Change is coming to MUW

MISSISSIPPI UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN, Miss. (WCBI )- Mississippi University for Women’s campus will soon have a different feel and look.

Renovations are underway, and some buildings will come down.

President Nora Miller took a group of former grads on a trip around campus Friday morning. For many of these former students, it will be last time seeing some of the buildings.

Mississippi University for Women is changing. More students and changing technology are fueling the growth around campus.

The W’s President Nora Miller said it’s time.

“We have to continue to meet our student needs and demands, and we have a beautiful campus. We have a lot of historic buildings that require a lot of love, and care, and money to keep up with, and we need to make sure that they function in a modern world the way that we’re supposed too,” said President Miller.

And matching the modern world is what MUW plans to do. Some of their majors are bringing in more people, and that means classrooms need to adapt.

Taylor and Keirn dorm buildings will be torn down to make room for a new culinary arts facility.

“We only have one kitchen right now so we have over 100 Culinary arts majors and it’s really tricky to schedule to classes and schedule projects and demonstrations. So, we need, we need more kitchens, we need a demonstration kitchen, we need a place where we can have events to really showcase what they’re doing,” said President Miller.

That project could get some extra help from the state.

“The bond bill the legislature has before them right now includes almost $6.7 million which will be the first phase of the project,” said President Miller.

And it’s not just educational buildings getting an upgrade.

Changes for athletics are also on the playing field.

“We’ve got some plans in the works for a baseball field, and that will probably be the next thing that will going to see,” said President Miller.

Karla Ayers graduated in 1986. Since then she has seen the university evolve.

“I like it, I like it. Change is hard for a lot of people, and a lot of people don’t like change because it means things are changing and sometimes that sad, but I like it because it’s moving forward and it’s exciting that the school is still here and still vibrant,” said Ayers.

Other projects going on include the demonstration school which is expected to re-open this fall and will house the speech-language pathology department and speech and hearing clinic.