Vol. 36, No. 5, September 1999

Regents Approve FY 2001 Request

Responsiveness to the state's educational, economic and health care needs, achieving regional and national competitiveness, and continued momentum for the University System's pursuit of academic excellence are goals of the Board of Regents' Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Request, approved September 8 by the regents.

At their monthly meeting in Atlanta, the Board of Regents approved a $1.638 billion Fiscal Year 2001 Budget Request. The budget will be considered by the Governor and the General Assembly for funding during the 2000 legislative session. The request is intended to support Gov. Roy Barnes' higher education goals for the state -- including rural economic development and enhancing the state's niche in the information technology arena.

"This budget addresses realistic needs -- both for the University System and for our state," said Chancellor Stephen R. Portch. "It will provide funding to help us anti- cipate and respond to the increasing demands on higher education, including further positioning of Georgia as a knowledge-based economy."

The budget contains $33 million in enhancements, anchored by $14.2 million in technology requests that include funds for master planning, a statewide on-line learning initiative, an enhanced electronic library, campus network upgrades and faculty and staff technology training. Building on an existing technology infrastructure, the University System aims to help Georgians become viable players in the Information Age workforce, optimizing the state's resources to enhance its economic position.

In addition to its technology strategy for FY 2001, the University System is requesting allocations for these additional and/or continuing special funding initiatives:

• Faculty Salaries: The Board of Regents proposal also addresses faculty and staff compensation, and urges the Governor to recommend an increase in the range needed to assure that Georgia colleges and universities can continue to attract and retain the best academic personnel.
• The Georgia Eminent Scholars Program - $7 million: This funding will be used to match private sector donations to create endowed academic chairs at certain University System institutions, allowing them to actively recruit eminent scholars to their faculties.
• Investing in Excellence at Historically Black Universities - $4.5 million: This initiative is aimed at enhancing the ability of the USG's three historically black institutions to attract and retain diverse students at the undergraduate and graduate levels; increasing the number of programs with national accreditation; improving institutional infrastructure, student access and student success; and matching federal funds for Fort Valley's agricultural mission.
• UGA/MCG Biomedical Sciences Collaboration - $4 million: These funds will be used to create a statewide Biomedical Services Network, linking the University of Georgia with the Medical College of Georgia, which will expand collaborative, interdisciplinary research between the two institutions and increase biomedical research funding for the state of Georgia.
• ICAPP Rural Economic Development Initiative - $2.7 million: Addressing the needs of the state's communities which have the highest unemployment rate, the lowest per capita income, and the highest percentage of residents whose incomes are below the poverty level, are the goals of this initiative. It is aimed at improving economic opportunities by expanding partnerships, complementing the strategies of the Rural Economic Development Commission and the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism; and leveraging the assets of the University System through six new initiatives, such as a one-year pilot project to educate communities, companies and citizens on e-commerce and its opportunities.
• South Georgia's Regional Engineering Program, Phase II - $800,000: This initiative is aimed at meeting the need for more qualified engineers over the next decade, especially in computer and electrical engineering as well as other cyclical shortages in key fields. Innovative distance learning programs for working professionals are the key component of this program.
• Hispanic Program Initiatives - $375,000: This funding will allow the University System to implement recommendations of its Hispanic Task Force report, and ensure access to educational opportunity for the state's fast-growing Hispanic population, which is expected to double in the next 20 years. One goal is to increase the number of USG graduates with certification in English as a second language.
• Capital Budget - FY 2001: The University System's capital funding request is grouped into three areas: major, minor and payback projects. For the past three years, the University System has shaped a multi-year Major Capital Priorities List that links capital needs with academic and workforce priorities. This year's major list, which includes 26 projects in priority order totaling $496.1 million, was approved by the regents at their June meeting, along with four payback project requests, to be supported by fee revenues, totaling $42 million. The minor's list, approved for the first time, includes 18 projects totaling $66 million.

In addition to the $1.6 billion FY 2001 Budget Request, the Board also approved the System's proposed $45.2 million FY 2000 Supplemental Budget Request, which includes funds to help the Medical College of Georgia address its fiscal shortfall, to remedy hazardous waste situations at UGA, and to enhance further technical infrastructure.

According to Regent Glenn S. White, chair of the regents' Committee on Finance and Business Operations, the System's budget request promotes strategic budgeting while balancing the need to keep costs low. "All state agencies were informed of the cap for percentage increases in their budget, but the Board of Regents did not take advantage of that cap; we limited the amount of the increase that we requested," he stated. "We recognize that Gov. Barnes has many competing priorities to address, and our intention is to move the state's and the Board of Regents' higher education agenda in a cost-effective manner." ¶

Excerpts of Chancellor Stephen R. Portch's 1999 "State of the System" Address

• " First, the SAT Scores of our entering freshmen.: this is a key quality indicator. For the first time in the System's history, the average SAT composite score for the entering freshmen class is above 1000 -- with a System average of 1013. This is a 14-point increase for the System -- from 999 to 1013 -- between Fall Œ97 to Fall Œ98.
  "At six institutions, the incoming freshmen class had an average SAT composite score above 1000 and 18 institutions had the highest SAT scores in a decade.
• "I'm also pleased by the rise of our institutions in the annual national rankings. These rankings are strong indicators of the perception of institutional quality and academic excellence.
• "We continue to make progress on another key indicator, access, through enrollment. A year into semester conversion, we are seeing a strong recovery in the enrollment and headcount, and, albeit at a slower rate -- in credit hours.

• "First, technology. This is the most exciting, yet most perilous, area. It is essential that we integrate technology into the System, our institutions and our programs.
  "This is a fast-changing market/climate; as soon as a technology is developed, it is outpaced by new developments. New business models are needed. "There is some anxiety among our faculty and staff -- and some students -- in terms of how technology will help them teach and learn and serve. But I don't know of a faculty in the country more willing to embrace and adopt technology.
  "Technology has to been seen as a tool that will increase access. It cannot be used to further separate us into Œhaves' and Œhave-nots.' Only some 30 percent of Georgians have access to the Internet. And we have to be concerned with poor communities, rural areas and other data that show minorities lag in access.
  "I'm glad the Board took on this issue. You have focused the attention of our campuses, of the legislature and public. Your hard work is already reaping dividends in the G.L.O.B.E. project.
• "Another area that gives me concern is our ability to sustain and morph our initiatives. Our priority is to see these initiatives succeed. We must maintain the momentum we have created over past five years .
  "And there is a related concern: as our initiatives age and as the Governor's Commission on Education proceeds, our focus should not be on preserving the original form of these initiatives, but that their goals are accomplished.
  "Collaboration is key. Our partners are most important allies in this effort. We should not care who gets the credit as long as the goals are met. We don't need to protect turf on any of our collaborations.
• "My final concern is for our people: how do we continue to attract the best, keep the best, motivate good people and get the best from them.
  "Look at the System's budget -- our biggest investment is in people. Are we doing all we can to protect, to nurture and to sustain this investment?
  "We need to nurture our faculty and staff, to give them the support they need to serve, to grow and to excel.
  "Our people make our national reputation. It is the quality of our people that attracts other quality people -- and high-achieving students. What makes the academic environment unique is its ability to take excellent people, put them together in this rich environment and make the sparks fly.
  "Our challenge is to sustain morale in a changing environment. How do we keep those sparks flying?
  "The message we send about the level of concern for our primary investment is very important.. That's why surveys of customers are important. We will continue to conduct surveys so we can gauge how we are doing and how we can improve.
  "This Board has earned a well-deserved reputation for fairness, decency. If we can motivate our people, support them, show them respect and appreciation, they will continue to be our greatest champions and our greatest strength.
  "We will continue to celebrate quality, we will continue to grow, we will master technology and show concern for our people.
  "This Board has proven itself ready and eminently qualified to meet the challenges before us and to move forward with both its heart and its head. The environment this Board has created for itself, its faculty, staff and students will be what makes our efforts successful."

Editor's Note: The full text of the Chancellor's address can be obtained on the University System of Georgia's web page, http://www.usg.edu/, under the article titled: "State of the System, Sept. 8, 1999." ¶

2000 LEGISLATIVE SESSION: A LOOK AHEAD

Senator Jack Hill

Senator Jack Hill (D-Reidsville) has been the chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee for the past five years. Hill first joined the Georgia General Assembly in 1990, and has since held leadership positions on key committees, including Appropriations, Education, Rules, Transportation, Ethics and Higher Education. At the close of the 1999 Legislative Session, Hill reflected on the University System's legislative activities, offering an assessment of what had been achieved and what might be built upon for potential future successes. Excerpts of his comments follow, providing an extremely valuable look ahead to the 2000 legislative session.

Q. How do you think the University System of Georgia fared during the first legislative session under Governor Roy Barnes in light of the final budget outcomes that we received?

Senator Hill: I think the System fared well. You continued to validate the effectiveness of your Capital Priority List. Secondly, the Board of Regents' special funding initiatives, such as Teacher Preparation, came out well in the end. And thirdly, the funding that was provided for the Yamacraw project was another good sign that the regents have a friend in Gov. Barnes. Lt. Gov. Mark Taylor also supported the objectives of the regents, so I think that you are off to a good start with this administration.

Q. What are we doing well? What can we do better?

Senator Hill: You've had an increased emphasis - a better finger on the pulse - regarding workforce development: and that's working well. It's putting the regents in better touch with changing job market demands and the needs of business and industry. I think we need to provide better information to students regarding job market opportunities, and better feedback to business and industry that we are listening to them and that there are plans to expand our efforts to meet their needs. New business initiatives are well received and well placed in Georgia, and we are not focused on just bricks and mortar, but also are concerned with their "knowledge needs." Industry and Trade deals with the finished product; they promote the state's resources. Our local communities are building the industrial parks to house interested companies. The Board of Regents and DTAE (the Department of Technical and Adult Education) are in the middle, serving in an important collaborative role of providing education. All of these elements are essential to making this partnership successful.

Q. What are the prospects for the University System for the FY 2000 Supplemental Budget?

Senator Hill: Well, I would hope that when we get back next January, Yamacraw would be well under way. We would want to continue to support that project.

The Board of Regents also does an excellent job of continuing to encourage a new mix of programs for students. We must continue to balance student demand versus job and workforce demands, and consider how we meet both.

When students are fresh out of high school, they know very little regarding the workplace, so that sort of guidance needs to be provided for them, regarding the jobs of the future. That point is illustrated among students who enroll in night classes. You see much better reflection (about academic majors) among those students who have been out in the workforce.

Q. In your opinion, is the legislature strongly committed to continued funding for increasing the prominence of the University System?

Senator Hill: I think so. With the four percent faculty and staff pay raise for FY'99, we won't lose any ground. There was a strong showing of partnership for that initiative on both sides of the aisle. I wouldn't want to trade places with any other state in the higher education arena, because we are committed to attracting the best faculty and staff that this country has to offer.

Q. From your vantage point, what partnerships can the Board of Regents form with other state agencies to support Georgia's educational and economic development goals?

Senator Hill: It's my feeling that the Board of Regents brings a lot to the table in connecting with and trying to meet the needs of business and industry. You need to continue to build on that set of relationships. Annie Hunt Burriss has done an excellent job - with her background in economic development - of providing a strong link between the Board of Regents, Industry and Trade and the business and industry sector. Her efforts have multiplied our success, and they are really paying dividends for our state. She's just very aggressive; she's on a mission, she has fire in her eyes, and it's hard not to be enthusiastic around her!

Q. What other linkages and collaborations are the most viable for funding support?

Senator Hill: We will continue to fund traditional industries and agricultural research. These programs reach out and touch the fiber of our state - particularly the agricultural arena, which is very vital to our state, especially in these times. I would like to continue to focus on these priorities.

Q. Are there any closing remarks that you would like to make?

Senator Hill: We have much for which to be thankful in our growing state. If we stay the course, work together and communicate, Georgia's future will continue to be bright. ¶

Rep. Dubose Porter

Rep. DuBose Porter, (D-Dublin), the new chair of the House of Representative's University System of Georgia Committee, was first elected to the Georgia legislature in 1982. This year, in his ninth term and 17th year as a member of the House, Porter succeeded Rep. Calvin Smyre, (D-Columbus), in the University System chairmanship. Smyre had served as chair since 1993, and now chairs the House Rules Committee.

One of the first projects Porter took on as a freshman legislator was to pursue the establishment of a higher education satellite center in his hometown of Dublin, Ga. - a project that he refers to as "one of the most exciting achievements of my time in the legislature." His mission was to ensure that the residents of his community would be able to further their education and professional careers without the limitations of location. In that pursuit - as with many others - Porter has experienced great success. Enrollment at the University System of Georgia's Dublin centered has mushroomed, and continues to climb.

"That's where the demand is for higher education," Porter stated, "it's with working families. By bringing the University System to Dublin, we have built one of the most successful rural-area branch campuses in the state. That center has grown from 100 night students when it first opened in 1984 to about 1,000 students. And we have the capacity to accommodate 1,500."

At the close of the 1999 Legislative Session, Porter discussed his first session as chair of the University System of Georgia Committee, his plans for the next session of the biennial, and future prospects for the continued elevation of the state's public colleges and universities. Excerpts of that interview follow:

Q. What was your strategy this year in your first session as chair of the University System of Georgia Committee?

Rep. Porter: Having already been familiar with the University System of Georgia's growth over the past eight years, as chair I did not want to loose the edge we had gained during (this recent) period. I have some new members on my committee, so I had to get those members briefed regarding the campuses and some of the major projects, such as Yamaccraw. I scheduled some campus visits to Georgia State and Kennesaw State universities, and nearly all of the committee members went on those visits. We are fortunate in that we have some returning members on the committee. We still have (former Chairman) Calvin Smyre, and (Rep.) Tom Buck still wanted to stay on the committee. Also Reps. Louise McBee and Barbara Mobley both bring lots of experience and understand the importance of the Committee's work. So we have focused on getting the entire committee familiar with existing programs and getting out around the state more, visiting the campuses.

Q. What will you and your committee members focus on during the interim between the sessions?

Rep. Porter: We hope to look at some of the private institutions, the DTAE (Department of Technical and Adult Education) schools, how programs fit between the secondary and post-secondary levels, and look further into some of the specific programs in the University System. When it comes to academic programs, we want to know where Georgia leads. An example of the types of programs I have in mind is the environmental science program at the University of Georgia. Its founder, Dr. Eugene Odom, helped develop the marine institute at Sapelo and the standards for private development on the Eastern seaboard. I'd like us to identify other outstanding programs like that one.

Q. What is your assessment of what the University System of Georgia has achieved in the higher education arena?

Rep. Porter: There is no question that Georgia is a leader in higher education. In the area of research grants and rankings, the University System has left the pack in the Southeast. We now have to figure out how to stay ahead of the pack, and continue to provide leadership for the Southeast. We'll do that with money and ideas - the right mix of both!

Q. All executive branch transitions require changes in how agencies operate. What are the implications for the Board of Regents of having a new governor and new committee leadership?

Rep. Porter: There is always excitement and challenges with new leadership. The Governor has people he would like to see on the Board of Regents, who have fresh ideas, and whose interest will be keeping the University System of Georgia the best it can be. These will be forward-thinking people with good hearts and good minds.

Q. From where you sit, how did the Board of Regents fare in the 1999 session?

Rep. Porter: The regents fared very well in this battle. The Yamaccraw project is where it should be, which is housed with the Board of Regents. What that means to business and industry is that this initiative is important, and it's academically focused. You only get this credibility (with Yamacraw) by having it housed within the University System. Certainly, Industry and Trade should be a partner, but the solid, in-depth parts of the program should be with the Board of Regents.

Q. What can we do to help you be successful?

Rep. Porter: You can help us extend GALILEO further to local libraries, more public schools and to ordinary citizens. This is going to be the focus of a special committee next year, co-chaired by Reps. Barbara Mobley and Louise McBee.

Q. What else will you focus on in your next term as chairman?

Rep. Porter: We've also put in place a subcommittee on DTAE, to be chaired by Rep. Barbara Mobley. That committee will focus on adult literacy and job training. That is a very important area, because 40 percent of our students are still dropping out, and 28 percent of our citizens do not have an adult diploma. These students can be picked up through the GED (General Education Diploma) programs at our DTAE institutions. Rep. Mobley is going to identify strategies to attack this issue, specifically how to address it in urban, suburban and rural areas. Rep. McBee is going to be focusing on our two-year, four-year and research institutions, as well as working on some technology issues.

Our goals include looking further into the University System's standards for admissions and remedial education, and more clearly defining that initiative. We also want to see Georgia Tech's engineering initiative expand in South Georgia. Ten years down the road - when we look back - that program will be one of the most significant things the University System would have done to bring job training to the central and southern part of the state. There are problems in recruiting electrical, industrial and information technology engineers, and we need to bring that brain power to companies in our area to allow them to grow in Georgia rather than in other parts of the country. ¶

Children with special needs in both the US and Russia will benefit from a recent visit to Bainbridge College by educators from both countries. Welcoming the visitors were (from l. to r.) Sheila Bolin, President of Tennis With a Different Swing, Dr. Cliff Brock, President, Bainbridge College, Dr. Millie Usher, Professor of Physical Education, Bainbridge College, and Dr. Nikolai Puchkov, Institute of Physical Chemistry-Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Bainbridge Professor Helps Disabled Children from US, Russia

Bainbridge College professor of Physical Education Dr. Millie Usher hosted visitors from Orlando and Russia in an effort to help children with mental, physical and emotional disabilities. Dr. Usher participated in a study at Gretchen Everhart School in Tallahassee to develop a curriculum for atypical children.

Participants also included Sheila Bolin, president of Tennis With A Different Swing, Inc., and Dr. Nikolai Puchkov, with the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow. The curriculum was then utilized to develop a learning module and taken back to Russia by for use in a local orphanage. ¶

Georgia State, Georgia Tech Win $20 Million NSF Grant
Scientists at Georgia State University and Georgia Institute of Technology were among 60 neuroscientists selected for a five- year, $20-million National Science Foundation award to establish a Center for Behavior Neuroscience (CBN). The Center is one of five new Science and Technology Centers (STC) nationwide and will study how the brain regulates complex social behaviors such as fear, aggression, and affiliation and how social experience may affect the developing brain.

"The CBN will establish a new way to conduct cutting edge research," said Dr. Elliott Albers, Georgia State's Director of the Center for Brain Sciences and Health and a leading research investigator on the STC. ¶

MCG Pediatric Resident Receives National Award
Dr. Jack Thomas, pediatric dentist resident at the Medical College of Georgia, has received one of eight national awards from the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists (AAPD) for his research on assessing fluoride levels in children. Dr. Thomas sampled fluoride levels in saliva of 17 Augusta children, ages 5 to 10. He found that rinsing the mouth with fluoride-free water had little effect on the amount of fluoride in the saliva. He also discovered that fluoride concentration in the saliva is comparable to the amount of fluoride found in children's plasma. His findings bring dentists a step closer to getting an overall accurate record of fluoride exposure in children. The AAPD paper was selected from a pool of graduate students research papers submitted for annual competition. ¶

Southern Poly Teams Earn Honors
Two teams representing Southern Polytechnic State University have been busy, earning recognition in national and international competitions. The university's Aerial Robotics Team took forth place in the recent 1999 International Aerial Robotics Competition and was the highest-finishing U. S. squad. Thirteen international teams competed in the event. A team from the Civil Engineering Department placed fifth in the National Steel Bridge Competition. Sponsored annually by the American Institute of Steel Construction and the American Society of Civil Engineers, the competition requires engineering students from around the country to design, fabricate and construction a 1/10th scale steel bridge. ¶

SBIR Resource Program to Help Georgia Businesses
A partnership between the University System's Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), Kennesaw State University College of Science and Mathematics and the Georgia Power Company Foundation has enabled the launch of a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Resource Program that will help bring more research and development funds to Georgia's small businesses.

The SBIR Grant Program enables 10 federal agencies to provide more than $1.2 billion in grant funds annually for research and development projects. The grant program will help companies identify funding opportunities through workshops on developing and preparing grant proposals. The SBIR program is hosted by Kennesaw State and delivered through Georgia's 34 public colleges and universities. ¶

Darton's Occupational Therapy Assistant Program Accredited
Darton College's Occupational Therapy Assistant Program recently received accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Edu- cation (ACOTE). The program is one of three in Georgia and the only one located in the southern half of the state. Darton's program and accreditation will help meet Georgia's increasing need for occupational therapy assistants, which is expected to grow by 58 percent in the next few years. ¶

Savannah State Hosts Leadership Retreat
Approximately 70 high- school students from throughout the state attended the Georgia Business Forum's 21st Century Leaders summer retreat at Savannah State University.

Savannah State was one of five higher-education institutions to host the youth leadership retreats and is the first four-year university to become a campus sponsor in the program's 10 year history. The 21st Century Leaders is a year-round project for selected sophomores, juniors and seniors who have demonstrated leadership potential. ¶

Dr. James L. Muyskens

Dr. James L. Muyskens has been named by University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams, Georgia Perimeter College President Jacquelyn M. Belcher and University System of Georgia Chancellor Stephen R. Portch to serve as the chief executive officer and dean of the faculty of the soon-to-be constructed, high-tech Gwinnett Center.

The facility will serve recent high-school graduates, adults ready to begin college, and working professionals seeking to upgrade their skills or earn advanced degrees. The first two years of undergraduate instruction at the Gwinnett Center will be offered through Georgia Perimeter College. The final two years, along with various graduate courses, will be offered through UGA.

Muyskens has served for the past four years as the University System of Georgia's senior vice chancellor for academic affairs. Muyskens assumed the senior vice chancellor's post at a time when the Board of Regents was beginning to implement its strategic plan aimed at achieving academic excellence and moving toward national and international preeminence. The chief academic affairs official also has worked successfully with the provosts and vice presidents of academic affairs at the University System's 34 institutions to implement an array of new policies, ranging from semester conversion to enhanced teacher preparation to post-tenure review. "Jim has been a central figure in the conception and development of our Gwinnett Center," said Portch. "He is intensely interested in this project, is extremely excited about being directly involved in innovations in teaching and learning, and is very pleased to be remaining in Georgia to use his proven expertise to benefit the System and the State."

"The Center will be an important resource for Gwinnett County and indeed the whole state of Georgia," said Regent Glenn S. White, who lives in Gwinnett. "I am ecstatic about Jim's appointment to provide the leadership needed for this project, because his selection is a signal of the high priority that the regents are placing on the Gwinnett Center."

Muyskens joined the University System in September 1995, from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at the University of Kansas, where he had served as dean since 1988. Prior to that post, he had a 17-year career with Hunter College of the City University of New York. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Michigan and a M.Div. degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. He earned his bachelor's degree fromCentral College in Iowa. ¶

Dr. Beheruz Sethna

Dr. Thomas J. Hynes, Jr.

Dr. Beheruz Sethna, president of the State University of West Georgia, has been named by Chancellor Stephen R. Portch as the interim senior vice chancellor of academic affairs for the University System of Georgia. Sethna's service in the interim position began Mon., Oct. 25, 1999.

Dr. Thomas J. Hynes, Jr., vice president of academic affairs and professor of mass communications at West Georgia, has been named by Portch as acting president of the institution during Sethna's absence. Upon the conclusion of the two appointments, both Hynes and Sethna will return to their current positions at the University.

In his new role, Sethna will be responsible for meeting the academic needs of more than 206,000 students and over 8,000 University System faculty members. According to Portch, Sethna will serve in the interim position while a national search is conducted to permanently fill the senior vice chancellor's post.

Sethna has served as president of West Georgia since August 1994. During his presidency at West Georgia, Sethna has been credited with significant achievements.

The institution launched Georgia's first Advanced Academy for gifted high-school students, and obtained the University's largest endowed gift ($1.5 million) from The Roy Richards Foundation, to name the College of Business, the institution's first such named endowment.

"Dr. Sethna was one of my first presidential hires, and he has distinguished himself as a University System president," said Portch. "It pleases me greatly that he is now willing to assume temporarily this new leadership role at the Board of Regents offices. I am looking forward particularly to tapping his expertise in the technology arena, which continues to be a high priority for the System."

Hynes joined West Georgia as vice president of academic affairs in 1996, serving as the chief academic officer responsible for four academic units, Arts & Sciences, Business, Education and the Graduate School.

During his tenure in the position over the past three years, Hynes has initiated technology planning for academic and support programs at West Georgia; institutionalized an annual campus-wide celebration recognizing student scholarship, including undergraduate research and creative activities; overseen the development of a center for undergraduate research; reorganized teacher preparation activities as a University-wide responsibility; increased support of small business development activities; dramatically expanded externally funded research and grants; and expanded faculty development opportunities.

Hynes came to West Georgia from the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky, where he had served as interim dean of the College of Arts & Sciences from 1990-1996.

"I know that Tim will be embraced by West Georgia's campus community during this interim appointment, and I am looking forward to working directly with him during Beheruz's absence," said Chancellor Stephen R. Portch. "He is a talented administrator who has worked closely with the president over the past few years, and they have a strong shared vision of the institution's mission and focus. It pleases me when we can provide our own administrators with these type of leadership opportunities." ¶

The composition of the Board of Regents changed in June with Governor Roy Barnes' appointment of five new members. The new members are: Connie Cater, Macon; Joe Frank Harris, former Governor of Georgia, Cartersville; Martin W. NeSmith, Claxton; Joel O. Wooten, Jr., Columbus; and James D. Yancey, Columbus.

Connie Cater

Connie Cater
Regent Connie Cater has served as president of the Cater Casket Company in Macon since 1978. He was a regional sales manager for Georgia Casket Company from 1974 to 1977. Prior to this, Cater was a customer service manager from 1968 to 1973 for United Parcel Service.

Cater began his professional career as an educator at Metta-Danford Elementary School in Macon, where he taught from 1966 to 1968.

He is a 1966 graduate of Savannah State University, where he earned a B.S. degree in Physical Education. Cater is chairman of the Bibb County Planning and Zoning Board, chairman of the board of directors for the Booker T. Washington Center and a trustee board member of Trinity CME Church in Macon.

Joe Frank Harris

Joe Frank Harris
Regent Joe Frank Harris has a long career of public service. He served as governor of Georgia for two terms from 1983-1991. His administration was noted for improvements in education with the Quality Basic Education Act (QBE).

Prior to his election as governor, Harris served 18 years in the Georgia House of Representatives, serving for eight years as chairman of the Appropriations Committee.

Following his second term as governor, Harris returned to his hometown of Cartersville. Currently he is chairman of Harris Georgia Corporation and a member of the board of directors of American Family Life Assurance Corp. and Bankhead Enterprises, Inc.

Harris is the first Distinguished Executive Fellow at Georgia State University and a public affairs professor in the department of Public Administration and Urban Studies.

Harris received his BBA degree from the University of Georgia in 1958.

Martin W. NeSmith

Martin W. NeSmith
Regent Martin W. NeSmith is the owner of three major businesses in southeast Georgia: NeSmith Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Pontiac, Inc., in Claxton; NeSmith Chevrolet-Olds of Hinesville; and NeSmith U-Save Auto Rental/Budget Car Sales.

He has served in many leadership positions in industry associations and in the community. NeSmith is the current chairman of the board of the Evans County Industrial Authority. He has served on the board of advisors for Georgia Southern University's College of Business. He earned a BBA degree in management from Georgia Southern University in 1970.

Joel O. Wooten, Jr.

Joel O. Wooten, Jr.
An attorney in Columbus, Regent Joel O. Wooten, Jr. has served as a managing partner since 1988 in the law firm of Butler, Wooten, Overby, Fryhofer, Daughtery & Sullivan. Prior to this, he was an associate and partner from 1975 to 1988 in the law firm of Kelly, Champion, Denney & Pease.

Wooten is a member and has served in numerous leadership capacities for the boards of state and national legal associations. In 1993, he received the American Bar Association National CONSTABAR Leader of the Year Award. Wooten also has been active in the University of Georgia Alumni Association and served as a member of the executive committee of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Wooten served as a lieutenant and captain in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1972 to 1987. Raised in Hazelhurst, Wooten earned a bachelor's degree in business administration, magna cum laude with general honors, from the University of Georgia in 1972, and his Juris Doctor in 1975 from the UGA School of Law.

James D. Yancey

James D. Yancey
Regent James D. Yancey is president and chief operating officer of Synovus Financial Corp. in Columbus, where he has built a long career of leadership in the executive ranks of the corporation and at Columbus Bank and Trust, which he joined in 1959. He also serves on the board of directors of Total System Services, Inc., and Shoney's, Inc.

Yancey received an A.S. degree from Columbus State University in 1964 and in 1987 he received the Thomas Y. Whitley Distinguished Alumnus award, the highest honor bestowed by the Columbus State University Alumni Association. In 1997, Yancey received the first honorary doctorate awarded by Columbus State University. He is a graduate of the School of Banking of the South at Louisiana State University and the Stonier School of Banking at Rutgers University.

His leadership roles in the community have included serving as director of the Business Council of Georgia, campaign chairman of United Way, president of Metropolitan Boys Club, director of the YMCA, president of Historic Columbus Foundation, trustee of Brookstone School, trustee of St. Francis Hospital, chairman of the Columbus State University Board of Trustees, chairman of the Columbus Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Bankers Roundtable and director of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. ¶