The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the consolidation of Georgia Southern and East Georgia State College on Tuesday following a recommendation from Chancellor Sonny Perdue.
This is the initial approval required for the year-long consolidation process, according to a news release from USG. A final vote of approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges is also needed.
“Key goals and outcomes” of the consolidation are listed on Georgia Southern’s website:
- Access & Opportunity: Offer more degree pathways and flexible transfer options for students.
- Student Success: Invest in comprehensive academic, financial and career support to empower learners at every level.
- Community Engagement: Grow regional partnerships, improve workforce development and spur local economic growth.
- Operational Alignment: Promote effective use of resources through collaboration, improved coordination, and the thoughtful alignment of administrative functions to better support students, faculty, and staff.
Georgia Southern has already undergone a consolidation with Armstrong State University in 2018, which resulted in pushback from both the Armstrong and Statesboro communities. The primary concern of this consolidation was combining two campuses’ that have unique identities and serve different student bodies.
The news release states that EGSC will maintain its “identity while becoming a part of Georgia Southern University, to be led by President Kyle Marrero.”
This will be the sixth consolidation to occur under a broader consolidation initiative within the USG that began in 2011, according to the news release.
A listening session is set to happen today on the Swainsboro campus of East Georgia State College from 1:30-2:30. Chancellor Perdue will attend the session and speak more about his recommendation and answer questions.
