Regents Approve Name and Degrees for the College of Coastal Georgia
Atlanta — June 11, 2008
The University System of Georgia’s (USG) newest state college now has a new name and a new mission statement, and proposed bachelor degree programs to support that mission, thanks to action today by the Board of Regents.
Coastal Georgia Community College will now be known as the College of Coastal Georgia, to reflect its status as one of the System’s eight state colleges, which offer a limited number of baccalaureate degrees. The new mission reflects the College’s plans to offer both associate and select bachelor’s degrees. Both the name and mission change will be effective on July 1, 2008.
“This is an important step in the evolution of Coastal Georgia into an institution equipped to better serve the growing needs of southeast Georgia,” said USG Chief Operating Officer Rob Watts.
“Our coastal community has worked diligently to support expanded higher education opportunities in this part of the state, and today’s action by the Board of Regents truly signals the beginning of a new day for this region,” said Regent James A. Bishop, who represents the U.S. First Congressional District on the board. “This is indeed a legacy moment for Coastal Georgia.”
The first phase of baccalaureate programs approved by the regents at the College of Coastal Georgia will focus on education, nursing and business – careers in demand in the College’s service area. The board’s approval gives College officials the green light to develop new or offer existing bachelor’s programs for the following:
- A bachelor of science in nursing program that would complement the College’s existing two-year RN nursing program.
- A bachelor of business administration program in general business. Over time, this degree program could expand to include specialized tracks in management, marketing, accounting, logistics, public administration, hospitality, information technology and other areas needed by the local economy.
- The College ultimately will assume responsibility for two bachelor programs currently offered by Armstrong Atlantic State University through the Brunswick Center: a bachelor of education in early childhood education and a bachelor of education in middle grades education.
The board also addressed Coastal Georgia’s extensive technical education program, which is offered in conjunction with the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG). The College will review all technical college programs with the objective of retaining those programs consistent with the College’s new mission and academic programs, and working with TCSG to transfer those programs to the technical college system that are less consistent with that new mission. The board noted that the College should make a priority in the evaluation of its technical programs the need to continue to offer technical programs important to regional economic development and to retain valuable faculty and staff members who provide these programs.
The timeline for implementation of these changes is for adoption during fiscal year 2009 of the mission and name change, along with completion of needed academic and facility planning. The first bachelor degree programs will be offered in fiscal year 2010.
In April the regents accepted the recommendations put forward in a needs assessment conducted for the Board that confirmed similar studies going back to 1982 indicating that southeast coastal Georgia is under-served with respect to access to baccalaureate degree programs. That acceptance paved the way for the Board’s approval today of more specific recommendations.