System Suppleme75
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The
A report of the Georgia Board of Regents • Vol. 44, No. 3 • March 2007
“ Creating a Mo re Educated Ge o rg i a”
Aviation Technical College Merges with Middle Georgia College
s of July 1, 2007, college
students who plan to pursue careers in aviation
will have new higher educational
options, thanks to a merger of two
institutions approved in March by
the Board of Regents.
The regents put the final seal of
approval on the transfer of Georgia
Aviation and Technical College
(GAVTC) in Eastman from the
Department of Technical and Adult
Education (DTAE) to the
University System. The aviation
school will become part of Middle
Georgia College in Cochran and
assume the Middle Georgia College
name. The DTAE board previously
approved the transfer during that
body’s January meeting.
The merger creates Georgia’s
only state-supported aviation college that will offer a variety of certificate, associate and now, select
bachelor aviation degrees. Officials
indicate the merger places Georgia
tion,” said University System
Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.
“This common-sense merger will
make Georgia more competitive in
this arena. And we are pleased to
welcome the outstanding faculty
and staff now at Georgia Aviation
and Technical College into the
University System family.”
Dr. Richard Federinko, president of MGC, stated, “We are very
pleased that the members of the
Board of Regents have given
their approval, along with the
Department of Technical and Adult
Education Board’s approval, for
GAVTC to join with MGC under
the University System of Georgia.
Linking together Georgia Aviation,
with its certificate and associate
degree programs, and Middle
Georgia, with its bachelor degree
programs, creates the state’s first
comprehensive public college specializing in aviation education
and training.”
Federinko further
stated, “Through
joint accreditation,
shared resources and
gained operating efficiencies, the new
Middle Georgia
College will be better
positioned to continue offering a high
quality, safe aviation
educational experiThe campus of Georgia Aviation and Technical
ence at an affordable
College, located at Heart of Georgia Airport
cost to both the stuin Eastman.
dents and the aviain a strong position to meet the
tion industry at large.”
aviation industry’s needs for more
Both DTAE and USG officials
graduates with four-year degrees as have worked on the merger since
well as fulfilling the continuing
mid 2006, when it became appardemand for skilled workers with
ent such a move would result in
certificates and associate degrees.
enhanced course offerings, greater
“We are pleased to be able to
operational efficiency, and greater
create new degree programs and
student services, such as residence
enhance Georgia’s ability to prohalls. Officials also indicate the
duce needed graduates in aviamerger will have a positive effect
A
Middle Georgia College President Richard
Federinko fills in the Board of Regents on the
new certificates and degrees his institution
will be offering as a result of the merger with
Georgia Aviation and Technical College.
on the local and state economies,
with improved aviation workforce
training sparking development in
aviation and related fields. Existing
industry, along with government
and military operations such as
Robins Air Logistics Command
Center in Warner Robins, also will
benefit from the merger.
Larry Calhoun, interim president and vice president of instructional services at GAVTC, estimates that the nation will need
about 12,500 new air-traffic controllers and 30,000 more pilots 10
years from now, and in just seven
years, the country will need
55,000 new aviation mechanics as
the current workforce ages.
“The FAA estimates that over the
next 15 years passenger boarding
will grow by some 15 percent including a 30 percent growth in air
transport and commercial operations,” said Dr. Julie Massie Clark,
MGC’s chair of aviation management and business. At the 35
busiest airports in the nation, she
said, total operations are expected
to grow by more than 34 percent
by 2020. “MGC is going to be on
the front line of this overwhelming
growth, offering Georgia students
the training they need to win a
position in the aviation industry.”
See “Aviation,” Page 2 …
USG to Make it ‘Faster, Friendlier and Easier’
for Military Personnel to Get Diplomas
he University System of Georgia (USG) is stepping up efforts to serve the educational
needs of the U.S. military by launching the Georgia Military Education Initiative (MEI).
A coordinated and synchronized System-wide approach will be used to expand the degree
programs, courses and support services available to every branch of the military.
“Georgia has one of the largest military populations in the nation, and the University
System should become a major educational service provider for those men and women
who are serving our country through military service,” said USG Chancellor Erroll B.
Davis Jr.
North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) has been designated as the lead
institution in the MEI, given its status as The Military College of Georgia and its close association with the military community. Officials at NGCSU will orchestrate the planning and
development of the initiative’s overall strategy with the support and oversight of the Board
of Regents, the University System Office staff and in cooperation with other USG institutions and eventually, the Department of Technical and Adult Education.
“We are honored to accept responsibility for coordinating this effort and look forward to
the USG becoming a major provider of educational programs to the military,” said NGCSU
President David L. Potter. “Using the inherent strengths of various USG institutions in a collaborative manner, we expect to rapidly expand our support with flexible, high-demand programs of superior quality. The end result
will be an overall increase in opportunity for
the men and women of the Armed Forces
and an enhanced capability for the innovative delivery of instruction by USG institutions to all
our citizens.”
The MEI initiative has been planned as a
coordinated, highly flexible, high-tech
approach to serve military personnel who
seek to further their education.
University System officials seek to address
the unique challenges that make it difficult
to provide college degree programs to military personnel – a population frequently on the
move and out of reach of a USG campus – through
traditional means.
Other than the obvious goal of helping military personnel earn a college degree, the MEI
program also will address some logistical issues faced by this group. Customer service to
the military community will be improved by making access to the University System’s programs and services faster, friendlier and easier. The new initiative will eliminate red tape
that could be a barrier to admission for military personnel and expand the use of technology to deliver online courses to military personnel, no matter where they are based.
University System officials have been working since the spring of 2006 with a militarybased educational group known as the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education
Support (DANTES) to develop prototypes for courses that can be delivered to military personnel in the field through such means as the popular iPod.
As part of the MEI initiative, a number of online degree programs will be used to help
expand program delivery – the USG’s eCore (core curriculum courses), WebMBA (online
master’s degree in business administration), WebBSIT (bachelor of science in information
technology degree), European Union and African Studies Certificate programs.
For more information on the University System’s developing MEI program, contact:
Billy E. Wells Jr., executive assistant to the president of NGCSU, 706-864-1993,
bewells@ngcsu.edu. Q
T
75
Aviation
Continued from P. 1 …
Specifically, the Board
of Regents in March
approved:
◆ the establishment of
six associate degree
programs in aviation;
◆ the assumption of
operations at GATVC
by Middle Georgia
College, including faculty and staff appointments and the naming
of the newly merged
college as Middle
Georgia College;
◆ the extension of USG
employee health insurance and other benefits
to employees who transfer into the University
System from GATVC;
◆ the assumption by
Middle Georgia College
of academic instructional responsibility
of current GATVC
students; and
◆ the acquisition of all
property of GAVTC to
ownership of the Board
of Regents, including
21.5 acres and existing
facilities.
Now that the merger
has been approved, the
colleges will work on
transferring control of
Georgia Aviation’s assets,
66 personnel and 248 students to Middle Georgia
College.
MGC also will undergo
accreditation processes,
expected to be completed
in 2010, with the
Southern Association of
Colleges and Schools and
the Aviation Accreditation
Board International. Q
Do You Know…that Richard B. Russell, Jr. was governor at the time
the University System of Georgia was created in 1932?
Answer: Russell was elected in 1930 on a state government reform platform. His administration
enacted the Reorganization Act of 1931 leading to the creation of an 11-member Board of Regents
to provide governance to the newly formed University System of Georgia. Q
—2—
ON
USG Digest
■ North Georgia College
& State University recently
received a $10 million gift, the
largest donation in the institution’s
134-year history, from Dahlonega
community leader Mike Cottrell to
benefit the School of Business &
Government.The school will be
renamed the Mike Cottrell School of
Business. Cottrell’s son, Michael
Cottrell, is a 2005 business-marketing graduate of NGCSU. Part of
Cottrell’s gift to the university will be
used to establish the business
school’s Center for the Future of North
Georgia. The n ew center will be an
applied research resource for the
region’s cities, counties, chambers of
commerce, economic development
authorities and other public and private entities. NGCSU President David
Potter said the gift “will allow North
Georgia to advance in ever greater
service to the state.”
■ Colleges simply do not ramp up
as quickly as Georgia
Gwinnett College. Typically,
hiring 10 or 20 new professors in a
year is a quantum leap, even for a
much larger university. During the
next six-month period prior to opening the college in the fall for its first
freshmen class, the number of PhD
faculty at GGC will increase from 10
to more than 100, a remarkable task
for the president, his senior staff and
the deans of the four-year college.
“The response to our job offers has
been remarkable,” said GGC President
Daniel Kaufman. “Many are
giving up comfortable and lucrative
assignments to come to this fledgling
institution.” Kaufman added that the
human resources office at the fourye a r, high-tech-oriented state college
has received more than 1,100 resumes,
with applicants from the Ivy League,
top colleges and universities. Q
The
System
Supplement
John Millsaps
ASSOCIATE
VICE CHANCELLOR
Diane Payne
PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR
To Provide Feedback
CAMPUS
Georgia State’s Olympic-Era Residence Halls
Transferred to Georgia Tech
niversity System of Georgia
Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.
announced in early March the transfer
of the residence halls originally built to
house athletes participating in Atlanta’s
1996 Centennial Olympic Games from
Georgia State University to the
Georgia Institute of Technology.
Since fall 1996, the residence
halls, located at North Avenue and
Centennial Olympic Park Drive, have
housed Georgia
State students.
Beginning with
the fall 2007
semester, the
buildings will
be occupied
by Georgia
Tech students.
As Georgia
State continued
to create oncampus housing adjacent to its downtown campus, University System officials realized that the Olympic Dorm
complex would be a better fit with the
adjacent Georgia Tech campus.
“On behalf of the Board of Regents,
we are pleased with this outcome that
keeps this valuable property within
the University System,” said Davis.
“This is an optimal result for the
System and will benefit both Georgia
State and Georgia Tech.”
U
“Thanks to the efforts of many individuals within the University System,
the transfer of Georgia State’s Village
will provide resources needed to build
more student housing on our campus,
a component of our updated master
plan that calls for an additional 4,500
beds over the next 10 years,” said
Georgia State University President
Carl Patton. “Also, research shows
that students who live on campus are
more involved
in campus
life, get better
grades and
graduate more
quickly.”
The four
residence halls,
initially constructed for a
cost of $79.6
million, currently can house 2,000 students in
3-6 bed apartments.
“I would like to express my appreciation to Chancellor Davis and everyone
who made this possible,” said Georgia
Tech President Wayne Clough.
“Acquiring the Georgia State Olympic
residence halls will help us meet the
housing demands of a growing student
body at Georgia Tech and allow us
new options as to how we use the land
on our campus.” Q
CSU Foundation Donates Multi-Million
Dollar Art Complex To Board of Regents
olumbus State University’s new downtown art and theatre complex was built entirely
with private funds. Now completed and without debt, part of the complex was given to
the Board of Regents at the board’s March meeting. The rest of the facility also will be
turned over to the regents shortly.
The property now housing the art and theatre complex was acquired by the CSU
Foundation’s real estate management arm, Foundation Properties, Inc., in November 2004
as part of a $1.25 million acquisition of the former Pillowtex Warehouse. The foundation
invested $12.2 million to complete renovation of the facility into more than 66,500 square
feet of state-of-the-art classrooms and gallery space. The facility, CSU’s Corn Center for
the Visual Arts, is home to the university’s Department of Art.
The rest of the complex is new construction for the Department of Theatre, and not yet
ready to be turned over to the state. When that does happen, it will mean the University
System of Georgia is the beneficiary of a world-class complex worth more than $31 million, all paid for from private gifts to the university’s recently completed capital campaign.
C
write to: diane.payne@usg.edu
See “Corn Center,” Page 4 …
—3—
Corn Center Continued from P. 3 …
“The generosity of the Columbus community and CSU alumni led to the creation
of this beautiful complex,” said Bill
Reaves, chair of Foundation Properties,
Inc. “The Corn Center for the Visual Arts is
a real resource to the university and this
region, and will indeed have an impact on
the state through expanded cultural opportunities and the talented alumni who graduate from here. The CSU Foundation and
Foundation Properties, Inc. are proud to
have played a role in the development of
this statewide asset.”
The Corn Center for the Visual Arts
contains two galleries, one of which has
yet to be developed; exhibit preparation
and collection storage areas; nine art studios, including a photography classroom
with several darkrooms; five kilns and two
art critique rooms. Classes started in the
center in January for approximately 150
students in the art department.
“Columbus State University and its
foundations and supporters have been
very generous in their commitment to
facilities through gifts and public-private
partnerships.” said Linda Daniels, vice
chancellor for facilities at the Board of
Regents. “Their work is helping to create
a stronger education system in Georgia.
The students and the state are ultimately
the beneficiaries.” Q
BOARD
OF REGENTS
Allan Vigil
McDonough
CHAIR
William H. Cleveland, M.D.
Atlanta
VICE CHAIR
James A. Bishop
Sea Island
Hugh A. Carter, Jr.
Atlanta
Robert F. Hatcher
Macon
Felton Jenkins
Madison
W. Mansfield Jennings Jr.
Hawkinsville
James R. Jolly
Dalton
Donald M. Leebern Jr.
Columbus
Elridge W. McMillan
Atlanta
Patrick S. Pittard
Lakemont
Doreen Stiles Poitevint
Bainbridge
Willis J. Potts Jr.
Rome
Wanda Yancey Rodwell
Stone Mountain
Benjamin Tarbutton III
Sandersville
Richard L. Tucker
Duluth
OFFICERS
Erroll B. Davis Jr.
CHANCELLOR
Julia M. Murphy
The Corn Center for the Visual Arts is part of Columbus State University’s
new art and theatre complex on the Chattahoochee River.
SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
William R. Bowes
TREASURER
Presort Standard
U.S. POSTAGE
PA I D
BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE
UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
OFFICE OF MEDIA AND PUBLICATIONS
270 Washington Street, S.W.
Atlanta GA 30334
Permit No. 342
Atlanta, GA 30334