Skip to main content

Construction Crews Stay Busy at Mississippi College


Construction scene at University Place residence halls at Mississippi College on May 28.

Construction of a Mississippi College walking track, the addition of attractive residence halls, and new roofs for various campus buildings are all items on the school’s to-do list.

Call it the summer construction season at the 5,000-student university. It stretches from early May through mid-August, with workers in hard hats a daily fixture on the Clinton campus.

“It’s always busy in the summer,” says Steve Stanford, vice president for administration and government affairs. “This summer is no exception.”

The window of opportunity for construction crews happened just days after the May 9 spring commencement. It continues until the bulk of the MC students return for fall classes in August.

While more than 6,000 campers will visit Mississippi College in June and July, the construction work proceeds with their safety in mind. As the projects continue, the MC physical plant staff stays in close contact with the Office of Continuing Education that oversees the summer camps, Stanford noted.

In late May, visitors to the B.C. Rogers Student Center will notice the progress on a new roof. Alumni Hall and the university’s physical plant building are getting new roofs, too. In addition, a new roof is being installed to help protect one of the older buildings on MC’s East Campus, the former Clinton Junior High property.

Typically, roofs experience a lifespan of about 20 years. But when several Mississippi College buildings were pounded by hail storms a couple of years ago, that helped drive the need for major improvements, Stanford said.

In the academic year ahead, MC leaders are also stepping up their drive to improve fitness levels for faculty, staff, students and the Clinton community.

A generous grant of nearly $275,000 from the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation will pave the way for construction of a new walking trail and enhance the university’s wellness programs.

Work on the one-quarter mile walking track near the Longabaugh Soccer Field should be completed before the fall.

The project getting the most attention on the Clinton campus remains the construction of eight new residence hall units. Known as University Place, the first new residence halls on the Clinton campus in nearly twenty years will house 189 students.

Equipped with the latest technology, the units will feature Internet connectivity, electronic security systems, private rooms and showers, accommodations for special needs students, and all the amenities that make students feel at home. The budget for the project on the East Campus is about $16 million, Stanford said.

The project remains on schedule with the first wave of upper class students scheduled to move into the residence halls in late August.

Having new residence halls at Mississippi College is a tremendous asset when it comes to recruiting students, Stanford said. “Today’s students visit many university campuses as they decide where they will attend college,” he said. “Having comparable facilities is important.”

Mississippi College’s list of summer projects includes renovations of Student Government Association offices. The last time that happened was prior to 1999.

Supporters of MC Choctaws athletics will soon see work crews on the job at Robinson-Hale Stadium. Over the summer, workers will install new artificial turf on the football field. It’s simply a case of replacing the older artificial turf.

The new turf should be ready for the MC Choctaws 2015 football season. MC opens this season at home against Texas College on Sept. 5. Kickoff is 7pm on the Clinton campus.