University Club Open House

Do any of you remember eating lunch and visiting with your University colleagues in the Charcoal Room? What about ending a busy day by having a time of fellowship with some friends at the University Club that was located in the old Southernaire or in the Peck House? 

In the past, our faculty and staff have enjoyed some of these opportunities, and such occasions provided the foundation for that Southern Miss family feeling.   About nine months ago, I named two committees to investigate the re-establishment of a University Club on both of our campuses.  The Gulf Coast committee has made recommendations, and they are under serious consideration at this time.  The Hattiesburg committee has presented recommendations to my Executive Cabinet as well, and those recommendations included our using a temporary site at Conestoga Steak House II until a permanent site can be identified.  Invitations to upcoming open houses have been sent out via campus emails and flyers. 

First, let me reassure you that this venture is not coming from University funds.  Instead these open houses are financed completely by the reserves left by the original University Club organization.  Conestoga is allowing us to use their facility on certain Tuesday evenings at no charge. 

Second, let me encourage you to take these opportunities to get to know your colleagues across campus and to see what a University Club has to offer to our faculty and staff.  In these difficult economic times, we need each other more than ever as we unite to make our University even stronger.  An open house with complimentary hors d'oeuvres sounds pretty good to me!