SAVANSANA, Ga. (AP) — The University of Georgia System announced the integration of East Georgia State University and Southern Georgia University on Tuesday.
The Regent Committee will vote for plans to close schools next week. This comes after many years of decline in East Georgia registration. The school is located in Swainsboro, about 180 miles (289.68 km) southeast of Atlanta. There were approximately 1,826 students last fall. This is down from 3,000 in 2015. Because school funding is based on registration, the total budget has dropped from $31.4 million to just $24 million over the past five years.
The university system began consolidating schools in 2011 for efficiency and cost reduction. There were 35 schools at the time, and if they were approved to travel to East Georgia, there would be 25 right away. It is unclear when the integration process will complete.
“The dollars saved through integration are constantly being reinvested directly on campus. We are promoting strong faculty employment, expanding student support services, and promoting measurable improvements in retention and graduation rates,” Prime Minister Sonny Perdue said in a statement. “Our commitment to making this recommendation is no different either. We will maintain access to local higher education while ensuring that students continue to improve their experience and success.”
The move saved $30 million on administrative costs, according to the University of Georgia system. This is not the first time Georgia Southern has been involved. In 2017, he absorbed former Armstrong State University in Savannah.
East Georgia is a four-year school offering two-year associate degree. Perdue said the system understands “the importance of ensuring that East Georgia State College’s legacy of knowledge and creation of prosperity continues in the Swainsboro community and beyond.”
The Southern Association Committee of Colleges and Schools must approve the plan before moving forward.
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