in a variety of general management positions within the home furnishings industry. Businesses also have been calling for individuals who may be interested in filling positions that normally are not considered in the area of marketing. " The university is involved in a fund-raising campaign for construction of a building on its High Point campus. The structure, which will be for the Home Furnishings Programs, will include a seminar/ conference center and a research and historical reference center for the home furnishings industry. Tentatively called the International School of Home Furnishings, the building will be an educational center for the entire home furnishings industry. Construction will begin as soon as possible after the fund-raising campaign is completed.