The University System of Georgia strategic plan FY 2008

the UNIVERSITY SYSTEM of GEORGIA
STRATEGIC PLAN
An Annual Report on the University System's Contributions to Georgia
FY2008

THE YEAR IN REVIEW
AN ANNUAL REPORT ON THE USG

Steadily climbing enrollment, the launch of the Board of Regents' Strategic Plan, continued strong state support, plans to meet shortages of physicians, nurses, and teachers, a new mission for one college, collaborative online programs and changing institutional leadership at several campuses these reflect the continued dynamic growth and vitality of the University System of Georgia over the past year.

By Fall 2007, total enrollment in the 35 colleges and universities of the University System of Georgia (USG) had reached an all-time high of 270,022 students, a gain of 10,077 students or 3.9 percent from Fall 2006 to Fall 2007, reflecting a steady growth in demand for higher education.
While this current growth reflects a larger percentage increase than in the previous two years, it continues a more stable pattern of growth from a series of explosive years of enrollment gains that began in 1998. Over the nine years since 1998, the System has added 69,920 students, or an overall increase of 34.9 percent.

The continued growth of the University System has been strongly supported by the USG's funding partners, the Governor and General Assembly. Gov. Sonny Perdue was extremely supportive in recommending funding of the University System's Fiscal Year (FY) 2009 budget request to the General Assembly at the start of the 2008 legislative session, and months later legislators appropriated a record $2.3 billion in state funds, including full formula funding.

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW An Annual report on the USG

System Welcomes New Leadership

The University System of Georgia (USG) welcomed a new regent and some key additions to the University System Office in FY2008, and nine of its campuses also experienced leadership transitions during this time.
Kessel D. Stelling Jr., president and chief executive officer of the Bank of North Georgia, was appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue in February 2008 to represent the Sixth Congressional District on the Board of Regents.
Dr. Susan Herbst was appointed as the University System of Georgia's executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer (EVC/CAO) in Fall 2007. Herbst, who had previously served as acting president of the University at Albany State University of New York, replaced former Chief Academic Officer Daniel S. Papp, who is now president of Kennesaw State University. Following Papp's departure, University of West Georgia President Beheruz N. Sethna and then Southern Polytechnic State University President Lisa A. Rossbacher served as interim EVC/CAO.
Dr. Lynne Weisenbach, then dean of education and founding executive director of the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning at the University of Indianapolis, was appointed in late May 2008 as the University System of Georgia's new vice chancellor for P-16 Initiatives. She succeeded Dr. Jan Kettlewell, who retired after 13 years of leadership of the University System's P-16 initiatives.
There was also a change of leadership in the USG's Office of Fiscal Affairs. Usha Ramachandran was promoted to interim vice chancellor for Fiscal Affairs from assistant vice chancellor when William Bowes left the University System Office in January 2008 to

become vice president for finance and chief financial officer for the Medical College of Georgia.
The presidents of two of the USG's four research institutions sparked leadership transitions during FY2008 Dr. Carl V. Patton revealed plans to retire after 16 years as president of Georgia State University; in March 2008, the Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, D.C., announced that Georgia Institute of Technology President G. Wayne Clough would become the Smithsonian's 12th secretary in July, after 14 years of leadership at Georgia Tech. These announcements triggered national searches that are under way on the two campuses. Dr. Gary Schuster, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Tech, was appointed in April to serve as interim president.
Several other veteran USG presidents announced their retirements during FY2008, including: Dr. Frank Brown in June 2008, after 20 years as
president of Columbus State University. In June, the Board of Regents announced the appointment of Dr. Timothy S. Mescon, dean of the Michael J. Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University as the fourth president of Columbus State University. Dr. Dorothy L. Lord in June 2008, after 17 years of leadership of the College of Coastal Georgia. Dr. Valerie A. Hepburn, assistant dean of the College of Public Health at the University of Georgia, will serve as Coastal Georgia's interim president until a permanent appointment is announced.

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Members of the Fiscal Year 2008 Board



of Regents included: (seated left to right)

Elridge W. McMillan, Doreen Stiles Poitevint,

William H. Cleveland, M.D. (vice chair),

Allan Vigil (chair), Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.

(ex-officio), Robert F. Hatcher, James A. Bishop,

(standing left to right) Benjamin Tarbutton III,

W. Mansfield Jennings Jr., Richard L. Tucker,

James R. Jolly, Patrick S. Pittard,

Willis J. Potts Jr., Donald M. Leebern Jr.,

Wanda Yancey Rodwell, Hugh A. Carter, Jr.,



Kenneth Bernard Jr. and Felton Jenkins.

Dr. James A. Burran in December 2007, after 12 years as president of Dalton State College and 30 years of service to the University System of Georgia overall. In November 2007, the regents announced the appointment of Dr. John O. Schwenn, vice president for academic affairs at Emporia State University in Emporia, Kan., as Dalton State's new president. Dr. Ronald Zaccari in June 2008, after six and a half years as president of Valdosta State University. In June, the Board of Regents appointed Dr. Patrick J. Schloss,

president of Northern State University in Aberdeen, South Dakota, to succeed him as

Valdosta's eighth president.

Other presidential appointments during FY08 include:

Dr. Gary McGaha, who was appointed as president of Atlanta Metropolitan College in

November 2007, after having served as interim president since January 2007.

Dr. Mary Ellen Wilson, then vice president for academic affairs at Middle Georgia

College, who became the institution's interim president in January 2008, after

President Richard J. Federinko stepped down to take a position in Alabama.

Dr. Virginia Carson, then vice president for academic affairs at Georgia Highlands

College, who became interim president of South Georgia College in March 2008,

following the resignation of President Torri Lilly.

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Regents Waive Fees for Active-Duty Military
In August 2007, the Board of Regents approved a measure waiving mandatory fees for any Georgia residents who have seen combat in recent years as active members of the Georgia National Guard or the U.S. Military Reserves. The waiver complements the System's efforts to make it "faster, friendlier and easier" for military personnel to obtain college degrees under the Georgia Military Education Initiative (MEI) launched in March 2007. For more details, see story,"Student Fees Waived for Active-Duty Military," p. 31.
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THE YEAR IN REVIEW An Annual report on the USG

Nursing Education Initiative Launched

The University System of Georgia launched a Nursing Education Initiative in Fall 2007 by distributing to 16 of its campuses a total of $3 million in competitive grant awards for FY2008. In keeping with a strategic goal to increase the number of college graduates in the

health professions, the grants are intended to boost the production of registered nurses and thereby alleviate the nursing shortage in Georgia. For more details, see story "Nursing Education Initiative Launched, " p. 21.

Georgia ONmyLINE Makes Online Courses More Accessible

In October 2007, the University System launched a new website, http://www.georgiaonmyline.org, which provides students with a searchable catalog of the USG's online courses and programs updated each semester and a central location that allows students to register and transfer credits among multiple USG institutions. The University System is using the

website to test a new delivery model for distanceeducation offerings aimed at serving high-demand or critical need fields in Georgia, such as teacher education. For more details, see story, "Increasing Access to University System Programs Through Distance Learning," p. 16.

Medical Education in Georgia to Expand
Early in 2008, the Board of Regents accepted a report by Tripp Umbach, a Pittsburgh-based consulting firm retained by the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) on behalf of the board, to expand medical education in order to address a critical need for more physicians in the state of Georgia.
The plan calls for significant expansion of MCG's School of Medicine in Augusta, the development of an MCG campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia (UGA) and continued partnerships between MCG and USG campuses in Savannah and Albany to produce physicians in these regions. For more details, see story, "MCG, UGA to Collaborate in Expanding Medical Education in Georgia," p. 20.

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College Credit for International Baccalaureate Diplomas

Georgia high school graduates now have a new path to earn college credits when they enroll in any University System of Georgia (USG) college or university, thanks to a new academic policy approved by the Board of Regents in February 2008. The policy, which took effect in Fall 2008, gives college credits to students who score well on end-of-course assessments for the International Baccalaureate (IB)

Diploma Program, thus helping them to earn their degrees faster.
The IB policy ties in with the regents' goal of strengthening the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies. For more details, see story, "New International Baccalaureate Policy," p. 25.

USG Foundation Gala Honors Isakson, Bell
The University System of Georgia Foundation honored U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson in March 2008 with a "Lifetime Achievement Award" for his service to higher education in Georgia at the fourth annual Regents Awards for Excellence in Education Celebration. "The Elridge McMillan Lifetime Achievement Award" is named for the longest-serving current member of the Board of Regents.

The foundation also recognized seven outstanding USG faculty and three USG alumni, including former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, for significant contributions to public higher education in Georgia. For details on the faculty members honored, see story, "Outstanding USG Educators Honoroed With Regents Awards," page 13. In addition to Bell, who attended Georgia Southwestern State University, alumni named to the Regents Hall of Fame were Helen M. Aderhold (Georgia State University, 1976) and Garry Wade McGiboney (Georgia Perimeter College, 1971).

Joseph D. Greene, a member of the Board of Regents from 1984 to 1991, received the inaugural Regents' Legacy Award posthumously.

Regents Set Guaranteed-Tuition Rates

The Board of Regents approved new guaranteedtuition rates for Fall 2008 freshmen in April 2008. Also known as "Fixed for Four," the Guaranteed-Tuition Plan

fixes tuition at the same rate for four years. For more information about the guaranteed-tuition plan, see story ,"Guaranteed Tuition Plan to Continue," p. 30.

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THE YEAR IN REVIEW An Annual report on the USG

Shared-Services Strategy to Maximize Efficiencies
To further its strategic goal of increasing efficiency and effectiveness in the University System of Georgia, the Board of Regents developed a shared-services strategy in 2008 that will gradually unify and consolidate the separate and non-collaborative business functions performed throughout the System's 35 colleges and universities. The first phase of the shared-services strategy is to consolidate payrolls across the institutions, which is expected to save the University System $1.9 million annually. For more information, see story, " Progress Report," p. 33.

Economic Impact of USG Reaches $11B

A report updated in June 2008 offers confirmation that Georgia's public university system continues to be one of the state's key economic engines. Together, the 35 institutions packed an economic impact totaling $11 billion on the state's economy during FY2007.
The Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP), an initiative of the Board of Regents' Office of Economic Development, commissioned the study from the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia's Terry College of Business. This work updates a similar study conducted on FY2004 data that placed the University

System's economic impact at $9.7 billion. The first such study calculated the USG's impact at $7.7 billion in FY1999.
In addition to the $11 billion in total impact generated by the University System in FY2007, the study determined that Georgia's public higher education system is responsible for 106,267 fulland part-time jobs 2.6 percent of all the jobs in the state or about one job in 39. Approximately 42 percent of these positions are on-campus jobs and 58 percent are positions in the private or public sectors that exist because of the presence in the community of USG institutions.

Coastal Georgia Gains New Mission, Name
Seeking to increase access to baccalaureate degree programs in southeast coastal Georgia, the Board of Regents approved a mission change for Coastal Georgia Community College in the summer of 2008 and then gave the institution the green light to change its name to the College of Coastal Georgia, reflecting its new status as one of the System's eight state colleges. The college will offer a limited number of baccalaureate degrees, beginning in FY2010. For more details, see story, "Increasing Access in Coastal Georgia," p. 16.

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Two-Year College Pilot Admissions Policy Extended

The Board of Regents voted in June 2008 to extend by three years a pilot admissions policy first implemented in Fall 2005 that removed standardized tests as a criterion for admission to the University System of Georgia's two-year and state colleges. This board action gives the USG's state colleges the option to resume requiring SAT/ACT scores for applicants seeking four-year baccalaureate degrees, as of Fall 2009.
According to USG Chief Operating Officer Rob Watts, to whom the affected institutions report, the

regents' decision to reinstate the SAT/ACT requirement for baccalaureate-degree-seeking students at the state colleges Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, the College of Coastal Georgia, Dalton State College, Gainesville State College, Georgia Gwinnett College, Gordon College, Macon State College and Middle Georgia College is aimed at encouraging applicants to choose more academically rigorous courses in high school in order to prepare to meet the admissions standards.

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THE STRATEGIC PLAN
TRANSFORMING THE SYSTEM. CHANGING LIVES. STRENGTHENING THE STATE.
In August 2007, the Board of Regents approved a new strategic plan for the University System of Georgia comprised of six goals that focus on building the system's capacity to meet the needs of the state and transform the lives of future generations of Georgians.
Over the past year, the Board of Regents, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr., Associate Vice Chancellor for Planning and Implementation Shelley C. Nickel and many other people throughout the University System have been working diligently to implement the Strategic Plan and bring its goals to fruition. On the pages that follow, you will have an opportunity to learn about this work and what's on the horizon for public higher education in Georgia.
1 STRATEGIC GOAL ONE Renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st century educational needs.
2 STRATEGIC GOAL TWO Create enrollment capacity in the University System to meet the needs of 100,000 additional students by 2020.
3 STRATEGIC GOAL THREE Increase the USG's participation in research and economic development to the benefit of a global Georgia. Enhance and encourage the creation of new knowledge and basic research across all disciplines.
4 STRATEGIC GOAL FOUR Strengthen the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies.
5 STRATEGIC GOAL FIVE Maintain affordability so that money is not a barrier to participation in the benefits of higher education.
6 STRATEGIC GOAL SIX Increase efficiency, working as a system.
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1 STRATEGIC GOAL ONE www.usg.edu/strategicplan/one
Renew excellence in undergraduate education to meet students' 21st century educational needs.
Undergraduate education is the instructional heart of the University System. It should be a transforming experience for students. Each generation anew must reexamine and define the value of the liberal arts tradition to contemporary circumstances. It is critical at this moment to determine whether undergraduate students are learning what they need to lead full lives and to become productive citizens.
As a result of its strategic actions, the University System will reexamine its generaleducation curriculum, renew its commitment to a liberal-arts education for this century and improve the quality of undergraduate teaching and learning.
The objectives of this goal include strengthening the undergraduate experience, increasing graduation rates, ensuring high-quality academic advisement, increasing study-abroad participation, and supporting and rewarding faculty members who make a meaningful contribution to undergraduate student learning and success.

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PROGRESS REPORT
1 Enhanced Advising Processes Initiative (EAP) The goal is to improve student advising. The EAP Task Force led by former Valdosta State University President Ronald Zaccari (now led by Kennesaw State University President Daniel S. Papp) developed four specific recommendations to produce the following: 1) a clearly defined, comprehensive and published advising mission statement; 2) a posted academic advising administrative structure; 3) a policy that mandates all students will meet with their advisors before registering; and 4) an online advising handbook.
The Implementation Team currently is reviewing plans submitted by USG institutions for implementing these recommendations. The EAP Task Force also recommended in its report that the University System make use of technology to enhance advising System-wide. The USG provided targeted FY2009 enhancement funding to eight institutions to support this initiative, which was launched in late Summer 2008.
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1 STRATEGIC GOAL ONE Retention and Graduation Rates Initiative In November 2007, the Retention and Graduation Task Force presented four recommendations: 1) every academic department at every USG institution will have a plan for improving student retention in every degree major; 2) all USG institutions that serve freshmen will have a first-year retention program; 3) all USG institutions will ensure adequate upperdivision course availability; and 4) all USG institutions will have a student employment office.
The USG Team for Improving Retention and Graduate Rates, led by Georgia Southern University President Bruce Grube, focused its efforts on the implementation of these recommendations, conducting an inventory of USG on-campus student employment offices and first-year experience programs. The team also worked closely with all USG institutions to set retention and graduation rates through 2014. Achievement of these goals will be factored into the Board of Regents' budget process for all USG institutions. In May 2008, targeted enhancement funding to support first-yearexperience initiatives in amounts ranging from $40,000 to $50,000 was made available to 11 institutions through a competitive process.
Strengthening Undergraduate Education Initiative
USG faculty members have suggested a number of ways to strengthen the undergraduate experience, including improving transfer between USG institutions. In early 2009, some of these proposals will be presented to the regents for consideration.

Preparing Students to Function Effectively in a Global Society Initiative
More than 125 USG faculty and staff from all 35 USG institutions attended the System's first-ever International Education Summit at The Carter Center in October 2007. Out of this summit came a set of international-education principles subsequently approved by the Board of Regents. These principles will be used by USG campuses to develop international-education programs, a process encouraged through an annual System-wide funding competition. Nearly 200 faculty participated in USGsponsored overseas seminars and curricular-training workshops during FY2008, including a unique partnership with The New York Times, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities to strengthen the international dimensions of undergraduate education. Study-abroad participation increased 8 percent and international student enrollments increased 5 percent in the space of a year.
Valuing and Rewarding Teaching Excellence Initiative
Supporting and enhancing teaching excellence is a high priority of the USG, as effective teaching is strongly connected to several other USG strategic goals related to student learning and success. Dr. Linda Noble was hired in January 2008 to coordinate faculty policy and professional-development programs for faculty and administrators. Dedicated resources allowed the University System to establish a faculty development monthly series to be launched in Fall 2008, and Noble is working closely with the Office of Information and Instructional Technology to connect more faculty with additional professionaldevelopment opportunities, to explore alternative delivery models for teaching workshops and to promote existing resources to advance their teaching.

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Outstanding USG Educators Honored With Regents Awards
The University System of Georgia (USG) Foundation recognized seven outstanding University System of Georgia faculty for their significant contributions to public higher education in Georgia at the fourth annual Regents Awards for Excellence in Education Celebration in March 2008. The following faculty members received the Regents Award for Excellence in Teaching, which honors outstanding teaching that significantly improves student achievement: Dr. Sharmistha Basu-Dutt, an associate professor
of chemistry at the University of West Georgia; Dr. Kirk Bowman, an associate professor at the
Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Mary L. Garner, an associate professor of mathematics and mathematics education at Kennesaw State University; and Dr. Marilyn M Helms, a professor of management at Dalton State College. The following faculty members received the Regents Award for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, which honors commitment to student-focused research on effective teaching: Dr. Marguerite Brickman, an assistant professor of plant biology at the University of Georgia; Dr. Laura D. Frost, an associate professor of chemistry at Georgia Southern University; and Dr. Deborah Vess, a professor of history and interdisciplinary studies at Georgia College & State University. These seven faculty members have been added to the Regents Hall of Fame. Each award recipient received $5,000 and a certificate of achievement during the celebration in March.

The USG also established a statewide Consortium on Teaching & Learning. A special workshop on building effective teaching and learning centers for USG Teaching and Learning Center directors was held in September 2008. The annual leadership-development workshop for new USG administrators will be held in October 2008, and Noble has been delivering targeted workshops to deans and department chairs at several USG campuses to enhance faculty performance evaluation, especially as it relates to teaching effectiveness and the scholarship of teaching and learning. The University System Foundation also recognized outstanding teaching by honoring seven faculty members during its 2008 Regents' Awards for Excellence in Education Celebration (see story at left).
System-wide Presidential Project on Student Health and Behavioral Issues
In June 2008, Clayton State University President Thomas K. Harden presented to the Board of Regents a preliminary report on this Systemwide Presidential Project. In response to crises such as the tragedy at Virginia Tech, this project focuses on ensuring that the University System of Georgia is appropriately addressing the needs of its students and provides healthy and safe campus environments. A final report with recommendations was expected in September.

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STRATEGIC GOAL TWO
www.usg.edu/strategicplan/two
Create enrollment capacity to meet the needs of 100,000 additional students by 2020.
In order to meet the needs of a growing Georgia, the USG will need to expand its capacity by up to 40 percent to serve an additional 100,000 students by 2020. This is a unique opportunity to shape the USG for the new century, focusing on planned, targeted growth, the optimal use of facilities and other resources, and the proper alignment of resources with programmatic needs. As a result of its strategic actions, the University System will increase capacity to accommodate targeted, programmatic growth.
Objectives of this goal include increasing the diversity of the USG's enrollment and closing enrollment gaps for under-represented groups; increasing the USG's public relations outreach; increasing the use of access institutions to meet higher-education needs in underserved areas; creating a more robust sector of comprehensive universities and further delineating their missions within the sector; increasing the joint use of facilities; and positioning the USG among leading systems in distance education.

PROGRESS REPORT
2 During FY2008, this goal had three major areas of activity: 1) increasing capacity at two-year and state colleges to meet enrollment demand; 2) increasing access to University System programs through distance learning; and 3) increasing the diversity of the USG student body so that it reflects the state's population.
Increasing capacity at two-year and state colleges to meet enrollment demand
The Board of Regents focused on two geographic areas during FY2008 greater metropolitan Atlanta and southeast coastal Georgia.
Greater metropolitan Atlanta: The Board of Regents approved a plan in which Georgia Perimeter College and Georgia State University will expand their programs in Alpharetta; Georgia Highlands College and Kennesaw State University will open programs in Paulding County; Georgia Highlands College and the University of West Georgia will open programs in Douglas County; Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University will expand efforts north of Atlanta in the Forsyth/East Cherokee area; and Gordon
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2STRATEGIC GOAL TWO College and Clayton State University will open programs in Henry County. These institutions currently are identifying temporary location options. Initial courses will be phased in during FY2009.
Southeast coastal Georgia: The board decided to increase access to degree programs by converting Coastal Georgia Community College to a state college (see sidebar). The institution has been renamed the College of Coastal Georgia and expects to offer its first four baccalaureate programs in Fall 2009.
Increasing access to University System programs through distance learning
In October 2007, the University System launched Georgia ONmyLINE (http://www.georgiaonmyline.org), an initiative to increase the number of distance-education courses and programs offered by System institutions. Georgia ONmyLINE has two primary components. The first is a website that consolidates information about each USG institution that offers distance-education courses and/or programs. The second primary component of Georgia ONmyLINE is a new delivery model for distance-education to serve high-demand or high-need areas. The first eight degree programs to incorporate elements of the new model are graduate education programs for practicing teachers and for those who plan a career change to teaching, for which five USG institutions are collaborating. Courses began in January 2008 with 120 enrollments. By the summer term, enrollment had quadrupled to 535. In FY2009, program levels will expand to include associate through specialist degrees and certificates, and the variety of offerings also will expand.

Increasing Access in Coastal Georgia
Residents of southeast coastal Georgia are underserved with respect to access to baccalaureate degree programs, a recent needs assessment of the region confirmed. The Board of Regents responded to a study conducted in Fall 2007 by granting Coastal Georgia Community College state college status, enabling the Brunswick-based institution to offer both associate's and select bachelor's degrees.
The institution obtained approval in June to change its name to the College of Coastal Georgia and will offer a limited number of baccalaureate degrees in the areas of education, nursing and business careers that are in demand in the college's service area beginning in FY2010.
As part of the Board of Regents' larger comprehensive plan to increase access in this region of the state, University System staff also will explore partnerships between South Georgia College (SGC) in Douglas and one or more senior institutions that would extend access to baccalaureate-degree programs for area residents.

Increasing the diversity of the USG student body
During FY2008, two USG presidents led System-wide task forces on ways to increase student diversity. Dorothy L. Lord, the former president of Coastal Georgia Community College, led a team focused on increasing the number of African-American males in the USG through interaction with them in middle school. President Martha T. Nesbitt of Gainesville State College led a group targeting middle-school students in danger of not advancing to high school. The recommendations of these two task forces will be folded into the successful Early College Initiative. See story, "Strategic Goal Four," p.24.
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STRATEGIC GOAL THREE
www.usg.edu/strategicplan/three
Increase the System's participation in research and economic development to the benefit of a global Georgia. Enhance and encourage the creation of new knowledge and basic research across all disciplines.
In an open world with permeable borders, Georgia must increasingly compete not only with 49 states, but also with other countries. It must seek to determine its own future, which entails controlling, creating, directing and attracting the resources to ensure economic growth and a high quality of life. In a knowledge economy, creating and attracting intellectual resources are as vital as controlling and directing natural resources. Georgia cannot succeed on the world stage without a strong University System marked by prominent institutions and programs that develop Georgia's own human capital and draw the best talent from around the world. The University System is a vital key to Georgia's future self-determination. As a result of its strategic actions, the University System will increase Georgia's control over its own future in a global economy. Objectives of this goal include increasing the USG's competitiveness for federal research funds, increasing the number of health-professions graduates, and creating a long-term, System-level academic plan for workforce development.
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PROGRESS REPORT
3 Increasing the USG's competitiveness for federal research funds The University System's Office of Economic Development (OED) organized a series of presentations and discussions regarding research and the commercialization of research in the USG. Two areas of interest have been identified to support the System's research goals: the celebration of research faculty through an awards program and presentations to key legislators and other stakeholders on the need to support and further develop research in the University System.
Increasing the number of health-professions graduates
On May 1, 2008, the University System of Georgia launched the Center for Health Workforce Planning and Analysis, which will work with USG institutions to develop a common strategy for addressing shortages of healthcare workers in the state, pursue targeted strategic responses to these shortages, track System-wide and institutional responses to ensure they have the desired impacts, and ultimately, serve as a vehicle to review issues with the healthcare workforce and consider responses to them. The center is under the supervision of Dr. Daniel Rahn, senior vice chancellor for health and medical programs and president of the Medical College of Georgia.
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3STRATEGIC GOAL THREE Creating a long-term, System-level academic plan for workforce development The OED staff launched initiatives to make ICAPP projects more responsive to changing economic conditions. For example, they: Launched pilots to award ICAPP funding for non-credit programs and a revised ICAPP Advantage proposal process that addresses emerging workforce needs in Georgia's strategic industries aerospace, agribusiness, energy and environmental, healthcare and elder care, life sciences, and logistics and transportation;
Extended opportunities for professional development in economic development to USG faculty, students and staff by creating podcasts on college-educated workforce needs in agribusiness, aviation, energy/environment, information technology, life sciences and logistics;
Distributed ICAPP studies of college-educated-workforce needs in aerospace, life sciences and logistics industries to USG institutions; and
Commissioned similar studies of the agribusiness and energy/environment industries, as well as an update of the lifesciences study.

MCG, UGA to Collaborate in Expanding Medical Education in Georgia
The Medical College of Georgia (MCG) will step up its production of physicians in Augusta and open a campus in Athens in partnership with the University of Georgia (UGA), following a plan that addresses the critical need for more physicians in the state of Georgia adopted early in 2008 by the Board of Regents.
Based on a report by Tripp Umbach, a Pittsburghbased consulting firm retained by MCG on behalf of the board, the plan calls for the following: Significant medical education expansion in Augusta
MCG's School of Medicine will expand from its current class of 190 first-year students to 240 firstyear students by 2017. Development of a campus in Athens MCG will work with UGA to develop a new campus in Athens by leveraging the mutual strengths of the two institutions in biomedical research and individual university strengths in public health. Continued partnerships of regional campuses in Savannah and Albany 60 third- and fourth-year students will be educated at residential campuses in Albany and Savannah over the next seven years.
The plan allows MCG to continue to serve as the foundation for a single state-operated medical school. If implemented fully, the expansion will more than double the economic impact of MCG's School of Medicine, generating an additional $1.6 billion annually and supporting more than 10,000 additional jobs statewide. For every $1 invested by the state of Georgia in 2020 in medical education, a total of $2.54 will be returned in state tax revenue, according to the economic analysis section of the consultant report.
The regents charged Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. and the presidents of the two institutions with developing a detailed implementation strategy and allocated $7.16 million in new dollars in the FY2009 budget to fund the expansion.

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Nursing Education Initiative Launched
The USG launched a Nursing Education Initiative in Fall 2007 that will expand the capacity of existing nursing programs, offer new, accelerated programs for registered nurses, make nursing faculty salaries more competitive and enable campuses to hire additional nursing faculty in order to teach more students.
The University System's Nursing Education Task Force distributed a total of $3 million in competitive grant awards to 16 campuses for FY2008 that are intended to boost by 50 percent by 2010 the production of registered nurses and thereby alleviate the nursing shortage in Georgia. This would bring the total number of prelicensure nursing graduates produced by the University System to more than 2,400 annually.
The initiative is intended to build on the University System's ongoing, highly successful Healthcare Professionals Initiative (HPI), which has been generating graduates of nursing and other healthcare-related programs through the USG's Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP) since 2003. By December 2008, this public-private partnership will have produced an additional 1,800 nursing graduates, to complement the System's traditional nursing programs.

GPC Wins National Award for Addressing Healthcare Shortage
The United States Department of Labor (DOL) recently saluted Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) for outstanding efforts to expand the healthcare workforce in Atlanta.
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Employment and Training Brent R. Orrell said the college "has proven its ability to collaborate with others and excel in delivering better opportunities for workers. Their exceptional results are an example for others to apply to their own talent-development strategies."
Georgia Perimeter won the Department of Labor's Recognition of Excellence Award in a category called Leveraging the Power of Partnerships for having used a $1.5 million DOL grant to develop partnerships with Georgia Perimeter College of Nursing, Hospital Corporation of America, Georgia Hospital Association, Department of Family and Children Services, DeKalb Technical College, Emory University Hospital, Atlanta Regional Workforce Board, DeKalb Workforce Board, Gwinnett County Schools, and DeKalb County Schools to increase the allied health workforce in the metro Atlanta region.
Among the many achievements the project yielded were: A simulation laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment; A licensed practical nurse (LPN) bridge program that allows
students to earn an associate degree in nursing in the evening and on the weekends; A nursing tutorial lab that helps students with study skills, a review of anatomy and physiology, and testing-taking skills; A three-year mentoring program for new nursing faculty; A certified nursing-assistant program in collaboration with DeKalb Technical College's existing program; and A career counselor who assists students in transitioning to the associate-degree nursing program and with counseling in other allied-health programs.

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STRATEGIC GOAL FOUR
www.usg.edu/strategicplan/four
Strengthen the USG's partnerships with the state's other education agencies.
Objectives of this goal include supporting the work of the Alliance of Education Agency Heads (AEAH) comprised of Georgia's seven education agencies to increase the high school graduation rate, decrease the high-school drop-out rate and increase postsecondary enrollment rates; to improve workforce-readiness skills; to strengthen teacher quality, recruitment and retention; to develop strong educational leaders, particularly at the building level; and to improve the SAT/ACT scores of Georgia students.
While the ongoing work of each of the seven agencies may contribute to the achievement of some or all of these five goals, AEAH focuses on strategies in which the work of one agency intersects with that of others. AEAH designates a lead partner for each of its strategies. The Board of Regents' Strategic Plan includes major strategies of AEAH, and the University System of Georgia has been designated the lead or strong collaborative partner in work done in the following areas.

PROGRESS REPORT
4 During FY2008, the University System led four major strategies pursuant to AEAH's goal to increase the high-school graduation rate, decrease the high school drop-out rate, and increase post-secondary enrollment rates:
During FY2008, the Georgia Board of Education adopted new, more rigorous course requirements for high-school graduation, and the USG revised its admission requirements to align with the new requirements.
Accelerated Learning Options: Accelerated Learning Options include dual enrollment, advanced placement, and international baccalaureate (IB) programs to enable highschool students to get a jump-start on college. During FY 2008, the USG established System-wide parameters for awarding college credit for IB high-school courses to give clearer signals to high schools as to the amount of college credit participating students might expect to receive. The USG also led the development of a state-wide Dual Enrollment Task Force Report, which made several recommendations regarding dual technical programs and dual academic programs for consideration by AEAH.
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4STRATEGIC GOAL FOUR Early College: Early College (http://www.usg.edu/p16/initiatives/gaearly.phtml) is a blended program that includes secondary school and the first two years of college for students meeting at least one of the following characteristics: minority, high poverty or first-generation college. The six original Early College sites initiated by the University System of Georgia are outperforming schools with similar demographics on end-of-course tests and high-school graduation tests. During FY2008, the University System planned the establishment of six new Early Colleges to be launched in Fall 2008. College Access: During FY2008, the University System led the development of a statewide College Access Challenge Grant Proposal a collaborative of the USG, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, the Georgia Department of Education and the Technical College System of Georgia. The proposal has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education.
In support of AEAH's goal to strengthen teacher quality, recruitment, and retention, the University System led three major strategies during FY2008:
Meeting the state's need for teachers. The USG institutions that prepare teachers have collectively set a goal of meeting 80 percent of the state's need for new teachers by the year 2020. Progress is being monitored on new-teacher production, new-teacher retention and the yield rate the number of new USG teachers hired by Georgia public schools after receiving their degrees. From a baseline of 2,660 teachers prepared in 2002, the University System has increased new teacher production by 50 percent. FY2008 saw the University System's highest-ever teacher-production rate 4,212 education majors received their degrees. In addition, two USG institutions Georgia State University and Albany State University are among the top 20 universities nationally in terms of the number of minority teachers prepared.
Expansion of the number of USG institutions that prepare teachers. The USG, in partnership with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC), has started or is in the planning stages of starting teacher-preparation programs at seven additional USG institutions: Macon State College, Dalton State College, Gainesville State College, Gordon College, Georgia Gwinnett College, College of Coastal Georgia and Middle Georgia College. In addition, Fort Valley State University has regained PSC approval to prepare teachers.
Meeting the need for science/math teachers. During FY2008, the USG, in partnership with the PSC, led a consortium of institutions in program development to help meet the need for science and mathematics teachers in Georgia. Beginning in January 2009, Columbus State University, Kennesaw State University and the University of West Georgia will offer an online collaborative master of arts in teaching program with teacher certification options in mathematics, biology, chemistry, physics, and earth/space science. Valdosta State University and Georgia Southern University will begin offering the collaborative program in fall 2010.
The University System of Georgia led two major strategies in support of AEAH's goal to improve workforce readiness skills during FY2008:
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Initiative. The STEM Initiative (http://www.usg.edu/p16/initiatives/stem.phtml), a System-wide project initially led by Georgia State University President Carl Patton and now by Armstrong Atlantic State University President Thomas Z. Jones, seeks to increase the production of science and mathematics teachers prepared by USG institutions and also the overall number of baccalaureate degrees awarded in STEM fields. A total of 27 USG institutions
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New International Baccalaureate Policy
Georgia high school graduates now have a new path to earn college credits when they enroll in any University System of Georgia (USG) college or university, thanks to a new academic policy approved by the Board of Regents in February 2008. The policy, which took effect this fall, gives college credits to students who scores well on end-of-course assessments for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program.
The credits allow University System of Georgia freshmen to receive course credit for selected basic college courses and take more advanced-level courses. High assessment scores on IB courses are a strong indicator of academic performance that is beyond that expected of typical highschool students, USG officials said.
The IB program originated in 1968 in Geneva, Switzerland, and it is currently offered in 2,122 schools in 125 countries. There are three levels of the program primary years, middle years, and the diploma program for 16-19 year-olds. The new USG policy applies to those who complete the IB diploma program, which is currently being offered in 22 Georgia high schools.

submitted proposals for FY2008 STEM funds, and 11 were funded for a total of $1.6 million. FY2008 funds were used to fund new STEM faculty positions at various institutions and to establish four Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) institutions in Georgia. FY2009 funds have been allocated to 12 USG institutions the original 11 institutions participating in the STEM Initiative to date, plus an additional one. Companion work to the STEM Initiative. In an effort to increase awareness of the importance of the STEM initiative and the need to increase support, during FY2008 the USG's P-16 Department and its collaborators in the Partnership for Reform In Science and Mathematics (PRISM) hosted a national conference on science and mathematics education, authored a book, "Increasing the Competitive Advantage in Science and Math," to be published in 2009, and submitted two additional grant proposals for research to support STEM goals.
In support of AEAH's goal to develop strong educational leaders, particularly at the building level, the University System of Georgia led two major strategies during FY2008:
Redesign of USG preparations programs for educational leaders. The PSC adopted new program and certification standards for educational leadership requiring all college-level preparation programs public and private to redesign their programs and reapply for approval to prepare educational leaders. During FY2008, facilitated by Georgia's Leadership Institute for School Improvement, USG faculty representatives and school-district partners met monthly to collaborate on program redesign. The PSC has approved the redesigned programs of the 11 USG institutions that prepare teachers, and implementation will begin in FY2009.
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4STRATEGIC GOAL FOUR Georgia's Leadership Institute for School Improvement (GLISI). The institute (http://www.glisi.org/site/default.htm), a joint initiative of the USG and the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, works to improve educational leadership in Georgia to, in turn, improve P-16 student achievement. Since its inception in 2002, 92 percent of Georgia's 168 public school districts and 11,374 individual participants have made use of GLISI. In FY2008, 2,552 school leaders participated in GLISI programs, including 473 who participated in the intensive Core Leadership Development Program, bringing that program's participation to 2,403. A total of 747 senior district and school leaders participated in the Executive Development Program and learning communities during the year, with a focus on better planning, managing and monitoring local performance. The institute also trained more than 200 Leadership Performance Coaches during FY2008 and trained 144 school districts to plan and manage leader development and progression.

Oatanisha Dawson Found a Pathway to Teaching
Oatanisha Dawson always knew she wanted to teach. She began working with students as a paraprofessional at Jane Macon Middle School in Brunswick. Her work with students was cut short, however, when in 1998 funding for a number of paraprofessional positions was cut. As a result, Dawson found herself without money, a car, a job or daycare for her young daughter.
Not to be deterred, Dawson earned her bachelor's degree in middle-education mathematics at Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU). She went on to earn her master of education degree at AASU as well. Dawson credits her success in part to the university's Pathways to Teaching Program, designed to increase the number of highly qualified teachers, particularly minorities, in the nation's rural and urban public schools.
AASU holds a very strong place in her heart. "Armstrong is not just brick and mortar. Armstrong is a place where I found a family, I've gained selfrespect, and I've grown as a professional. So when I think of Armstrong, I think of home," Dawson said.
Dawson returned to Jane Macon Middle School as a fully certified middle-school mathematics teacher where she has proven to be an outstanding teacher. Her skills were recently recognized when she was nominated Teacher of the Year for her school.
Ever striving to increase her teaching skills, Dawson is now working to earn her leadership certification while pursuing a doctorate in education at Georgia Southern University. Additionally, she serves as an adjunct instructor at AASU, teaching elementary-school teachers how to teach math to early-childhood students.

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Early College Program Helps Student Complete College
Derrick Standifer will probably always think of his high-school sophomore year as the year that changed his life. This was the year he entered Carver High School in Atlanta, which has one of 12 Early College programs in Georgia, and began his serious pursuit of a college degree. Early College blends high school and the first two years of college, helping more young people graduate from high school and complete at least two years of college.
Statistics show that, as the first person in his family to graduate high school, Standifer's chances of earning a college degree were very slim. As a freshman at Booker T. Washington High School, the first black public high school built in Atlanta, he was not very confident that he could succeed in college. But when a friend told him about Early College, where he could earn an associate's degree by the time he graduated high school, he decided to take the challenge.
When Carver High School gave him the opportunity to take a college course at Georgia State University, his lack of confidence returned. "I had some doubt," he admits. "There was so much more freedom." But crediting the Carver faculty and the study group formed at Georgia State, Standifer successfully completed his first college course.
Now a rising senior, Standifer looks back on the past two years and marvels at how much he has accomplished. "I've taken eight more classes at Georgia State and completed a summer study program in Panama and Costa Rica. I've also continued to take some high-school courses at Carver. It's been challenging. You have to have really good study habits."
Standifer also marvels at the opportunities available in his future. "I used to think of colleges in terms of football. Now I have my sights set on some really good schools to complete my bachelor's degree." He notes that he plans to use what he's learned to help others follow in his footsteps. "I really liked my economics course, and I really like tutoring, so I plan to be an economics teacher when I graduate."
The Georgia Early College program is managed through a partnership effort between the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Department of Education, in which the P-16 Department of the University System of Georgia serves as the intermediary. Funding from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation help to support the implementation of the 12 Early College schools in Georgia.
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5
STRATEGIC GOAL FIVE
www.usg.edu/strategicplan/five
Maintain affordability so that money is not a barrier to participation in the benefits of higher education.
Through the HOPE Scholarship Program, Georgia is a national leader in providing meritbased financial aid to students. However, the total cost of attending college remains a challenge to some students and their families.
As a result of its strategic actions, University System institutions will remain affordable for students and assist economically disadvantaged students in meeting the cost of college.
Objectives of this goal include diversifying and increasing revenue sources, making the financial-aid process more customer-friendly and accessible, and establishing a needbased financial aid program.

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PROGRESS REPORT
5 The first year of the Strategic Plan required discussion about current USG tuition and fee policies, student financial aid programs available to Georgians, and the process of accessing aid. Currently, the System's "Fixed-for-Four" tuition policy is in place and is being monitored for effectiveness.
Diversifying and increasing revenue sources
A System-wide Presidential Project on Philanthropy, led by President David Potter, was charged in January 2008 to research current and best practices in extramural fund-raising to support institutional missions. An interim report was presented to the Board of Regents in April, and a final report with recommendations will be delivered to the board by early 2009.
Making the financial-aid process more customer-friendly and accessible
USG institutions responded to requests for proposals during the FY2009 budget process, and 12 institutions received funding to increase customer satisfaction with financial-aid offices. All institutions set targets to be reached at the end of the project and will share their best practices at a conference next year. On behalf of the Alliance for Education, the USG received
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5STRATEGIC GOAL FIVE a $4 million College Access Challenge Grant from the U.S. Department of Education. In addition to funding Georgia's efforts to increase the number of low-income students prepared to enter and succeed in post-secondary education, the grant will help students learn about, prepare for and finance a post-secondary education.
Establishing a need-based financial aid program
The Fiscal Research Center of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University presented "An Analysis of a Need-Based Student Aid Program for Georgia" to the Strategic Planning Oversight Committee on Goal Five at its June 2008 meeting. The research paper estimates that a need-based aid program for Georgia students who meet federal Pell eligibility standards will cost approximately $30 million. The Board of Regents will continue to discuss options for pursuing need-based aid in Georgia.

Guaranteed-Tuition Plan to Continue
In April 2008, the Board of Regents approved a new guaranteed-tuition rate which fixes tuition at the same rate for four years for Fall 2008 freshmen. The rates for these freshmen will remain constant through Fall 2012. Students who first enrolled in the University System in Fall 2006 or Fall 2007 the first two years of the Guaranteed-Tuition Plan will see no change in tuition .
Tuition for students who enrolled in the System prior to the adoption of the guaranteed-tuition plan will see an increase at the research universities of 6 percent from Fall 2007 to Fall 2008. The increase at four-year universities will be 5 percent, at state colleges 4.5 percent and at two-year colleges 4 percent.
"Tuition at Georgia's public colleges and universities continues to be among the lowest in the nation," said Vice Chancellor for Fiscal Affairs Usha Ramachandran. She noted that the latest available data from the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) shows that, among the 16-member SREB states, tuition and fees in Georgia were the lowest at four-year colleges and fourth from the lowest at twoyear colleges.

the UNIVERSITY SYSTEM of GEORGIA
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Student Fees Waived for Active-Duty Military
Any Georgia residents who have seen combat in recent years as active members of the Georgia National Guard or the U.S. Military Reserves will find their mandatory student fees waived when they enroll in the University System of Georgia. The waiver is part of the System's efforts to make it "faster, friendlier and easier" for military personnel to obtain college degrees under the Georgia Military Education Initiative (MEI).
Launched in March 2007, the MEI is a coordinated System-wide approach to expanding the degree programs, courses and support services available to every branch of the military. The goal of the initiative is to address the unique challenges that make it difficult to provide college degree programs to military personnel a population frequently on the move and out of reach of a USG campus through traditional means. Using the inherent strengths of various USG institutions in a collaborative manner, System officials are rapidly expanding support with flexible, high-demand, quality programs.
The waiver could save eligible veterans from $200 to $600 per semester in fees assessed to all students for such things as student health services, parking, technology and intercollegiate athletics.
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6
STRATEGIC GOAL SIX
www.usg.edu/strategicplan/six
Increase efficiency, working as a System.
The University System is fortunate to enjoy strong financial support from state leaders. The USG must continue to earn that support by demonstrating accountability for the use of its resources, by maximizing non-state revenues, and by increasing the efficiency of its business operations. The USG must work with state leaders to develop an appropriate business model for current economic trends and conditions.
As a result of its strategic actions, the University System will increase its efficiency while increasing academic quality.
Objectives of this goal include increasing the efficiency of business functions, developing a leadership culture and engaging the workforce in process improvement, and establishing accountability metrics for the System.

PROGRESS REPORT
6 During FY2008, several new initiatives were launched, including a shared-services strategy, Lean-Six-Sigma training and projects involving energy efficiency and conservation, and emergency preparedness. Increasing the efficiency of business functions In June 2008, the Board of Regents approved a shared-services strategy that will unify and consolidate the business functions now being conducted independently by each of the University System's 35 colleges and universities. The first phase of the shared-services strategy focuses on the areas of human resources and payroll. Payroll operations across the institutions are being consolidated through a partnership with ADP, a national provider of transaction processing and information-based business solutions for payroll. The project will cost $5 million to implement, but is expected to save the University System $1.9 million annually. The new system is expected to go live on July 1, 2009. Meanwhile, plans are also under way to consolidate the financials systems of USG institutions.
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6STRATEGIC GOAL SIX Developing a leadership culture The System must have a diverse workforce with a commitment to meeting the strategic plans of both the campuses and the System as a whole. All of its employees must have fitting development opportunities to meet the evolving roles and responsibilities of their positions. Therefore, the University System launched a training and professional development initiative during FY2008. In April 2008, the regents put in place a vice chancellor for human resources to foster partnerships and collaboration among USG institutions. Initially, this collaboration will primarily focus on leveraging existing best practices and resources. One of the significant benefits of creating a stronger leadership culture will be the ability to instill the appreciation and practice of sound operational risk management. As such, the new human-resources function will integrate riskmanagement training and education into leadership-development efforts. The goal is to create a stronger culture of accountability. In the year ahead, a Training and Professional Development Work Group will be formed, compliance training via technology will be delivered, and a detailed implementation plan for System-wide leadership development will be established.
Engaging the workforce in process improvement
Through courses at Southern Polytechnic State University, the University System began training its faculty, staff and administration in Lean Six Sigma, a process-improvement initiative that provides tools for maximizing performance results, effectiveness and efficiencies. All institutions of the University System of Georgia are being provided with Lean-Six-Sigma training, and the year ahead will see the sharing of the resulting process-improvement plans.
Establishing accountability metrics for the System
During the coming year, the team working on Goal Six has plans to develop a new accountability system for financials across the University System.
Sustainable Energy Management
The University System launched a System-wide Presidential Project led by University of Georgia President Michael F. Adams that so far has awarded a total of $2.5 million to 16 USG institutions to help them lower their overall energy consumption. The projects funded range from upgrading to more energy-efficient lighting systems to installing energymanagement systems in conjunction with the USG's overall development of energy-usage, monitoring and savings plans.
Emergency Preparedness
This is another a System-wide Presidential Project led by Albany State University President Everette J. Freeman. The University System strives to prepare for all types of emergencies, whether natural or man-made. In fact, since this project was launched, four institutions have effectively handled outbreaks of severe weather, thanks to new campus emergency plans and training.

USG Efficiencies: Serving Customers Better by Working Smarter

The University System of Georgia's streamlining of operations has resulted in cost savings, increased transparency, accountability and a focus on performance measurement. In line with Gov. Sonny Perdue's ultimate goal of making Georgia the best-managed state in the country, Chancellor Erroll B. Davis, Jr. and the Board of Regents have made efficiency, effectiveness and accountability watchwords in everything the University System does, from admitting students to xeriscaping drought-stricken campuses.

Additionally, Chancellor Davis challenged all System employees to adopt continuousimprovement methodology that emphasizes customer satisfaction and quality of service (http://customerfocus.usg.edu). As a result, the University System of Georgia is working more efficiently and costing Georgians less. Some examples: Energy/Resource Conservation From the University of Georgia's 100-million-gallon reduction in water usage
(http://www.uga.edu/aboutUGA/water_tips.html) to Georgia Tech's "Green Buzz" (http://www.gatech.edu/greenbuzz), every individual campus' effort contributed to the System's reducing its average water usage per square foot of building space by more than 15% between FY2007 and FY2008. From Georgia Perimeter College's policy of four-day work-weeks during the summer that resulted in a savings of 198,600 kilowatt hours and approximately 165,000 commuter miles to the more than 1.1 million square feet of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified Green BuildingTM space owned by the Board of Regents, the goal is for the USG to meet best-in-class energy usage levels. Operational Efficiencies and Streamlined Student Services From the transition to paperless transactions for everything from checks to multiuse student ID cards, USG institutions have greatly improved efficiency, decreased wait time and improved customer satisfaction, all while reducing costs. From Kennesaw State University's automated business solution utilizing online applications, benefits enrollment and employment forms to Georgia Perimeter's status as one of only four state agencies selected by the Governor's Office to implement a Rapid Process Improvement project on student advisement, the USG has leveraged technology to improve efficiency, effectiveness and customer service, all of it carbon-free.

Increased Access Targeting Meeting the State's Workforce Needs

From Georgia ONmyLINE (http://www.georgiaonmyline.org), with more than 2,000 online courses

and a number of fully online graduate teacher education programs, to UGA's "Young Dawgs" program with

its goals of raising the local high-school graduation rate of 53 percent, supporting the Governor's Work-

Ready Program, and providing more students with an avenue to higher education, the USG is committed to

providing easy access to higher education with a focus on critically needed professions.

From the ICAPP (http://www.icapp.org) funded development of a special computer-science

curriculum at Columbus State University designed to provide Fort Benning and local defense contractors

with a skilled workforce to the USG's response to the need to expand medical education in Georgia

(http://www.usg.edu/mcg-uga) through the Medical College of Georgia/University of Georgia

partnership, the USG is prepared to provide the educated workforce that the growing state will need in a

global economy.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Published by:
Office of Media & Publications

John Millsaps Associate Vice Chancellor, Media & Publications
Diane Payne Annual Report Editor
Shelley Nickel Associate Editor

Writers/Contributors:
Kris Biesinger Susan Contreras Terry Durden Jennifer Fairchild-Pierce Wayne Guthrie

Jan Kettlewell Linda Noble Usha Ramachandran Ben Robinson Candace Sommer

Melinda Spencer John Vanchella Rob Watts

Photography: Courtesy of University System of Georgia institutions

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The University System of Georgia is committed to equal opportunity for all persons in its educational programs, activities and employment practices. Inquiries concerning the Board of Regents' policies in these areas may be directed to: Office of Legal Affairs Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia 270 Washington Street, SW Atlanta, GA 30334-9007 Phone: (404) 656-2221
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Creating a More Educated Georgia www.usg.edu
Published by the Office of Media and Publications Board of Regents / 270 Washington Street, SW / Atlanta, GA 30334 / (404) 656-2250