When you come to Wharton, whether it is for a custom educational solution or an open-enrollment program, we look after you every step of the way. Consider the Steinberg Conference Center, situated among the historic halls on the University of Pennsylvania campus. This state-of-the-art facility houses amphitheaters, breakout rooms, and three-tiered classrooms; comfortable guest rooms with private baths, PCs, and a high-speed internet connection; a gym (along with admittance to any open Penn athletic facility); and gourmet executive dining facilities. It's a stimulating environment in which executives can concentrate and interact with peers and learn.
Furthermore, Penn's campus is the focal point in University City, a vibrant and eclectic neighborhood of international culture, dining, film, and shopping. You will feel right at home among our ivy-cloaked buildings and find no shortage of inspiration for success.
Learning is more than an activity. It's an experience. And the Steinberg Conference Center is the expression of Wharton's philosophy that the venue should engage one's entire being in that experience. The Balser Art Collection is a spectacular example of this philosophy brought to life. This eclectic collection of more than 300 works of late 20th century art endowed by Barbara B. and Ronald Davis Balser (Wharton class of 1960) was specifically designed to bring richness to the Steinberg Conference Center experience. And, because a productive atmosphere is the result of far more than appearance, the Conference Center staff shares a single goal: your complete satisfaction. From the classrooms to the dining facilities, the public spaces to the private guestrooms, every part of this extensive environment is intended to enhance the comfort and concentration of each guest.
The Steinberg Conference Center includes:
- Four amphitheaters
- Three tiered classrooms
- Seven conference rooms
- 15 video and computer-networked case study rooms
- Aerobic fitness room
- Gourmet executive dining facilities
- Evening lounge
- 103 guestrooms, each with a private bath and a networked Pentium-class PC
- Staffing and services specifically designed with the executive in mind
The Balser Art Collection was created to provide the Wharton School, its students, faculty, and visiting executives with an outstanding cultural and educational resource. Endowed by Barbara B. and Ronald Davis Balser, W '60, it is a joyous, eclectic representation of more than 300 works of late 20th century art.
The Collection avoids allegiance to any one artistic style or medium. Instead, it offers a broad range of contemporary styles, personal visions, and media. The works of well-known artists — Josef Albers, Salvador Dali, Joan Miro, Philip Pearlstein, and Andy Warhol among them — are included, as well as fine pieces by lesser-known but highly accomplished artists. The rich variety of imagery found in the paintings, sculpture, and graphics in the Collection delights viewers, many of whom are surprised to encounter such a collection associated with one of the leading business schools in the world.
Most of the Balser Art Collection was acquired or commissioned specifically for the Steinberg Conference Center. However, some objects are on loan to the Center from the University of Pennsylvania Art Collection. Assembled under the direction of Art Consultant and Architect Robert Fymat, the artwork is exhibited throughout the Center, providing ample opportunity to view the Collection. At the same time, it enhances the post-modern architecture of the Center.
Opened in 1987, the Steinberg Conference Center was established with the support of Saul P. Steinberg, W'59, and his family. Adding a new dimension to the Wharton experience, the Center serves as a living and learning resource designed to enhance the educational, cultural, and recreational experience of executives who are attending programs through Wharton's Aresty Institute of Executive Education or who are staying at the Center for other reasons.
We are grateful to Barbara B. and Ronald Davis Balser, who endowed the Balser Art Collection with a generous gift in 1991. In addition to providing support for this fine collection, the Balsers, of Atlanta, are well-known philanthropists and collectors of fine art in their own right. Their generosity is deeply appreciated by all of us here at the Center.
With more faculty conducting research across disciplines than any other business school in the world, Wharton brings unequalled depth and breadth in management education to the West Coast.
Wharton's center in San Francisco is conveniently located in San Francisco's business district. The state-of-the-art facility is located on the top three floors of the historic Folger Building at 101 Howard Street, at the corner of Howard and Spear Streets. It is closely related in functional design to Wharton's new Jon M. Huntsman Hall and the Steinberg Conference Center on campus in Philadelphia. The Center is just a stroll from the Embarcadero, the city's spectacular waterfront promenade.
Open-Enrollment Programs:
Wharton Executive Education offers short, intense, nondegree programs for executives, led by Wharton faculty.
Custom Programs:
Wharton is a leader in both company- and industry-specific executive programs for organizations around the world. For companies that prefer a West Coast location, the San Francisco center provides expanded opportunities for executive development programs designed to meet specific company needs. Wharton faculty conduct programs at the Wharton West site, and programs can also be designed with Internet2 technology to connect Wharton West participants to colleagues in Philadelphia and around the world.