Georgia College & State University

Georgia College & State University

Georgia College and State University logo © Georgia College & State University
Motto	Georgia's Public Liberal Arts University
Type	Public
Established	1889
President	Dorothy Leland
Students	6,249
Undergraduates	5,289
Postgraduates	930
Location	Milledgeville , Georgia , United States
Campus	Small City
Colors	Navy Blue and Hunter Green
Mascot	Bobcats[1]
Website	www.gcsu.edu

Georgia College & State University (GCSU) is a public university in Milledgeville, Georgia with approximately 6,000 students. It was designated as Georgia's "Public Liberal Arts University" in 1996 by the Board of Regents, and is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges.

The university places emphasis on providing the quality, values, and virtues of a private liberal arts colleges at a lower and more reasonable cost. Its "private university" approach includes a student to faculty ratio that averages 17 to 1.

History

GCSU was originally founded in 1889 as a women's college and was initially known as Georgia Normal & Industrial College as a sister institution to the Georgia School of Technology [2]. The school eventually became Georgia State College for Women and then Georgia College when it became co-educational in 1967. It added State University to its name in 1996 as part of the mission change given to it by the Board of Regents. While the full name of Georgia College & State University is used on first written reference, Georgia College is acceptable on second reference, and this "shorthand" version is widely used by faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alumni.

The Campus

The central campus comprises 43.2 acres (174,000 m²) in the center of Milledgeville, near the grounds of what used to be the former state capital. The campus enhances the town's beauty with its architectural blending of majestic buildings of red brick and white Corinthian columns, representative of those constructed during the pre-Civil War Antebellum period, when Milledgeville was the capital of Georgia.

Most of the university's residence halls are located a block from central campus along with the sports complex, called the Centennial Center. The Old Governor's Mansion[3] is also within walking distance of the residence halls and front campus. West Campus, a 500 acre (2 km²) extension two miles (3 km) from the central campus, contains The Village, and athletic fields. In addition, GCSU operates a large recreational area on Lake Laurel (approximately 15 minutes from the central campus) which is used by students in the university's Environmental Science and Outdoor Education programs.

GCSU also offers advanced degree programs at its Center for Graduate and Professional Learning[4] at the Thomas Jefferson Building at 433 Cherry Street in downtown Macon. Some classes are also offered in Warner Robins ('Robins Center'), primarily in support of the Air Force base located there. A new MBA program is also under way to serve the region surrounding Sandersville, Georgia.

Academic Mission

As the state's designated public liberal arts university, Georgia College & State University is committed to combining the educational experiences typical of esteemed private liberal arts colleges with the affordability of public higher education. GCSU is a residential learning community that emphasizes undergraduate education and select graduate programs.

The faculty are dedicated to challenging students and fostering excellence in the classroom and beyond. GCSU seeks to endow its graduates with a passion for achievement, a lifelong curiosity, and exuberance for learning.

As part of this mission, GCSU places a strong emphasis on active and transformative learning which includes experiences both in and out of the classroom. Academic programs are focused on student development and outcomes, including:

• Strong communication skills, both oral and written;
• Development of critical and analytical thinking skills;
• Broad understanding of global issues;
• Appreciation for and understanding of diversity;
• Ability to integrate information across many disciplines
• Application of learning and knowledge
• Creation of a foundation that allows for moral and ethical decisions
• Civic responsibility

Georgia College & State University seeks to produce graduates that are well prepared for careers or advanced study and who are instilled with exceptional qualities of mind and character. These include an inquisitive, analytical mind; respect for human diversity and individuality; a sense of civic and global responsibility; sound ethical principles; effective writing, speaking, and quantitative skills; and a healthy lifestyle.

GCSU faculty primarily focus their attention on maintaining excellence in instruction and guiding students, are committed to community service, and are creatively engaged in their fields of specialization. Students are endowed with both information and values through small classes, interdisciplinary studies, close association with the faculty and staff in and beyond the classroom, lively involvement in cultural life, and service to the community. In turn, GCSU seeks to provide communities and employers with graduates who exhibit professionalism, responsibility, service, leadership, and integrity.

Mission Support

Over $150 million has been invested in the Milledgeville campus over the past few years, including new state-of-the-art classrooms, enhanced academic facilities, and the addition of a new Library and Instructional Technology Center which can accommodate over 1,000 students [5]. The university has also invested heavily in technology and was recognized by Intel as one of "the 50 most wired campuses in the country."

In 2006, the university partnered with the Georgia College & State University Foundation to open its new multi-million dollar graduate center in Macon.

With its shift from being a commuter school to a residential university, there was also a complete renovation of student housing, including the construction of a new student apartment complex called The Village.

Students & Rankings

According to SAT results listed on CollegeBoard.com, GCSU students have the third highest average of all public schools in Georgia. As of 2008, GCSU has been Georgia's top ranked public Master's University in U.S. News and World Report for the past three years. Kiplinger.com ranks GCSU in the top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges. The university boasts a student retention rate of 84%, making it a leader in that category. In 2007, 18 states and 43 nations were represented by its student body.

Other Notable Facts

The university library also houses the manuscript collection of author Flannery O'Connor[6], an alumna of the university, and of U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell, whose career included serving as director of the Peace Corps when the Berlin Wall fell.

The University is home to the prominent literary journal Arts & Letters.

The GCSU mini factbook is available here [7] as a PDF file.

The University stands on the former site of a penitentiary.

Notable Alumni

• Flannery O'Connor, southern author.
• Andy Offutt Irwin, nationally prominent storyteller and recording artist.
• Julius Joseph, professional British basketball player currently playing in the British Basketball League.
• Michael D. Garrett [8], president and CEO of Georgia Power, the largest subsidiary of Southern Company, and one of the nation's leading generators of electricity.
• Tony Nicely, Chairman, President and CEO, GEICO Insurance.
• Kim Martin [9], General Manager,

Women's Entertainment Television Network (WE tv).

• Alex Gregory, President and CEO, YKK Corporation of America
• Ethan Vernon, President and CEO, West Coast Customs
• Aaron Clark, American professional basketball player currently playing for Club T.E.D. Istanbul of the Turkish Second Basketball League

References

• Enrollment and faculty statistics from the US Dept. of Education

External links

• Georgia College & State University Website
• Georgia College News & Events Page
• GCSU Macon Center for Graduate and Professional Education
• GCSU Library and Instructional Technology Center (LITC)

Content provided by Georgia College & State University Office of University Communications