Higher Education Comes to Douglas County
Georgia Highlands,
West Georgia Team Up to Offer Degrees
DOUGLASVILLE - Douglas County
residents will have the opportunity to attend college in Douglasville
this fall when two institutions of the University System of Georgia
begin offering classes there. Working with officials from the
City of Douglasville and Douglas County, Georgia Highlands College and
the University of West Georgia are finalizing plans to open in the fall.
GHC, a two-year access institution, will offer a variety of core curriculum
courses toward an associate's degree. West Georgia will provide
junior- and senior-level courses leading to selected baccalaureate degrees
as well as graduate degree work offered through the College of Education
and the Richards College of Business.
Regent Kenneth R. Bernard,
Jr., who serves on the Board of Regents for the 13th Congressional
District, praised the vision and cooperation of all involved in bringing
the project to fruition. He said, "An extraordinary group of
people made this happen. My thanks goes to Donald Remillard, superintendent
of Douglas County Schools, who initiated the concept of bringing access
to higher education to the city and county. I'd also like to
recognize officials from the Douglas County Board of Commissioners,
the City of Douglasville, the City Council and of course, the presidents
of the two institutions, Dr. Randy Pierce of Georgia Highlands College
and Dr. Beheruz Sethna of the University of West Georgia."
The partnership was announced
at a city council meeting Monday evening, and will expand educational
opportunities to one of the fastest-growing areas of the greater Atlanta
metropolitan area. A capacity study commissioned several years
ago by the USG identified Douglas County as underserved educationally.
A recent report issued by the Atlanta Regional Commission projected
that the county would increase by more than 137 percent between 2000
and 2010. Population was projected to reach 126,462 by 2010, but
Douglas surpassed that figure by the end of 2008.
Rep. Bill Hembree (R-Winston),
who is chairman of the higher education committee in the Georgia General
Assembly also applauded the move. He said, "As chairman of the
House higher education committee and a resident of Douglas County, I
feel this opportunity gives our residents a chance to attend an institution
of higher education locally and to benefit from all that the partnership
between Georgia Highlands and West Georgia will bring to our community.
This is a step in the right direction for Douglasville/Douglas County,
and I support every effort in this location."
Negotiations are underway for
a facility that will accommodate up to 1,500 students in the near future,
with room to expand as enrollment grows. Georgia Highlands will
be the lead institution managing the site.
Dr. Randy Pierce, president
of GHC, said, "The city and county officials in Douglas County have
welcomed us generously, and could not have been more responsive to all
our questions. They have extended their help in every way possible.
Working together, we know we can positively impact the local economy
and quality of life in Douglas."
Dr. Thomas J. Hynes, provost
and vice president of academic affairs at UWG, said, "The University
of West Georgia joins with Georgia Highlands College in this collaborative
venture, and we are delighted to extend to Douglasville and Douglas
County these educational opportunities. Our community partners clearly
believe in the view of higher education for its citizens as an investment
in the community and its citizens. All of us are pleased to participate
in ways that make that view a reality."
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Georgia Highlands College is
a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia, serving more than
4,700 students at five sites in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta and Carrollton.
A four-year unit of the University System of Georgia, the University of West Georgia is a residential, doctoral comprehensive university that offers a broad undergraduate and graduate curriculum based on a liberal arts foundation. UWG serves more than 11,000 students through its College of Arts and Sciences, Richards College of Business, College of Education, and School of Nursing.