Georgia State University, Perimeter College to Merge into Single Institution

On Tuesday morning, the Georgia Board of Regents voted to approve a proposal to consolidate Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College, an action aimed at helping students in the Atlanta area take better advantage of higher education.

Submitted by Chancellor Hank Huckaby, the proposal unifies the institutions under the Georgia State name and names Mark Becker, current president of Georgia State University, as the president of the new institution. The combined enrollment would mean upwards of 50,000 students, making it the most populated higher education center in the state.

With campuses in Decatur, Clarkston and Dunwoody, and an IT department headquartered in Tucker, Georgia Perimeter College has an established presence in DeKalb County as an academic institution.

But with all the talk of who’s to benefit, what will the consolidation actually mean for students, especially when tuition costs at Georgia State are notably higher than they are at Perimeter College?

As far as tuition, the institutes plan to establish a dual cost structure, according to Vice Chancellor for Communications for Georgia State Charlie Sutlive.

The new institution will offer both four-year and two-year degree programs, a decision that honors the proposal’s mission to combine each institution’s strengths: Georgia State’s experience in maintaining high retention and graduation rates, and Georgia Perimeter College¹s leadership in providing access to students across the metro area.

The consolidation’s affect on issues of a smaller scale -- yet equal importance -- such as class sizes, scholarship allocations and student resources have yet to be determined by the board, but an implementation committee comprised of faculty, staff and administration of both institutions will be formed to address these concerns before the board’s final approval later this year, Sutlive said.

Pending additional approval from the Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges as well as final approval from the Board of Regents -- decisions expected by the end of 2015 -- officials anticipate the consolidation to begin in early 2016.

Note: This story has been edited for clarity regarding GPC campuses and the title for Chancellor Sutlive.

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