University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Sonny Perdue announced today he will recommend a consolidation to the Board of Regents of Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State College (EGSC). The board will act upon the recommendation at its upcoming meeting on April 15-16.
If approved, the new institution will retain EGSC’s identity while becoming a part of Georgia Southern University, to be led by President Kyle Marrero. The proposed consolidation will enable USG to better serve students, broaden academic programs offered in Georgia’s Lower Coastal Plain region and reinvest savings into academics to improve student success.
“When we began our consolidation initiative, the system hadn’t changed much and needed to do things differently to better serve our students and the state,” Perdue said. “Today, as we remain focused on those core priorities of attainment, affordability and efficiency, we also understand the importance of making sure East Georgia State College’s legacy of creating knowledge and prosperity continues within the Swainsboro community and beyond.”
“The dollars saved through consolidation have always been reinvested directly in our campuses – fueling the hiring of strong faculty, expanding student support services and driving measurable improvements in retention and graduation rates,” Perdue added. “Our commitment in making this recommendation is no different. We will preserve access to higher education locally while ensuring that we keep improving the experience and success of our students.”
USG’s consolidation initiative began in 2011 as a way for the system to prioritize efficiency and control administrative costs while maintaining the high standards of its teaching, research and service mission. In November 2011, the board approved six guiding principles for consolidation for any consolidations to be considered by the system. In January 2012, it approved an initial recommendation to consolidate eight of the system’s then-35 public colleges and universities.
Five additional consolidations have since been recommended and approved. The initiative led to an estimated $30 million in administrative savings, which were redirected to hiring faculty and staff and enhancing student services on campuses. An independent researcher’s review of the first five consolidations within USG also documented increases in one-year retention rates for first-time undergraduates as well as in four-year graduation rates.
If the board approves the recommendation to consolidate Georgia Southern and EGSC, it will bring the number of institutions within the university system to 25. The board’s vote this month is for initial approval to move forward. The consolidation would also need approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Initial opportunities from consolidating Georgia Southern and EGSC include:
- Builds on existing collaboration between the two institutions.
- Reinvests savings from administrative efficiencies into academic and support programs to increase student success.
- Minimizes duplication of academic programs while increasing degree pathways for all students.
- Creates a more comprehensive institution of 29,000+ students, making it the fifth largest public university in Georgia.
- Expands upon EGSC’s commitment to offering an affordable gateway to quality higher education.
- Creates opportunities for raising retention and graduation rates for all students.
If the recommendation is approved, an implementation team with representatives from both institutions will be formed to work out details associated with the consolidation. Georgia Southern was previously involved in a 2017 consolidation with the former Armstrong State University in Savannah.
USG and the institutions are planning to hold an initial listening session on April 16 at EGSC’s Swainsboro campus. They would then hold additional campus and community listening sessions in the coming months to seek input on ways to best design the new institution to serve its region and the state.
