Board of Regents Policy Manual

Official Policies of the University System of Georgia

5.4 Special Public Service Organizations

5.4.1 Cooperative Extension Service

The Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, created by the Smith-Lever Act passed by Congress in 1914, provides for the United States Department of Agriculture to join with the University of Georgia in conducting off-campus education programs relating to agriculture, family and consumer sciences, and youth development throughout the State of Georgia.


5.4.2 The Rural Development Center

The Rural Development Center, located in Tifton, is an educational and public service unit of the Cooperative Extension Service of the University of Georgia College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. The purpose of the center is to assist Georgia’s rural citizens and communities in realizing their maximum social and economic development through utilizing the resources of local, state, and federal government agencies and private organizations.

The programs of the center are directed toward the realization of four principal objectives:

  1. The increase of agricultural and forest production efficiency;
  2. The development of advanced marketing techniques and improved utilization of farm and forest commodities;
  3. The realization of comprehensive community development; and
  4. The continuation of training and utilization.

5.4.3 The Georgia Tech Research Institute

The Georgia Tech Research Institute, a public service unit of the Georgia Institute of Technology, undertakes a broad spectrum of engineering, scientific, economic, and other technical research and development services for customers in industry, government, and academia around the state, nation and world.


5.4.4 The Georgia Public Library Service

The Georgia Public Library Service supports Georgia’s libraries by providing a broad range of services, including consulting services, technical assistance and public library automation. GPLS serves library patrons in all 159 Georgia counties, creating a statewide “borderless library” that provides equal access to information for all Georgians. The Chancellor is authorized to adopt and implement rules and regulations for the Georgia Public Library Service.


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