University System chief urges merger

4 South Ga. schools would become 2 to save money; forums planned.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley plans to recommend that the system consolidate four South Georgia universities and colleges.

The recommendation follows other consolidations that have taken place in recent years as the system seeks to save money and become more efficient. In the metro Atlanta area, Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University have become one school. Also, Georgia State University was consolidated with Georgia Perimeter College.

The Board of Regents will vote during its Jan. 11 meeting on Wrigley’s recommendation: consolidating Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University, and consolidating Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) with Bainbridge State College.

If approved, the two new institutions will be named Georgia Southern University, to be led by President Jaimie Hebert, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, to be led by President David Bridges. The announcement says the consolidation of these four institutions should enable the University System to better serve students, broaden or redesign academic programs offered in the coastal and South Georgia regions and reinvest savings into academics to improve student success.

“Creating the new Georgia Southern University will combine the best of both institutions, which are just an hour apart and ultimately serving many of the same students,” said Wrigley. “Consolidating Armstrong and Georgia Southern will create one institution with expanded regional presence, tailored degree programs for the coastal region and positioned to significantly enhance the University System’s economic impact for the area.”

If the Board approves the recommendation, implementation teams with representatives from the campuses who will work out the details associated with each consolidation. The University System and the four institutions will hold campus and community listening sessions to get input on ways to best design the new institutions to serve their regions and the state.