Megan Reynolds
Editor-in-Chief
The second week of classes is underway, construction is ongoing throughout campus and students will find a variety of new projects at Murray State this semester.
“I say to everyone, especially our students, pardon our progress,” Murray State President Bob Jackson said. “Pardon what we’re doing, but we’re trying to enhance campus.”
Restaurants
Since the name Sodexo first dropped two semesters ago, students were chomping at the bite to see changes to campus food.
It wasn’t long before the news came that Murray State would get a Chick-fil-A.
One year later, the restaurant has put signs out for “Moovin’ in soon,” but students still haven’t been given a date they can expect to start eating there.
“Chick-fil-A has been very serious, as they should be, in regards to the service and training of their employees,” Jackson said.
He said the wait for Chick-fil-A is almost over; in the next week, students can expect to hear some good news concerning the restaurant.
“We’re going to start something fun in regards to a countdown for Chick-fil-A,” Jackson said. “So you may hear something more next week.”
Chick-fil-A isn’t the only restaurant Murray State can expect to see in the near future. Steak ‘n Shake and Starbucks will also make their way to campus.
Einstein Bros. Bagels was the first of these improvements, with its grand opening on Aug. 27. Chick-fil-A is to follow, with Starbucks and Steak ‘n Shake trailing afterward.
“Starbucks, it’s very possible, will be completed this semester,” Jackson said. “Steak ‘n Shake, it may be completed over the Christmas holiday break.”
Steak ‘n Shake will share a space with the Thoroughbred Room, as well as Sodexo’s Tres Habaneros.
Parking
Murray State took this past summer to add a multitude of new parking spaces to the Curris Center lot.
“We wanted to get rid of the islands that were out there,” Jackson said. “They were hard to cross, there were accidents, they just didn’t look that good.”
Poor lighting was also a source of worry for the parking committee. The remodel of the Curris Center parking lot also addressed this issue.
While definitely the top concern, decreasing the danger of the parking lot was not the only reason it was expanded.
With all the new business they expect to see in the Curris Center with the addition of three new restaurants, Jackson said more parking was a necessity.
“We wanted to gain more spaces, we wanted more visitor parking for the use of Chick-fil-A and this building [the Curris Center],” Jackson said.
Parking has also been added outside Faculty Hall with Primary Care in mind. These spots are specifically for Murray State students and faculty utilizing who are patients at Primary Care.
Primary Care, also a change to campus, is located on the first floor of Wells Hall. After Fast Pace’s contract ran out as the 2019 spring semester came to an end, Primary Care signed on.
Primary Care is open from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Friday. It is closed on weekends.
Academics
Murray State has been working to create a thriving academic environment since the school’s birth in 1921. Now, that continued effort is seen in the expansion of various programs and dedication to academic scholarships.
This past year, the University had its best fundraising year since 2012, raising $9.1 million. This will benefit students immensely.
“Half of that went to student scholarships,” Jackson said.
Jackson is also working with foundation team to begin a new campaign that would work to support students greatly.
“I want to start a new capital campaign,” the University president said. “A big portion of it, maybe up to half, will be directed to student scholarships, and a heavy component will be contributed to need-based scholarships.”
Jackson, who has chosen not to have an investiture, will redirect funds for his investiture to need-based scholarships. Jackson’s investiture would have been $25,000 and acts as a formal way to honor his new position as president.
“This is my alma mater, as you all know,” Jackson said. “I don’t need that investiture. I’m here, I’ve been here now for over a year now.”
Murray State’s environment has no need for unnecessary spending, Jackson said.
The University is also welcoming new online programs, as well as new graduate programs. One of these new programs is cyber security, stemming out of the telecommunication systems management program.
Jackson has high hopes for the next Board of Regents meeting, where he plans to announce additional new projects.
