The Coastal Carolina University board of trustees approved a new campus master plan during its meeting on Dec. 14. The board also approved a Doctor of Public Service honorary degree for South Carolina Circuit Court Judge Clifton Newman, who will serve as the keynote speaker at CCU’s May 2024 University Commencement Ceremony.

The campus master plan will be a conceptual guide as new building projects are presented to the board for approval. Included in the campus master plan are parking deck options and other facilities, including a proposed convocation center and center for the arts.

Newman, a native of Kingstree, S.C., is in his fourth and final term as a judge with the South Carolina Circuit Court. Earlier this year, he presided over all criminal matters relating to Alex Murdaugh’s six-week double murder trial.

The board also approved:

• Two motions in support of an already planned building for the Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance (CMCCHHP). The approvals include: acquiring 27 acres of land from the CCU Student Housing Foundation (SHF) for the purpose of relocating the school’s track and field facility; and increasing the land acquisition budget for the new CMCCHHP building to $1 million. The property acquisition is contingent upon SHF board approval. The new CMCCHHP building will be built on the current site of the track and field facility, which is being relocated to east campus near the Stevens Tennis Complex. The budget for the new academic building, including a nearby 400-space parking facility, is approximately $53 million. The 64,000-square-foot facility will house the following academic units: public health, nursing, health administration, exercise science, recreation and sport management, and sport management (master’s). In addition to providing space for classrooms, laboratories, and administrative offices, the facility will include a medical clinic for students, faculty, and staff to access healthcare.

• Gameday enhancements to Brooks Stadium, which will feature a new fully digital video-display scoreboard and audio upgrade to the south end zone. The new scoreboard can be leveraged to better display scores, statistics, graphics, advertisements, and other relevant information.

The board’s next scheduled meetings are Feb. 27-28, 2024.