Drury announces new Cabool campus location

Starting this fall, the campus will operate out of the former Shoe Factory. It currently uses classrooms at Cabool High School and rents space at a nearby church and at a house across from the high school for its offices and computer lab, according to Drury Director of Development Paula McBurnett.

The new location will have seven classrooms, a computer lab, a science lab, a conference room and office space. Drury will rent the building from owners Dennis Hunter and R.W. Stringer, who are paying for the building’s renovations.

Costs of furnishings and equipment – about $120,000 – will be covered by community contributions, which already amount to $91,000. That includes a lead gift of $50,000 over three years from Cabool State Bank, McBurnett said. Additional donations are being accepted and can be sent to “Cabool Project,” Drury University, Development Office, 900 N. Benton Ave., Springfield, MO 65802.

McBurnett said the building could be expanded to house an auditorium or assembly room if enough money is raised.

A major advantage to renting a comprehensive space for the campus will be its flexibility in scheduling, McBurnett said. The Cabool High School arrangement allows Drury to only offer evening courses.

Drury has offered classes in Cabool since 1989 and has educated 1,700 undergraduate students there. The new facility will allow the school to apply to the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools to offer baccalaureate degrees in Cabool.