Here's what's new at Columbus State University as fall semester starts

Columbus State University begins its 2015 fall semester today with a total of more than 8,000 students registered for classes on its two campuses, the main one in midtown and the one called RiverPark in downtown.

Approximately 1,300 of them will have moved into CSU housing by the end of the week, the university said in a news release.

And waiting for all of them are the following completed projects:

Davidson Student Center has a new cafeteria. Aramark, the dining services provider at CSU, funded the $2.7 million renovation. It includes updated features, increased capacity, enclosed patio seating, new kitchen equipment, a smoker, a double-decker pizza oven and a Mongolian grill.

Howard Hall has reopened after a yearlong $3.95 million renovation, while another classroom building, Arnold Hall, is closed for a $4.95 million makeover. State appropriations have funded both projects.

Work continues on the 539-bed housing facility on main campus for first-year students and the relocation of the College of Education and Health Professions to downtown, on the site of the former Ledger-Enquirer building at 12th Street and Broadway. The new dorm is part of the $517 million worth of housing in the University System of Georgia that will provide 3,683 more beds for students by the 2016 fall semester. CSU's new college building, also scheduled to open by then, is part of the university's "First Choice Campaign," designed to raise at least $100 million in private donations by 2019.

Mark Rice, 706-576-6272. Follow him on Twitter@MarkRiceLE.

THIS WEEK'S CSU EVENTS

Here are highlights of Columbus State University's events this week as it starts the 2015 fall semester:

Today: RiverPark campus picnic at Woodruff Park, 5-10 p.m.

Wednesday: Main campus picnic and student organizations fair at the clock tower, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursday: freshman convocation, featuring first-year CSU president Chris Markwood welcoming new students, in the University Hall auditorium, 12:30-1:30 p.m.; bike ride from Lumpkin Center to Woodruff Park, followed by a party, 4:30-8:30 p.m.

Saturday: CSU Day of Service, when students and staff help the community through various projects, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Volunteers meet at the Mock Pavilion on the intramural field.

This story was originally published August 17, 2015 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Here's what's new at Columbus State University as fall semester starts ."