CHARLES OCHIE: Let’s finally make Albany the college town it deserves to be

This is a column I have been meaning to write for a long time. And now, more than ever, feels like the right time.

I write as someone who has been a long-time resident of Albany and a long-time faculty/administrator at Albany State University, one who has come to embrace Albany not just as a place of work but as a home. My family and I have lived, worked, and raised four brilliant children here — now all grown and productive adults. I’ve studied at three higher education institutions, and one of them is Albany State University.

Through these experiences, I’ve come to understand what a college town truly looks like — and what it can mean for a city’s identity, economy and future.

Albany has strengths, the legacy, and the potential to be that kind of city. Albany State University, our hometown HBCU, has been a major anchor in this community: educationally, economically and culturally. It has educated thousands of students from across Georgia and beyond, many of whom stay and contribute to the local economy. But many also leave to seek greener pasture elsewhere.

ASU trains teachers, nurses, social workers, criminal justice professionals, and business leaders who shape every corner of this region. I am not sure there is any public or private institution/place of work in southwest Georgia/southern Georgia where you cannot find ASU alumni. ASU is one of Albany’s greatest assets, but we often talk about it as if it were a separate institution rather than an integral part of the city’s identity.

It’s time for that to change.

We need to finally recognize and embrace Albany as the college town it already is, and more importantly, invest in making it the college town it deserves to be. We’ve heard the promises before. In the most recent election cycle, several local politicians spoke boldly about turning Albany into a true college town. They recognized the importance of aligning the city’s development, branding and energy with the presence of Albany State. But since the election, that vision seems to have faded — yet again — into the background. What happened?

To be clear, building a college town is not about turning Albany into Athens or Tallahassee. It’s about making intentional decisions that support the student population and integrate the university into the city’s identity. That means safer neighborhoods, better housing, more student-centered businesses, public transportation, events, shared spaces, and a culture that welcomes, celebrates, and retains young talent.

It means involving ASU’s leadership in major city planning decisions — not as an afterthought, but as a key stakeholder. It means ensuring city and county investments reflect the value of the university to our community. It means placing students and faculty at the heart of Albany’s social and economic life.

The benefits are clear. A stronger connection between Albany and Albany State University means more jobs, a more vibrant downtown, a better-educated work force, and a stronger tax base. It means a city where college students want to stay after graduation, not just pack up and leave.

So I ask: What’s next?

The election is over. The speeches have ended. Now is the time for the promises to be fulfilled. For action — not just words.

I invite the Albany City Commission, the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission, community leaders, university officials, and residents to come together for a real conversation about what it takes to make Albany a thriving, inclusive and dynamic college town. As someone who has been appointed by both County and City Commissions and served on numerous boards and still continue to serve, I know that critical and intentional decisions are made by people and minds can change.

We owe it to our students. We owe it to our city. And we owe it to the future.

Charles O. Ochie Sr. is dean of Albany State University’s Graduate School.