SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — The University System of Georgia announced Tuesday it's consolidating East Georgia State College and Georgia Southern University.
The Board of Regents will vote on the plan to close the school next week, which arose after years of declining enrollment at East Georgia State. The school is located in Swainsboro, about 180 miles (289.68 km) southeast of Atlanta. It had about 1,826 students last fall, down from 3,000 in 2015. Since school funding is based on enrollment, its total budget has dropped from $31.4 million to slightly more than $24 million over the past five years.
The University System began consolidating schools in 2011 for efficiency and to cut costs. There were 35 schools then, and there will soon be 25 if the move with East Georgia State gets approved. It is unclear when the consolidation process will be complete.
“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,” Chancellor Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “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.”
The move has saved $30 million in administrative costs, according to the University System of Georgia. This is not the first time Georgia Southern has been involved — in 2017, it absorbed the former Armstrong State University in Savannah.
East Georgia State is a four-year school that also offers two-year associate degrees. Perdue said the system understands "the importance of making sure East Georgia State College’s legacy of creating knowledge and prosperity continues within the Swainsboro community and beyond.”
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges need to approve the plan before it moves forward.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
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