Merger Of 2 GA Colleges Pending Approval

GEORGIA — State education officials are working to consolidate Georgia Southern University and East Georgia State College in efforts to reinvest funding and expand academically.

University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue announced this week that he was recommending the merge to the Board of Regents. The board will vote during an upcoming meeting, held between Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges would get the final approval.

If successful, the new post-secondary institution would assume East Georgia's name while becoming part of Georgia Southern under the leadership of President Kyle Marrero, the USG stated. There would then be 25 institutions in the state system.

“The dollars saved through consolidation have always been reinvested directly in our campuses – fueling the hiring of strong faculty, expanding student support services and driving measurable improvements in retention and graduation rates,” Perdue said in a news release. “Our commitment in making this recommendation is no different. We will preserve access to higher education locally while ensuring that we keep improving the experience and success of our students.”

This would make the second merger for Georgia Southern, which was combined with Savannah's Armstrong State University in 2017.

The USG said consolidation of East Georgia and Georgia Southern could do the following:

• Build on existing collaboration between the two institutions.
• Reinvest savings from administrative efficiencies into academic and support programs to increase student success.
• Minimize duplication of academic programs while increasing degree pathways for all students.
• Create a more comprehensive institution of 29,000-plus students, making it the fifth largest public university in Georgia.
• Expand upon EGSC’s commitment to offering an affordable gateway to quality higher education.
• Create opportunities for raising retention and graduation rates for all students.

A listening session is planned for Wednesday at East Georgia in Swainsboro.