Coastal Carolina making progress on campus growth

Coastal Carolina University has been progressing in so many ways through the students and the property they gained. CCU is no stranger to welcoming newcomers. That is why they have a plan to expand the university and they call it The Master Plan.

Travis E. Overton, the Vice President for Executive Initiatives and Chief of Staff, has been a part of the CCU family for 11 years; since the summer of 2007. He originally came as the Greek advisor and then transitioned to lead CCU’s student conduct office; later becoming the Dean of Students and is now currently in his new position as Vice President since 2017.

Overton listed in what ways CCU is growing as a school.

“Athletically, we just moved into a new conference,” said Overton. “We are officially pass the two year mark [and] it’s exciting for us to now be a part of the Sun Belt. That’s creating growth because it’s exposing the university to different parts of the United States.”

He also pointed out how we are growing academically.

“There are new majors and new areas of the University that are developing regularly and that creates more opportunity for individuals to come and experience different things,” Overton said.

Coastal Carolina University is also known for its student to faculty ratio and the fact that CCU is a smaller school makes it easier to have that one on one communication. The Master Plan goes all the way back to September 2016 and has been in motion ever since.

“The Academic Building Office 2 and [the Child Development center] was a part of our master plan, to open [them] and to develop [them] to what [they are] now,” said Overton. “There are parts of the master plan that also included the new residence halls which opened a few years ago as well.”

If you look at the master plan, there are parts that are said to be not for sure projects, but more like suggested projects and if you go to the Coastal Carolina University website you should be able to access the master plan.

“On the master plan there is an academic/administrative building that sits beside the potential future project as the parking garage,” said Overton. “What a master plan is saying is ‘if a campus is looking to develop and grow in parts then this is what the campus can do’.”

Overton notes on the fact that students should look to the university’s Student Government Association as that organization plays an important role in many aspects, including campus growth.

“When SGA President Fletcher, holds forms or those types of things; student government is the voice for our students,” Overton said.

If students want to know more information on what is happening on campus the forms is a great resource for attendance.

Sahmyah Tittle, sophomore, knows a little about what is going on around campus. She feels like it’s no secret of the progress on campus because you can drive by it and students are being notified through emails.

Tittle enjoys the progression of her campus, but feels that with the stadium building more seating “makes it seem like [there was] an issue with seating before.” She doesn’t think the clearing of the land across from the football field beside the soccer field is necessary.

“I like the way [campus is] set up because you have a little bit of everything,” said Tittle. “You have the gym here for exercise and in the gym you have different things to do and you have an inside track and an outside track [not too far away].”

Tittle does not want that area to be taken away, especially the space beside the outside track. She notes on the point about the new performance arts area and says that she understands the upgrade idea, but at the same time she prefers no change.

“I understand the black box theater is small, but I like it because that is [what makes it intimate] and you’ll feel like you are a part of [the show],” Tittle said.

She thinks that the locations of the building projects should be moved in different areas rather than in areas that already have functions.

Elexis Thompson, sophomore, was here to witness some of the finished projects when they were being developed.

“I see why the parking is necessary, but I don’t see why the moving of fields is necessary,” she said.

She also believes that if the fountain in front of the Wall College of Business needed to be done, it should have been done bigger. She wants CCU to invest their money into more parking and another dining hall option.

“I think it’s a pretty big campus as is, but eventually it will be necessary [to build] so I guess they are saving money by doing it now,” Thompson said.