This past Thursday the University System of Georgia (USG) announced a new higher education regional strategy for southeast Georgia leading to expansions in some of Georgia Southern University’s degree offerings.

According to an USG news release, the new strategy was constructed for degrees and academic programs that will be offered by the newly consolidated GS/Armstrong State University(ASU) and Savannah State University.

The new GS will continue to offer all of its current academic programs and services in Statesboro, while expanding its degree offerings in Savannah.

The new GS will have eight colleges:

Five Colleges Based in Statesboro:

• College of Arts and Humanities

• College of Behavioral Sciences

• College of Business

• Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing

• College of Science and Mathematics

Three based in Savannah:

• College of Education

• Don and Cindy Waters College of Health Professions

• Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health

Classes from each of the colleges will be offered in both Statesboro and Savannah, with a select offering in Hinesville.

A few academic programs were highlighted in the USG news release stating specifics on future implementation and expansion.

Business:

The new GS and Savannah State will both offer their Masters of Business Administration (MBA). in Savannah. GS will also continue to offer its full Business degree programs, including its MBA programs, in Statesboro. In the future, GS plans to expand it Masters of Accountancy and make this program available in Savannah as well.

Under the new strategy, the GS Bachelor of Business Administration in economics will now be offered on the Armstrong Campus replacing ASU’s Bachelor of Science in Business Economics.

The new GS and Savannah State will partner in creating a High-Demand Business degree consortium in Savannah. According to the news release, existing faculty from both institutions will be used to offer high-demand career programs in logistics and tourism and hospitality management.

Engineering:

While GS engineering program will remain based on the Statesboro campus, GS will offer the first three years of its Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering degree and the Bachelor’s on Manufacturing Engineering degree at the Armstrong campus.

However, students on the Armstrong campus will use the Statesboro campus for the one year of study needed with the equipment-facility intensive portion of the degree program.

Education:

GS and Savannah State will both offer teacher education programs. As part of the consolidation with ASU, GS will provide programs on both its Statesboro and Savannah campuses.

Savannah State is also expected to expand their programs over time to meet workforce needs.

Military and Veterans:

ASU’s Liberty Center in Hinesville will expand with three degree programs designed for military and veteran needs.

Savannah State will offer these academic programs at the Liberty Center:

• Forensic Science

• Homeland Security & Emergency Management

• Social Work

“This announcement is a strategic step forward for the entire region,” Jaimie Hebert, Ph.D., GS President, said in a USG new release. “The new Georgia Southern University will meet the educational needs of a diverse student population, and these graduates will be the driving force behind the economic expansion of Southeast Georgia.”

This new higher education strategy is pending approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

The academic programs are scheduled to be implemented over a period of time beginning fall semester 2018 through fall 2020.

For more information about the new regional strategy, please click here.