Like the large live oaks that shade its Gulf Park Campus, The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) is a strong and vital presence on the Gulf Coast that is continually spreading its roots. With extensive renovations at its Gulf Park Campus, plans for a proposed new campus at the multi-use development Cross Creek, and numerous research and teaching sites, USM Gulf Coast is securing a successful future for itself, its students and the area.
The Gulf Park Campus, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico in the city of Long Beach, was established in 1972 to offer citizens in coastal Mississippi higher education opportunities. Over 50 degree programs are available at the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Today, two of the older buildings on the campus are being restored to prepare the site for its future, which Associate Provost Pat Joachim says will primarily focus on entertainment industry studies. Film, audio and communication courses will continue to be valuable programs offered on that campus along with executive format graduate programs.
The renovated Hardy Hall, on the south portion of the property, will house offices for the College of Education and Psychology, dining facilities and the campus bookstore. Elizabeth Hall will be the home for the College of Arts and Letters.
Other teaching sites across the Gulf Coast offer educational programming suited to the needs of each particular area. In nearby Jackson County, at the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College campus, USM gives students the ability to take upper level courses. At Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, USM provides courses, programs and services designed for Keesler and the civilian community.
In Hancock County, the Stennis Space Center teaching site is home to the Department of Marine Science, which offers the only Marine Science degree in the state, as well as a unique Master’s degree in Hydrographic Science. The Center for Higher Learning at Stennis, a collaborative effort among USM, Mississippi State University, the University of New Orleans and Pearl River Community College, provides higher education and workforce development opportunities to the employees of Stennis Space Center and the surrounding communities.
Research is also a very strong focus for USM. The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory, with two locations in the city of Ocean Springs, is working toward a future of sustainable coastal and marine resources through scientific discovery, development of new technology and education of future scientists and citizens.
To increase its educational and research offerings and further accommodate an anticipated growing number of students, USM is planning to build an additional Gulf Coast campus at Cross Creek, a 1,700-acre site on the I-10 corridor that will also include residential and commercial areas, office space, retail shops and restaurants. Facilities at the new campus will be state-of-the-art and will be designed to use renewable resources.
Associate Provost Joachim says, “This is an exciting time for us on the Gulf Coast with great opportunities for growth. Educationally, Southern Miss definitely wants to be a pioneer rather than a follower.”
For more information on the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast, please visit www.usm.edu/gulfcoast.
