Some major reorganization of Georgia’s state universities and colleges has been in the offing for a long time.
In the AJC today, Chancellor: Proposed consolidations are right approach, details the four proposed mergers:
— Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University, the state’s only public medical school. The two colleges are about three miles apart, and Augusta State’s president is retiring June 30
— Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University. Gainesville’s president is retiring June 30.
— Macon State College and Middle Georgia College.
— Waycross College and South Georgia College in Douglas. Waycross has had an interim president since July.
And this: “The State Board of Regents is scheduled to vote on the recommendation Tuesday. The system expects to have the mergers complete by fall 2013, system spokesman John Millsaps said.”
These mergers will certainly save money, and will apparently only affect institutions that have some sort of ties already. Despite occasional rumors, Armstrong Atlantic State University and Savannah State University are not slated for merger.
You can read the University System of Georgia press release here.
You might also want to check out the dedicated pages at Campus Consolidations on the USG website.