Ground broken for new Faculty and Staff Housing at Alcorn

Faculty and staff members at Alcorn State University soon will have new and improved housing on campus.

The university held its Faculty and Staff Housing Groundbreaking Ceremony Friday, May 3 near the Product Development Center. The development includes a combination of 30 new townhome and apartment units for university employees.

Dr. Jeff Posey, associate vice president for Facilities Management, thanked everyone who was involved in bringing the project to life. Posey also said that construction of the housing complex would be complete by October 2020.

Dr. Valtreasa Tolliver-Cook, associate professor of social science and president of the faculty senate, talked about the convenience that on-campus living will provide for Alcorn employees.

“These are great times at Alcorn,” said Cook. “The option for us to live near campus and enjoy modern amenities has been a long time coming. Employee housing would help us to attract the best talent to work and live on campus. Living here will greatly enhance our productivity. We must keep up the good work so we can continue to be the best.”

Terri Williams, principal, and owner of ArchitectureSouth, P.A., said that she is proud to be a part of the housing project. She applauded Alcorn’s leadership for their courtesy and professionalism.

“It is a pleasure to work with Alcorn,” said Williams. “The excitement and investment of your leaders are just incredible. You all make us feel at home when we come here, and we appreciate the effort. This is one of many signs of the university’s efforts to provide life balance for the faculty and staff."

Dr. Donzell Lee, interim president, applauded Higher Education Commissioner Dr. Alfred Rankins Jr. for having the foresight to lead the charge on the inception of the initiative during his presidency at Alcorn.

“The dedication of those who have preceded me made this happen,” said Lee. “Dr. Rankins is to be congratulated for this project. It was one of the last projects he worked on before he left the university. I appreciate the faculty and staff that for so long have requested this complex. This project is going to be helpful.”