Dive Transient:
- The College System of Georgia desires to merge East Georgia State School with Georgia Southern College, a transfer that will preserve the previous’s id whereas making it part of Georgia Southern.
- USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue will suggest the plan to the system’s board of regents for a choice at their mid-April assembly, based on USG’s announcement on Tuesday. The merger would additionally require accreditation approval by the Southern Affiliation of Faculties and Colleges Fee on Faculties.
- USG hopes to save lots of on administrative prices and cut back educational duplication, amongst different anticipated advantages, by means of the merger. The transfer would proceed efforts to consolidate the system that stretch again greater than a decade.
Dive Perception:
East Georgia State and Georgia Southern are lower than 40 miles aside, however they function at very totally different scales.
Georgia Southern is by far the bigger establishment, with 26,041 college students in fall 2023, based on federal knowledge. That enrollment has remained comparatively secure in recent times, dipping simply 1.4% since 2018. East Georgia State, in the meantime, has a fraction of that scholar physique — 1,756 college students in fall 2023, which was down about 40% from 5 years prior.
First opened in 1973 because the two-year Emanuel Nation Junior School, East Georgia State right this moment nonetheless solely gives a handful of bachelor’s levels. The practically 120-year-old Georgia Southern, alternatively, boasts 150 applications, together with a spread of bachelor’s and grasp’s levels, together with certificates and doctoral choices.
Bringing the 2 establishments collectively is supposed to “higher serve college students, broaden educational applications provided in Georgia’s Decrease Coastal Plain area and reinvest financial savings into lecturers to enhance scholar success,” USG mentioned.
Below the plan, East Georgia State would come below the management of Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. If accepted by the system’s regents, an implementation staff made up of representatives from every establishment would start ironing out the main points of the merger.
In asserting his suggestion for the merger, Perdue mentioned the system’s consolidation efforts are primarily based on “core priorities of attainment, affordability and effectivity.”
On the identical time, he famous management additionally understands “the significance of creating positive East Georgia State School’s legacy of making information and prosperity continues” in Swainsboro, the place the establishment relies.
USG has been actively consolidating its establishments and simplifying the system since launching a consolidation initiative in 2011. Throughout that point, the college system has appeared to steadiness value financial savings with providing regional alternatives to college students. To this point, the consolidations have saved a complete $30 million in administrative bills, USG mentioned Tuesday.
The hassle bought underway in early 2012 with a consolidation of eight establishments out of what was then 35. 5 extra consolidations have been later accepted. If the mixture of Georgia Southern and Georgia State goes by means of, the system will come out of the method with 25 establishments.
One of many earlier consolidations concerned Georgia Southern as properly, with it in 2017 absorbing Armstrong State College, which right this moment is named the college’s Armstrong Campus in Savannah.