University System of Georgia
Encyclopedia
The University System of Georgia (USG) is the organization
al body that includes 35 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 education
al institutions as well as administering 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 fourth largest university system in the United States
by total student enrollment, with 311,442 students in 35 public institutions. The three larger systems are the University System of Ohio
, State University of New York
, and California State University
.
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. 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.
Governor Richard Russell, Jr.'s
, initial appointees included Cason Callaway, Martha Berry
, Richard Russell, Sr.
(the governor's father), George C. Woodruff
, W.D. Anderson, Earle Cocke, Sr. and Philip Weltner. 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.
The 1932 Annual Report for the Board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415. Over the next few years the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning, reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.
This institution is in the process of transitioning from two-year college status to four-year college status.
Organization
An organization is a social group which distributes tasks for a collective goal. The word itself is derived from the Greek word organon, itself derived from the better-known word ergon - as we know `organ` - and it means a compartment for a particular job.There are a variety of legal types of...
al body that includes 35 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. The System is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents
Georgia Board of Regents
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.-History:...
. It sets goals and dictates general policy
Policy
A policy is typically described as a principle or rule to guide decisions and achieve rational outcome. The term is not normally used to denote what is actually done, this is normally referred to as either procedure or protocol...
to education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
al institutions as well as administering Public Library Service of the state which includes 58 public library systems. The USG also dispenses public funds (allocated by the state's legislature
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
) to the institutions but not the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship
HOPE Scholarship
The HOPE Scholarship Program created in 1993 under the supervision of Georgia Governor Zell Miller, is a merit-based higher education scholarship that is funded entirely by revenue from the Georgia Lottery and is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission...
. The USG is the fourth largest university system in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by total student enrollment, with 311,442 students in 35 public institutions. The three larger systems are the University System of Ohio
University System of Ohio
The University System of Ohio is the public university system of the state of Ohio. Legally unified under Governor Ted Strickland in 2007, the University System of Ohio is governed by the Ohio Board of Regents....
, State University of New York
State University of New York
The State University of New York, abbreviated SUNY , is a system of public institutions of higher education in New York, United States. It is the largest comprehensive system of universities, colleges, and community colleges in the United States, with a total enrollment of 465,000 students, plus...
, and California State University
California State University
The California State University is a public university system in the state of California. It is one of three public higher education systems in the state, the other two being the University of California system and the California Community College system. It is incorporated as The Trustees of the...
.
History
The University System of Georgia was created with the passage of the Reorganization Act of 1931 by the Georgia General AssemblyGeorgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
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. 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
Georgia Senate
The Georgia State Senate is the upper house of the Georgia General Assembly .-Composition:According to the state constitution of 1983, this body is to be composed of no more than 56 members elected for two-year terms. Current state law provides for 56 members...
. 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
Georgia's congressional districts
After the 2000 Census, the State of Georgia was divided into 13 Congressional Districts, increasing from 11 due to reapportionment. The state was redistricted again in 2005, although the number of districts has remained thirteen....
and the eleventh member was chosen at large.
Governor Richard Russell, Jr.'s
Richard Russell, Jr.
Richard Brevard Russell, Jr. was a Democratic Party politician from the southeastern state of Georgia. He served as state governor from 1931 to 1933 and United States senator from 1933 to 1971....
, initial appointees included Cason Callaway, Martha Berry
Martha Berry
For the Cherokee bead artist, see Martha Berry Martha McChesney Berry was an United States educator and the founder of Berry College in Rome, Georgia.-Early years:...
, Richard Russell, Sr.
Richard Russell, Sr.
Richard Brevard Russell, Sr. was and American lawyer, legislator, jurist, and candidate for political office.-Early life, education and family:Russell was born in Marietta, Georgia in 1861...
(the governor's father), George C. Woodruff
George Cecil Woodruff
-Sources: * *-External links:...
, W.D. Anderson, Earle Cocke, Sr. and Philip Weltner. 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
Charles Melton Snelling
Charles Mercer Snelling was the Chancellor of the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia from 1925 to 1932 and the first Chancellor of the University System of Georgia...
, the presiding head of the University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
(UGA), stepped down from his position at UGA to become the initial chancellor of the entire system.
The 1932 Annual Report for the Board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415. Over the next few years the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning, reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.
List of institutions
Institution | Location | Founded | USG Designation | President | Enrollment (Fall 2010) |
Budget (FY 2011) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total Total -Mathematics:*Total, the summation of a set of numbers* Total function, a type of partial function in mathematics* Total order, a common total relation in mathematics* Total relation, a type of binary relation in mathematics-Business and enterprise:... |
311,442 | |||||
Georgia Health Sciences University | Augusta | 1828 | Research University | Ricardo Azziz | 2,927 | $653,534,600 |
Georgia Institute of Technology Georgia Institute of Technology The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States... |
Atlanta | 1885 | Research University | G. P. "Bud" Peterson | 20,721 | $1,096,344,600 |
Georgia State University Georgia State University Georgia State University is a research university in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves about 30,000 students and is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities... |
Atlanta | 1913 | Research University | Mark P. Becker | 31,533 | $654,750,400 |
University of Georgia University of Georgia The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States... |
Athens | 1785 | Research University | Michael F. Adams | 34,677 | $1,149,539,800 |
Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University Georgia Southern University is a national public university located on a campus in Statesboro, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1906, it is part of the University System of Georgia and is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia offering 117 academic majors in a comprehensive... |
Statesboro | 1906 | Regional University | Brooks A. Keel | 19,691 | $279,184,200 |
Valdosta State University Valdosta State University Valdosta State University, also referred to as VSU, or Valdosta State, is an American public university and is one of the two regional universities in the University System of Georgia. Valdosta State is located on a campus at the heart of the city of Valdosta... |
Valdosta | 1906 | Regional University | Louis H. Levy (Interim) | 12,898 | $190,057,400 |
Albany State University Albany State University Albany State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Albany, Georgia, United States. It is one of three HBCU's in the University System of Georgia.-History:-Establishment:... |
Albany | 1903 | State University | Everette J. Freeman | 4,653 | $69,999,200 |
Armstrong Atlantic State University Armstrong Atlantic State University Armstrong Atlantic State University, also referred to as Armstrong Atlantic, Armstrong, or simply AASU, is a four-year public university part of the University System of Georgia. It is located on a campus in suburban Savannah, Georgia, United States... |
Savannah | 1935 | State University | Linda M. Bleicken | 7,682 | $90,339,800 |
Augusta State University Augusta State University Augusta State University is a public university located in Augusta, Georgia, United States and is the oldest institution in the state of Georgia .... |
Augusta | 1785 | State University | William A. Bloodworth | 6,919 | $82,941,700 |
Clayton State University Clayton State University Clayton State University is a public university in Morrow, Georgia, with 6,785 students. Clayton State University is a part of the University System of Georgia.... |
Morrow | 1969 | State University | Thomas J. "Tim" Hines | 6,604 | $85,091,200 |
Columbus State University Columbus State University Columbus State University is a public institution of higher learning located in Columbus, Georgia. Founded as Columbus College in 1958, the university was established and is administered by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, and is fully accredited by the Commission on... |
Columbus | 1958 | State University | Timothy S. Mescon | 8,298 | $103,430,600 |
Fort Valley State University Fort Valley State University Fort Valley State University is a historically black university located in Fort Valley, Georgia. It is also a unit of the University System of Georgia and a member school of the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund... |
Fort Valley | 1895 | State University | Larry Rivers | 3,728 | $78,714,600 |
Georgia College & State University Georgia College & State University Georgia College & State University is a public liberal arts university in Milledgeville, Georgia, United States, with approximately 7,000 students... |
Milledgeville | 1889 | State University | Stas Preczewski (Interim) | 6,737 | $111,217,500 |
Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the University System of Georgia.-The College of Arts and Sciences:The College of Arts and Sciences at GSW offers undergraduate degrees in art Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus, Georgia, is a school in the... |
Americus | 1906 | State University | Kendall Blanchard | 3,037 | $39,497,400 |
Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University Kennesaw State University, also referred to as KSU, Kennesaw, or Kennesaw State, is a public, coeducational, comprehensive university that is part of the University System of Georgia. The university's main campus is located in Kennesaw, Georgia, United States, approximately north of Atlanta... |
Kennesaw | 1963 | State University | Daniel S. Papp | 23,452 | $303,761,900 |
North Georgia College & State University | Dahlonega | 1873 | State University | Bonita Jacobs | 5,912 | $84,442,100 |
Savannah State University Savannah State University Savannah State University is a four-year, state-supported, historically black university located in Savannah, Georgia. Savannah State holds the distinction as the oldest public historically black university in Georgia... |
Savannah | 1890 | State University | Cheryl D. Dozier (Interim) | 4,080 | $76,627,100 |
Southern Polytechnic State University Southern Polytechnic State University Southern Polytechnic State University is a public, co-educational state university located in Marietta, Georgia, USA just northwest of Atlanta... |
Marietta | 1948 | State University | Lisa A. Rossbacher | 5,514 | $74,296,900 |
University of West Georgia University of West Georgia The University of West Georgia is a comprehensive doctoral-granting university in Carrollton, Georgia, approximately 45 miles west of Atlanta, Georgia. The University is built on 645 acres including a recent land gift of 246 acres from the city of Carrollton in 2003... |
Carrollton | 1906 | State University | Beheruz Sethna | 11,283 | $149,297,000 |
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is a State College of the University System of Georgia. Located in Tifton, Georgia, ABAC offers baccalaureate and associate degrees... |
Tifton | 1908 | Four-Year State College | David C. Bridges | 3,284 | $37,208,100 |
Atlanta Metropolitan College Atlanta Metropolitan College Atlanta Metropolitan College is a State College in the University System of Georgia.Located along the Metropolitan Parkway corridor in southwest Atlanta, Atlanta Metropolitan College is now a four-year urban, commuter campus providing an affordable education to students who primarily come from... |
Atlanta | 1974 | Four-Year State College | Gary McGaha | 3,037 | $29,435,400 |
College of Coastal Georgia | Brunswick | 1961 | Four-Year State College | Valerie A. Hepburn | 3,438 | $38,639,200 |
Dalton State College Dalton State College Dalton State College, also referred to as DSC or Dalton State, is one of eight state colleges in the University System of Georgia; it is also one of four University System units with a Technical Division supervised by the separate Technical College System of Georgia... |
Dalton | 1963 | Four-Year State College | John O. Schwenn | 5,988 | $46,953,500 |
Darton College Darton College Darton College is now a four-year state college unit of the University System of Georgia, located in Albany, Dougherty County, Georgia, U.S. The college has 84 two-year transfer and career associate degrees and 49 certificate programs.- History :... |
Albany | 1963 | Four-Year State College | Peter J. Sireno | 5,879 | $41,137,600 |
East Georgia College East Georgia College East Georgia College is a state college of the University System of Georgia. Located in the rural city of Swainsboro, the college serves Emanuel, Bulloch, and surrounding counties throughout east-central and southeast Georgia.-History:... |
Swainsboro | 1973 | Four-Year State College | John B. Black | 3,063 | $22,457,700 |
Gainesville State College Gainesville State College Gainesville State College is a state college of the University System of Georgia serving northeast Georgia since 1964. The Gainesville State College Gainesville Campus, located 45 miles northeast of Atlanta and six miles southwest of downtown Gainesville in Oakwood, is on Georgia State Route 53... |
Gainesville | 1964 | Four-Year State College | Martha T. Nesbitt | 8,883 | $68,301,000 |
Georgia Gwinnett College | Lawrenceville | 2005 | Four-Year State College | Daniel J. Kaufman | 5,380 | $65,106,000 |
Georgia Highlands College Georgia Highlands College Georgia Highlands College, commonly known as Georgia Highlands, is a two-year community college associate degree-granting unit of the University System of Georgia, and located in Rome, Georgia, USA; with satellite campuses in Heritage Hall, Rome, Georgia; Cartersville, Georgia; Marietta, GA;... |
Rome | 1970 | Four-Year State College | J. Randy Pierce | 5,235 | $37,239,900 |
Georgia Perimeter College Georgia Perimeter College Georgia Perimeter College is a two-year associate degree-granting unit of the University System of Georgia. In May 2011, the state Board of Regents approved two bachelor's programs: a Bachelor of Arts in Sign Language Interpreting and a Bachelor of Science in Health Informatics... |
Decatur | 1964 | Four-Year State College | Anthony B. Tricoli | 25,113 | $159,008,600 |
Gordon College Gordon College (Georgia) Gordon College, a four-year state college in the University System of Georgia, is located in Barnesville, Georgia. Gordon's college year is made up of three 15-week academic semesters: fall, spring, and summer. Enrollment at Gordon College for the 2010 fall semester is around 4,500 students, with... |
Barnesville | 1852 | Four-Year State College | Shelley C. Nickel (interim) | 5,009 | $45,906,000 |
Macon State College Macon State College Macon State College, formerly Macon College and Macon Junior College, is a four-year, residential, baccalaureate degree institution of the University System of Georgia located in Macon, Georgia with a satellite campus in Warner Robins, Georgia, as well as the Robins Resident Center, located on... |
Macon | 1965 | Four-Year State College | Jeffery S. Allbritten | 6,232 | $54,824,800 |
Middle Georgia College Middle Georgia College Middle Georgia College is a publicly supported, residential,charter unit of the University System of Georgia, in the city Cochran in the U.S. state of Georgia. Founded in 1884, the school is the oldest two-year college in the United States. It is currently being transformed into a 4 year college... |
Cochran | 1884 | Four-Year State College | W. Michael Stoy | 3,496 | $49,665,800 |
South Georgia College South Georgia College South Georgia College is a two-year, state-supported, residential junior college located in Douglas, Georgia, United States.-Affiliation/Accreditation:... |
Douglas | 1906 | Four-Year State College | Virginia M. Carson | 2,214 | $24,561,300 |
Bainbridge College Bainbridge College Bainbridge College is a 2-year, Community College in the University System of Georgia. For more than 30 years, Bainbridge College has provided higher education to the residents of southwest Georgia... |
Bainbridge | 1970 | Two-Year College | Richard A. Carvajal | 3,736 | $32,713,200 |
Waycross College Waycross College Waycross College, a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia, exists to provide programs of higher education for citizens of the immediate and surrounding communities... |
Waycross | 1976 | Two-Year College | Mary Ellen Wilson (Interim) | 1,109 | $9,661,000 |
Skidaway Institute of Oceanography Skidaway Institute of Oceanography The Skidaway Institute of Oceanography is an internationally renowned marine science research institute located on the northern end of Skidaway Island near Savannah, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1968, it is part of the University System of Georgia as an independent research unit... |
Savannah | 1968 | Independent Research Unit | James G. Sanders | $6,605,000 |
This institution is in the process of transitioning from two-year college status to four-year college status.
See also
- Georgia Board of RegentsGeorgia Board of RegentsThe 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.-History:...
- The governing body of the University System of Georgia - Student Advisory Council of GeorgiaStudent Advisory Council of GeorgiaThe Student Advisory Council to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia is composed of the Student Government Presidents of the 35 public colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia , organized to advise the Board of Regents, through the Chancellor, on issues that...
- An organizational body compromised of the Student Government Presidents at each of the University System's institutions - Technical College System of GeorgiaTechnical College System of GeorgiaThe Technical College System of Georgia , formerly known as the Department of Technical and Adult Education , is the body which supervises the U.S...
- A separate post-secondary education system which oversees Georgia's technical colleges