University System of Georgia

Last updated

University System of Georgia
AbbreviationUSG
Formation1931
Purposeeducational oversight
Headquarters Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Membership
26 public colleges and universities, with a combined endowment of approx. $4.5 billion
Chancellor
Sonny Perdue [1]
Website www.usg.edu

The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions as well as administering the Public Library Service of the state which includes 58 public library systems. The USG also dispenses public funds (allocated by the state's legislature) to the institutions but not the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship. The USG is the sixth largest university system in the United States by total student enrollment, with 333,507 students in 26 public institutions. USG institutions are divided into four categories: research universities, regional comprehensive universities, state universities, and state colleges.

Contents

The system designates four institutions as "research universities": Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Georgia, Augusta University, and Georgia State University. [note 1] [2] [3] The University of Georgia is the state and system's flagship university, the state's oldest institution of higher learning, and one of the state's two land-grant universities. [4] [5] After its 2016 merger with Georgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University became the largest institution of higher learning in the USG, with over 50,000 students. University of North Georgia is the state's designated military school. There are three historically black schools housed within the USG: Savannah State University, Albany State University, and the state's second land-grant university, Fort Valley State University.

In 2012, all USG institutions combined had a $14.1 billion economic impact on the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech in Atlanta and University of Georgia in nearby Athens had the largest impacts on their regional economies: $2.6 billion and 20,869 jobs at Georgia Tech and $2.2 billion and 22,196 jobs at the University of Georgia. Georgia State University's central campus in Atlanta had a $1.6 billion economic impact with 13,736 jobs; given its merger with Perimeter College, with an economic impact of $600 million, Georgia State's overall economic impact on the Atlanta metro area is $2.2 billion. [6] [7]

History

Early years

The University System of Georgia was created with the passage of the Reorganization Act of 1931 by the Georgia General Assembly in 1931. The Reorganization Act created a Board of Regents to oversee the state's colleges and universities and the 26 boards of trustees that had provided oversight over the various institutions before passage of the act. [8] The Board of Regents officially took office on January 1, 1932, and consisted of eleven members to be appointed by the Governor of Georgia pending approval from the Georgia Senate. The Governor held an ex officio position on the Board. The regents were to elect a chairman and select a secretary. One regent was appointed from each of Georgia's ten congressional districts and the eleventh member was chosen at large. [8]

Governor Richard Russell Jr.'s initial appointees included Cason Jewell Callaway Sr., Martha Berry, Richard Russell Sr. (the governor's father), George C. Woodruff, William Dickson Anderson Sr. (1873–1957), Egbert Erle Cocke Sr. (1895–1977) and Philip Robert Weltner Sr. (1887–1981). Anderson was elected chairman, Weltner vice-chairman and Cocke was appointed as the secretary/treasurer. Prior to the Reorganization Act, Georgia university chief executives held the title of chancellor; however, after the Act, University heads were given the title of president and a new chancellor position was created. The USG chancellor was selected and overseen by the board. At the request of the regents, Charles Snelling, the presiding head of the University of Georgia (UGA), stepped down from his position at UGA to become the initial chancellor of the entire system. [8]

The 1932 Annual Report for the Board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415. [8] Over the next few years the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning by reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.

Modern history

In 2011, Chancellor Hank Huckaby recommended four consolidations among eight institutions, which would be implemented in 2013. The same year, the Board of Regents adopted six "Principles for Consolidation", which has led to multiple consolidations in the subsequent years. [9] As of 2018, these consolidations have decreased the number of USG colleges and universities from 35 to 26. [10]

On April 1, 2022, former Georgia Governor and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue became the system's 14th Chancellor. [1]

Former institutionsSuccessor institutionDate effectiveRef.
Gainesville State College University of North Georgia January 8, 2013 [11]
North Georgia College and State University
Augusta State University Georgia Regents University
(now Augusta University)
January 8, 2013 [11]
Georgia Health Sciences University
Waycross College South Georgia State College January 8, 2013 [11]
South Georgia College
Macon State College Middle Georgia State College
(now Middle Georgia State University)
January 8, 2013 [11]
Middle Georgia College
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University January 1, 2015 [12]
Southern Polytechnic State University
Georgia State University Georgia State University January 6, 2016 [13]
Georgia Perimeter College
Albany State University Albany State University January 1, 2017 [14]
Darton State College
Armstrong State University Georgia Southern University January 1, 2018 [10]
Georgia Southern University
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College January 1, 2018 [10]
Bainbridge State College

Additionally, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography was aligned with the University of Georgia, which became effective July 1, 2013. [15]

In Fall 2018, the university system saw enrollment reach an all-time high of 328,712 students enrolled across the system's 26 colleges and universities. [16] On March 6, 2019, an Atlanta court upheld a USG policy barring unauthorized immigrants from attending Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia. [17] In regards to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the USG decided against making wearing face coverings mandatory for the Fall 2020 semester [18] [19] before deciding to mandate them. [20]

Georgia Research Alliance

The Georgia Research Alliance is an Atlanta, Georgia-based nonprofit organization that coordinates research efforts between Georgia's public and private sectors. While GRA receives a state appropriation for investment in university-based research opportunities, its operations are funded through foundation and industry contributions. In its first 19 years, GRA leveraged $525 million in state funding into $2.6 billion of additional federal and private investment.

In 2007, GRA coalesced the strengths of several universities into a focused research effort built around new types of vaccines and therapeutics. [21]

GRA Eminent Scholars

GRA Eminent Scholars are top scientists from around the world recruited by the Georgia Research Alliance. For each scholar, GRA invests $750,000 for an endowment, an amount that the research university matches in private funds on a minimum 1-1 basis. Eminent Scholars often bring a research team, significant federal funding and private support for their research. Georgia's investment in GRA Eminent Scholars has yielded more than $1 billion in outside grants and contracts for the state and helped to launch some 35 companies.[ citation needed ]

GRA's Cancer Initiative

Georgia Cancer Coalition logo Georgiacancercoalition190.png
Georgia Cancer Coalition logo

After 10 years as an independent nonprofit organization, the Georgia Cancer Coalition became an initiative of the Georgia Research Alliance on January 18, 2012. The move was part of a larger effort to align Georgia's economic development assets in a more effective way.

GRA VentureLab

The Georgia Research Alliance set out to help launch companies around Georgian university research results, GRA launched its lead commercialization program, VentureLab, in 2002. [22]

GRA also works with established Georgia companies through the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Centers of Innovation in aerospace, logistics, life sciences, energy, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. The COIs help find technology solutions to industry challenges, in part by connecting companies to leading-edge research at Georgia's universities.[ citation needed ]

From 2002 to 2010, GRA directed $19 million of state funding into VentureLab. During that time, more than 700 university inventions or discoveries have been evaluated for commercial potential. More than 107 active companies have been formed, which employ more than 650 Georgians. These companies have also attracted $460 million in equity investment and generated $77 million in revenue. [23]

GRA Centers of Research Excellence

Centers of Research Excellence are collaborative and individual efforts that focus on one area of scientific research. [24]

List of institutions

InstitutionLocationFoundedUSG designation [25] President [26] Current enrollment [27]

(Fall 2020)

Budget [28]

(FY 2021)

Campus size as of 2012

(main campus only)

University of Georgia (UGA) Athens 1785 Research University, Flagship University [4] [5] Jere W. Morehead 39,147$1,558,226,395759 acres (3.07 km2)
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech or GT) Atlanta 1885 Research University Ángel Cabrera 39,771$1,510,374,562400 acres (1.6 km2)
Georgia State University (GSU) Atlanta 1913 Research University M. Brian Blake 53,743$1,106,026,046518 acres (2.10 km2)
Augusta University (AU) Augusta 1828 Research University (Medical College) Brooks A. Keel 9,565$1,054,151,344485 acres (1.96 km2)
Kennesaw State University (KSU) Kennesaw 1963Regional Comprehensive UniversityKathy "Kat" Schwaig41,181$563,280,305384 acres (1.55 km2)
Georgia Southern University (GS) Statesboro 1906Regional Comprehensive UniversityKyle L. Marrero26,949$455,213,623700 acres (2.8 km2)
University of West Georgia (UWG) Carrollton 1906Regional Comprehensive UniversityBrandon Kelly13,419$234,539,249645 acres (2.61 km2)
Valdosta State University (VSU) Valdosta 1906Regional Comprehensive UniversityRichard Carvajal12,304$176,844,807168 acres (0.68 km2)
University of North Georgia (UNG) Dahlonega 1873State collegeBonita Jacobs19,793$258,787,844630 acres (2.5 km2)
Georgia College & State University (GCSU or Georgia College) Milledgeville 1889State collegeCathy Cox6,873$146,309,378602 acres (2.44 km2)
Columbus State University (CSU) Columbus 1958State collegeChris Markwood8,372$129,665,352132 acres (0.53 km2)
Albany State University (ASU) Albany 1903State college, HBCU Everette J. Freeman6,509$119,792,815232 acres (0.94 km2)
Middle Georgia State University (MGSU) Macon 1884State collegeChristopher Blake8,404$110,908,811167 acres (0.68 km2)
Clayton State University (CSU) Morrow 1969State collegeT. Ramon Stuart7,052$96,249,315163 acres (0.66 km2)
Savannah State University (SSU) Savannah 1890State college, HBCU Cheryl D. Dozier (interim)3,488$92,513,032165 acres (0.67 km2)
Fort Valley State University (FVSU) Fort Valley 1895State college, HBCU Paul Jones2,827$68,289,237630 acres (2.5 km2)
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSSU) Americus 1906State collegeNeal Weaver3,162$48,341,923325 acres (1.32 km2)
Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) Lawrenceville 2005State CollegeJann L. Joseph11,627$163,116,366250 acres (1.0 km2)
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) Tifton 1908State collegeDavid C. Bridges3,990$57,021,063516 acres (2.09 km2)
Georgia Highlands College (GHC) Rome 1970State collegeMike Hobbs5,680$50,687,699200 acres (0.81 km2)
Dalton State College (DSC) Dalton 1963State collegeJohn O. Schwenn4,794$49,149,588146 acres (0.59 km2)
Gordon State College (GSC) Barnesville 1852State collegeKirk Nooks3,231$41,856,545125 acres (0.51 km2)
College of Coastal Georgia (CCG) Brunswick 1961State collegeMichelle R. Johnston3,457$40,544,120193 acres (0.78 km2)
East Georgia State College (EGSC) Swainsboro 1973State collegeDavid Schecter2,415$31,438,842227 acres (0.92 km2)
South Georgia State College (SGSC) Douglas 1906State collegeVirginia M. Carson2,028$29,381,320190 acres (0.77 km2)
Atlanta Metropolitan State College (AMSC) Atlanta 1974State collegeGary McGaha1,704$26,632,09779 acres (0.32 km2)

USG designations

USG classifies its institutions into four "functional sectors" based on each institution's specific mission and function: [2] [3]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 While other USG institutions may be categorized as "research universities" by the Carnegie Classification or other rankings, USG's internal classification system includes only these four under that label.

Related Research Articles

The University System of Maryland (USM) is a public higher education system in the U.S. state of Maryland. The system is composed of the eleven campuses at College Park, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Princess Anne, Towson, Salisbury, Bowie, Frostburg, Hagerstown, Rockville, Cambridge, and Adelphi, along with four regional higher education centers located throughout the state of Maryland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Georgia</span> Public university in Athens, Georgia, US

The University of Georgia is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is one of the oldest public universities in the United States. It is the flagship school of the University System of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia State University</span> Public university in Atlanta, Georgia, US

Georgia State University is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of higher education by enrollment based in Georgia and one of the largest in the nation with a student enrollment of around 50,000, including approximately 33,000 undergraduate and graduate students at the main campus downtown.

The Georgia Board of Regents oversees the University System of Georgia as part of the state government of Georgia in the United States. The University System of Georgia is composed of all state public institutions of higher education in the state. The Board of Regents also preside over the Georgia Public Library Service.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Southern University</span> Public university in Statesboro, Georgia, U.S.

Georgia Southern University is a public research university in the U.S. state of Georgia. The flagship campus is in Statesboro, with additional campuses in Savannah and Hinesville. Founded in 1906, Georgia Southern is the fifth-largest institution in the University System of Georgia. Southern offers over 140 different academic majors in the bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. The university has a combined enrollment of approximately 27,000 students from all 50 states and over 80 countries. Georgia Southern is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and a comprehensive university by the University System of Georgia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">East Georgia State College</span>

East Georgia State College (EGSC) is a public college in Swainsboro, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia. As an access institution, the college serves a predominantly rural area of 24 counties in Georgia's coastal plain from its three campus locations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Georgia Gwinnett College</span> Public college in Lawrenceville, Georgia, US

Georgia Gwinnett College is a public college in Lawrenceville, Georgia. It is a member of the University System of Georgia. Georgia Gwinnett College opened on August 18, 2006. It has grown from its original 118 students in 2006 to approximately 12,000 students in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albany State University</span> Public university in Albany, Georgia, U.S.

Albany State University (ASU) is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia (USG). Albany State University has two campuses in Albany and a satellite campus in Cordele.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Texas Tech University System</span> Public university system in Texas

The Texas Tech University System is a Public university system in Texas with five member universities. Headquartered in Lubbock, Texas, the Texas Tech University System is a $2.5 billion enterprise focused on advancing higher education, health care, research, and outreach with approximately 21,000 employees, more than 63,000 students, nearly 370,000 alumni and an endowment valued at $1.7 billion. In its short history, the TTU System has grown tremendously with 24 academic locations statewide and internationally.

Cecil Pope Staton Jr. is an American politician and academic administrator. He served as the Chancellor of East Carolina University from 2016 to 2019. Previously, Staton served as Interim President of Valdosta State University (2015–2016) and as Vice Chancellor for Extended Education with the University System of Georgia (2014–2016).

The Digital Library of Georgia (DLG) is an online, public collection of documents and media about the history and culture of the state of Georgia, United States. The collection includes more than a million digitized objects from more than 200 Georgia-related collections. The DLG connects users to content from 65 libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and other institutions, as well as 100 agencies of state government. It can be searched or browsed through the Digital Library of Georgia website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricardo Azziz</span> President of Georgia Regents University

Ricardo Azziz is a Uruguayan-American higher education and biomedical executive administrator and researcher who serves as Principal of SPH Consulting Group. He also serves as Executive Director of the non-profit Foundation for Research and Education Excellence and Director of the Center for Higher Education Mergers and Acquisitions at the Foundation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Student Advisory Council</span>

The Student Advisory Council to the Georgia Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) is composed of 35 student representatives from the 26 public colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia. The organization acts as an advisory board to the Board of Regents, through the Chancellor, on issues that are important to students.

Lisa A. Rossbacher is an American scientist, writer and academic administrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clayton State University</span> Public university in Morrow, Georgia, United States

Clayton State University (CSU) is a public university in Morrow, Georgia. It serves Metro Atlanta and is a selective Senior Unit of the University System of Georgia.

Henry M. Huckaby was an American politician who served as a member of the Georgia House of Representatives for the 113th district in Watkinsville, encompassing parts of Clarke County, Morgan County, Oconee County, and Oglethorpe County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Middle Georgia State University</span> Public university in Macon, Georgia, US

Middle Georgia State University (MGSU) is a public university with its main campus in Macon, Georgia. It is part of the University System of Georgia and offers programs to students on five campuses in Middle Georgia and online. Middle Georgia State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, and doctoral degrees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jere Morehead</span> President of University of Georgia

Jere Wade Morehead is the 22nd and current President of the University of Georgia. He continues as the Josiah Meigs Professor of Legal Studies at the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business, and was previously Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freedom University</span> Modern freedom school for undocumented immigrants

Freedom University is a modern-day Freedom School in Atlanta, Georgia. Freedom U provides tuition-free college classes to undocumented youth unable to access higher education in Georgia due to the state's out-of-state tuition requirement. The school formed in 2011 in response to the University System of Georgia's passage of a policy banning undocumented students from the state's top public universities.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sonny Perdue Named Chancellor of the University System of Georgia". University System of Georgia. Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Board of Regents Policy Manual | 2.8 Institutional Mission | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "USG Facts | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved August 4, 2020.
  4. 1 2 "Statement on UGA President Mike Adams". University System of Georgia. Archived from the original on March 14, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  5. 1 2 "UGA/GRU Medical Partnership: About". University System of Georgia. Archived from the original on May 12, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  6. "State's 31 Public Colleges and Universities Have a $14.1 Billion Economic Impact - Newsroom - University System of Georgia". Archived from the original on August 7, 2013. Retrieved September 22, 2014.
  7. "Quick Facts - Perimeter College". Archived from the original on December 20, 2016. Retrieved December 12, 2016.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Fincher, Cameron (2003). Historical Development of the University System of Georgia: 1932-2002 (2nd ed.). Athens, Georgia: Institute of Higher Education, University of Georgia. p.  3. ISBN   978-1-880647-06-6.
  9. "Serving Our Students and State | Campus Consolidations | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  10. 1 2 3 "Board of Regents Finalizes Consolidations | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Board of Regents finalizes consolidations, appoints presidents | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  12. "Regents Approve Kennesaw State, Southern Polytechnic Consolidation | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  13. "Board of Regents Finalizes Consolidation of Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  14. "Board of Regents Finalizes Consolidation of Albany State University and Darton State College". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on December 14, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  15. "Regents Align Skidaway Institute of Oceanography with UGA | Communications | University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 4, 2019.
  16. "University System of Georgia enrollment increases to all-time high". WALB . November 8, 2018. Archived from the original on November 8, 2018. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  17. Rankin, Bill; Stirgus, Eric (March 6, 2019). "Atlanta court upholds University System ban on unauthorized immigrants". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Archived from the original on March 13, 2019. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
  18. Vasquez, Michael (June 13, 2020). "In Some States This Fall, Masks at Public Colleges Will Be 'Encouraged' but Not Required". The Chronicle of Higher Education. Archived from the original on July 2, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  19. Kaylor, Lisa (June 29, 2020). "Provost provides guidelines for fall reopening at faculty town hall". Jagwire. Augusta University. Archived from the original on July 4, 2020. Retrieved July 2, 2020.
  20. Allison, David (July 6, 2020). "Georgia public universities to require all faculty, staff, students and visitors to wear face coverings". Atlanta Business Chronicle. Retrieved July 6, 2020.
  21. "About us". GRA. Archived from the original on May 9, 2013. Retrieved May 6, 2013.
  22. "GRA helps fuel the launch of companies". Georgia Research Alliance. Archived from the original on June 3, 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
  23. "VentureLab: A pipeline of opportunity". Georgia Research Alliance. Archived from the original on 4 June 2013. Retrieved 25 May 2013.
  24. "Program Inititatives". GRA. Archived from the original on 28 May 2013. Retrieved 29 May 2013.
  25. "Board Meeting - May 2013" (PDF). University System of Georgia. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 28, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
  26. "USG Institutions - University System of Georgia". www.usg.edu. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  27. "Semester Enrollment Report Fall 2020" (PDF). University System of Georgia. January 13, 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 3, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.
  28. "University System of Georgia All Budgets For Fiscal Year 2021" (PDF). University System of Georgia. July 1, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 31, 2021. Retrieved January 27, 2021.