The Georgia Board of Regents approved the consolidation of East Georgia State College into Georgia Southern University last week, reducing the University System of Georgia from 26 to 25 institutions. This move continues a broader consolidation initiative that began more than a decade ago, when the system had 35 institutions.
The process will bring an end to East Georgia State College, which was established in 1973 as Emanuel County Junior College.
The consolidation is expected to take more than a year and will involve oversight by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. The commission will appoint a team of representatives from both institutions and conduct campus and community listening sessions over several months.
Georgia Southern University, founded in 1906, currently offers more than 150 degree programs and serves over 27,000 students across campuses in Statesboro, Hinesville, Savannah, and online. Its 10 colleges offer bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees.
