| FY 2000 Annual Report of the University System of Georgia | < Previous | Next > |
Dear Friends of the University System of Georgia:
For years now, you've heard me say: "Georgia deserves to be better than the national average!" Thanks to the funding and support we've received, the University System of Georgia now is reaching - and in some instances surpassing - national standards of performance.
When pursuing national preeminence, it's critical to know how the competition's doing. That's why the leadership of Board of Regents Chairman Kenneth W. Cannestra was extremely vital to us during the past year. He focused the University System on identifying our national peers and measuring our progress against their performance. While in some ways introspection can be painful, it is vital for growth.
As for current results, during the 1999-2000 fiscal year, incoming University System of Georgia freshmen attained the national average SAT score of 1,016 for the first-time ever. This was a major milestone. We've implemented several educational reforms and policies that are encouraging Georgia students to enhance their academic performance and meet tougher USG admission requirements. Our policies - such as reducing the number of students entering the System needing remedial-level coursework, mandating completion of the College Preparatory Curriculum for admissions consideration, and providing academic intervention for students in at-risk situations - all are showing results. More importantly, these policies directly benefit students in the form of increased retention and graduation rates.
That withstanding, we still have a long way to go! Increasing the state's educational attainment level is our next challenge. Compared to the national average, too few Georgians - only 22 percent compared to 26 percent nationally - hold undergraduate degrees. Even worse, we are the largest net importer of undergraduate "transplants". In other words, our educational attainment is driven disproportionately by those moving to our state from other parts of the U.S., rather than by native Georgians earning college degrees here at home.
To meet this challenge, we continue to identify new ways to provide Georgians with expanded access to the University System. We've placed the admissions information regarding all 34 of our colleges and universities on the GaEASY website. We've started to implement Georgia GLOBE - a distance learning initiative to help students pursue degrees without the limitations of time and distance. We're continually responding to the educational needs of business and industry through our nationally recognized Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP). And we've expanded our engineering education programs to meet critical demands in key South Georgia communities.
While I'm encouraged by our progress, I believe the future holds even greater promise for the University System of Georgia if - and only if - we maintain our commitment to be brutally honest about our performance, take pride in our achievements, and continue implementing policies which confront our remaining challenges.
Sincerely,
Stephen R. Portch, Chancellor
Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia
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©2001 University System of Georgia Board of Regents