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As students prepare to return to campus next weekend, Milligan’s faculty and staff took a break from their normal work routines Friday, for the college’s annual Campus Work Day. The day wrapped up a summer of beautification, construction and updates around the Milligan campus.
The most notable difference students will notice on campus is progress on the new 24,000-square-foot Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts and the reopening of the main campus road. Both projects were underway throughout last school year. This summer, construction and steel have gone up on the Center, which will house a 290-seat theatre and teaching areas for the college’s celebrated theatre and fine arts program. Estimated completion date is early 2007.
The new Elizabeth Leitner Gregory Center for the Liberal Arts was approved by the college’s Board of Trustees in April 2005. The college’s former theatre, Walker Auditorium, was located in Derthick Hall, the college’s main classroom facility. The theatre was an old auditorium and very small and limited.
Other summer projects include new carpeting and paint in several buildings, a new roof installed on the Paxson Communication building, new steps installed at the science building, and general updates to campus dorms.
The Annual Work Day invites faculty and staff to help with the final touches of sprucing up the campus for the beginning of the fall semester. Projects included painting, trimming, weeding, and cleaning around the 188-acre campus.
“Maintenance crews, volunteers, and alumni have worked all summer on campus improvements and preventative maintenance,” said Milligan President Don Jeanes, who with wife, Clarinda, has made the continual improvement of campus facilities and grounds one of his long-term objectives. “With the last-minute touches from the faculty and staff, the campus will be in peak shape for the students’ return.”
The work day kicked off with a continental breakfast in the McCormick Dining Hall, where employees volunteered for various projects. The day culminated noon “thank you” picnic lunch at McMahan Student Center.
“We have a beautiful campus,” said Jeanes. “And the faculty and staff support is further evidence of the commitment and community spirit that we have at Milligan. We look forward to another great year at Milligan.”