Returning from summer vacation, students may have noticed several differences to Missouri Southern’s campus.

New sidewalks were poured, the front parking lots were recovered, the Campus Activities Board office was moved, Maupin Hall received new carpet and Starbucks has joined forces with the library café.

Bob Harrington, director of the physical plant, said the front parking lots were overdue for maintenance, so it was decided that they would be recovered with two inches of new asphalt and restriped.

The project cost the University an estimated $94,000.

“This was really a major improvement,” said Dr. Terri Agee, vice president for business affairs.

The new sidewalks located in different areas around campus cost about $50,000, Harrington said.

“We tried to put the sidewalks in areas where students have been walking anyway,” he said.

All improvements had to wait until the second week of July to begin, because the University didn’t receive its budget from the state until then.

“Our budget was approved very late in the process,” Agee said.

She said because of the state “budget crisis” Southern had to stretch its funds to the maximum benefit.

“I think we’ve gotten a lot of bang for our buck this year,” Agee said.

Harrington said that out of three of the on-campus apartment complexes he wanted to have recarpeted, Southern could only afford to have one done.

Maupin was chosen above Stone and Mitchell, because of its inferior carpet condition.

“It was absolutely the worst,” Harrington said.

It cost about $13,000 to put new carpet in Maupin Harrington said. The University is also in the process of changing out the front windows of the apartment complexes.

The CAB office that used to be on the bottom floor of the Billingsly Student Center has now been moved to the second floor where the MSSC Store used to be.

Agee said Southern’s new food service provider will fill the need of the MSSC Store. She also said most of the products sold at the MSSC Store weren’t popular enough to sell, so it won’t be missed.

Agee hopes CAB’s new location will help generate more interest for student involvement with student activities.

The library café has changed its name to University Java and has started serving Starbucks coffee along with different pastries, salads and sandwiches.

“We’re giving that whole coffee shop a face lift,” Agee said.

She thinks with the money allotted, Southern has had many important improvements over the summer.

“We’re really trying to improve convenience on campus,” she said.