Eastern Oklahoma State College hosted a groundbreaking ceremony on June 9 to celebrate the construction of new student housing in Wilburton.

Located on the east end of campus, the two-story building will house 40 students in 20 double-occupancy rooms each with its own private bathroom. It is an estimated $2.5 million project.

Speaking at the ceremony, Eastern President Dr. Janet Wansick said constructing new student housing was one of her top goals when she became president in the summer of 2020.

“What an incredible day for Eastern Oklahoma State College! This is a project that has been a long time coming,” Wansick said. “We’re all about student access and success and one of the barriers we have found to that is we didn’t have adequate housing to bring students here. These dorms are going to be the first step to remedy that problem.”

Eastern Regent Latt Jeffrey also spoke at the groundbreaking event.

“This is monumental. It’s the first step of a new era,” Jeffrey said. “The community college landscape looks pretty bleak, but not at Eastern. We have the people, the resources and the leadership to do some great things.”

Several state and community leaders were in attendance to celebrate the project. Senator Warren Hamilton, Representative Jim Grego, Wilburton Mayor Loran Mayes, Choctaw Nation District 6 Councilwoman Jennifer Woods, and several members of the Eastern Board of Regents, Development Foundation Board, faculty and staff were present. Also in attendance were architect Mike Reilly and MacHill Construction representatives Queston Hill and Mitchell Sanders.

Construction will begin this summer and Wansick said she hopes the new housing will be ready for students by the fall 2024 semester.