TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – While some students at The University of Alabama will be spending fall break at the beach or at home, some select business school students will have the rare opportunity to visit personally with Warren Buffett, the icon of the investment world.

Buffett, chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, avails himself to business school students several times a year and the UA students, along with a contingent from Texas Christian University, were invited to a special question-and-answer session with him Oct. 12. The two-hour session will be followed by a luncheon with Buffett.

Dr. J. Barry Mason, dean of the Culverhouse College of Commerce, requested the visit. “To give our students this kind of real life exposure is invaluable and a tremendous opportunity that very few people are able to experience,” Mason said.

The group visiting with Buffett includes M.B.A., master of finance, and some students in the Business Honors program. They will be accompanied by Susan West, assistant dean of the Manderson Graduate School of Business, along with faculty members, Drs. Ron Dulek and Anup Agrawal.

“We are honored to be able to meet with someone that has had such influence in the business world,” West said. “We often talk about the importance of activities outside of the classroom that can be just as valuable, and this is indeed one of those times. There are not many professionals, let alone students, who can say they actually have met with, and learned from, Mr. Buffett directly. We are all very grateful to Dean Mason for providing and supporting this initiative.”

The students will begin the day in Omaha touring the Nebraska Furniture Mart, one of Buffett’s original investments. This will be followed by almost four hours of discussion and lunch.

The University of Alabama, a student-centered research university, is in the midst of a planned, steady enrollment growth with a goal of reaching 28,000 students by 2010. This growth, which is positively impacting the campus and the state’s economy, is in keeping with UA’s vision to be the university of choice for the best and brightest students. UA, the state’s flagship university, is an academic community united in its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Alabamians.