The University of Michigan's Stephen M. Ross School of Business has announced a $10 million gift from alumnus Thomas C. Jones to make it possible for undergraduates to experience many of the programs usually provided only to MBA students.

The gift will establish the Thomas C. Jones Center for BBA Education, which will offer more opportunities for students to apply classroom theory to real business situations, incorporate liberal arts into the business curriculum, and develop their leadership skills. The gift also will provide the resources necessary to develop a series of courses that integrate interdisciplinary skills needed to solve complex business problems.

"It is my hope and intent that the resources provided by this endowment will enable the Ross School to offer to future generations of undergraduate business students an exceptional educational experience unattainable without this support," said Jones, who received a BBA from Michigan in 1968 and an MBA in 1971. "Students won't just live in a world of finance or management. They'll have a complete educational experience that integrates all business disciplines to meet the real world challenges."

Jones, retired president of CIGNA Retirement & Investment Services, was the Ross School's first executive-in-residence and director of its bachelor of business administration degree program in 2003-04.