L'Esprit des Lieux: Les Racines Angevines

In order to finance these improvements, worth around 26 million old francs, the ESSCA Alumni Association, under the aegis of the UCO, launched a 4% loan to its members. 400 bonds of 5,000 francs were issued for six years from January 1, 1954.

As it stood in 1969 when it was transferred, the school also featured a spacious entrance hall, a typing room and an additional office.

The first lease, signed in January 1940, ran until the end of 1964. At that time, the growth of the school and the fact that the town wanted to buy back part of the land in order to widen Rue Rabelais, made it imperative to move and rebuild on a new site. The premises were therefore sold to ESEO. In September 1966, a 2.92-hectare plot of pastureland at "La Forêt" in the commune of Beaucouzé was pre-empted. The land was part of the new university campus that the city of Angers was creating in Belle-Beille, and as such the École benefited from a very attractive price.

However, in order to complete the purchase and receive subsidies from the city and the département, which guaranteed part of the loans, it was necessary to create an Association with the legal status to enable the transaction. The law of 1875 authorized faculties to set up schools, but these had no legal personality. The law of 1901, on the other hand, allows the creation of non-profit associations with legal personality.

TheESSCA Association 's articles of association were filed on August 23, 1967 and registered in the French Official Journal on September 3. The Association is managed by the Université Catholique de l'Ouest, the Angers Chamber of Commerce, teachers, students and alumni.

At the end of July 1968, the building project on rue Lakanal was selected. The plans were drawn up by architect MORNET in collaboration with the outgoing COCARD-POURRIAS management team. The total cost of the project was 3.663 million francs, including 2.1 million in loans, which would weigh heavily on the school's budget in the years to come. All the more so as there is no question of raising the price of tuition. In fact, students were not entitled to state scholarships at the time, as the school had not yet been granted recognition status.

Construction was quickly completed and ESSCA moved into its new premises at the start of the 1969 academic year.

Jacques de LATROLLIERE, who finalized the project with the then new Director Jean LOTTE (1967/1974), gives us an accurate description: " Three thousand square meters on a single level, arranged around a convivial patio. A large lecture hall, three smaller ones and, adjoining them, some fifteen rooms for group work; not forgetting the library, a language laboratory, a typing room and, in the basement, a large gym; finally, a wing for the permanent staff and management. It's a harmonious whole, and from the outset we're very comfortable with less than 200 students, who can annex unused rooms for student activities. "

With this class of 71 students, the new four-year study cycle begins.These include IT, marketing and languages, as well as a first laboratory, while a larger part is devoted to internships, for which ESSCA is proving to be a pioneering institution. The aim of the fourth year is to enable students to develop their career plans in greater detail.

The school'sexpansion led to the construction of a new wing extending the boardroom in 1975.

As the École celebrates its 75th anniversary, it is faced with the challenge of meeting the ever-increasing demand that underpins its reputation, while maintaining the quality of its recruitment. The selectivity of the entrance exam, far from being a hindrance, is quite the opposite. The number of candidates rose from 212 in 1969 to 1,433 in 1982, 2,022 in 1983, 2,522 in 1984, 3,022 in 1985, 3,613 in 1986 and 3,862 in 1987. This very substantial increase justifies the gradual expansion of the graduating classes. But going from 110 to 150 students is not without consequences, and implies major adaptations in terms of human resources, equipment and premises.

The strengthening of the Group's national and international structure in the first half of the 90s, with the creation of the Paris site and theHungarian establishment, not to mentionESIAME-Cholet, did nothing to slow down the growth of the Anjou campus - quite the contrary. On October 21, 1992, Sébastien FLUTE, Olympic archery gold medallist in Barcelona, honoured the inaugural festivities for the new reception area and grounds with his presence.

The adoption of the new five-year curriculum at the start of the 1998 academic year, and the innovative nature of its architecture in the French business school landscape, precipitated triple recognition: from students, who voted for the school en masse; from recruiters, for whom ESSCA became the benchmark; and from labels, which recognized the excellence of the programs and the work accomplished. ESSCA has established itself as the leading five-year post-baccalaureate business school. In implicit recognition of this success, the school's formula is now being copied...

In view of the ever-increasing number of students and the associated quality imperatives, it was once again essential to expand the school's infrastructure. Anew 2,500 m2building was added to the Anjou site in 2001.

Today, almost 5,200 high school graduates attempt the ESSCA entrance exam, with 420 places available, divided equally between the Group's two sites in Anjou and Paris (see "Paris"). "210 students enter their first year at Belle-Beille. As for the Parisians, they must complete their third year in Angers. With 2,400 students and corporate auditors on campus, the school's capacity once again reached its limits.

So, in September 2009, the school underwent a remarkable expansion. A total of 4,400 m2 of new space was made available to students and staff alike. A building complying with High Environmental Quality standards houses 21 classrooms, including eight lecture theaters, 40 offices and reception areas, each equipped with the most appropriate high tech equipment. Once again, the building was designed by Angevin architect Frédéric ROLLAND. The site has been extended by around a quarter to over 17,000 m2. The 9 million euro cost of the works is largely borne by the School's institutional partners, with the City, Department and Region each contributing 2.2 million euros, for a total of 6.6 million.