The system supplement: a report of the Georgia Board of Regents, Vol. 41, no. 5 (Oct. 2004)

The
System Supplement

A report of the Georgia Board of Regents 8 Vol. 41, No. 5 8 October 2004
"Creating a Mo re Educated Georgia"

Board of Regents Tackles Mid-Year Budget Cuts

Plan Outlines How Funds will be Generated to Avoid Mid-Year Tuition Hike

Apotential mid-year tuition hike for the University System of Georgia's 250,000plus student body has been averted. Weeks of planning and discussion by Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith, members of the Board of Regents and System Office and state officials prior to the October board meeting resulted in the identification of alternative means of generating the revenue needed to meet the latest round of cuts to the University System of Georgia's current budget.

Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith (at right) outlined his strategy for absorbing the University System of Georgia's $64.8 million budget cut at the October meeting of the Board of Regents, which was held on the campus of Georgia Tech on Oct. 12-13. The plan circumvents the need for a mid-year tuition increase in part by reducing the USG's health insurance reserves by $27.8 million and having USG campuses trim their budgets by an additional $20.3 million.

At the October board meeting, the regents approved a plan outlined by the chancellor for absorbing the cuts.

Photos by Nicole Cappello, Georgia Tech

The USG's share of the $179.3 million the state sought from all of its agencies' FY 2005 budgets originally was $68.7 million. After a $3.9 million adjustment by the Office of Planning and Budget, the USG's share was reduced late last month to $64.8 million.
Under Chancellor Meredith's plan for absorbing these cuts, a combination of three different "one-time" fund sources will be used instead of a tuition increase along with $20.3 million in continuing reductions to the University System's operating budget.
"This is a mixture of both good news and bad news," Meredith told the regents. "On the one hand, we feel quite positive about mitigating the immediate financial impact a mid-year tuition increase would have had on our students. Still, we know the onetime cost cutting solutions we have identified are frankly stopgap measures that only temporarily solve our problems. We will have to find these dollars from other sources for our FY 2006 budget."
First, the plan calls for extracting nearly $28 million from the

University System's employee health-plan reserves reducing the fund from a recommended 60-day reserve to a 30-day level. Another $9.4 million will be generated by utilizing the matchingfunds reserve previously set aside to construct the Merial research facility at the University of Georgia a project that has been scrapped due to a change in plans by the private-sector entity that initially sought the cooperative venture with the state.
The chancellor will ask the presidents of the System's 34 colleges and universities to identify a combined total of $20.3 million in continuing reductions to their operating budgets by via additional

Earlier in the meeting, Student Government Association presidents Amy Phuong of Georgia Tech and Adam Sparks of the University of Georgia (at left) had voiced concerns regarding the anticipated mid-year tuition hike, noting that its timing had not given USG students time to plan for the additional expense.
position eliminations, hiring freezes, delayed business purchasing, deferred maintenance, reduced operating hours and by hiring more part-time rather than full-time faculty to meet instructional demands.
All of these impacts on the institutions will continue to hamper the University System's ability to deliver high-quality academic instruction in appropriately sized classrooms and facilities.
In addition, efforts are underway to identify another $7 million in additional one-time cuts to generate the System's total share of $64.8 million in budget cuts. Q

Regents Seek Legislative Approval for New College In Gwinnett

The Board of Regents took another step forward in implementing its plan to transition the Gwinnett University Center (GUC) to a full-fledged state college at its October meeting.
The board agreed to seek a resolution from the Georgia General Assembly during the upcoming 2005 legislative session approving the creation of a new state college in Gwinnett County.
This action followed a presentation to the board conducted by Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs Dr. Daniel S. Papp and Robert E. Watts, who serves both as a senior policy advisor to University System Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith and as interim director of the Gwinnett University Center.
If approved by the General Assembly, USG officials would build upon the existing Gwinnett University Center infrastructure in shaping the new institution. The new state college would become the 35th public institution in the University System the first created since Bainbridge, East Georgia and Waycross colleges were authorized in 1970.
"The transition from a University Center to a state college in Gwinnett County is the next logical step to take in meeting the exploding demand for a permanent higher education institution in this burgeoning part of the state," said Meredith.
Pending approval by the General Assembly, the Board of Regents would pursue the following next steps to create the new state college: g Create and approve a mission
statement for the college; g Approve an organizational
structure; g Develop a three-year plan to
transition from Gwinnett University Center to the new college; g Develop a budget plan; g Hire a president; g Approve academic programs; and g Approve required policies for the institution.
Plans for the new state college emanated from the regents' "statewide assessment" document, exploring options for meet-

ing a projected increase of

200,000 more students in

the University System by

2015. The decision was

driven by the regents' cur-

rent Strategic Plan, which

includes among its goals

the need to re-examine

the role, structure and

organization of university

"residence centers" of which the GUC is one of

Dr. Daniel S. Papp

Robert E.Watts

nine to ensure they are serving the needs of local communities.

"Enrollment at the GUC is increasing by 1,000 students per year that's a 123 percent in-

A "residence center" is defined crease over the last five years,"

as a permanent off-campus location at which one or more University System institutions offer de-

Papp said. Originally, the center was expected to have 4,000 students in 2004 instead of the cur-

gree programs, while a state college rent 8,000.

is a stand-alone institution serving regional economic development needs through access and limited baccalaureate degree programs.

Papp noted that the growth of Gwinnett County is a major factor. The U.S. Census Bureau projects that Gwinnett's population will top

The transition from a "Univer- one million people by 2020 it sity System residence center" to a already has the largest school sys-

state college would take place

tem in the state and is the largest

over a three-year period to allow county east of the Mississippi

current students to complete their without a stand-alone, four-year

degree programs and plan for their academic future. That time frame also would allow current institutions at the GUC to handle faculty and staff transitions.

public college or university.
Another factor in the decision to pursue state-college status was GUC's current administrative structure. Papp noted that, with

Papp and Watts outlined for board members the key factors

both Georgia Perimeter and UGA offering degree programs at the

supporting the plan to create a

center, both have had to provide

new state college in Gwinnett.

admissions, advising, and finan-

These include: the center's cur-

cial aid offices, as well as other

rent size, the current and project- student support services. A standed growth rate, an analysis of the alone institution would eliminate

administrative and educational cost structure of the existing GUC, compared to the proposed state college, and the institutional mission of the new institution.

this administrative duplication.
"Having a state college offer four-year degree programs is the most cost-effective way to deliver educational programming," said

"We are not starting from scratch," Papp said. "The facilities already exist, and the stu-

Watts. GUC's primary mission is to provide classroom instruction, versus conducting scholarly re-

dents are already there."

search. Therefore, the new insti-

Currently, the GUC offers more than 8,000 students a range of undergraduate programs and limited graduate degree programs through Georgia Perimeter

tution would see significant cost savings by adopting the state college model for educational delivery over the research university model.

College (7,000 freshmen and

Watts noted that the GUC's

sophomores), the University of

original mission was to serve as a

Georgia (350 juniors and seniors unique learning laboratory to

and 641 graduate students),

develop high-tech and alternative

Southern Polytechnic State University and the Medical

instructional delivery methods; however, demand at the institu-

College of Georgia (a combined total of 43 students in selected

tion built so rapidly that focus shifted to meeting students needs

undergraduate degree programs). through more traditional, rather

than innovative, means. Q

-- 2 --

USG Briefs
Dr. Jacquelyn Belcher, president of Georgia Perimeter College, has announced plans to retire as early as July 1, 2005, or once a successor is appointed to fill the president's post. The college is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and Belcher said she is confident in the future of the institution. "It is rich with outstanding leaders throughout the organization. Its strength is anchored in all its employees and their commitment to the mission and values of the college," she said. Belcher's retirement caps 33 years of service in community colleges, including 10 years as GPC's president , five years as president of Minneapolis Community College and 15 years as a professor and administrator at Bellevue Community College, in Washington. With Belcher's leadership, Georgia Perimeter has grown to be the third largest campus in the University System, behind the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. GPC now has six campuses and more than 22,000 credit and noncredit students.
Most crisis-response drills staged by campus officials focus on practicing to deal with the phsyical side of a disaster administering emergency medical care, transporting victims and keeping everyone out of harm's way. The University System's Counseling Director's Association feels too little attention is given to dealing with emotional trauma in these situations. Its members gathered recently at Clayton College & State University for two days of training in acute-traumatic-stress management and crisis response.The USG's counseling directors are committed to serving as part of their campus' crisis-response teams and to mobilizing as part of a System-wide crisis-response network whenever needed. Q
System Supplement
Arlethia Perry-Johnson
ASSOCIATE VICE CHANCELLOR
John Millsaps
COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING DIRECTOR
Diane Payne
PUBLICATIONS DIRECTOR
To Provide Feedback
write to: diane.payne@usg.edu

ON CAMPUS

Students Excel with MGC's GAMES Program

By Alison Faulk Sheffield Director of Public Relations Middle Georgia College

Courtney Mitchell and A.J. Jones are both 16-year-olds enrolled in a unique residential program at Middle Georgia College, in Cochran, where they are completing their last two years of high school and their college associate degrees simultaneously.

Through MGC's Georgia Aca- The current GAMES class on a field trip to Savannah. demy of Mathematics, Engineer-

ing and Science (GAMES), Mitchell entered college with a near perfect SAT score of 1580 out of a possible 1600. Did we mention that

student both inside and outside of the classroom as a result of enrolling in the program."

she took the exam in the 10th grade?

Since its beginning in 1997, enroll-

She's not alone, as this year's entering GAMES class has an average combined SAT score of 1234 and a 3.8 high-school grade point average (GPA), with 4.0 representing perfection. Jones enrolled in the GAMES program at 15 years old with an SAT score of 1310 and has maintained a 4.0 GPA. Both he and Mitchell will

ment in GAMES has grown from 28 to 79 students and has earned the reputation of an academic alternative for gifted students across the state. The record enrollment has necessitated establishing a waiting list, due to limited space in the Grace Hall livinglearning environment, according to GAMES Director Lisa Whitaker.

graduate from GAMES already having completed two years of college and gained a wealth of experiences.

"GAMES is designed for those students seeking an academic peer group," she said. "The curriculum is

"The GAMES program has allowed me to bond with students from many diverse cultural backgrounds and with many different academic inter-

stringent, but students find a balance between class work and the many activities planned for them. MGC faculty love having GAMES students in

ests," said Jones. "I've matured as a See "GAMES," Page 4...

CCSU Establishing Connections
with European "Juilliard"
Elena Cholakova (left), a native of Bulgaria, was one of three outstanding Clayton College & State University music majors chosen to perform at the worldfamous Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary, in October. The piano performance major, and fellow students Patrick Thompson (composition) and Brandon Tucker (trombone performance), were accompanied on the trip by Assistant Professor of Music Maya Hoover and CCSU President Thomas K. Harden, who are pursuing student and faculty exchanges with the "Juilliard of Europe." The trip was a follow-up to Harden's October 2003 Educational/ Trade/Cultural mission to Hungary, which included a number of business and cultural leaders. In addition to exploring student and faculty exchanges, Hoover a leading scholar and researcher of Latin American art song taught a few classes and performed songs from her area of expertise while visiting the Liszt Academy . Q

-- 3 --

GAMES
Continued from P. 3 ...
their classrooms. They find them disciplined and eager to learn."
Forty-six percent of the current GAMES classs is comprised of male students, and 54 percent are female. Minorities comprise 37 percent of the enrollment, the highest percentage ever of minority students.
Students enrolled in the program receive one-on-one advising from GAMES Academic Advisor Dr. John Pasto and take part in many fun and educational activities outside the classroom, including field trips to Disney's Epcot Center, the Kennedy
Conference to Examine `State of the African-American Male'
The Board of Regents will host the Congressional Black Caucus' "State of the African-American Male" Atlanta Conference on Saturday, Nov. 6, at Georgia State University .
Keynote speakers will include Thomas W. Dortch, chairman emeritus of the 100 Black Men of America, and Michael Thurmond, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor. A town hall meeting will be moderated by former CNN anchor Lyn Vaughn.
Workshops will focus on three critical factors impacting the status of AfricanAmerican males: education, health issues and economic empowerment.
The conference is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Georgia State Student Center, located at the corner of Courtland and Gilmer streets in downtown Atlanta. It is free and open to the public.
For more information, e-mail SAAMAtlanta@saamusa.org or log onto www.saamusa.org. Q

Space Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard and the cities of Boston and Savannah.
"GAMES has been an absolutely wonderful experience both socially and academically," said Mitchell. "I have made many lasting friendships and have been encouraged to discover my academic niche and to pursue it with unwavering determination."
GAMES students are allowed to register for classes one week prior to regular registration to ensure they obtain classes that satisfy both highschool and college requirements.
Ninety percent of Middle Georgia College's young GAMES scholars elect to earn their undergraduate degree in Georgia, utilizing the HOPE Scholarship program and taking advantage of the state's top universities. The top two transfer institutions for GAMES students are Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. However, many GAMES scholars have been accepted to prestigious universities throughout the nation including Yale, Cal Tech, New York University, MIT, University of California-Berkley, Vanderbilt, John Hopkins, Agnes Scott and Emory University.
Academic requirements for consideration for enrollment to GAMES are a minimum core GPA of 3.5 and a minimum SAT of 1100 (530 verbal; 560 math). The ACT equivalent is a total minimum score of 24 (23 verbal; 24 math). Applicants must write an essay and provide three teacher references. An interview with both the prospective student and his/her parents is required, and the students' high-school disciplinary record is reviewed. Q

B O A R D OF REGENTS
Joel O. Wooten, Jr. Columbus CHAIR
J. Timothy Shelnut Augusta
VICE CHAIR
Hugh A. Carter, Jr. Atlanta
Connie Cater Macon
William H. Cleveland, M.D. Atlanta
Michael J. Coles Kennesaw
Joe Frank Harris Cartersville
Julie Ewing Hunt Tifton
W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr. Hawkinsville
James R. Jolly Dalton
Donald M. Leebern, Jr. Columbus
Elridge W. McMillan Atlanta
Martin W. NeSmith Claxton
Patrick S. Pittard Lakemont
Doreen Stiles Poitevint Bainbridge
Wanda Yancey Rodwell Stone Mountain
M. Allan Vigil Fayetteville
Glenn S. White Lawrenceville
O F F I C E R S
Thomas C. Meredith CHANCELLOR
Gail S. Weber SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
William R. Bowes TREASURER

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