WESSON – Copiah-Lincoln Community College on Thursday dedicated a new campus residency hall named after someone who has served the college for nearly 30 years.

     The P. Eugene Bates Residence Hall for honor students was dedicated in a ceremony on campus attended by around 100 people. The new $3.2 million hall accommodates 57 students inside of its 18,724 square feet. The building was opened to students on Jan. 5.

     Co-Lin President Dr. Ronnie Nettles spoke proudly of the new building.

     “We’re every excited to officially open this new residency hall,” he said. “I want to thank the county boards of supervisors and everyone on the board of trustees. They recognize the importance of quality housing on our campus.”

     Bates has been on the Co-Lin Board of Trustees for 28 years and has served as board chairman for the last 10 years. Bates is originally from Jefferson County and resides in Church Hill with his wife, Susie.

     “I’m so humble for this honor that’s been awarded to me by the board of trustees,” he said. “I feel so blessed to serve with some of the finest men in the area. I especially thank the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors.”

     Bates added he hopes all the future students at Co-Lin who stay in the hall enjoy their time there.

     Nettles said the building was financed through bond funds from the Mississippi Legislature for five fiscal years. The architect was Architecture South, P.A. and the builder was Coleman Hammons Construction Co., Inc.

     Later in the day, the trustees discussed wrapping up the 2011-12 fiscal year and planning for the upcoming year during their monthly meeting on campus at the Thames Center.

     An issue discussed that affected summer enrollment was the lack of federal summer Pell Grants students use to pay for college. The federal government allowed the grants to be applied for summer school the past two years, but declined to do so this year.

     Enrollment for summer 2012 is 1,213 across the college’s three campuses, which was lower than the 1,430 students the college had in 2011.

     Officials said the loss of the grant made an impact across the state.

     “Elimination of the summer Pell Grant was huge across the state,” said Nettles. “Over 70 percent of our students qualify for Pell.”

     Currently, students taking non-college workforce oriented courses such as welding can use Pell Grants to pay for their instruction. In the future, changes are coming to the Pell Grant system, which will eliminate students’ ability to use them for workforce classes.

     “That will have a minimal impact on us, but it will impact schools such as Hinds County Community College and Gulf Coast Community College significantly,” Nettles said.

     Officials said numbers of students graduating in spring semester were up as around 100 students graduated in Natchez, 86 on the Simpson County campus and more than 200 in Wesson.

     “Co-Lin is way ahead of most schools in the state in terms of the amount of students we have graduating each year compared to the number of students we have enrolled,” said Nettles.

     A report on the progress of construction of the new cafeteria was very positive, as officials expect the building to be completed on time and within its projected budget.

     The board voted to suspend their July meeting, as members will gather next month in Tunica for the Mississippi Trustees Conference on July 13 and 14.