Profiles - Consolidated Institutions

Albany State University

• Established 1903
• Fall 2015 Enrollment: 3,492
• Bachelor Degree Seeking One-Year Retention for Fall 2013 cohort: 68.7%
• Students come from SW Georgia
• 42% of transfers come from Darton State College
• FY 2016 Original Budget: $83,302,204

Darton State College

• Established 1963
• Fall 2015 Enrollment; 5,471
• Students come from SW Georgia
• Associate Degree Seeking One-Year Retention Rate for Fall 2013 cohort: 55.1%
• Albany State is #1 transfer choice of students from Darton State
• FY 16 Original Budget: $61,264,039

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