University System of Georgia

History

Early years

The University System of Georgia was created with the passage of the Reorganization Act of 1931 by the Georgia General Assembly in 1931. The Reorganization Act created a Board of Regents to oversee the state's colleges and universities and the 26 boards of trustees that had provided oversight over the various institutions before passage of the act. The Board of Regents officially took office on January 1, 1932, and consisted of eleven members to be appointed by the Governor of Georgia pending approval from the Georgia Senate. The Governor held an ex officio position on the Board. The regents were to elect a chairman and select a secretary. One regent was appointed from each of Georgia's ten congressional districts and the eleventh member was chosen at large.

Governor Richard Russell Jr.'s initial appointees included Cason Jewell Callaway Sr., Martha Berry, Richard Russell Sr. (the governor's father), George C. Woodruff, William Dickson Anderson Sr. (1873–1957), Egbert Erle Cocke Sr. (1895–1977) and Philip Robert Weltner Sr. (1887–1981). Anderson was elected chairman, Weltner vice-chairman and Cocke was appointed as the secretary/treasurer. Prior to the Reorganization Act, Georgia university chief executives held the title of chancellor; however, after the Act, University heads were given the title of president and a new chancellor position was created. The USG chancellor was selected and overseen by the board. At the request of the regents, Charles Snelling, the presiding head of the University of Georgia (UGA), stepped down from his position at UGA to become the initial chancellor of the entire system.

The 1932 Annual Report for the Board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415. Over the next few years the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning by reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.

Modern history

In 2011, Chancellor Hank Huckaby recommended four consolidations among eight institutions, which would be implemented in 2013. The same year, the Board of Regents adopted six "Principles for Consolidation", which has led to multiple consolidations in the subsequent years. As of 2018, these consolidations have decreased the number of USG colleges and universities from 35 to 26.

In Fall 2018, the university system saw enrollment reach an all-time high of 328,712 students enrolled across the system's 26 colleges and universities.

On March 6, 2019, an Atlanta court upheld a USG policy barring unauthorized immigrants from attending Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia.

In regards to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the USG decided against making wearing face coverings mandatory for the Fall 2020 semester before deciding to mandate them.

On April 1, 2022, former Georgia Governor and United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue became the system's 14th Chancellor. That same month, the system was censured by the American Association of University Professors over changes to tenure protections.

Additionally, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography was aligned with the University of Georgia, which became effective July 1, 2013.

Georgia Research Alliance

The Georgia Research Alliance is an Atlanta, Georgia-based nonprofit organization that coordinates research efforts between Georgia's public and private sectors. While GRA receives a state appropriation for investment in university-based research opportunities, its operations are funded through foundation and industry contributions. In its first 19 years, GRA leveraged $525 million in state funding into $2.6 billion of additional federal and private investment.

In 2007, GRA coalesced the strengths of several universities into a focused research effort built around new types of vaccines and therapeutics.

GRA Eminent Scholars

GRA Eminent Scholars are top scientists from around the world recruited by the Georgia Research Alliance. For each scholar, GRA invests $750,000 for an endowment, an amount that the research university matches in private funds on a minimum 1-1 basis. Eminent Scholars often bring a research team, significant federal funding and private support for their research. Georgia's investment in GRA Eminent Scholars has yielded more than $1 billion in outside grants and contracts for the state and helped to launch some 35 companies.

GRA's Cancer Initiative

After 10 years as an independent nonprofit organization, the Georgia Cancer Coalition became an initiative of the Georgia Research Alliance on January 18, 2012. The move was part of a larger effort to align Georgia's economic development assets in a more effective way.

GRA VentureLab

The Georgia Research Alliance set out to help launch companies around Georgian university research results, GRA launched its lead commercialization program, VentureLab, in 2002.

GRA also works with established Georgia companies through the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Centers of Innovation in aerospace, logistics, life sciences, energy, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. The COIs help find technology solutions to industry challenges, in part by connecting companies to leading-edge research at Georgia's universities.

From 2002 to 2010, GRA directed $19 million of state funding into VentureLab. During that time, more than 700 university inventions or discoveries have been evaluated for commercial potential. More than 107 active companies have been formed, which employ more than 650 Georgians. These companies have also attracted $460 million in equity investment and generated $77 million in revenue.

GRA Centers of Research Excellence

Centers of Research Excellence are collaborative and individual efforts that focus on one area of scientific research.

List of institutions

USG designations

USG classifies its institutions into four "functional sectors" based on each institution's specific mission and function:

• Research University: Doctoral-granting institutions classified by the Carnegie Classification as "very high" or "high" research activity (R1 and R2, respectively).
• Regional Comprehensive University: Institutions that offer undergraduate and master's-level degrees with some master's-dominant graduate programs.
• State University: Institutions that offer associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees with limited, select doctoral programs.
• State College: Institutions that offer bachelor's and associate degrees with no graduate programs.

Notes

References

References

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7. "State's 31 Public Colleges and Universities Have a $14.1 Billion Economic Impact - Newsroom - University System of Georgia".
8. "Quick Facts - Perimeter College".
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11. (November 8, 2018). "University System of Georgia enrollment increases to all-time high".
12. (March 6, 2019). "Atlanta court upholds University System ban on unauthorized immigrants".
13. Vasquez, Michael. (June 13, 2020). "In Some States This Fall, Masks at Public Colleges Will Be 'Encouraged' but Not Required". The Chronicle of Higher Education.
14. Kaylor, Lisa. (June 29, 2020). "Provost provides guidelines for fall reopening at faculty town hall". Augusta University.
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22. (2025-04-15). "Board of Regents Approves Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College Consolidation {{!}} Communications {{!}} University System of Georgia".
23. (June 6, 2025). "East Georgia State College name to reflect institution's legacy upon consolidation with Georgia Southern University". Grice Connect.
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31. (April 4, 2024). "Semester Enrollment Report Spring 2024 2020".
32. (July 1, 2020). "University System of Georgia All Budgets For Fiscal Year 2021". University System of Georgia.