New parking lot near residence halls ready for students

When Southeast Missouri State University students move into the Towers high-rise residence halls on Thursday, they'll find a new, landscaped asphalt parking lot where in past years there was an irregularly shaped lot with parking that was more helter-skelter.

University officials say the new lot should make a good first impression on students when fall classes start Aug. 25.

"It's nice," said Debbie Below, director of enrollment management. Parking is always a concern of students, she said.

The parking lot can hold 313 cars. The old lot could handle 296.

Construction continues on a two-level parking deck just to the north of the lot that should be completed by November, school officials said.

When it's all completed, the $3.1 million project will provide about 300 more parking spaces to serve the Towers residence halls and the nearby fraternity and sorority halls. In all, there will be over 600 available parking spaces there, campus officials said.

Enrollment may be down slightly this fall, but officials said the residence halls should be packed.

Below said nearly 2,500 students have signed up to live in campus housing this fall.

"We are going to open the year at over 92 percent occupancy," she said.

More than 1,000 freshmen are expected to move in on Thursday, joining approximately 800 students that already will be on campus including football players and members of fraternities and sororities.

About 600 returning students are expected to be on hand to lift boxes and haul suitcases for new students moving into the dorms, Below said.

The university has over 1,000 bottles of water ready to hand out to students and families on move-in day, she said.

At 9:30 a.m. Friday, there will be a welcome convocation for new students at the Show Me Center. John Mehner, president of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce, will present the keynote address. A "Welcome Back" picnic is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday at Capaha Park.

1 percent drop possible

However, there could be fewer students to welcome this year.

Southeast has experienced record fall enrollment for two consecutive years. But enrollment may be down about 1 percent this semester, said Dr. Dennis Holt, vice president of administration and enrollment management. However, that would still mean more than 9,400 students are enrolled in classes on the Cape Girardeau campus and at outlying higher education centers.

Statewide, the number of high school graduates attending public colleges dropped slightly last year and that trend could continue, he said.

Holt said the number of graduate students also might drop because with tight budgets in school districts there may be less of a financial reward now for teachers to pursue master's degrees.

Southeast had 9,534 students enrolled last fall, up nearly 2 percent from the previous year.

Students this school year will see more than a new parking lot. Students will benefit from a new recreation center on the south end of campus, officials said.

The building, a former activities center on the First Baptist Church property on Broadway, has undergone minor renovations and will be ready when fall classes start on Aug. 25, school officials said. The new recreation center will be the second such fitness center on campus. The main recreation center is on the north end of campus adjoining the Show Me Center.

School officials said the start of a new school year is an exciting time.

"There is so much hope and anticipation," said Holt.

Said Below, "I can't wait to get the students back."

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123