Minutes, Feb. 3-4, 2004

MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF GEORGIA
HELD AT 270 Washington St., S.W.
Atlanta, Georgia February 3 and 4, 2004
CALL TO ORDER
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia met on Tuesday, February 3 and Wednesday, February 4, 2004, in the Board Room, room 7007, 270 Washington St., S.W., seventh floor. The Chair of the Board, Regent Joe Frank Harris, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2004. Present on Tuesday, in addition to Chair Harris, were Vice Chair Joel O. Wooten, Jr. and Regents Hugh A. Carter, Jr., Connie Cater, William H. Cleveland, Michael J. Coles, Julie Hunt, W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr., James R. Jolly, Donald M. Leebern, Jr., Elridge W. McMillan, Patrick S. Pittard, Doreen Stiles Poitevint, Wanda Yancey Rodwell, J. Timothy Shelnut, Allan Vigil, and Glenn S. White.
ATTENDANCE REPORT
The attendance report was read on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, by Secretary Gail S. Weber, who announced that Regent Martin W. NeSmith had asked for and been given permissionto be absent on that day.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Chair Harris noted that the draft minutes of the Board of Regents meeting held on January 13 and 14, 2004, required one correction. The starting time of the meeting recorded in the minutes was incorrect. The meeting actually began at approximately 2:10 p.m. At 1:00 p.m., the Regents had attended the swearing in of new Regent Doreen Stiles Poitevint. Secretary Weber indicated that the time would be corrected. Motion properly made and duly seconded, the minutes of the Board of Regents meeting held on January 13 and 14, 2004, were unanimously approved as corrected.
STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, "COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE"
Chair Harris next convened the Strategic Planning Committee as a Committee of the Whole and turned the Chairmanship of the meeting over to Regent Leebern, the Chair of the Committee.
Chair Leebern introduced the Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs, William R. Bowes, who was returning to the Board to discuss further the consolidation and regionalization of administrative services in the University System of Georgia.
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Mr. Bowes stated that at the November 2003 meeting of the Board of Regents, he had shared with the Regents the major findings and recommendations of the MGT study on regionalization and consolidation and outlined for them opportunities that the staff would evaluate immediately. Through this process, the staff remained mindful of the Chancellor's principle that if a particular strategy does not yield any cost savings to the System nor producegreater efficiencyor effectiveness in short, if it does not make business sense then the staff will not seek to implement that strategy. However, the staff also are committed to the process that they began this past summer to identify and pursue strategies to regionalizeor consolidateservices where these efforts are in the best interests of the University System of Georgiaand where these efforts are likely to generate long-term savings while enhancing services. In November, Mr. Bowes had talked about a number of recommendationsfrom the MGT study. There were three in particular,that he would discussat this meeting: the evaluation of payroll processing options, the purchasing strategy, and the creation of a mentoring program for business officers in the University System. While these are the areas that have been the focus of the staff's attention over the last several months, there are many others that they will bring to the Regents over the next year as this effort unfolds.
Mr. Bowes began with the payroll processing issue and reviewed some of the issues that had already been discussed. He explained that the staff's evaluation of the payroll options focused on the 32 institutions and sites that are part of the Georgia Financial, Information,and Reporting Systems for Tomorrow ("GeorgiaFirst") Peoplesoft implementation. The reason for this was because these institutions are operating on a common application model for which centralized production support is already provided. The four research universities have either very different applications or, as in the case of Georgia State University ("GSU") and the University of Georgia ("UGA"), are using legacy software tailored to their particular payroll operations. While the recommendations are directed toward the 32 institutions and sites, some will have beneficial impact for the research universities as well. In looking at the payroll process, the staff divided it between what are referred to as "front office" functions and "back office" functions. Front office functions are those activities that currently entail direct contact with employees and students who are on the institutional payroll, specifically, the hiring, promotion, and termination process; enrollment in benefit programs; maintenance of records; and preparation and approval of timesheets for hourly employees. The back office functions are those that are transparent to employees and students, such as the preparation of checks or direct deposit, moving cash from operating to payroll accounts, making tax and benefit premium payments, and interfacing with the financial accounting system. It is the back office functions that the staff and Regents have talked about in terms of those activities that lend themselves to consolidation.
The current payroll system can be characterized as follows, said Mr. Bowes. The System has 32 independent payroll operations that, while operating on a single software model, have differences in many areas, mainly as to how their pay calendars are structured (i.e., the timing and number of payrolls) and their benefits structure. However, supporting all of the different operations is a common technical environment where database management and administration is centralized under
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the auspices of the Office of Information and Instructional Technology ("OIIT") as are the maintenance of the single software model, including upgrades and changes that impact all 32 institutions and sites and production and development support. In short, 32 sites are currently performing both front office and back office functions within a highly centralized technical environment.
In November, Mr. Bowes had identified four possible options for payroll processing: retaining the current structure, outsourcing to a third party, regionalizing operations by decentralizing database management or by creating inter-institutional service agreements, and consolidation. Based upon the staff's preliminary analysis of these options, it was clear that there are significant issues with both the outsourcing and regionalization options. Outsourcing would entail a major, complex overhaul of the current system, would require an initially large outlay of funds, and would require the System to forfeit the significant investment in resources and expertise it has gained over the last several years. Although the System does not currently have a completely centralized system, in many respects, OIIT is already performing an outsourcing function for the institutions through the centralized database management, production support, and single application model. The experience of other major universitysystems that chose this option has not been favorable,and so, the staff did not pursue this further. Concerning regionalization meaning decentralization of database management, design and development, and so forth the staff had already determined through an earlier cost study not to be the most cost-efficient means of implementing the Peoplesoft software. It would also not allow the System to retain the benefits of the single application model it had developed. Therefore, the analysis looked at the issue of whether or not further consolidation, primarily by shifting the back office functions to a central location, would yield additional savings or greater efficiencies to warrant pursuit of this option at the present time. To conduct the cost analysis, the staff conducted a survey of the payroll operations at 30 institutions, asking them to identify the number of full-time equivalent ("FTE") employees engaged in payroll operations and to estimate their personnel and operating costs. There was a total 56 FTE positions that were identified at the four-year and two-year institutions. The total budgeted amount is some $2.5 million in personnel and operating expenses. In addition, OIIT developed an estimate of the current FTE employee support for institutional operations and associatedcosts. These central support costs total to $1.7 million and include 19.5 FTE positions. Mr. Bowes said that 19.5 FTE positions in OIIT include 12 technical positions and 7.5 business analyst positions that provide daily production support, database management, system design, and development and perform version upgrades as required. Most of the positions that are located on campus are primarily clerical positions. This accounts for the differences in average salary expense. In summary, there are 75.5 FTE positions throughout the 30 institutions and central site dedicatedto payroll processingwith the total cost just under $4.3 million.
OIIT then prepared an estimate of the cost to consolidate the back office functions looking at all the tasks that would need to be carried out centrally that are now performed on campus. Mr. Bowes said that through the consolidation process, which would include consolidation of institutional databases,
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the number of technical support staff could be reduced. However,to assume the additionalfunctional responsibilities, additional staff would be required. The change would be an addition of 6 positions with an additional estimated cost of just over $500,000. One of the reasons for this is that consolidation under current circumstances where institutions have differences in pay calendars, benefits, and so forth would mean essentially consolidating the administration and management of 32 separate payroll operations rather than creating a single unified operation. In November, Mr. Bowes had indicated that one of the issues the System would face in consolidation was a considerable reengineering of business practices in payroll to achieve consolidation.What the staff's subsequent analysis shows is that this plays a more important role in the cost picture than they had first understood. Mr. Bowes would return to this point when he talked about recommendations. He noted that a change of this magnitude will require some expense for implementation similar to the costs that the System would experience under a major version change or upgrade. The staff estimate this to be in the neighborhood of $500,000 to $1,000,000 for consulting fees, training costs, and development of new interfaces. For example, the new payroll structure would have to interface with each financial system on campus and other systems that support overall financial operations.
In summary, consolidation would cost an additional $500,000 annually with up to $1,000,000 in implementation expense. The implementationcosts could be significant,and during implementation, there would need to be some overlap in cost. For example, the System would need to retain current production support capabilities while adding new staff for the consolidated processing. In addition, institutional savings would be marginal. The survey showed that of the 30 institutions reporting, only 8 have significant payroll operations where there may be 3 or 4 staff members. These institutions might be able to achieve some savings. However, for most of the institutions, which have only one or, in some cases, part of a position performing payroll functions and which would need to continue providing front office functions, there would be no savings. At best, there would be limited return on this investment. Given these findings, Mr. Bowes proposed a set of strategies that he said will result in more immediate savings and/or service enhancementbenefits to the System than would be gained by pursuing consolidation at this time, but also will result in changes in operations that will make consolidation a more viable consideration down the road or, alternatively, lead the System to a point where it will have achieved the full benefits of consolidation, even if it does not formally reorganize its payroll structure. There are three strategies we can pursue right now that will provide immediate benefits to our institutions: outsourcing; consolidation or automation of other payroll functions, such as retiree billing for health insurance premiums; and streamlining business processes and implementationof the Web-based version of Peoplesoft, includingthe implementation of self-service applications. Mr. Bowes would discuss each in turn.
Many institutions are managing retiree billing using in-house staff, explained Mr. Bowes. Retiree billing is a paperwork process requiring institutions to bill retirees monthly for health insurance, life insurance, and other fringe benefit costs. This often results in substantial regular contact with retirees. He proposed instead one of two options. The first would be to have the Teachers Retirement System ("TRS") withhold health insurance premiums and other costs for retirees and
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forward payments to the University System Office. The staff have already received a verbal confirmation of TRS's willingness to do that. The second option would be to require automatic debit of payments for premiums for other retirees not covered by TRS. If these actions take place, the issues associated with retiree billing will essentially vanish. If the staff cannot establish auto debit, they would pursue a Systemwide contract with a third-party vendor to provide these services on behalf of all System institutions. This would have an additional benefit by helping to eliminate a backlog of receivables in this area, which has been a fairly common audit finding at several institutions. Mr. Bowes explained that flexible spending accounts are accounts that permit employees to set aside pre-tax funds to pay for medical and daycare expenses. The funds must be spent within the calendaryear, or they will be forfeitedto the employer. Some institutions have gone to outside providers and gained significant efficiencies by doing so. He suggested pursuing this option for all System institutions, which the staff believe will not only create savings in terms of the contract cost, but also allow institutions to eliminate costs associated with the management and processing of accounts.
The second option is to consider business process changes that would help reduce payroll processing costs at institutions. These would include mandating direct deposit for all employees, including payroll checks and reimbursements (for example, travel reimbursements). The staff suggest also extending this requirement for student payroll, which means that the System would need to establish debit card capability for those students and employees that do not have checking accounts. Kennesaw State University and the State University of West Georgiaare pilotingsuch a system now for student financial aid checks. The staff would look to establish a Systemwide contract for this purpose so that mandatory direct deposit can be achieved. Mr. Bowes also recommended that the Board establish policies that would standardize pay calendars and benefits, and he said there is a lot of support in the System for doing this.
The third option is to go forward and complete the Web-based application of PeopleSoft and implement the self-service applications. There are three major benefits to this option. The first is that the System would then have automated time and effort reporting, which it currently does not have and which would eliminate the manual spreadsheet process. There are also two modules in PeopleSoft. One is e-Pay, which gives employees restricted access to their payroll data to make changes in their direct deposit, federal tax withholding, and voluntary deductions and gives them the ability to update their personnel data.
Mr. Bowes next discussed the benefits of regionalization or consolidation of services. He explained that direct deposit eliminates the need for paper checks and notices. Standardization of the benefits packages and pay calendars would facilitate eventual database consolidation, as does the direct deposit feature. Implementationof the new Web-basedfeatures would eliminatemuch of the campus front office payroll functions. Lastly, outsourcing, consolidation, or automation of functions would further reduce some of the back office functions that are now performed by campus payroll offices. The University System of Georgia could start gaining some immediate benefit and not have to wait
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until a consolidation process is done to move forward with some of these other things. This would reduce the workload demands of the campus payroll operations, but Mr. Bowes said he did not know what that would mean in terms of savings. It would be possible at that point to consider the consolidation of databases to reduce the number of technical support staff at the System level. The purpose of this as an intermediate strategy is that it will better position the System to evaluate consolidated processing in the future.
Next, Mr. Bowes discussed the purchasing strategy. He said that there is a Systemwide committee of purchasing officers from the six institutions that have the highest volume of purchases in the System and that the University System Office is moving forward with the hiring of a chief purchasing officer, who would be paid from realized savings. That person will help coordinate purchasing in the System with the purchasing committee. The staff have also been engaged in discussions with the Department of Administrative Services ("DOAS") and the Governor's Office of Planning and Budget ("OPB") concerning the System's purchasing authority. Mr. Bowes said that the System will have to pursue legislative changes in order to clarify and provide an additional delegation of authority. This is important for the System in its purchasing strategy if it wants to develop contracts in which the System has an option of achieving greater savings than may be available from state contracts and, in addition, to enable the System to have full participation in a higher education purchasing consortium, such as the Atlanta Regional Consortium for Higher Education ("ARCHE"). Mr. Bowes noted that the Governor has established the Commission for a New Georgia (the "Commission"), and one of the areas it is examining is the state procurement process. So, a resolution of this issue for the University System of Georgia may have to wait until the Commission develops its recommendations. He is serving on that committee and will be evaluating the state procurement process. The System is also pursuing outsourcing contracts related to the payroll issues Mr. Bowes had discussed and developing specific Systemwide contract opportunities in the areas of credit card processing, information technology hardware maintenance, office supplies, and printers and copiers. The System has already done a lot in the area of information technology and has contracts in place with Microsoft WebCT, EBSCO Information Services, Oracle, and others. The savings generated from these contracts have been fairly significant. The System also achieves discount savings with Sun Microsystems, Inc. and Cisco Systems, Inc.
The last issue Mr. Bowes discussed was the chief business officers mentoring program, which was another recommendation of MGT. He had been meeting with a group of the most experienced System personnel in finance and business operations to create an advisory councilof most senior and experienced business officers in the University System and assign one chief business officer to work with each new chief business officer as well as to formalize a System-level orientation program for new chief business officers. Mr. Bowes will report back on the progress of these activities in the future. In closing, he asked whether the Regents had any questions or comments.
Chair Leebern thanked Mr. Bowes and noted that many Regents also have a great deal of expertise in these matters.
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Regent Shelnut asked whether he understood correctly that the System is not going forward with payroll consolidation.
Mr. Bowes replied that he was not recommendingthat course of action at this time, because it would not be a good investment for the System and would not result in savings at this time. However, some of the other recommendationswill give the institutions immediate benefits.He said that it is possible the System will achieve the full benefits of consolidation without actually changing its structure. Moreover, consolidation of the databases makes a lot of sense and is possible.
Regent Shelnut said that the System is doing some consolidation already.
Mr. Bowes responded that the technical management of the databases is already consolidated and there is only one software model supported centrally. So, this has already generated some savings. The only thing that has not been consolidated is the processing side of back-office and front-office functions.
Regent Carter said that his own company had benefited from the installation of electronic time cards that allow payroll data to be automatically computed. He asked whether the System has similar technology in place.
Mr. Bowes called upon the Vice Chancellor for Information and Instructional Technology and Chief Information Officer, Randall A. Thursby, to respond to this question.
Mr. Thursby responded that there are a couple of institutions that have electronicinterfaces for time clocks tied into their own software system. Mr. Bowes had recommendedthe implementationof the Peoplesoft Time and Attendance Reporting Software that would allow the other institutions to implement the electronic interface as well.
Chair Leebern thanked Mr. Bowes for this presentation. At approximately 1:30 p.m., Chair Harris adjourned the Regents into their regular Committee meetings.
CALL TO ORDER
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia met again on Wednesday, February 4, 2004, in the Board Room, room 7007, 270 Washington St., S.W., seventh floor. The Chair of the Board, Regent Joe Frank Harris, called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m. Present on Wednesday, in addition to Chair Harris, were Vice Chair Joel O. Wooten, Jr. and Regents Connie Cater, William H. Cleveland, Michael J. Coles, Julie Hunt, W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr., James R. Jolly, Donald M . Leebern, Jr., Elridge W. McMillan, Patrick S. Pittard, Doreen Stiles Poitevint, Wanda Yancey Rodwell, J. Timothy Shelnut, Allan Vigil, and Glenn S. White.
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INVOCATION
The invocation was given on Wednesday, February 4, 2004, by Regent Julie Hunt.
ATTENDANCE REPORT
The attendance report was read on Wednesday, February 4, 2004, by Secretary Gail S. Weber, who announced that Regent Martin W. NeSmith had asked for and been given permissionto be absent on that day.
Chancellor Meredith reported that Regent Hugh A. Carter, Jr. had been involved in a car accident on his way to the Board meeting that morning. He had been taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for evaluation.
COMMITTEE ON FINANCE AND BUSINESS OPERATIONS
The Committee on Finance and Business Operations met on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at approximately 1:35 p.m. in the Board Room. Committee members in attendance were Chair Hugh A. Carter, Jr. and Regents Connie Cater, Michael J. Coles, Julie Hunt, Donald M. Leebern, Jr., Patrick S. Pittard, J. Timothy Shelnut, and Glenn S. White. Regent Shelnut reported to the Board on Wednesday that the Committee had reviewed two items, one of which required action. With motion properly made, seconded, and unanimously adopted, the Board approved and authorized the following:
1. Approval of Increased Student Activity Fee at Armstrong Atlantic State University
Approved as Modified: The Board approved a $30 increase in the student activity fee (from $41 to $71 per semester) at Armstrong Atlantic State University ("AASU"), effective fall semester 2005, pending the approval of Item 3 on the agenda of the Committee on Real Estate and Facilities regarding the project, ground lease, and rental agreement for the Student RecreationCenter at AASU, which was tabled until the March 2004 meeting.(This stipulation was the modificationto the agenda item.)
Background: The student activity fee increase is designed to support the $3 million proposed Student Recreation Center facility, which is proposed to be funded by the issuance of tax-exempt bonds by the Armstrong Atlantic State University Foundation, Inc. Currently, AASU houses 560 students on campus, and it is anticipated that by the time the proposed recreation facility is ready for use, over 1,000 students will be living on campus.
The AASU Student Government Association unanimously approved the increased student activity
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fee to support the need for additional indoor recreation space. The facility should be ready for student use by fall semester 2005. This project request is Item 3 on the February 2004 agenda of the Committee on Real Estate and Facilities.
It was recommended that this fee be considered not eligible for HOPE Scholarship program funding and that the Georgia Student Finance Commission be requested to exclude it from the list of HOPEeligible fees in accordance with action taken by the Board of Regents at its March 2000 meeting.
2. Information Item: Report on Pooled Investment Funds by Trusco Capital Management
Trusco Capital Management ("Trusco") was represented at this Committee meeting by James R. Dillon, Jr. CFA, Managing Director, and E. Douglas Hickman, First Vice President. They reported to the Committee on the status of the University System of Georgia's pooled investment funds. There are 28 institutions and/or their affiliated organizationsparticipating in this investment option. They reported that excellent investment performance had been achieved for all pooled funds in the short and long term. Trusco continues to expect market volatility and more normalized investment returns.
In closing, Mr. Dillon thanked the Committee for its long-standing relationship with Trusco and stated that Trusco is committed to providing consistent superior investment performance and outstanding client service in the future.
COMMITTEE ON REAL ESTATE AND FACILITIES
The Committee on Real Estate and Facilities met on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at approximately 2:00 p.m. in the Board Room. Committee membersin attendancewere Vice Chair J. Timothy Shelnut and Regents Hugh A. Carter, Jr., Connie Cater, Michael J. Coles, Julie Hunt, Donald M. Leebern, Jr., Patrick S. Pittard, and Glenn S. White. Vice Chair Shelnut reported to the Board on Wednesday that the Committee had reviewed ten items, four of which required action. Item 3 was tabled, Item 8 was withdrawn, and Item 11 was walked on to the agenda. With motion properly made, seconded, and unanimously adopted, the Board approved and authorized the following:
1. Gift of Property, Estate of Eugene P. Odum, Madison County, University of Georgia
Approved: The Board accepted title to real property totaling approximately 151.144 acres near Pocataligo, Madison County, Georgia, from the Estate of Eugene P. Odum for the use and benefit of the University of Georgia ("UGA").
The legal details involved with accepting this gift of property will be handled by the Office of the Attorney General.
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The Board declared a three-bedroom house located at 1222 Wesley Chapel Road, Danielsville, Georgia, no longeradvantageouslyuseful to UGA or other units of the University System of Georgia but only to the extent and for the purpose of allowing this property to be rented for the benefit of UGA.
The Board authorized the execution of a rental agreement between the Board of Regents, Landlord, and Mary Butler, Tenant, for a three-bedroom house located at 1222 Wesley Chapel Road, Danielsville, Georgia, for the period October 1, 2003, through June 30, 2008, with no options to renew.
The terms of this rental agreement are subject to review and legal approval of the Office of the Attorney General.
Understandings: Dr. Eugene P. Odum bequeathed this property for the use of the UGA Institute of Ecology for research and educational purposes. At the time of his death, Dr. Odum was Director Emeritus of UGA's Institute of Ecology. He officially retired from teaching in 1984, but continued to write, research, and teach until his death in 2002. He was nationally recognized as one of the "fathers of modern ecology."
The property is wooded and contains a pond, a creek, a log cabin, two houses, and several outbuildings. The appraised value of the property is $536,000.
A Phase I Environmental Assessment indicates no significant environmental issues associated with acceptance of the property. Prior to any land disturbance activity, a Phase I Archeological Survey is to be conducted.
The Odum Spring Hollow Watershed Fund was established by Dr. Odum to provide for the maintenance of the property. The house to be rented is occupied as a caretakerresidence. The tenant will be responsible for utilities and general maintenance.
2. Naming of the Fred C. Davison Life Sciences Complex, University of Georgia
Approved: The Board approved the naming of the Life Sciences Complex at the University of Georgia ("UGA") the "Fred C. Davison Life Sciences Complex" in honor of Dr. Fred C. Davison.
Understandings: The Life Sciences Complex was constructed in 1991 to house the expanding Departments of Genetics and Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ("BCMB"). Dr. Davison was a strong advocate for the design and construction of this teaching and research center, which would provide a focus for UGA's programs in these areas. His tireless efforts helped bring a higher level of excellence to UGA's programs in biochemistry and genetics and engendered new research and
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economic development initiatives in the then-emerging field of biotechnology. He played a personal role in making this building a reality.
Dr. Davison graduated from the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine in 1952 and served as its dean from 1964 to 1966. He was a vice chancellor for the University System of Georgia from 1966 to 1967 with responsibility for creating a public and legislative climate conducive to increasing state funding for higher education. In 1967, he was appointed as the seventeenth president of UGA and served until 1986, almost 20 years.
Dr. Davison's presidency was marked by an unprecedented expansion in depth, size, variety, and quality of UGA's research programs, public service outreach programs, library resources, faculty and student body, and postgraduate education. Under his leadership, UGA attained a ranking among the nation's top 50 research universities;its increased library holdings placed UGA in America's top 30 libraries; and the institution became nationally ranked in the total number of honors students enrolled. Research expenditures grew from $15.6 million to more than $96 million during his presidency, reflecting a significant increase in competitively awarded contracts and grants received by UGA. Enrollment grew from 15,600 to 25,000, and graduate student enrollment more than doubled to 4,500. His goal of increasing the size and quality of postgraduate education led to the university's nearly doubling the number of advanced degrees awarded each year, and the number of doctoral degrees awarded increased from 123 in 1968 to 315 in 1986.
In July 1986, Dr. Davison assumed an endowed professorship in UGA's College of Veterinary Medicine, where he promoted the advancement of biotechnology, a field in which UGA became internationally prominent under his leadership.
Dr. Davison served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Science Center Foundation, Inc. from October 1988 until his retirement from this position in July 2002. Dr. Davison currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors, Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, headquartered in Aiken, South Carolina.
3. Authorization of Project, Ground Lease, and Rental Agreement for the Student Recreation Center, Armstrong Atlantic State University
Tabled: The Committee tabled this item until its March 2004 meeting. Vice Chair Shelnut voted in opposition to this action.
Recommended: That the Board authorize a project for the Student Recreation Center ("SRC"), Armstrong Atlantic State University ("AASU"), Savannah, Georgia, with a total project budget of approximately $3.0 million.
Recommended further: That the Board declare approximately 1.2 acres of real property on the
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campus of AASU no longer advantageouslyuseful to AASU or other units of the University System of Georgia but only to the extent and for the purpose of allowing this real property to be leased to Armstrong Atlantic State University EducationalProperties, Inc. (the "Foundation") for the purpose of constructing and owning the SRC of approximately 36,100 square feet.
Recommended further: That the Board authorize the execution of a ground lease between the Board of Regents, Lessor, and the Foundation, Lessee, for the above-referenced approximately 1.2 acres of real property on the campus of AASU for a period not to exceed 25 years for the purpose of constructing and owning an SRC facility of approximately 36,100 square feet.
Recommended further: That the Board authorize the execution of a rental agreement between the Foundation, Landlord, and the Board of Regents, Tenant, for approximately 36,100 square feet for the period commencing on the first day of the first month after the Foundation obtains a certificate of occupancy for the improvements and ending the following June 30, at a monthly rent of $18,750 ($225,000 per year annualized/$6.23 per square foot per year) with options to renew on a year-toyear basis for 24 consecutive one-year periods at the same rent rate.
Recommended further: That authorization to execute the rental agreement be delegated to the Vice Chancellor for Facilities.
Recommended further: That the terms of these agreements be subject to review and legal approval of the Office of the Attorney General.
Understandings: Current enrollment and projected enrollments support the need for additional indoor recreationalspace for the campus. Currently, AASU houses 560 students on campus, and by the time the SRC is ready for occupancy, it is anticipated that over 1,000 students will be living on campus.
Operating expenses, including utilities, janitorial services, and maintenance, are estimated to cost $120,000 per year.
4. Conveyance of Property and Permanent Easement, Armstrong Atlantic State University
Approved: The Board authorized conveyance of approximately 2.57 acres of real property in Savannah, Georgia, to Chatham County in fee simple.
Understandings: At its August 2003, meeting the Board authorized conveyances of approximately 2.115 acres along Middleground Road, approximately 0.190 acre at the corner of Middleground Road and Mohawk Street, and approximately 0.265 acre along Middleground Road (totaling approximately 2.57 acres) to the State Department of Transportation subject to a reversionary interest.
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The property is to be transferred to Chatham County.
Chatham County is prepared to pay $868,510 for the fee simple interest in the property. This value has not been adjusted for the value of a reversionary interest.
The remaining actions and understandings contained in the August 2003 Board action remain the same.
5. Transfer of Tift College Property to Georgia Building Authority, University System of Georgia
Approved: The Board authorized the transfer of approximately 42.133 acres of real property in Forsyth, Georgia, to the Georgia Building Authority ("GBA").
Approved: The legal details involved with this transfer of real property will be handled by the Office of the Attorney General.
Understandings: The Board authorized acquisition of the former Tift College property in Executive Session at its August 2002 meeting. Bond funding contained in the fiscal year 2002 amended budget was utilized for this acquisition.
The Governor's Office of Planning and Budget has requested that this real property be transferred to the GBA.
6. Information Item: Master Plan, Augusta State University
President William Bloodworth, Jr. presented a summary of the Augusta State University ("AUSU") master plan. First, he showed statewide, regional, and metro level orientations of the two AUSU campuses the main, or "Summerville," campus and the Forest Hills, or "Wrightsboro," campus and provided background on institutional history. He noted the significant population growth in Augusta and the educational needs of area residents. The recent building program on the campus was designed to replace World War II era warehouse buildings with asbestos roofs. The main campus is essentially landlocked and surrounded by expensive, historic residential development.
President Bloodworth discussed the master planning process and noted that the planning was facilitated by Sizemore Group and Sasaki Associates. He underscored a number of current space shortages at AUSU, including student activities, library, and fine arts. The plan contained a component to evaluate the physical capacity of the campus. Given development intensity constraints due to the adjacentneighborhood,the capacity of the main campus is only 7,200 students a number only 17% greater than the fall 2003 enrollment. Therefore, the planning process turned
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toward an examination of the Wrightsboro campus, which has fewer traffic and historic constraints than the main campus, is close to a housing site the foundation hopes to develop, and is bordered b y land that could realistically be acquired for development in the future. President Bloodworth explained that the new master plan includes new construction to accommodateup to 8,200 students, with 7,200 on the main campus and 1,000 on the Wrightsboro campus. The plan incorporates the construction of a new classroom building in several possible locations on the Wrightsboro campus and has more detailed provisions for the construction of a new privatized student center, a library addition, a fine arts addition, and 90,000 gross square feet of new academic space on the main campus.

7. InformationItem: ProposedStudent Center Project,State University of West Georgia

President Beheruz N. Sethna of the State University of West Georgia, presented plans for a proposed Student Center project. He stated the goals for the project, as follows:
Enhance student recruitment

Improve quality of life by offering a weekend alternative to keep students on campus

Offer first-class, state-of-the-art facility consistent with other schools in the region



Meet master plan objectives by using central space and reusing existing space when

possible



Create a campus profile anticipating appropriate growth from current enrollment of

10,000, growing to 13,000

Consider user groups: students and faculty/staff

Develop a three-phase approach to bring facility online as soon as possible

President Sethna also noted that phases one and two will be paid by a mandatory student fee, which was unanimously supported by the student government association. Phase three will require a combination of private and public funds.

8. InformationItem: Cobb Galleria PerformingArts Centre, Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University

This item was withdrawn from the agenda prior to the Committee meeting.

9. Information Item: Life University Property, Southern Polytechnic State University

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The Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Linda M. Daniels, and President Lisa A. Rossbacher of Southern Polytechnic State University ("SPSU") presented information to the Committee concerning the Southern Polytechnic State University Foundation, Inc.'s (the "Foundation") proposed plan to acquire property currently owned and operated by Life University ("Life") for the use and benefit of SPSU.
SPSU is currently confronted by a need for more space, better quality space for instruction, room for expansion, and the ability to grow, all in the context of a campus that is currently built-out. Life, located adjacent to SPSU, is seeking to relieve the strain of its existing debt burden. Life obtained an MAI appraisal of the campus that values the campus at approximately $52 million. This includes approximately 89 acres of real property with 11 buildings containing 433,279 gross square feet of space, at least 2,000 parking spaces, and 5.6 acres of athletic fields. Approximately 49 acres of the property are considered buildable, and 40 acres are considered unbuildable. Life's outstanding debt on the campus is approximately $31 million with an annual debt service of approximately $2.7 million. An additional 7.0 acres of Life property contains an apartment-style housing complex with 128 units, which are owned free and clear by Life. The estimated cost of acquiring and renovating these apartments is approximately $8 million to $10 million.
Life contacted SPSU to explore whether SPSU would be interested in leasing some of the Life campus for a period of years or alternatively purchasing part of the campus. Working with the Foundation, SPSU responded that it would be interested in acquiring the entire campus and leasing part of it back to Life with an option to purchase, provided that specific terms could be reached.
Following discussion of the proposal, President Rossbacher agreed to conduct further due diligence and to return to the Board of Regents with specific approval items, if warranted.
Regent Pittard requested an executive summary of the proposed deal and commented that it is important to draw distinctions between opportunities versus needs in considering deals such as this.
10. Office of Information and Instructional Technology Facility Update
The Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Linda M. Daniels, and the Vice Chancellor of for Information and Instructional Technology and Chief Information Officer, Randall A. Thursby, presented information to the Committee concerning the status of the new Athens office building for the Office of Information and Instructional Technology ("OIIT"), which is currently under construction.
The original planned size of the facility was 70,000 square feet. Due to natural site topography, efficiencies were gained that resulted in the actual size of the facility being 80,200 square feet at no additional cost. The original planned budget for the facility was $11,713,443. The final budget is $11,650,268. The projected completion date for the project is July 2004.
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11. Information Item: Chancellory
This item was added by unanimous consent as a walk-on item to the Committee's agenda.
The Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities and Operations, V. Harold Gibson, Jr., presented information to the Committee regarding the history and current status of the Chancellory. He reported that the Board of Regents has historically provided a home for the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.Prior to 1995, the Chancellorywas located at 2875 HabershamRoad. That home was valued at $67,500 when purchased in 1965 and was sold in August 1995 for $557,750. From 1995 to 2001, the Chancellor was provided a housing allowance as a portion of his compensation package.A new Chancellory,located at 675-1 West Paces Ferry Road, was purchased in May 2003 by the University System of Georgia Foundation, Inc. (the "Foundation") for $1.895 million. (Its appraised value was $2.5 million). The Foundation immediately entered into a $10 per month rental agreementwith the Board. All maintenance and operation of the Chancelleryfalls under Mr. Gibson's purview. He personally reviews all utilities,maintenance,and repair costs. As required by The Policy Manual, any improvements to the property are presented to the Committee on Real Estate and Facilities for approval prior to expenditure. Mr. Gibson noted that the property has proven to be an exceptional investment.
COMMITTEE ON ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
The Committeeon AcademicAffairs met on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at approximately 1:45 p.m. in room 6041, the Training Room. Committee members in attendance were Chair William H. Cleveland, Vice Chair Wanda Yancey Rodwell, and Regents W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr., James R. Jolly, Elridge W. McMillan, Doreen StilesPoitevint, Allan Vigil, and Joel O. Wooten, Jr. Board Chair Joe Frank Harris was also in attendance. Chair Cleveland reported to the Board that the Committee had reviewed 11 items, 10 of which required action. Additionally, 85 regular faculty appointments were reviewed and recommended for approval as part of Item 6. With motion properly made, seconded, and unanimously adopted, the Board approved and authorized the following:
1. Establishment of the Major in Writing and Linguistics Under the Bachelor of Arts, Georgia Southern University
Approved: The Board approved the request of President Bruce F. Grube that Georgia Southern University ("GSOU") be authorized to establish a major in Writing and Linguistics under the Bachelor of Arts, effective February 4, 2004.
Abstract: GSOU proposed that the major would connect the two disciplines of writing and linguistics in a flexible yet historically and theoretically grounded program. The program will provide graduates with technical skills as writers.
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Need: The OccupationalOutlook Handbook predicts that the demand for technical and professional writers will continue to increase through the year 2008 because of increased technical information and the need to communicate it to others. Students who complete the major will be prepared to find employment with newspapers, trade association magazines, publishing houses, and large companies in a variety of editing, writing, and advertising positions. Evidence of student demand was determined by the enrollment of 50 students per semester in professional writing classes during the 1999-2000 academic year.
Objectives: The program's objectives are to teach students to think in cross-disciplinary contexts, to pose questions whose answers require study in the disciplines of writing and linguistics, and to demonstrate accomplishment in multiple genres of writing.
Curriculum: The 120-semester-hour program will include upper-level courses in sociolinguistics, technical writing, linguistic analysis, and composition theory.
Projected Enrollment: The institution anticipates enrollments of 85 during each of the first three years of the program.
Funding: The program will build upon and reconfigure existing courses that are currently offered by the institution in addition to establishing new courses. President Grube has provided reverification that funding for the program is available at the institution.
Assessment: The Office of Academic Affairs will work with the institution to measure the success and continued effectiveness of the program. The program will be reviewed in concert with the institution's programmatic schedule of comprehensive program reviews.
2. Establishment of the Major in Criminal Justice Under the Bachelor of Science, Clayton College & State University
Approved: The Board approved the request of President Thomas K. Harden that Clayton College & State University ("CCSU") be authorized to establish a major in Criminal Justice under the Bachelor of Science, effective February 4, 2004.
Abstract: CCSU proposed a Criminal Justice major with concentrationareas in Computer Forensics and White-CollarCrime to meet the expanding law enforcement needs of south metropolitan Atlanta and the Southern Crescent. The program has the support of several law enforcement agencies in the area and provides an integrated approach using technology to recognize cyber crime, identity theft, forensic accounting, and computer forensics.
Need: The need for trained and educated criminal justice professionals continues to expand in the state and metropolitan Atlanta area. The Occupational Outlook Handbook explains, "Applicants
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with college training in police science, military police experience, or both should have the best opportunities. Employment of police and detectives is expected to increase faster than the average for all occupations through 2010." A 2001 report from the Police ExecutiveResearch Forum explains the importance of having law enforcement applicants who are well educated such that they can effectively relate to the demands of the position and effectively interact with all members of the community in meeting safety needs and providing law enforcement.
Objectives: The Criminal Justice major will be designed for pre-service students who are interested in entering the law enforcementfield and in-service students who are already working in the field and seeking advancement through acquisition of a baccalaureate degree.
Curriculum: The 120-semester-hour program will include a basic core of courses essential for all criminal justice-related careers, plus specialized coursework in computer forensics, economic crime investigation, and homeland security.
Projected Enrollment: The institution anticipates enrollments of 60, 75, and 90 during the first three years of the program.
Funding: The program will build upon and reconfigure existing courses that are currently offered by the institution in addition to establishing new courses. President Harden has provided reverification that funding for the program is available at the institution.
Assessment: The Office of Academic Affairs will work with the institution to measure the success and continued effectiveness of the proposed program. The program will be reviewed in concert with the institution's programmatic schedule of comprehensive program reviews.
3. Establishment of the Major in Dance Under the Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Georgia
Approved: The Board approved the request of President Michael F. Adams that the University of Georgia ("UGA") be authorized to establish a major in Dance under the Bachelor of Fine Arts ("B.F.A."), effective February 4, 2004.
Abstract: UGA's major in Dance under the B.F.A. will provide an academic degree that reflects programmatic offerings and the accomplishments of the institution's students. The major under the B.F.A. will provide students the opportunity to develop their artistic skills during their four years of undergraduate coursework while fulfilling their major course requirements. B.F.A. degree requirements place greater emphasis on the preparation of dancers for the concert stage and should be concentrated in the development of professional level proficiency in performance, choreography, and concert production.
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Need: Art serves education, provides cultural enrichment, and promotes appreciation for a diverse society. Dance, the art of human motion and human expression, is needed under the B.F.A. due to the mission of the university and demands expressed by various professional companies and regional venues for professionals in the field, such as the Atlanta Ballet, Augusta Ballet, Davidson School of Fine Arts, and Savannah School of Fine Arts.
Objectives: The objectives of the program include the enhancement of student technological skills through technology in the creativeprocess, increased interdisciplinaryprojects that enlarge the scope of dance and its role in contemporary art, and successful auditions of alumni for performances and choreography with major dance programs around the country.
Curriculum: The 120-semester-hour curriculum will give students a balanced and integrated educational experience through courses in performance and choreography, dance composition, theories of movement and aesthetics, concert production, and applied biomechanics.
Projected Enrollment: The institution anticipates enrollments of 36 during each of the first three years of the program.
Funding: The program will build upon and reconfigure existing courses that are currently offered by the institution in addition to establishing new courses. President Adams has provided reverification that funding for the program is available at the institution.
Assessment: The Office of Academic Affairs will work with the institution to measure the success and continued effectiveness of the program. The program will be reviewed in concert with the institution's programmatic schedule of comprehensive program reviews.
4. Establishment of the Major in Environmental Chemistry Under the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, University of Georgia
Approved: The Board approved the request of President Michael F. Adams that the University of Georgia ("UGA") be authorizedto establish a major in EnvironmentalChemistry under the Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, effective February 4, 2004.
Abstract: UGA's major in EnvironmentalChemistry will be an interdisciplinarymajor that provides undergraduate students with a core curriculum of both knowledge and skills in environmental chemistry. The major will be administered by the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences.
Need: Increased public concerns and governmental regulations in environmental areas enhance job opportunities for students with an environmentalchemistry background.Students who complete the major may find employment in local and state health departments; state agencies; federal agencies
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such as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Biologic Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; and the private sector.
Objectives: The objectives of the Environmental Chemistry major are to provide a theoretical foundation in the discipline that will enable students to understand a broad range of environmental problems, to provide laboratory experiences and exposure to practice-oriented environmental activities, and to strengthen students' ability to critically evaluate and apply new methods and technologies toward the solution of environmental problems.
Curriculum: The 120-semester-hour program will require upper-level courses in environmental toxicology, soil physics, biomonitoring, soil and hazardous waste management, and instrumentation quality.
Projected Enrollment: The institution anticipates enrollments of 10, 25, and 35 during the first three years of the program.
Funding: The program will build upon and reconfigure existing courses that are currently offered by the institution in addition to establishing new courses. President Adams has provided reverification that funding for the program is available at the institution.
Assessment: The Office of Academic Affairs will work with the institution to measure the success and continued effectiveness of the program. The program will be reviewed in concert with the institution's programmatic schedule of comprehensive program reviews.
5. Establishment of the Major in Biostatistics Under the Master of Science, Medical College of Georgia
Approved: The Board approved the request of President Daniel W. Rahn that the Medical College of Georgia ("MCG") be authorized to establish a major in Biostatistics under the Master of Science, effective February 3, 2004.
Abstract: The major was designed to provide intensive exposure to the methodologies and techniques needed to perform as a statistician in the areas of designing and collecting data from experiments, observational studies, and clinical trials. The application focus will be on medicine, nursing, allied health, laboratory science, and other biological disciplines. The two-year program is composed of three main parts: a core set of didactic courses, one module of electives (i.e., epidemiology, bioinformatics, statistical genetics, or clinical trials module), and a thesis on a research topic.
Need: A large proportion of senior biostatisticians in both the public and private sectors were trained in the late 1960s and early 1970s and were supported during the early stages of their careers
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by National Institutes of Health training initiatives. With this cohort approaching retirement over the next decade, MCG advocates for reinvestment in the next generation of biostatisticians. Currently, Emory University is the other institution that offers such a program.
Objectives: The objective of the major in Biostatistics is to produce master's level biostatisticians to consult, at the staff level, with medical and health researchers. A second objective of the program is to establish a postgraduate educational presence in a support area of ongoing research for the analysis and reporting of data.
Curriculum: The 43-semester-hour program requires a degree waiver request and includes courses in linear modeling,responsible conduct of research,probability and distributions, sequential trial design and analysis, and statistical models of molecular evolution.
Projected Enrollment: The institution anticipates enrollments of 5, 10, and 10 during the first three years of the program.
Funding: The program will build upon and reconfigure existing courses that are currently offered by the institution in addition to establishing new courses. President Rahn has provided reverification that funding for the program is available at the institution.
Assessment: The Office of Academic Affairs will work with the institution to measure the success and continued effectiveness of the program. The program will be reviewed in concert with the institution's programmatic schedule of comprehensive program reviews.
6. Administrative and Academic Appointments and Personnel Actions, Various System Institutions
Approved: The administrative and academic appointments were reviewed by the Chair of the Committee on Education, Research, and Extension and approved by the Board. The full list of approved appointments is on file with the Office of Faculty Affairs in the Office of Academics and Fiscal Affairs.
7. Revision of The Policy Manual, Section 402.0101 Freshman Requirements
Approved: The Board approved revisions to Section 402.0101 Freshman Requirements of The Policy Manual in order to permit two-year colleges to admit students with the General Educational Development ("GED") credential in the Limited Admissions category. The revisions will affect students applying for admission effective summer 2004 and thereafter.
Background: Georgia has large numbers of students who do not complete high school, and some of these students later decide to pursue higher education. Georgia ranks seventh in the number of
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students taking the General Educational Development ("GED") test, a test designed to measure the academic skills and knowledge expected of high school graduates. GED subtests are given in writing skills, essay writing, social studies, science, language arts/reading, and mathematics. The passing score is set so that students who receive the GED perform as well as at least 40% of high school seniors. In 2000, 41,858 students took the GED in Georgia.
The admissions policy approved by the Board of Regents in 1996 requires a high school diploma for admission as a traditional freshman to a University System institution. Students who have a GED may be admitted as a Presidential Exception to any institution if they show exceptional promise for success.
Because the GED students do not have a high school diploma, they also do not have a high school GPA. The Freshman Index ("FI") required for admission cannot be calculated for these students.
In June 1998, in response to recommendations by the Two-Year College Presidents' Admissions Committee, the University System adopted a pilot program for use only at the two-year colleges to allow admission of students who had not graduated from high school but who had a GED as part of the Limited Admissions category. The GED admissions pilot established minimum requirements for the admission of GED students and created a substitute for the FI.
The policy will require that students have either a high school diploma or GED to be eligible for admission in the Limited Admissions or Presidential Exception categories at two-year colleges. For this policy, "two-year colleges" include the 13 institutions in that sector, plus the two state colleges and the three state universities which serve the role of a two-year college in their area (i.e., Augusta State University, Columbus State University, and Savannah State University). The policy makes clear that certificates of attendance or special education diplomas are not acceptable substitutes for a high school diploma. Two-year colleges are permitted to admit up to one-third of traditional freshmen in the Limited Admissions category.
The proposed policy would eliminate the pilot program for two-year colleges and establish minimum admissions standards for the admission of GED students as Limited Admissions at two-year colleges. The GED student must be evaluated for placement into Learning Support ("LS"), if appropriate, and for college preparatory curriculum ("CPC") course completion, and students must take the required courses to make up any CPC deficiencies or be placed in LS, if that is required. Institutions admitting GED students would be requiredto collect,record, and submit GED score data to the System to monitor the success of students and to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy.
Approved revisions are as follows. Please note that the strike-through texts represent deletions from the current version and highlighted texts represent additions.
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402.0101 FRESHMAN REQUIREMENTS
Students applying for freshman admissions to a University System institution must meet the following criteria:
College Preparatory Curriculum. Completion of the University System of Georgia's College Preparatory Curriculum ("CPC") requirements and graduation from a a high school accredited by a regional accrediting association (such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) or the Georgia Accrediting Commission or from a public school regulated by a school system and state department of education. Students applying to any institution must present credit for 16 specified CPC units.
The 16 specified University System CPC courses are:
a. MATHEMATICS: 4 college preparatory Carnegie units of mathematics, including Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry.
b. ENGLISH: 4 college preparatory Carnegie units of English which have as their emphasis grammar and usage, literature (American, English, World), and advanced composition skills.
c. SCIENCE: 3 college preparatory Carnegieunits of science with at least one laboratorycourse from the life sciences and one laboratory course from the physical sciences.
d. SOCIAL SCIENCE: 3 college preparatory Carnegie units of social science with at least one course focusing on United States studies and one course focusing on world studies.
e. FOREIGN LANGUAGE: 2 college preparatory Carnegie units in the same foreign language emphasizing speaking, listening, reading, and writing.
In addition to these minimum requirements,students are encouragedto take additionalacademicunits in high school to improve their probability for admission and success.
Freshman Index. A designated score on the Freshman Index ("FI"), which is based on a combination of a student's Scholastic Assessment Test SAT I or American College Testing ACT assessment scores and high school grade point average ("HSGPA"). The Freshman Index is:
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FI = 500 x (HSGPA) + SAT I Verbal + SAT I Math
OR
FI = 500 x (HSGPA) + (ACT Composite x 42) + 88
The minimum Freshman Index FI required for admission to a research university is 2500; regional university, 2040; state university, 1940; and a state or two-year college, 1830.
In addition to the Freshman Index FI, students must have a minimum SAT I Verbal score of 430 and Mathematics score of 400 (or ACT equivalent) for admission to a university (research, regional, or state). Students without these minimum scores but with SAT I scores of at least 330 Verbal and 310 Mathematics may be considered for admission to an associate college a two-year college but will be required to exempt or exit LS learning support ("LS") in the areas of deficiency.
Institutions may set higher requirements for admission. Students meeting the minimum FI requirements are not guaranteed admission.
a. EXCEPTIONS TO FRESHMAN ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR SPECIAL GROUPS OF STUDENTS
Students may also be admitted as freshmen based on alternative evidence of college readiness. Following are modified or additional requirements for specific groups of applicants:
1. LIMITED ADMISSIONS CATEGORY
In recognition of the fact that a limited number of students do not meet established standards but do demonstrate special potential for success, institutions are authorized to grant admission to a limited number of such students. Institutions will use multiple measures whenever possible, such as interviews, portfolios, and records of experiential achievements, for students being considered for Limited Admission. The number of students who may be granted Limited Admissions will be restricted based on institutional sectors, with associate degree two-year colleges allowed the highest percentage for Limited Admissions. The FI Freshman Index required for Limited Admission to a research university is 2020; regional university, 1830; and state university, 1790; and a state or associate degree college, 1640.
Nontraditional freshmen will not be included in the Limited Admissions percentage allowed for each institution.
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In addition to the FI, Limited Admissions students must have a minimum SAT I Verbal score of 430 and Mathematics score of 400 (or ACT equivalent) for admission to a university (research, regional, or state). Students with SAT I (or ACT equivalent) scores of at least 330 Verbal and 310 Math may be considered for Limited Admission to a associate-degree two-year college but will be required to exempt or exit LS in the areas of deficiency.
At research, regional, and state universities, students granted Limited Admission must also have completed the 16-unit CPC College Preparatory Curriculum ("CPC"). At state and associate degree two-year colleges, students may be considered for Limited Admission with 13 CPC units or completion of the technology/career preparatory diploma of the Georgia Department of Education in addition to other minimum requirements. if they have a high school diploma or GED and meet the minimum SAT/ACT score requirements. A GED is acceptable only if the student's high school class has graduated. Certificates of attendance or special education diplomas are not acceptable.
PRESIDENTIAL EXCEPTIONS: Presidents of University System institutions may grant exceptions to the CPC and FI requirements for Limited Admissions if the student shows promise for academic success in college and has at least a high school diploma or GED credential. Institutions will be required to report to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs on those students granted Presidential Exceptions. Presidential Exceptions must be included as part of the institution's maximum percentage for Limited Admissions.
Students who enter under the Limited Admissions category(including PresidentialExceptions) must make up any CPC deficiencies in accordance with University System procedures. They must also be screened, as applicable, for placement in learning support LS courses using the CPE or COMPASS administered by a University System institution and must meet University System criteria for exemption or exit of learning support in reading, English, and mathematics. (For students transferring from a Commission on Colleges (COC)-accredited DTAE technical college, comparable scores from the DTAE technical college may be used according to guidelines issued by the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs.)
2. ALTERNATIVE REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME-SCHOOLED STUDENTS AND GRADUATES OF NONACCREDITED HIGH SCHOOLS
Applicants from home schools or graduates of nonaccredited high schools may validate the CPC in an alternative way. SAT I scores and satisfactory documentation of equivalent competence in each of the CPC areas at the college-preparatory level may be used in lieu of the Freshman Index FI and Carnegie unit requirements of the CPC.
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A student whose SAT I Composite (Verbal plus Mathematics) (or ACT equivalent) score is at or above the average SAT I score of the previous year's fall semester first-time freshmen admitted to the University System institution to which he or she is applying and who has completed the equivalent of each of the CPC areas as documented by a portfolio of work and/or other evidence that substantiates CPC completion qualifies for consideration for admission. Students in this category must also meet the minimum SAT I Verbal requirement and the minimum SAT I Mathematics requirement (or ACT equivalent) for the sector to which they apply.
Applicants who achieve designated scores on each of the following SAT II Subject Tests in a CPC area will be considered to have demonstrated equivalent CPC competence and do not need to submit additional documentation in that area: English Writing, Literature, Math IC or Math IIC, American History & Social Studies, World History, Biology, and one of the following: Chemistry or Physics.
Students admitted in this category with satisfactory documentation of CPC competence in all areas will not be counted in the institution's Limited Admissions (including Presidential Exceptions) category. Those with qualifying SAT I scores and documentation of partial CPC completion may be admitted on the same basis and with the same conditions as other students with CPC deficiencies.
3. ADMISSION OF STUDENTS WITH OUTSTANDING SCORES
Students who demonstrate very high academic ability by achieving a composite SAT I Composite (Verbal plus Math) score in the upper five percent of nationalcollege-bound seniors accordingto the most recent report from the College Board and who show other evidence of college readiness may be admitted under this section. (An ACT score which is equivalent to this SAT I score may also be used.) Institutions must carefully evaluate such students to determine their ability to benefit from college coursework. Students must satisfy any CPC deficiencies in areas other than English or mathematics through college coursework.
Students admitted in this section will not count in an institution's Limited Admissions exceptions.
4. ADMISSION OF INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Freshman international students may be admitted in another admissions category or may be admitted in a separate category for international students under procedures established by the University System of Georgia. If these students do not meet the alternative admission procedures established under the University System of Georgia, they might be considered as Presidential Exceptions.
5. ADMISSION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Because the core curriculum of each institution requires students to complete college-level courses
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in English, mathematics, social science, and science, all students must complete the high school CPC in these areas. Students with disabilities that preclude the acquisition of a foreign language may petition for admission without this CPC requirement according to procedures established by the System. Students with disabilities are expected to meet the sector's minimum SAT I or ACT score requirements but should request the appropriate testing accommodations from the agencies administering the SAT I or ACT.
6. JOINT ENROLLMENT/EARLY ADMISSION OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS/ POSTSECONDARY OPTIONS
The University System of Georgia recognizes the need to provide academically talented high school students with opportunities for acceleration of their formal academic programs. This recognition has led to the development of two organized programs: (1) a joint enrollment program in which a student, while continuinghis/her enrollment in high school as a junior or senior, enrolls in courses for college credit and (2) an early admissions program in which the student enrolls as a full-time college student following completion of the junior year in high school. The minimum admissions standards for both the joint enrollment and early admissions programs have been developed to allow certain advanced students to receive both high school and college credit for some courses. Students enrolled in Georgia's public high schools who are interested in either of these program may be eligible for tuition reimbursement under the state's Postsecondary Options ("PSO") program. Further information is available from the student's high school.
8. Revision of The Policy Manual, Section 402.0203Admission of Non-Degree Students
Approved: The Board approved revisions to The Policy Manual, Section 402.0203 Admission of Non-Degree Students according to the University System's admissions policy adopted in 1996, effective February 4, 2004.
Background: When the Board approved the revised admissionspolicy in June 1996, a provisionwas made for the admission of students who were not seeking a degree. Students might seek courses in non-degree status for a variety of reasons, such as getting experience in the college environment before making a decision to seek a degree or acquiring knowledge or skills to complement their jobs. These students do not have to meet the admissions criteriarequired of traditionalfreshmen (including college preparatory curriculumcompletion,SAT or ACT scores, or the freshmanindex) or of transfer students. If the student later decides to seek a degree, he/she must then meet the requirements for admission as a freshman, transfer student, or as appropriate.
Changing the number of hours allowed in non-degree status from 10 to 12 would not allow students to receive federal financial aid. However, it may encourage more students to become degree-seeking students.
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Approved revisions are as follows. Please note that the strike-through texts represent deletions from the current version and highlighted texts represent additions.
402.0203 ADMISSION OF NON-DEGREE STUDENTS
a. Institutions may permit students to enroll as non-degree students for a maximum of 10 12 semester credit hours (including institutional credit). Students may not enroll in any course for which there is a learningsupport prerequisiteunless they have been screened for and have exempted the relevant learning support course.
b. Institutions may permit students who have earned the baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution to enroll as non-degree students in courses with no limitation on the number of hours of undergraduate credit these students can earn.
9. Revision of The Policy Manual, Section 704.041 Out-of-State Tuition Waivers
Approved: The Board approved revisions to The Policy Manual, Section 704.041 Out-of-State Tuition Waivers to increase access for military personnel assigned to Georgia for educational reasons, effective February 4, 2004.
Background: The currentpolicy excludes the granting of out-of-state waivers for individualsassigned to University System institutions for educational purposes to meet the needs of the armed forces for selected training and skills development. The number of such individuals so assigned is typically small, making the budget impact small as well.
Other recentchanges in Board policieson tuition waiversfor militarypersonnel and their dependents have been made to recognize the importance of the military to the State of Georgia and to its economy.
Approved revisions are as follows. Please note that the strike-through texts represent deletions from the current version and highlighted texts represent additions.
704.041 OUT-OF-STATE TUITION WAIVERS
An institution may waive out-of-state tuition and assess in-state tuition for:
A. Academic Common Market. Students selected to participate in a program offered through the Academic Common Market.
B. International and Superior Out-of-State Students. International students and superior out-of-state students selected by the institutional president or an authorized
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representative, provided that the number of such waivers in effect does not exceed 2% of the equivalent full-time students enrolled at the institution in the fall term immediately preceding the term for which the out-of-state tuition is to be waived.

C. University System Employees and Dependents. Full-time employees of the University System, their spouses, and their dependent children.

D. Medical/Dental Students and Interns. Medical and dental residents and medical and dental interns at the Medical College of Georgia (BR Minutes, 1986-87, p. 340).

E. Full-Time School Employees. Full-time employees in the public schools of Georgia or of the Department of Technical and Adult Education, their spouses, and their dependent children. Teachers employed full-time on military bases in Georgia shall also qualify for this waiver (BR Minutes, 1988-89, p. 43).

F. Career Consular Officials. Career consular officers, their spouses, and their dependent children who are citizens of the foreign nation that their consular office represents and who are stationed and living in Georgia under orders of their respective governments.

G. Military Personnel. Military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children stationed in or assigned to Georgiaand on active duty. unless such military personnel are assigned as students to System institutions for educational purposes. The waiver can be retainedby the military personnel, their spouses, and their dependent children if the military sponsor is reassigned outside of Georgia, as long as the student(s) remain(s) continuously enrolled and the military sponsor remains on active military status (BR Minutes, May 2003).
H. Research University Graduate Students. Graduate students attending the University of Georgia, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University, and the Medical College of Georgia, which shall be authorized to waive the out-of-state tuition differential for a limited number of graduate students each year, with the understanding that the number of students at each of these institutions to whom such waivers are granted shall not exceed the number assigned below at any point in time:

University of Georgia

80

Georgia Institute of Technology 60

Georgia State University

80

Medical College of Georgia

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I. Border County Residents. Residents of an out-of-state county bordering a Georgia

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county in which the reporting institution or a Board-approved external center of the University System is located.
J. National Guard Members. Full-time members of the Georgia National Guard, their spouses, and their dependent children. (BR Minutes, April, 1998, pp. 16-17).
K. Students enrolled in University System institutions as part of Competitive Economic Development Projects. Students who are certified by the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade & Tourism as being part of a competitive economic development project.
L. Students in Georgia-Based Corporations. Students who are employees of Georgiabased corporations or organizations that have contracted with the Board of Regents through University System institutions to provide out-of-state tuition differential waivers.
M . Students in Pilot Programs. Students enrolled in special pilot programs approved by the Chancellor. The Chancellor shall evaluate institutional requests for such programs in light of good public policy and the best interests of students. If a pilot program is successful, the tuition program shall be presented to the Board for consideration.
N. Students in Intellectual Capital Partnership Program ("ICAPP") Advantage programs. Any student participating in an ICAPP Advantage program.
O. Direct Exchange Program Students. Any international student who enrolls in a University System institution as a participant in a direct exchange program that provides reciprocal benefits to University System students.
P. Families Moving to Georgia. A dependent student who, as of the first day of term of enrollment, can provide documentation supporting that his or her supporting parent or court-appointed guardian has accepted full-time, self-sustaining employment and established domicile in the State of Georgia for reasons other than gaining the benefit of favorable tuition rates may qualify immediately for an out-ofstate tuition differentialwaiver which will expire 12 months from the date the waiver was granted. An affected student may petition for residency status according to established procedures at the institution.
Q. Recently Separated Military Service Personnel. Members of a uniformed military service of the United States who, within 12 months of separation from such service, enroll in a program for teacher certification and demonstrate an intent to become a permanent resident of Georgia. This waiver may be granted for not more than one
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year.

10. Establishment of the Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Chair in Cardiovascular Disease and the Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, Medical College of Georgia

Approved: The Board approved the request of President Daniel W. Rahn that the Medical College of Georgia ("MCG") be authorized to establish the Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Chair in Cardiovascular Disease and the Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Chair in Cardiovascular Medicine, effective February 3, 2004.

Abstract: MCG proposed the establishment of the Herbert S. Kupperman, M.D. Chairs in Cardiovascular Disease and Cardiovascular Medicine. The chair in cardiovascular disease has $500,000 on deposit for establishment,and the second chair in cardiovascularmedicine has $700,000 on deposit. The Medical College of Georgia Foundation, Inc. currently has in excess of $1,200,000 deposited for these chairs collectively.

Dr. Herbert S. Kupperman was a 1946 graduate of MCG and a distinguishedphysician. MCG seeks to fill these chairs with two distinguished faculty members whose expertise is in the area of cardiovascular medicine. The philanthropic gift will help enhance MCG's strategic initiative in this area.

11. Information Item: Service Agreements

Pursuant to authority granted by the Board at its meeting on February 7 and 8, 1984, the presidents of the listed institutions have executed service agreements with the indicated agencies for the purposes and periods designated, with the institutions to receive payment as indicated:

Medical College of Georgia
Department of Human Resources Expand child welfare services through purchase of communitybased family support, family preservation, and time-limited reunification and adoption promotion of foster care transitional support services provided as part of a comprehensive, coordinated service delivery system
Department of Human Resources Facilitate genetic services to the citizens of Georgia

10/1/03 9/15/04
10/1/03 9/30/04

$75,000 $75,000

University of Georgia

Department of Community Affairs

Provide applied research, meeting coordination, and administrative

staffing services to the Department of Community Affairs and the

Georgia Rural Development Council

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11/15/01 6/30/04

$25,200

staffing services to the Department of Community Affairs and the Georgia Rural Development Council
Department of Education Provide postage, mailroom, and technology support for the Agriculture Education Regional Office, Curriculum Development Office, and State Future Farmers of America Office
Department of Human Resources Provide social work education and child welfare training for current child welfare workers with the department to begin, continue, or complete their study for a bachelor's or master's degree in Social Work
Department of Human Resources Provide a minimum of 73 days of training for certain classifications of newly hired, recently promoted veteran employees, as well as management training and certification programs for the Office of Child Support Enforcement
Department of Human Resources Provide continuing enhancement of Web-enabled information site featuring a geographic information system

7/1/03 6/30/04
6/15/03 8/14/04
7/1/03 6/30/04
7/1/03 6/30/04

Department of Natural Resources Determine the interests and expectations of key leaders and stakeholders for a long-term coastal ground-water management strategy
Department of Natural Resources Analyze water quality in Duplin River for ammonia, nitrate, orthophosphate, chlorophyll A, fecal coliform, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, total dissolved carbon, and total suspended solids
Department of Natural Resources Extend and expand biological water quality and primary productivity monitoring of Georgia's largest coastal river, the Altamaha, to include not only the river, but also the sound systems providing the exchange, transport, and mixing of salt and fresh water at the ocean's interface
Department of Natural Resources Meet management measures of the coastal nonpoint source pollution management program related to on-site disposal systems to ensure full approval of the Georgia Coastal Management Program

10/24/03 6/30/04
2/5/02 2/4/04
10/1/03 3/31/05
10/1/03 3/31/05

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$11,000 $42,005 $98,228 $28,600 $74,873 $1,750 $54,105 $63,112

Department of Natural Resources Strengthen and improve the Adopt-a-Wetland program by developing protocol for the quantitative data collection of water quality parameters and micro-invertebrate monitoring specifically for coastal wetlands
Department of Natural Resources Develop a single geographic information system database for all existing water quality parameters
Department of Public Safety Provide the department with fiscal year 2004 promotional testing services for the ranks of Corporal, Sergeant, Sergeant First Class, and Lieutenant in the Georgia State Patrol
Department of Technical and Adult Education Help improve the transition from school to work and improve employment and postsecondary opportunities
Environmental Facilities Authority Cooperative Extension Service to work with multiple segments of the agricultural population to provide education, demonstration, and general information regarding the efficient use of energy resources

10/1/03 3/31/05
10/1/03 3/31/05
10/15/03 8/15/04
7/1/03 6/30/04
10/1/03 9/30/04

State University of West Georgia
Council for the Arts Promote public awareness of West Georgia's rural music history and folklife
Department of Transportation Engage qualified and experienced consultant to perform archaeological curatorial services for materials resulting from Department of Transportation projects

7/1/03 6/30/04
9/18/03 12/31/03

$43,537 $95,640 $83,270 $198,700 $70,000
$6,000 $33,250

TOTAL AMOUNT February TOTAL AMOUNT FY 2004 TO DATE TOTAL AMOUNT FY 2003 TO FEBRUARY TOTAL AMOUNT FY 2003

$ 1,079,270 $ 125,623,978 $ 20,225,613 $ 25,349,678

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COMMITTEE ON ORGANIZATION AND LAW
The Committee on Organization and Law met on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, at approximately 2:15 p.m. in room 7019, the Chancellor's Conference Room. Committee members in attendance were Chair Joel O. Wooten, Jr., Vice Chair Elridge W. McMillan, and Regents William H. Cleveland, W. Mansfield Jennings, Jr., James R. Jolly, Doreen Stiles Poitevint, Wanda Yancey Rodwell, and Allan Vigil. After reviewing Item 1, the Committee moved into the Board Room to join the Committee on Real Estateand Facilitiesto consider Item 2. Chair Wooten reported to the Board on Wednesdaythat the Committee had reviewed two items, both of which required action. Item 1 included seven applications for review, of which five were denied, one was dismissed as moot, and one was referred to an administrativelaw judge. In accordancewith H.B. 278, Section3 (AmendingO.C.G.A. 50-144), an affidavit regarding this Executive Session is on file with the Chancellor's Office. With motion properly made, seconded, and unanimously adopted, the Board approved and authorized the following:
1. Applications for Review
a. In the matter of Raymond Dick, at East Georgia College, concerning termination, the application for review was denied.
b. In the matter of Raymon P. Hunter, at the Georgia Institute of Technology, concerning termination, the application for review was denied.
c. In the matter of Thomas M. DeTitta, at Georgia Southwestern State University, concerning termination, the application for review was denied.
d. In the matter of George Brown, at the Center for Trade and Technology, concerning termination, the application for review was referred to an administrative law judge.
e. In the matter of Kenitra Childress, at Georgia State University, concerning participation in a commencement ceremony, the application for review was dismissed as moot.
f. In the matter of Scott Eldridge, at the University of Georgia, concerning termination, the application for review was denied.
g. In the matter of Lewis Atchison, at the Georgia Institute of Technology, concerning termination of housing contract, the application for review was denied.
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2. Executive Session: Settlement in Lieu of Litigation, University of Georgia
At approximately 3:45 p.m. on Tuesday, February 3, 2004, Chair Wooten called for an Executive Session for the purpose of discussing a settlement in lieu of litigation. With motion properly made and variously seconded, the members of the Committee who were present voted unanimously to go into ExecutiveSession. Those Regentswere as follows: Chair Joel O. Wooten, Jr., Vice Chair Elridge W. McMillan, and RegentsWilliam H. Cleveland,W. MansfieldJennings,Jr., James R. Jolly, Doreen Stiles Poitevint, Wanda Yancey Rodwell, and Allan Vigil. Members of the Committee on Real Estate and Facilities were also in attendance, as follows: Vice Chair J. Timothy Shelnut and Regents Hugh A. Carter, Jr., Connie Cater, Michael J. Coles, Julie Hunt, Donald M. Leebern, Jr., Patrick S. Pittard, and Glenn S. White. Also in attendance were the Senior Vice Chancellor for Support Services, Corlis Cummings; the Senior Vice Chancellor for External Activities and Facilities, Thomas E. Daniel; the Vice Chancellor for Facilities, Linda M. Daniels; the Associate Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs, Elizabeth E. Neely; the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Facilities (Real Property and Administration), Peter J. Hickey; the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs (Contracts), Robyn A. Crittenden; the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Legal Affairs (Prevention), J. Burns Newsome; the Director of Administrationand CompliancePolicy, Mark Demyanek;and Assistant Attorney General Matthew E. Cline. In accordance with H.B. 278, Section 3 (amending O.C.G.A. 50-14-4), an affidavit regarding this Executive Session is on file with the Chancellor's Office.
At approximately 3:55 p.m., Chair Wooten reconvened the Board meeting in its regular session and announced that no actions were taken in Executive Session. Chair Wooten then called for a motion that the Board approve a settlement in lieu of litigation at the University of Georgia. With motion properly made, variously seconded, and unanimously adopted, the Board approved this motion.
CHANCELLOR'S REPORT TO THE BOARD
After the Committee meeting reports, Chancellor Meredith gave his report to the Board, which was as follows:
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. This will be a brief report, since you were all nice enough to endure a long State of the System Address last month. Things are moving well in the legislature, and I would encourage you to continue your contact with the legislators in your districts. We are thankful to the Governor for the budget recommendation he has made on behalf of the University System of Georgia, and we are doing what we can to ensure that it is approved. I have a handful of good news items to share with you:
Regent Allan Vigil's business, Allan Vigil Ford, was chosen business of the year in Clayton County.
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In the Georgia Public Library System, Sylvia Bunn, manager of the Mildred L. Terry Branch Library in the Chattahoochee Valley Regional Library System, was one of 37 librarians across the country selected to receive a national award from The New York Times as 2003 drew to a close.
A study of the fastest growing community colleges conducted by the publication Community College Week ranks Floyd College among the top 20 two-year colleges in the nation in terms of record enrollment growth. This past fall, Floyd College saw an 18% increase over its fall 2002 enrollment. The 3,369 students enrolled in the fall constitute a 40% increase over the fall 2001 enrollment total.
Last month, Carlton E. Brown, Presidentof SavannahState University, was electedChair of the Savannah Economic Development Authority (the "Authority"). He has been Vice Chair and Chair-Elect of the Authority since January 2003. I told him he was now responsible for the G8 conference.
Armstrong Atlantic State University's Vice President for Student Affairs, Joseph A. Buck III, is being honored by the Southern Association for College Student Affairs ("SACSA"). SACSA has instituted the Joe Buck Service Award to recognize the longterm dedicated service this man has committed to the association.
I may already have mentioned that Michael F. Adams, President of the University of Georgia ("UGA"), was elected in November to chair the Council of Presidents for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, giving UGA a seat at the table where major decisions affecting higher education on a national level are made.
Going back to the subject of awards, I'm going to ask my speechwriter and our Director of Communications and Marketing, John Millsaps, to stand up here with me while I brag on him. John does an excellent job pulling together all the messages we need to deliver in presentations to the legislature and various constituencies. I know he prepares speeches for you on regular occasions. The Council for the Advancement and Support of Education ("CASE"), which encompasses fund raising, public relations, and alumni affairs, has given John the grand award for the speech he wrote for me to deliver on Hispanic issues in highereducation for the board of directors of the FederalReserve Bank of Atlanta. CASE also has awarded John second place for a speech on the fiscal year 2004 budget, also known as the "airplane" speech, and we also received a special merit award in Institutional Relations Projects for all the work done on the African-American Male Initiative. Please join me in congratulating John for this long overdue recognition of his fine work.
Mr. Chairman, this concludes my report.
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STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE, "COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE"
Chair Harris next convened the Strategic Planning Committee as a Committee of the Whole and turned the Chairmanship of the meeting over to Regent Leebern, the Chair of the Committee.
Chair Leebern explained that this was the second part of the Strategic Planning Committee at this Board meeting and that the discussion of statewide assessment was being withdrawn for consideration at another time. Instead, the Regents would hear a presentation on cooperative programs and internships in the University System of Georgia, which was added by unanimous consent as a walk-on item to the Committee's agenda. Chair Leebern then called upon the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs, Daniel S. Papp, to begin the presentation.
Dr. Papp greeted the Regents and said that at the January 2004 Board meeting, he had given the Regents an overview of some of the new educational opportunities and expanded educational opportunities available to students in the University System of Georgia. He concluded the presentation with a list of some of the issues to be resolvedover the course of the upcoming months. Specifically, he had discussed the different kinds of educational opportunities that students today have. He had said that over the coming months, he would come back to the Regents to go into much greater depth about most of these opportunities. This presentation would be focused on cooperative education and internship programs. The Executive Director of the Division of Professional Practice at the Georgia Institute of Technology ("GIT"), Thomas M. Akins, would discuss cooperative education, and the Dean of the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University ("KSU"), Timothy S. Mescon, would discuss internship programs.
Mr. Akins began by explaining that cooperative education was founded in 1906 at the University of Cincinnati by Dean Herman Schneider, who was a professor of Civil Engineering. GIT has the fourth-oldest co-op program in the country. The GIT program was begun in 1912 and has been in continuous operation since that time. At one time, there were approximately 1,000 cooperative education programs around the country, but now there are about 800 programs. Cooperative education is an enhanced method of education in which students usually work alternate semesters at the same business throughout their college careers. About 67% of GIT's co-op students work in the State of Georgia. Employers share in the educational process, because every other semester, the students are with the employer. Cooperative education is the premier form of experiential learning, particularly at GIT. However, there are co-op programs throughout the System. The co-op programs at GIT and Georgia SouthernUniversity ("GSOU") are accreditedthrough the AccreditationCouncil for Cooperative Education. GIT also supervises the students in the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program ("GTREP") in Savannah, even though the students are fed into the program from Savannah State University ("SSU"), Armstrong Atlantic State University ("AASU"), and GSOU.
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One of the biggest advantages of cooperative education is that an institution can educate more students with same facilities,said Mr. Akins. At GIT, there are between600 and 1,000 students any given semester out working in the market, which means there are more spaces available in the classroom. Enrollmentscan therefore be higher because some students are alternatingbetween school and work. There is also a great deal of knowledge transfer. That is students bring to the classroom things they have learned in their respective work fields. Students also learn the "soft skills" that will help them in the workplace, such as communication, technical writing, giving presentations, and working on teams. These are things they probably would not learn in the classroom setting. Moreover, students earn money. On average, a co-op student starts out earning approximately $13 per hour in the co-op program. A recent GIT study shows that co-op students get more job offers and higher starting pay when they graduate than their non-co-op counterparts. They are certainly more certain of their career goals. In fact, President G. Wayne Clough was a co-op student at GIT in Civil Engineering, and he determined during his co-op experience that he did not really want to work for the railroad.
Mr. Akins said that there are certain standard procedures for getting cooperative education opportunity. First, of course, is filling out an application.GIT also has a mandatoryorientation that all co-op students must attend in order to give them some realistic expectations of the co-op work experience. GIT co-op students also benefit from assistance in resume and interview preparation. If a student accepts a co-op position, she must check out with her advisor for the semester and get a bit of a debriefing before she leaves. On the job, the single most important person is the student's direct supervisor. GIT offers supervisor training for these individualsbecause they are so important to the success of the co-op programs. There are also a number of items that are part of GIT's assessment process to determinehow well the programsare doing. One is the assignment record that is completed at the beginning of the semester by the supervisor and the student that plans the student's work for the term. At the end of the semester,there is an evaluationthat reflects back upon the assignment record to determine what was accomplished and what needs improvement. There is also a work report that the student completes, and finally, there is an exit interviewwith the student and advisor so GIT can assess the outcomes of the cooperative education experiences. When the student graduates, he earns a co-op degree, which is a unique degree recognized separately in the commencement program.
GIT has its accreditation assessment for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools ("SACS") coming up in a couple of years, and GIT officials have been meeting monthly with the SACS council to prepare for this assessment for about a year now. One of the key items of the accreditation is the Quality Enhancement Plan ("QEP"). At GIT, the QEP is going to be centered around the enhancement of experiential learning, what students can learn outside of the classroom enriching and enhancing their education beyond what they are being taught in the academic units. The Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc. ("ABET") moved to a very outcomes-based criteria for accreditation. GIT's evaluations are sent into the GIT Office of Assessment, which then takes the information gleanedfrom the student evaluationsand compiles the information by major and submits
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them to the academic units so they can see how their students are progressing being judged by someone external to the university. There were two items in which students were ranking lower than the other items: time management and communication skills. Consequently, GIT made some adjustments to its curriculum to give more experience to the students in the classroom with those types of activities. The ACCE helps GIT determine how it is performing and how it meets certain national criteria and standards. All of these serve to tell GIT how it is performing as an institution and as separate units.
Mr. Akins said that the GIT philosophy is that the Division of Professional Practice is a facilitator for students to get professional experience and to enhance that educational process. In the last couple of years, U.S. News and World Report has ranked the GIT co-op program in its top ten "programs that work," that is experientiallearning programs. GIT is also the largest totally optional cooperative education program in the nation, exceeded only by those institutions that have mandatory co-op programs. At any given time, GIT has about 3,000 students and about 500 employers who are actively involved in this type of education. The cooperative education program operates under Provost Jean-Lou Chameau's office, so it is an academic program. Mr. Akins said that for programs like this to work, they must have an academic foundation because without the academic component, it is only work experience and not experiential learning. GIT also has a community service co-op program where employers pay students to do community service in places such as public schools and nonprofit organizations. There are also internationalpartnerships that allow for students to work and study abroad. GIT students will bring in approximately $20 million in student income per year, and most of this money is in turn spent in the State of Georgia.
Mr. Akin then quoted several co-op students. A sophomore studying electrical engineering and working at the Georgia Tech ResearchInstitute ("GTRI") said, "My work at GTRI has strengthened my desire to go into applied research." A junior studying aerospace engineering and working at Northwest Airlinessaid that he had "learnedthe importanceof technically sound substantiationsand good technical writing skills." A mechanical engineering student working for Schlumberger & Visteon in France said, "From bowling with the union line workers league in Pennsylvania to debugging software with a technician in French, the co-op program has helped me to mature technically, professionally, and personally." Another mechanical engineering student who was working for General Electric said, "The Co-op Program successfully guided me across the bridge to adulthood, and I will graduate from Tech ready to lead an adult life."
While this is all good, Mr. Akin noted that such co-op programs still have many challenges. The first is the economy, and the state budget influences how much the programs can do. In spite of the hard economic times, the families of entering GIT students are more affluent than they have ever been. Many students today take the attitude that if a program is not convenient, they do not want to do it. Also, the HOPE Scholarship sometimes takes away students' financial need to participate in coop programs. Semester schedules sometimes make co-op programs complicated. Finally, the time investment is sometimes a detractor from the program. Ironically, co-op students generally spend
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fewer terms in school than non-co-op students. More recently, GIT has begun an undergraduate professional internship program to complement its co-op program. The bottom line, said Mr. Akins, is that cooperative education is a way to improve and educate the citizenry of the State of Georgia. Students can be more motivated by seeing what they can actually do with their applied learning, which gives them the drive to complete their education. This is a "win-win" situation, he said, and any professional experience is certainly good for undergraduate students. He then turned the floor over to Dr. Mescon.
Dr. Mescon said in the University System of Georgia, there are thousands of students at any given time out there making a huge contribution to the economic engine of the State of Georgia, many who are compensated and many who are not. Internships are another type of experiential learning. An internship is generally a semester-long experience, but some last an entire academic year. Interns across the System are working in for-profit, nonprofit, and educational institutions in this state and around the world. There are internships throughout the System at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. Sometimes, academic programs actually require internships, such as education and nursing programs. Sometimes internships are compensated, but today, many are not; this is often a function of the economy. Many seek internships because of the opportunities they provide to demonstrate students' capabilities and to introduce themselves to individuals who can assist them in their career paths. Internship programs are always supervised by faculty. These are academic experiences for which students generally receive three to six semester hours of credit. They provide invaluable practical work experience and give them an opportunity to apply their academic learning to real-world experiences. Internships, much like cooperative education experiences, help students identify their student career goals and interests. Internships provide students access to state-of-theart techniques, equipment, technology, and thought processes. They provide contacts in the career field and identify job leads. Moreover, students participating in internships receive employer evaluations and job references. Those who offer internships include both national and global companies and, more importantly, those headquartered in the State of Georgia.
Dr. Mescon next discussed the administration of internships in the University System of Georgia. Internships are generally directly supervised by individual faculty members and academic departments, but at many institutions, career service centers provide supplemental support for internships, helping students with resumes, cover letters, and interview information. In 2002, a very important initiative took off in the System. A group of institutions in the System formed the Internship Georgia Consortium, which expanded to become "Experience Georgia," a collective effort to manage much more aggressively experiential learning internship experiences. Almost all System institutions have some kind of internship program. Experience Georgia is a consortium of 13 System and 6 non-System institutions. It is powered through MonsterTRAK, a service of Monster.com. Participating institutions must post and share a minimum number of positions based upon the size of the institution to remain an active member. There are over 5,000 postings annually.
In academic year 2003-2004, KSU will support the efforts of over 1,000 student interns in many
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locations, including on campus. For example, KSU's own A. L. Burruss Institute of Public Service Administration utilizes a number of interns in any given year, particularly in the area of survey research, providing a tremendous opportunity for students. Academic departments throughout the System also utilize interns for a variety of assignments. Dr. Mescon highlighted some of the academic departments that sponsor internship opportunities for students both in the arts and sciences as well as professional programs. He then gave two examples of students who are participatingin internships at Morgan Stanleyand RussellCorporation. He noted that the employers posting on MonsterTRAK have a very competitive selection process for student interns. Students apply and participate in interviews and other vetting processes before they secure such opportunities. Morgan Stanley devotes a significantamount of class time at their offices in educating students on brokerage license requirements and initiatives. The company provides an invaluable opportunity for students to understand financial products. Victor Wakeling, Instructor of Finance in the Michael J. Coles College of Business, established and supervises this internship, which places five students per semester at Morgan Stanley. Dr. Steven Smalt, Associate Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, supervises the internship at Russell Corporation. Students in this internship program work on compliance issues, such as documentingcontrols for the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which is terrific experience for an accounting major to help prepare for the field and for the Certified Public Accountant examination.
In closing, Dr. Mescon said that internships provide invaluable practical work experience and opportunities for students connecting theory with practice while providing academic credit and sometimes income. Internships help students clarify their career objectives and provides them with job leads and organizational contacts they can then cultivate on their own. Moreover, students can create a portfolio of performanceevaluations and assessments that will give them an edge when they begin their careers. Dr. Mescon thanked the Regents and asked whether they had any comments or questions.
Regent Coles said that the Caribou Coffee Company corporate headquarters has an internship program that supports four to eight interns per year. He asked whether many System students are placed out of state. He also asked whether there is a difference in the quality of intern a company gets based upon whether or not the internship is paid.
Dr. Mescon replied that most of the KSU interns are placed in the State of Georgia. There are units in the University System that place a fair number of students out of state as well. With regard to compensation of interns, he said that seems to follow the state of the economy. A few years ago, organizations were not able to secure interns without offering them compensation. The pendulum has since swung in the other direction. Many students recognize the opportunity that unpaid internships offer them for long-term career development and are more than willing to earn academic credits regardless of compensation.
Mr. Akins reiterated that all students in cooperative education programs are compensated. On the
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other hand, while most interns are not compensated, they do earn academic credits.
Regent Coles asked whether students can earn both compensation and academic credits.
Dr. Mescon responded that they can through select internship programs.
Regent Cleveland said that he enjoyed the presentation and that these programs offer tremendous opportunities for students. He asked how much diversity there is among both the students and the employers.
Mr. Akins responded that the enrollment in cooperative programs at GIT reflects the same percentage of enrollment of minority students at the institution. He said that the program is open to any student who has a 2.0 grade point average ("GPA") and is in good academic standing. This is significant because some students who come to GIT may have come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and it may be a struggle for them to assimilate into the culture of GIT initially, which may negatively affect their academic performance.Consequently, students who participate in co-op and internship opportunities find that their grades improve because they see the application of their learning. Many employers have certain goals they would also like to achieve. Mr. Akins noted that GIT is graduates the most African-American engineers of any public institution in the nation. GIT students are very highly desired by employers, and diversity issues have been addressed very successfully. GIT also attempts to recruit minority-owned and minority-managed employers to the co-op program so that minority students will see positive role models and also so that majority students will find opportunity in those companies to have a more diverse work and cultural experience.
Dr. Mescon said that KSU's experience mirrors that of GIT in that internship participation mirrors the demographics of the campus. Internships are a little different from co-ops in that most are not available to students until their junior year in college and most students do not apply for an internship unless they have at least a 2.5 GPA.
Regent Rodwell asked Dr. Papp whether there are internship and co-op programs at all System institutions.
Dr. Papp responded that while there are not cooperative education programs at all System institutions, there are internships at most of them, including several two-year institutions. However, as Dr. Mescon had noted, most students take internships in their junior or senior year of college. Dr. Papp pointed out that almost all internships are developed and overseen by faculty members and that this takes a copious amount of time in addition to their teaching duties.
Regent Harris noted that Mr. Akins had said that co-op students on average spend less time on campus than other students. He asked why that is. He also asked Dr. Mescon whether students
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involved in internships graduate in the same amount of time as their peers.
Mr. Akins said there are certain theories and anecdotal information that implies that co-op students are more highly motivated students. Also, because those students are alternating between full-time school and full-time work, they can devote their time and effort more exclusively to their school work when they are in school and do not have to work part-time those semesters. Therefore, typically, co-op students take a higher course load when they are in classes because they have fewer distractions. Recently, The Wall Street Journal Online reported that students can pay for the majority of their college education through their co-op earnings. Being able to do that without distracting from one's school work enables co-op students to finish in fewer terms than their peers.
Dr. Mescon reiterated that students who participate in these kinds of programs are particularly motivated. Research indicates that these programs do not impede their academic progress. As a matter of fact, it seems to accelerate students' desire to graduate and get into the workforce.
Chair Leebern asked what could be done to strengthen these kinds of experiential learning programs.
Mr. Akins responded that the first thing that comes to his mind is to put the collectiveenergy of the Board of Regents, administrators, faculty, and employers together to come up with ways to enhance undergraduateand graduateeducation in all System institutions because these programs are definitely a "win-win" situation.
Dr. Mescon said that it would be good to research the economic impact of these programs on the State of Georgia to provide invaluable insight into the contribution the University System makes in connecting students with business throughout the state.
Mr. Akins added that his office would gladly support any effort along these lines.
Seeing that there were no further questions, Chair Leebern thanked Mr. Akins and Dr. Mescon for this informative presentation. He then adjourned the meeting of the Strategic Planning Committee as a Committee of the Whole.
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
There was no unfinished business at this meeting.
NEW BUSINESS
Chancellor Meredith noted that the Regents' 2004 parking passes had been included in their notebooks. Also, an updated acronyms list would soon be mailed to them.
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Regent Hunt asked the Chancellor when and where Regents could use the parking passes.
Chancellor Meredith responded that the parking passes are valid for any campus parking except handicapped spaces.
The Secretary to the Board, Gail S. Weber, added that most institutions will reserve parking when they know Regents are coming.
Chancellor Meredith said that he had received an update on Regent Carter, who had only bruised ribs as the result of his accident.
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
Secretary Gail S. Weber announcedthat the next Board meetingwould take place on Tuesday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 10, 2004, in the Board Room in Atlanta, Georgia.
Ms. Weber remindedthe Regentsthat there would be a reception for the Board of Regents,the Board of Education, and the board of the Department of Technical and Adult Education on Wednesday, February 11, 2004, at the Capitol City Club.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business to come before the Board, the meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:15 a.m. on February 4, 2004.
s/ Gail S. Weber Secretary, Board of Regents University System of Georgia
s/ Joe Frank Harris Chair, Board of Regents University System of Georgia
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