They went to class on Saturdays for 30 weekends of the year, and they’re being reunited this weekend.

The graduates of the Saturday Master of Business Administration program will have their first reunion hosted by the Iowa State College of Business on Saturday, Oct. 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Sun Room.

College of Business Dean Benjamin Allen said, “The Saturday MBA program was created in 1992. It was designed for students with a heavy workload.”

He said the Saturday MBA program is a three-year program for graduate students to obtain their master of business administration degree.

Students take a total of thirty Saturday classes a year — 12 in the spring and fall and six Saturday classes in the summer.

“We are delighted to have our Saturday MBA graduates returning to campus. This alumni group spent a lot of time together while in our program, and many have expressed an interest in keeping touch,” Ackerman said, according to a press release.

The reunion activities include a panel discussion at 9:30 a.m. featuring Max Wortman, a distinguished professor of business at Iowa State; Daryl Erdman, the director of the John Pappajohn, Entrepreneurial Center at the University of Iowa; Connie Wimer, the president and publisher of Business Publications Corp., in Des Moines; and David Sly, the president of Cimtechnologies Corp. in Ames.

At 11:25 a.m. there will be a presentation on the College of Business hosted by Allen. The presentation will be located in the ICN classroom in Carver Hall.

Allen said he would be discussing several issues.

“The main issue is the direction the College of Business is taking pertaining to graduate students,” Allen said.

He said he would discuss the theory and research of practice. Other topics include how the College of Business is connecting with other colleges for programs and the improvement of facilities for MBA students.

The reunion will conclude with a luncheon and tour of the ISU Research Park and Engineering Animation.

The luncheon will be hosted by Matthew Rizai, the keynote address speaker and co-recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award for Iowa and Nebraska. Rizai is the president and CEO of Engineering Animation, Inc.

Rizai said, “I will discuss the spirit of entrepreneurship. What drives entrepreneurs to be entrepreneurs.”

After the luncheon there will be tours of Engineering Animation, Inc,. and ISU Research Park.