Profiles - Consolidated Institutions

Opportunities & Challenges

Opportunities

• Creates a university of nearly 9,000 students; largest institution of higher education in southwest Georgia
• Builds on Albany State’s HBCU mission and Darton State’s access mission
• Creates a larger university that serves the needs of the community and region with a range of degrees
• Establishes a simpler path for associate-degree students to achieve bachelor’s degrees
• Builds on recent agreements between Albany State and Darton State in areas like criminal justice, forensic science, and music education
• Builds on the education collaborative among the public education organizations in the community
• Allows one institution to focus economic impact in the region and update curriculum to address regional workforce needs, for example, the logistics program at Albany State.
• Responds to enrollment challenges by concentrating recruitment and retention resources in a single institution
• Reinvests savings from administrative efficiencies in programs to support student success

Challenges

• Blending of institutional missions and cultures
• Declining enrollment and financial resources on each campus
• Modernizing academic offerings and administrative processes

The members of the Consolidation Implementation Committee are:

Albany State University Members

Albany State President Art Dunning
Dr. Kevin Scott, associate professor in English and modern languages
Dr. Florence Lyons, associate professor and coordinator of speech and theater
Dr. Chanta Haywood, vice president for institutional advancement
Dr. Linda Grimsley, associate vice president for academic affairs
Cynthia Hoke, senior advisor and special assistant to the president
Dr. Kellei Samuels, assistant vice president for institutional research and effectiveness
Dr. Danette Saylor, vice president for student affairs and success
Dr. Paul Bryant, associate provost for enrollment management
Katherine Laster, director of internal audits
Dr. LaVerne McLaughlin, director of the library and associate professor
Dr. George Thomas, professor of criminal justice and sociology and faculty liaison
Dr. Walter Bowers, chair of faculty senate and assistant professor in criminal justice and sociology
Laurentiis Gaines, president of the Student Government Association
Dr. Jianchuan Zhou, assistant professor of arts and humanities
Dr. Alicia Jackson, dean of the College of Business
Loretta Harris, business services lead accountant
Dr. Carolyn Rollins, associate professor in the College of Education
Dr. Erica Decuir, assistant professor in the College of Education
Dr. Ashok Jain, professor of biology
Pamela Lewis, College of Education graduate student

Darton State College Member

Interim President Paul Jones
Interim President Richard Carvajal
Kendall Isaac, chief human resources and legal affairs officer
Frank Malinowski, assistant vice president for enrollment management
Dr. Tom Ormond, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs
Devin Williams, president of the Student Government Association
Dr. Jeff Etheridge, occupational therapy assistant program director
Renita Luck, director of online learning
Rocco Cappello, dean of students and director of resident life
Lea Henry, interim director of athletics
Pat Ridgeway, assistant dean of student success
Dr. Jamie Barker, assistant professor of English
Dr. Elizabeth Perkins, dean of humanities and social sciences
Dr. Jason Goodner, assistant professor of sociology
Wendy Kennedy, chair of social sciences
Dr. Ulf Kirchdorfer, professor of English
Cynthia George, chief advancement officer
Dr. Elizabeth Delancy, assistant professor of dance
John Clemens, vice president for fiscal affairs
Jeremiah Pitts, associate professor of English to speakers of other languages and faculty senate chair
Debra Richardson, assistant professor of nursing
Wendy Wilson, special assistant to the president and chief diversity officer