The system supplement: a report of the Georgia Board of Regents, Vol. 37, no. 7 (Fall 2001)

USG: The System Supplement: Fall 2001

http://www.usg.edu/pubs/sys_supp/fall01/

Vol. 38, No. 7, Fall 2001
Search is Completed, Regents Name Thomas C. Meredith Next USG Chancellor Meredith's Acceptance Remarks FY'03 Budget Request MCG Health, Inc., Sees Financial Turnaround On Campus
Dr. Kofi Lomotey Named President of Fort Valley State University Tech Engineer to Design Salt Lake City Olympic Torch New USG Professors Net National Honor for Teaching Three USG Institutions Collaborating to Safeguard Health of State's Water Supply 'Most Wired': Georgia Tech, Georgia State, VSU UGA Grad Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame Howell Urges Unified Voice During Transition Dr. William H. Cleveland Joins Board of Regents Access to Higher Education a Top Board Priority Regents Update Minimum Admissions Requirements
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Search is Completed Regents Name Thomas C. Meredith Next USG Chancellor
Board of Regents Chair Hilton H. Howell Jr. announced in late October that the Regents have selected Thomas C. Meredith, chancellor of The University of Alabama System, in Tuscaloosa, to succeed Stephen R. Portch as chancellor of the University System of Georgia, effective January 2, 2002.
Meredith's appointment was voted on during a special meeting of the regents on Oct. 25. It was followed by a brief news conference, in which Meredith joined Howell and board Vice Chair Joe Frank Harris in responding to media inquiries. "We are tremendously pleased with the outcome of our national search," Howell said during his introduction of the new chancellor. "Dr. Meredith emerged from the selection process with the right blend of experience, vision and personality that the board felt would best suit our current needs and future plans. He is the right man, for the right job, at the right time, and we are looking forward to the leadership that he will bring to the chancellor's post."
Portch announced in May of this year that he would step down from the position upon the identification of his successor. He will deliver his final formal remarks to the board in a State of the System address at the November board meeting on Nov. 14.
Meredith has served as the chief executive officer of the University System of Alabama since June 1997. In that capacity, he is responsible for three doctoral research universities, which have a combined enrollment of 40,000 students,17,000 employees, and an annual budget of $1.8 billion. A native of Owensboro, Ky., Meredith served from 1988 to 1997 as president and professor of education at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. He joined WKU from The University of Mississippi, where he had served as vice chancellor for executive affairs from 1987-88 and adjunct professor of higher education and executive assistant to the chancellor from 1984-1987. Previously, Meredith had served as an academic programs officer and as an associate director for programs and planning for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in Jackson, Miss., from 1974-1981.
Meredith holds a B.A. in social studies and history from Kentucky Wesleyan College, an M.A. in education administration and supervision from Western Kentucky University, and an Ed.D. in administration and supervision with an emphasis in secondary and higher education from The University of Mississippi. He also completed the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.
Meredith serves on numerous educational, corporate and civic boards, and is well known for his leadership in economic development activities in the state of Alabama. He was inducted recently into the Alabama Academy of Honor, an organization of only 100 outstanding Alabamians. In April 1999, Gov. Don Siegelman also appointed him vice chair of the Alabama Commerce Commission, a state-wide group charged with drafting, implementing and

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USG: The System Supplement: Fall 2001 monitoring a long-term economic development plan for the state.

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Chancellor-Designate Thomas C. Meredith and his wife, Susan, at the special meeting of the Board of Regents held Oct. 25 to appoint a successor to Chancellor Stephen R. Portch.
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Meredith's Acceptance Remarks
Chancellor-Designate Thomas C. Meredith made the following remarks to the Board of Regents immediately after the board voted to appoint him the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia:
"Thank you, Mr. Chairman. It's a delight to be here. I must admit it bothers me a great deal to see how widely that Steve Portch is smiling.
"Thank you for introducing [my wife] Susan. We are coming up on 30 years of marriage. As all of the presidents assembled here know, successful leadership requires a true partnership, and our marriage is a partnership as well.
"I want to thank you for your confidence in entrusting me with the position of chancellor of one of the country's finest higher education systems.
Your decisive actions have earned the respect of the other states, as has the leadership of Stephen Portch, who has just done a fabulous job in moving Georgia forward in the area of higher education. The support of Gov. Roy Barnes, who has extraordinary vision for education in this state, and the support of the Georgia legislature are enviable. It's been fun to watch what you've done here from a neighboring state, and it's exciting to become a part of that now.
"I look forward to working with the outstanding presidents you have in this state. Several of them are well known nationally, and to be able to work with them as a team as we move this great system of higher education forward is truly an honor. I thank you."
The Other Contenders
In addition to Thomas C. Meredith, the top three finalists for the chancellor's position included:
William C. Gordon, president of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Gordon has served as president since March of 1999, after serving for one year as interim president of the institution. Richard S. Jarvis, chancellor of the United States Open University, based in Aurora, Colo. Jarvis has served in his current role since September 1999, joining the U.S. Open University as its founding chancellor.
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FY'03 Budget Request Regents Focus on Enhanced Access, Retention of Students
Enhancing access and student retention are key goals of the Board of Regents' Fiscal Year 2003 Budget Request,

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slated for consideration in the upcoming 2002 Legislative Session. Securing special funding to increase the enrollment of African-American males and non-traditional students -- high priorities in the board's new Strategic Plan -- will be a particular emphasis of the legislative agenda.
Included in the board's $1.8 billion budget request was a $31 million request for enhancement funding, consistent with the two percent cap for such requests placed by the Governor's office. While no specific dollar amount was indicated, the budget request also includes language urging the Governor to provide a significant average merit salary increase for faculty and staff. A strong salary year would allow the University System to improve its competitive position nationally.
The budget request was submitted to the Office of Planning and Budget following the September board meeting, and will be used by the Governor to recommend a final budget to the General Assembly for funding during the 2002 legislative session.
In his presentation to the board, Chancellor Stephen R. Portch focused on the direct relationship between the budget request and the regents' Strategic Plan. "Strategically, the budget should follow planning," he said, "and over half of our proposed $31.1 million in enhancement funding request is in two key strategic areas: enhancing access and improving retention. Our benchmarking data indicated these areas need our focused attention."
Two special funding initiatives address these issues:
A $7.6 million request to enhance access to public higher education among non-traditional students and African-American males. The request would include funding for centers designed to make higher education more convenient to non-traditional students; expanded specialized programs to serve non-traditional students; and market research targeted at African-American males. A $9 million request that would enable the University System to establish or expand programs based on the freshman-year experience, thus improving retention. Improved retention rates ultimately improve graduation rates.
Two other enhancement funding proposals would help meet a critical statewide shortage of working professionals in the health-care field and in teaching. These proposals are:
$4 million to increase the numbers of health-care professionals by expanding the ICAPP Advantage program; and $750,000 to provide a System-wide master's degree program for P-12 teachers that would enable them to seek national certification.
The board also approved the FY '03 major and minor capital projects request. The multi-year capital budget request totals $565 million (though the General Assembly normally funds only a portion of this rolling list); the fiscal year's minors request is $59 million. The board also approved a one-time, $72 million request for the FY '02 Supplemental Budget.
The capital budget request includes 22 major projects ($504.5 million), 14 minors projects ($59.3 million) and one payback project ($1.1 million). Included in the FY '02 Amended Budget request is a $9.1 proposal to provide for repairs and renovations, to increase the holdings of books and materials, and meet technology needs in the state's public library system, which became part of the University System in July 2000.
Following the submission of the budget request, the regents complied with the Governor's late-September request to all state agencies to submit budget reduction plans for both the current fiscal year (a 2.5 percent reduction) and FY'03 (a five percent reduction). Based upon an actual and projected decline in tax revenues, the governor required all agencies to submit two different options for each fiscal year. All four plans submitted by the regents adhered to the Governor's directive for no personnel lay-offs and the Chancellor's directive to protect instruction.

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Summary of the FY '03 Budget Request

Budget Unit A

FY02 adjusted base appropriation

$1.4 billion

Funding formula

$74.5 million

Salaries

to be determined by the Governor

Enhancements (2% of funding base): Special initiatives

Strategic goals:

Enhancing access

$7.6 million

Improving retention/graduation rates

$9.0 million

Eminent Scholars Trust Fund

$5.0 million

ICAPP Advantage & health professions

$4.0 million

Accountability Plus II

$1.0 million

Mission-Related Initiative:

North Georgia College & State University

$750,000

System-wide master's degree program for P-12 teachers

$750,000

SREB Doctoral Scholars Program

$160,000

Health insurance for graduate teaching/research assistants

$2.85 million

TOTAL SPECIAL INITIATIVES

$31.1 million

Budget Unit B

Enhancements (2% of funding base)

$4.0 million

Continuing Special Funding Initiatives & Georgia Lottery

$57.4 million

TOTAL USG REQUEST

$1.8 billion

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MCG Health, Inc., Sees Financial Turnaround; President Rahn Pushes National Prominence for Vastly Revamped MCG

The Medical College of Georgia appears headed for greatness after two years of extensive restructuring, and its hospitals and clinics have accomplished a fiscal turnaround that is "nothing short of miraculous," according to University System Chancellor Stephen R. Portch.
In addition to restructuring its relationship to the MCG Hospitals and Clinics, the university established an early-retirement program that led to the retirement of 170 MCG faculty and 800 staff "We are poised to look to the future," said Dr. Daniel Rahn, who took office in June as the new president of MCG. Rahn used an August address to the Board of Regents to outline his vision and goals for the college.
Despite all of the changes, Rahn said, "MCG's educational programs are intact and being strengthened by the month, and research productivity is up dramatically -- over 25 percent during the past year."
Meanwhile, MCG Health Inc. (MCGHI), the non-profit corporation formed to operate the hospitals and clinics in April 2000, has succeeded in pulling operations back into the black.
"After 12 months, we have achieved financial stabilization -- a turnaround exceeding $45 million," MCGHI President and CEO Donald Snell declared during a recent interview.
Snell said that, with the vision and support of Portch and the Board of Regents, the hard work of MCGHI's Board of Directors, and the tenacity and commitment of several Georgia political leaders, the hospitals and clinics have battled back from a $25 million deficit in February 1999 to report a $21.7 million surplus for the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2001. That's well ahead of the $10-13.5 million surplus that had been forecast.

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MCGHI engineered its turnaround by marketing its services aggressively; stabilizing employee raises; bringing salaries into line with market values; outsourcing food service, biomedical engineering and the outpatient dialysis clinic; and increasing the patient base (admissions during the past year were up 3.5 percent and emergency-room visits were up 9 percent).
"MCG Hospitals and Clinics have achieved significant improvement in clinical quality and customer service over the past year," Snell said. "We're off to a good start."
These accomplishments are not going unnoticed. In September, the National Research Corporation (NRC) pronounced MCG Hospitals and Clinics to be the winner of the 2001 Consumer Choice Award for overall quality in the Augusta region. NRC annually surveys health-care consumers in more than 100 U.S. markets before granting this honor to the most preferred hospitals.
Forty percent of MCGHI's surplus earnings -- about $8 million -- will be used to support the research and education mission of the college that gave birth to the hospitals and clinics.
Rahn's vision of the future includes recognized regional and national recognition of MCG as a leading research university and as a premier health system, leading the way with respect to patient-centered, quality, cost-effective health care.
One of his main goals is to have MCG ranked in the top 25 medical schools nationally in U.S. News & World Report's annual survey and for the MCG health system to be ranked among the top 100 hospitals.
"Georgia should demand this of its public health sciences university," Rahn said.
"Nearly one quarter of the currently practicing MD's and dentists in the state of Georgia are graduates of MCG," Rahn said, reflecting on the institution's tremendous impact on the state. "The knowledge, technical skills, professional ethics and attitudes students develop at MCG have an enormous impact on health care provided to all of Georgia's citizens. If we are not leading the way with regard to discovery in the life sciences and setting the bar with regard to quality health care, then we will not realize our potential as an educational institution."
Snell and Rahn hope to turn MCG's clinical and research efforts into centers of excellence focusing on the neurosciences, cancer care, cardiovascular diseases, aging, immunity and infectious diseases, women's health, and children's health. Among the things that must be accomplished to achieve these lofty visions: aggressive recruitment of key leadership for MCG, the development of a strategic plan linked to resource allocation, the development of a master facilities plan, active involvement in a biotechnology initiative and the Governor's cancer care initiative, expansion of MCG's research enterprise, a focus on educational innovation, and a health system focused on clinical excellence.
"The management of this amount of change will require a lot of hard work and collaboration with other health-care systems, state agencies, other branches of the university system, and the Georgia business community," Rahn stressed. "Above all, it's going to require an abiding and uncompromising commitment to excellence and integrity, and the committed support of the Board of Regents."
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Dr. Kofi Lomotey Named President of Fort Valley State University
Dr. Kofi Lomotey, senior vice president and provost at Medgar Evers College of The City University of New York (CUNY), has been named president of Fort Valley State University by the Board of Regents and Chancellor Stephen R. Portch, effective Oct. 15, 2001.
A nationally recognized academician and author, Lomotey has been the senior vice president at Medgar Evers College since1998, and before that spent a year as the college's vice president. He also has taught courses in the college's Department of Education.
"Lomotey brings great dignity, great intellectual strengths and enormous presence to Fort Valley State University." -- Chancellor Stephen Portch
Prior to his arrival at Medgar Evers College, which has 5,000 students, he made history as Louisiana State University's first African-American department chair. He headed and taught in LSU's Department of Administrative and Foundational Services in the College of Education from 1992-1997. During his first two years as department chair, Lomotey facilitated a 500 percent increase in the number of African-American graduate students enrolled in the

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department, from seven students to 50. Ten of those students obtained master's degrees, and five earned doctoral degrees. From 1995-1997, Lomotey also directed LSU's Nubian Pre-Doctoral Academy, a summer program that encouraged undergraduate African-American students to consider seeking doctoral or professional degrees. Lomotey served as an associate professor and program coordinator for the educational administration program in the Graduate School of Education at the State University of New York at Buffalo from 1991-1992; an assistant professor in the same graduate school from 1987-1991; an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Sociology at Niagara University in New York from 1988-1992; an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of California at Santa Cruz from 1985-1987; an adjunct instructor in the Department of Mathematics at Canada College in California from 1983-1984; an adjunct instructor in the Department of African and Afro-American Studies at Stanford University from 1978-1981; and an adjunct instructor in the Department of Black Studies at Oberlin College in Ohio from 1973-1977.
His administrative experience dates back to time spent as the principal of two private elementary schools that he founded: Shule Ya Taifa in East Palo Alto, Calif., (from 1981-1987) and Shule Ya Kujitambua in Oberlin, Ohio (1973-1977). Lomotey holds a Ph.D. in educational administration and policy analysis from Stanford University, and two master's degrees -- one a master of education degree in curriculum and instruction from Cleveland State University, and a master of arts in educational administration and policy analysis from Stanford. He also earned a bachelor of arts in economics from Oberlin College.
Commenting on the appointment, Portch said, "Lomotey brings great dignity, great intellectual strengths and enormous presence to Fort Valley State. I have no doubt that the university will prosper and grow in new directions under the leadership of this superbly qualified candidate."
Tech Engineer to Design Salt Lake City Olympic Torch
Dr. Sam Shelton, a mechanical engineering associate professor at Georgia Tech, has been tapped to build the Olympic torch that will be carried with much fanfare from Mt. Olympus, Greece, to Salt Lake City, Utah, to open the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.
It's a repeat performance for Shelton -- he headed the Georgia Tech team that engineered the torch used for the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympic Games. His orders from the Salt Lake Organizing Committee are similar to the ones he fulfilled in 1996: to transform an artistic and ornate design into a smartly engineered, working instrument.
The major feat is designing a fuel and burner system that protects the Olympic flame under widely varying weather conditions, including temperatures ranging from 90 degrees to minus-40 degrees, on its 13,500-mile journey. The prototype for the 2002 torch, unveiled in Washington, D.C., in April, is patterned after an icicle. The Olympic flame will emerge from the torch through a frosted glass top or crown. Shelton is charged with bringing the artistic design to life. "It's going to be a challenge," Shelton said. "But we're a little wiser this time around, and we have experience under our belts. We learned from our mistakes."
Good thing, because this time around, he and his team of faculty members and students have only eight months to build the torch, compared to nearly two years for the Atlanta torch.
"I never would have agreed to do it if I hadn't been down this path before," Shelton said.
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New USG Professors Net National Honor for Teaching
The Mathematical Association of America has selected Dr. Martha Allen of Georgia College and State University and Dr. Tamara Burton of Armstrong Atlantic State University as 2001-2002 Exxon/ Mobil Project NExT Fellows. The assistant professors of mathematics are among 70 such fellows selected nationally. Project NExT is subtitled "New Experiences in Teaching" and was created with major funding from the Exxon/Mobil Foundation to provide professional support for new or recent Ph.Ds in the mathematical sciences who are interested in improving the teaching and learning of undergraduate math students. Allen teaches pre-calculus number systems and a mathematics course for elementary education majors. She has a bachelor of science degree in mathematics education from Shorter College in Rome and a master of arts and doctorate degrees in mathematics from the University of South Carolina in Columbia. She taught at South Carolina while earning her master's and doctoral degrees, and received the institution's 1999 Outstanding Teaching Award and 1996-1997 Outstanding First Year Graduate Student in Mathematics Award. Burton teaches pre-calculus, calculus and linear algebra. She earned her bachelor's degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her doctorate at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Three USG Institutions Collaborating to Safeguard Health of State's Water Supply
Three University System institutions have pooled resources to establish an Institute for Environmental and Spatial Analysis that will focus on protecting and improving the water quality of northeast Georgia.
The science faculties of the University of Georgia, North Georgia College and State University and Gainesville College each will contribute a specific area of expertise to the endeavor, which will be based on the Gainesville campus.
The institute will serve as a teaching, research and public- service resource. Collaborative activities between the three schools will include developing outreach and research programs for maintaining and improving water quality in northeast Georgia river basins, training individuals to assess water quality in diverse environments, developing plans for environmental remediation, and raising public awareness concerning the importance of local water quality and environmetal health.
Because the availability of sustainable water resources is a critical issue facing Georgia, the main focus of the institute will be to make use of collaborative grants and research to develop an in- depth scientific understanding of water quality, watershed integrity and land-use impacts within the Chattahoochee River Basin and other northeast Georgia river basins.
The three schools also will work together to develop courses in such topics as water quality analysis, watershed assessment and hydrologic modeling. Institute organizers anticipate establishing cooperative relationships with a number of UGA units, such as the River Basins Science and Policy Center, the Natural Resources Spatial Analysis Laboratory and the Carl Vinson Institute of Government.
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'Most Wired': Georgia Tech, Georgia State, VSU
Valdosta State University made its debut on Yahoo Internet Life's latest survey of the 100 "Most Wired Colleges" in the nation, joining Georgia Tech and Georgia State, which have made the list before.
The magazine's fifth annual survey assesses the level of an institution's computing infrastructure; the availability of student access to e-learning and other resources; the campus website and its accessibility to news and information for both current and prospective students; the availability and quality of technical support; and wireless access in residence halls and academic buildings.
The magazine examined the "wiredness" of 1,300 U.S. colleges and universities before selecting the top 100 for its October 2001 issue. The survey ranked Georgia Tech No. 3, Georgia State No. 46, and VSU No. 97.
UGA Grad Inducted into Country Music Hall of Fame
Country music singer/songwriter Bill Anderson's talent has taken him from the University of Georgia to the Country Music Hall of Fame.

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The Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Nov. 7.
Anderson began his road to fame as a 19-year-old disc jockey in Commerce, Ga., by writing the song "City Lights," which became a hit for Ray Price in 1958. He has been a member of the Grand Ole' Opry for 40 years and was inducted into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame in 1985.
One of Anderson's earliest successes: winning a freshman talent contest at UGA.
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Howell Urges Unified Voice During Transition
Board Chair Hilton H. Howell Jr. spoke during the September board meeting about the importance of projecting a unified message to the legislature as the University System makes the transition to new leadership this year. Following is the full text of his remarks:
"The chancellor's budget request ties into an article I read, published September 7, 2001, in the The New York Times.
"It says: 'Like dozens of other public universities around the country, Clemson raised its tuition sharply this summer and put off a number of maintenance projects, signaling the abrupt end of a relatively flush period for the nation's state colleges.'
"The article announced that the most pronounced budget shortfalls and tuition increases are in the South. And in fact, it documents that the University of Tennessee has had a tuition increase of 13 percent and that it cannot any longer afford to pay salaries high enough to attract full-time professors. As a result the university must use part-time instructors.
"The article also indicates that the College of William and Mary has frozen faculty salaries and has suspended a $16 million renovation, and the article notes that Clemson University's board of trustees has raised tuition by 25 percent for South Carolina residents.
"What does that say to me and to us? This past year, we approved a zero percent tuition increase at the System's two-year colleges, a three percent tuition increase for our state colleges and regional universities, and a five percent tuition increase for our research universities.
"But what I would really like to say this morning is that this is good work on the part of this System, but we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the political wisdom, vision and the fiscal management of the state of Georgia. I would like to go on public record as thanking the Governor, the Lieutenant Governor and, perhaps most notably, the Speaker of the House, and all of the leadership in both the Senate and in the House for their strong support of keeping Georgia as a low-tuition state and for allowing our state to continue to build on the reputation it has had in the past.
"Georgia is not, cannot, and must not be looking to higher education as a rainy-day fund when times are tough. Our political leadership are the individuals who guarantee that, and I'd like to thank them.
"But this also ties into one other matter that I think needs to be highlighted for our entire System: during this year and this budget request, it is absolutely critical that the University System speaks with one voice. The System is in a time of transition, and we are in a time of relative budget austerity. This System has created and maintained a sterling reputation for speaking with one voice. This Board of Regents intends to burnish that reputation this budget year.
"I would like to ask each of our units and campus presidents to make certain that they stay within the lines that the board and the chancellor create so that when we speak to the legislature this year, it is with a unified voice."
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Dr. William H. Cleveland Joins Board of Regents
Gov. Roy Barnes announced the appointment of William H. Cleveland, M.D., of Atlanta to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in October. Cleveland will serve in an at-large seat on the board, completing the term of former Regent Charles Jones of Macon, which expires on Jan. 1, 2002. Cleveland is a clinical nephrologist on the medical staff of five Atlanta-area hospitals. He is president of Southwest Atlanta Nephrology, Nephronet LLC, and Atlanta Health Evaluation Center and serves as the medical director at four Atlanta-area dialysis centers.
Cleveland is active on the medical staff at Morehouse School of Medicine, where he has served as a clinical associate professor since 1980.
He has served on numerous boards, including current service on the Georgia State Medical Association (where he also serves as treasurer and chief financial officer), Citizens Trust Bank and the High Museum of Art. Cleveland is president-elect of Crawford Long Hospital Medical Staff and is a member of the Medical Board of the State of Georgia.
Cleveland's previous service includes acting as the co-medical director for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games (1991-1996), a member of the International Olympic Medical Commission (1992-1996), vice chairman of First Southern Bank (1994-1997), and on the boards and as a member of other state and national medical associations.
He received the 1999 Distinguished Service Award from the Georgia State Medical Association, a 1997 Distinguished Service Award from the Medical Association of Atlanta, a 1996 Distinguished Service Award from the International Olympic Medical Commission and was the Atlanta Medical Association's 1988 Physician of the Year.
Cleveland earned his undergraduate degree from Morehouse College, his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his medical training at Emory University.
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Access to Higher Education a Top Board Priority
Regents Discuss Best Methods to Increase Participation by Georgians in College The degree of access Georgians have to public higher education will be a key focus of the Board of Regents as the 16-member governing body begins to develop the actions that will support its new strategic-planning phase.
During its October meeting, held on the campus of Gainesville College, the regents began a discussion on the public-policy questions surrounding increased access to public higher education. Guided by this discussion, System Office staff will prepare specific recommendations.
Dr. Daniel Papp, senior vice chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs, identified several key issues for the board's consideration, including:
how to provide programs in areas where they are needed if such programs aren't financially viable; whether or not up front financial support should be provided, and if so, for how long; when should centers be included in new facilities requests; and the means by which two-year colleges can recoup the financial costs of new programs.
Increasing access to the University System by non-traditional students is one of the highest priorities of the 11 new goals adopted by the Board of Regents during its September meeting.
Studies of two groups' college participation rates -- adult students and African-American males -- show that Georgia compares poorly with other states and national averages. A report by the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education, "Measuring Up 2000," found that Georgia ranks near the bottom of all states in the participation of students of working age. The state ranks next-to-last in the percentage of students who enroll in college within four years of high school graduation. In terms of African-American males, University System of Georgia data indicates that for every two African-American females enrolled, there is only one African-American male enrolled.
"The question before the board is 'how do we best advance this goal of increased access?'" said Papp. "On one end of the spectrum is the 'market forces' philosophy -- let the market dictate how we concentrate our limited resources to increase college participation. On the other end, we can choose to offer the broadest possible access throughout the state -- regardless of the level of need or demand. The board's role is to determine our stance in this debate, and its financial impact."
Increasing access to the University System by non- traditional students is one of the highest priorities of the 11 new goals of the Strategic Plan.

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To guide the board's discussion, Papp outlined several methods of increasing access currently under way at some of the System's institutions. One program allows four-year colleges and universities to offer specific baccalaureate-degree programs at two-year colleges. Currently, eight four-year institutions offer 38 such baccalaureate-degree programs at eight two-year colleges in Georgia.
Another path is through the creation of "off-campus centers" in areas remote from a public college or university, but with significant populations. USG colleges and universities may offer single courses or entire degree programs at such off-campus sites, including locations such as military installations, Department of Technical and Adult Education colleges, public schools, and corporate sites.
To illustrate successful applications of these two methods, Papp was joined in his presentation to the board by President Martha Nesbitt of Gainesville College and President Nathaniel Hansford of North Georgia College & State University. The two presidents provided details on successful programs operated by their institutions.
Nesbitt highlighted Gainesville College's experience in serving as a host institution for a four-year university providing degrees on her two-year college campus and identified the challenges and opportunities in these arrangements. At Gainesville, students can choose from 10 four-year degree programs offered either by NGCSU or Southern Polytechnic State University. More than 300 students are enrolled in the programs, which enhance access for students, Nesbitt noted, while reflecting the changing needs of students and the fast-changing needs of local communities and businesses.
In addition, the flexibility of such programs makes the fullest use of the System's resources. Finally, programs such as these provide a strong incentive and opportunity for students to begin their college work at two-year institutions.
"These initiatives promote the University System's vision by expanding access and creating a more educated Georgia," Nesbitt said.
Hansford outlined for the Board an off-campus center program developed in Forsyth County, a cooperative effort between NGCSU and Gainesville College. In its first year, 22 courses were offered to more than 200 students through the center -- 150 of this total are first-time University System enrollees.
"The Forsyth County Center is a cooperative effort to provide college courses to one of the fastest-growing areas of the state," Hansford said. "It has been a great success in its first year because of the cooperation of community leaders, North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville College." Over the coming months, the Board will continue to discuss and refine its Strategic Plan, with the timetable calling for final approval in June 2002.
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Regents Update Minimum Admissions Requirements
Applicants to Georgia's public colleges and universities will see some minor differences in the admission process, following approval in October of two changes in the Board of Regents' admissions policy.
The first policy change covers how additional academic courses taken in high school beyond the basic 16 College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) units required by the regents will be assessed for admission purposes. The second change adds another path for admission to University System institutions for home-schooled students and students graduating from non-accredited high schools. Both changes took effect on Oct.12 for admission to all 34 public colleges and universities in Georgia.
"This fall's full implementation of the new admissions requirements at Georgia's public colleges and universities has provided the Board of Regents an opportunity to evaluate and enhance our process," said Dr. Daniel Papp, senior vice chancellor for Academic and Fiscal Affairs. "These two changes will preserve the board's intent to ensure rigorous academic preparation for college while enhancing access to the System."
Under the current admissions policy, students applying to any of the System's state, regional or research universities were required to take additional courses beyond the 16 core CPC units, from a list of System-approved courses. The board's change eliminates the System requirement for additional courses beyond the 16 units.
"We wholeheartedly support the value of students taking additional academic courses and urge them to do so. Such courses greatly increase a student's probability of success in college," said Papp. "However, the appropriateness of specific elective courses beyond the 16 CPC units can be assessed more effectively at the institutional level, based upon the individual student's own academic goals and the distinct mission of that institution."
To enhance access to the University System, home-schooled students or students graduating from non-accredited high schools now will be able to submit their SAT 1 test total score (math and verbal) and a portfolio of work demonstrating coverage of the CPC subjects. To determine eligibility for admission, admission representatives will assess whether the student's SAT score is at or above the previous year's fall-semester SAT average score of the first-time freshmen admitted to that institution. The student's portfolio will be assessed to determine whether or not the applicant has completed the equivalent of each area of the CPC.

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USG: The System Supplement: Fall 2001

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"As promised, the University System has added yet another option for home-schooled students," Papp stated. "We've provided our institutions with additional flexibility in assessing the academic qualifications and potential of prospective students. These steps will help us expand access and move forward in creating a more educated Georgia."
Happy Holidays from the University System of Georgia

BOARD OF REGENTS
Hilton H. Howell, Jr. Atlanta CHAIR
Joe Frank Harris Cartersville VICE-CHAIR
Juanita Powell Baranco Lithonia
Hugh C. Carter, Jr. Atlanta
Connie Cater Macon
William H. Cleveland, M.D. Atlanta
Michael J. Coles Kennesaw
John Hunt Tifton

Donald M. Leebern, Jr. Columbus
Allene H. Magill Dalton
Elridge W. McMillan Atlanta
Martin W. NeSmith Claxton
J. Timothy Shelnut Augusta
Glenn S. White Lawrenceville
Joel O. Wooten, Jr. Columbus
James D. Yancey Columbus

OFFICERS Stephen R. Portch CHANCELLOR
Gail S. Weber SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
William R. Bowes TREASURER
The System Supplement
Arlethia Perry-Johnson ASSISTANT VICE CHANCELLOR
John Millsaps COMMUNICATIONS & MARKETING DIRECTOR
Diane Payne PUBLICATIONS EDITOR
OFFICE OF MEDIA & PUBLICATIONS 270 Washington Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30334 Feedback: dpayne@mail.regents.peachnet.edu

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Last modified: December 11, 2001 | Leave a Comment 2001 University System of Georgia Board of Regents

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