Albany State University, Darton State College consolidation discussed

ALBANY — As Albany State University and Darton State College inch closer to a January 2017 deadline to consolidate the two schools into the new Albany State, ASU President Art Dunning and Darton interim President Richard Carvajal say they are making progress in the arduous process of combining the two institutions.

The two held a consolidation forum Tuesday evening at Westover High School to give the community an update on the merger.

The schools have already combined athletic departments, with the athletic director’s position the only one in the department left to be filled. Speculation is swirling around two names — former Darton AD Lea Henry and current ASU assistant AD Stephanie Harrison Dyer — to fill that slot.

“We are looking at the things we are not doing right now,” Dunning said. “Darton and Albany State have different offerings for students, and we are looking as to how we can reposition the two campuses for the betterment of our students and the region. We are working closely with the Board of Regents because this is the seventh consolidation statewide. We’re not flying by the seat of our pants here.

“This is one of the most extraordinary opportunities we may ever have in Southwest Georgia. As we know, higher education is the linchpin to economic prosperity. The motivation is to get better at what we do. “

Dunning stressed that the chance to create a new Albany State might be a one-time opportunity to create a stronger institution that will benefit the entire region.

“We are a community, and we are in this together,” Dunning said. “This is an ‘us’ conversation we all must have about what we can do to make our community attractive enough that people, once they get their education, want to stay here. Most people don’t realize it, but we are an industry.”

The ASU president then pointed to a study released earlier month by the University of Georgia which said Albany State and Darton had an economic impact greater than $285 million on Albany and Southwest Georgia in 2015.

“We bring a lot of economic impact to Southwest Georgia,” Dunning said. “There are a lot of moving parts in this consolidation, from operational to strategic decisions, which we must make. We are now looking at what we can do for the citizens of Southwest Georgia like we’ve never done before, collaborating in ways we’ve never done before. This provides us an easier pathway that I think will serve the people of this state and the people of this region well.

“This community is now in a position to recast higher education in the region. I view this as a gift and something extraordinary. We need the support of everybody involved to address the educational needs and the economic development needs of Southwest Georgia. That’s the connection we want to make with every person in this community when we talk about this consolidation. At the end of the day, this is about jobs. It’s about health, and it’s about families.”

The two presidents said the schools are in the process of gaining SACS (Southern Association of Schools and Colleges) accreditation, which will allow the consolidation to move forward. The schools are operating under a September prospectus deadline, which Dunning said will be met.

After SACS approves the new school’s accreditation, academic programs will be folded together with similar programs located at ASU and at Darton. Dunning also added that the future of Darton’s associate’s degrees is under scrutiny.

“Members of the consolidation implementation committee are looking to see if those (AA degree programs) are still needed,” Dunning said.

Dunning and Carvajal noted that students who graduate in the spring of next year will have the option of having Albany State University or Darton State College printed on their diplomas.