WESSON – Copiah Lincoln Community College leaders decidedThursday at the board of trustees meeting to take the first stepsin funding construction of a new men’s dormitory.

College President Ronnie Nettles told trustees that the schoolwill request the sale of $2.4 million in bonds for a project tore-roof the Fortenberry Building on the Wesson campus, as well asthe dormitory construction. The Fortenberry Building housesinformation technology and vocational technology services.

“We have needed to finish the Fortenberry Building, and weshould have enough money that we can begin construction on themen’s dormitory,” Nettles said.

Since the center of campus is beginning to congest, Nettles saidthe new dorm will be located behind the current Simpson andFranklin dormitories, and will be accessible also from the exitroad that runs on the other side of the water tank that sits on thesouth side of campus.

When Natchez trustee Melton King asked about a potentialtimetable, Nettles said school officials said they hope the projectcan get under way as soon as possible.

Nettles also told the board of the success of the school’sscholar-athletes as compared to the other schools in the NationalJunior College Athletic Association.

“We hear so many bad things about sports these days, but weparticipate in 10 sports here at Co-Lin, and six of those finishedin the top 20 in the country,” he said. “We need to be proud ofthat.”

Men’s tennis, Nettles said, finished at the second spot in thecountry with a 3.36 GPA, with the women’s tennis team at numberfive with a 3.54 GPA. Women’s soccer came in 13th with a 3.10 GPA,and baseball’s 3.11 GPA brought them a 14th ranking. The golf teamwas 16th in the country with a 3.11 GPA, and the softball team camein 20th nationally with a 3.27 GPA.

In addition, the school had nine Distinguished AcademicAll-Americans for the 2008-09 school year.

“Superintendents, a lot of these are your students,” Nettlestold the board, which includes the superintendents of severalschool districts in Co-Lin’s area. “That’s a lot to be proudof.”

Nettles also told the board that he and other delegates from theschool had begun meeting with boards of supervisors in thedifferent counties in the district, saying they had already been toLawrence, Adams and Franklin counties.

“We’ve discovered that they don’t have a lot of money either,”he said. “But we’ve had good visits, and we’ll be visiting theothers over the next little while. We really just want to let themknow we appreciate what support we get from them, and to tell themwe hope they continue to support the college.”

Co-Lin holds orientation on Thursday, Aug. 13, with studentsbeginning class on Aug. 17.