Atlanta — June 11, 1997

In an unprecedented approach, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia today (June 11) compiled a five-year Capital Outlay Priority List that will serve as a rolling funding request for major construction projects at System institutions.

The list will be integrated into a five-year comprehensive strategic plan, which the board is in the process of developing, and will consider for action at its July meeting. That plan will outline the board’s response to academic programming, workforce needs and capital resource demands facing the University System during the period of 1998-2002.

The capital priority action was the result of two days of intensive meetings held on Monday and Tuesday at the board’s offices in Atlanta, during which presidents from 27 of the University System’s colleges and universities presented their cases directly to the 16-member board of regents. The process, implemented by University System of Georgia Chancellor Stephen Portch, was applauded by the presidents and regents alike for its openness and fairness.

“The list that we compiled reflects well on the capital priority planning principles adopted by the board,” Chancellor Portch stated. “What this process illustrates is that there are more needs than we have the resources to meet, yet we have to keep working at it.”

Regent Thomas F. Allgood, Sr., chairman of the Board of Regents, cited the process as one of the highlights of his year as chair. “This priority list will guide the future of this system, and will stand as a cornerstone for this board in making decisions about major capital projects for years to come; I am particularly pleased with the attention given to master planning.”

Regent J. Tom Coleman, Jr., chairman of the Committee on Real Estate and Facilities, expressed his pleasure with the outcome of the two days of intensive meetings and the approval of the list by the board. “The real beauty of this process is that it will be reviewed annually to reflect the board’s current priorities and our on-going enrollment plan.”

The board had received well over $800 million in capital funding requests for the next five years. During the past five years, the legislature has allocated an average of $100 million annually in capital spending for the University System. The major Capital Priority list approved today by the regents totaled $492.6 million for inclusion in the five-year plan. In September, the board will consider minor projects, classified as those under $5 million.

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