ABAC-Bainbridge State; Georgia Southern-Armstrong State merger proposals approved

ATLANTA — The Board of Regents approved Chancellor Steve Wrigley’s recommendation Wednesday for two consolidations within the University System of Georgia: Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and Bainbridge State College.

The two new institutions, respectively, will be named Georgia Southern University, to be led by GSU President Jaimie Hebert, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, to be led by ABAC President David Bridges.

“The consolidation of these institutions will enable our University System to better serve students, broaden or redesign academic programs offered in the coastal and southwest Georgia regions, and reinvest savings into academics to improve student success,” Wrigley said. “While the ultimate purpose of consolidation is to serve students better, we also have the opportunity to tailor degree programs for the workforce needs of the area and strengthen our role in the region’s economic development.”

The action by the board marks the fifth round of consolidation within the University System and follows the six guiding principles for consolidation approved by the board in November 2011.

The consolidation timeline calls for the consideration of each new institution’s plans by the board of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges by the end of this year. The Board of Regents’ consideration of the new institutions is set for early 2018.

An implementation team, with representatives from the affected institutions, will soon be formed for each of the two consolidations. Each implementation team will be charged with the responsibility of working out the many details associated with its institutions’ merger.

Campus and community listening sessions will be held in the coming months to seek and hear input on ways to best design the new institutions to serve students, their respective regions and the state. A consolidation website will be created and dedicated to providing information and updates about each consolidation for their respective campuses and communities.