Regional campus underway

Public officials dedicate the site of the Murray State Paducah Regional Campus, at a ground breaking ceremony. || Orville Herndon/The News

Ben Manhanke || Staff Writer

Murray State’s Paducah Regional Campus is still in the process of construction, but is expected to be an appreciated addition to the University’s network.

The campus is scheduled to be completed by the fall of 2013, just in time for the new academic year.

Students at the Paducah campus will be able to receive both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. It is also expected the campus will bring jobs to the region.

The official groundbreaking ceremony for the new Murray State Paducah campus was held Thursday, May 31, at the Barkley Property in Paducah, Ky., near the West Kentucky Community and Technical College.

Brian Van Horn, dean of continuing education and academic outreach at Murray State, acted as emcee for the ceremony.

“This campus will meet the needs of those that don’t have the opportunity to go to Murray but still desire that strong academic quality that an MSU degree gives to them,” Van Horn said.

Attending the ceremony along with Van Horn was President Randy Dunn, Board of Regents Chairman Constantine Curris, Paducah Mayor Bill Paxton, McCracken County Judge-Executive Van Newberry and Gov. Steve Beshear. Each of them had something to say about the partnership between Paducah and Murray State.

Paxton said the project will be helping two leading communities: Paducah and Murray.

“This helps Paducah, and that’s obvious,” Paxton said. “But Murray State’s mission is to grow their students, and this is going to help that mission.”

Newberry spoke briefly at the event.

“To paraphrase that old 20th century philosopher Humphrey Bogart,” he said. “‘I hope this is the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship.”

 

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