Paulding
County Donates Facilities for GHC/Kennesaw State Instructional Site
ATLANTA - Officials from
Paulding County this morning presented the Board of Regents with a gift
of two buildings in Dallas for use as an instructional site by Georgia
Highlands College and Kennesaw State University. The two institutions
have submitted academic plans to the Board of Regents for review at
their March meeting, and anticipate ultimately offering three degree
levels. GHC will serve as the lead institution managing the site
and seeks to provide core curriculum courses leading to an associate's
degree. Kennesaw State is seeking the regents' approval to offer
upper-level undergraduate business classes for juniors and seniors and
graduate classes in educational leadership.
The buildings are located on
the square in downtown Dallas. The Henry Winn Building will be
renovated first. Plans are to create six classrooms and several
offices for faculty/staff in the nearly 11,000 square-foot facility.
There are more than two acres surrounding that building to accommodate
parking and landscaping. Renovation plans are currently being
developed a for the site .
The second building, the George
Bagby Courthouse Annex, comprises almost 31,000 square feet and lies
across the square from the Winn Building. Renovations on that
structure will be completed at a later date, as enrollment grows.
GHC President Dr. Randy Pierce
said, "We have had such enthusiastic interest from community members
in Paulding that I feel confident the site will grow quickly to meet
the needs of Paulding County. When we open, we plan to offer about
15 courses to a conservative estimate of 300 students."
Students in the Dallas/Paulding
County area, which is expected to almost double in population by 2020,
presently have to travel more than 35 miles to the nearest associate
degree-granting institution and more than 20 miles to access undergraduate
and graduate programs.
Dr. Daniel S. Papp, president
of Kennesaw State, said, "We are extremely appreciative of the generosity
and support this partnership has received from Dallas' city officials
and Paulding County commissioners, which will go a long way in allowing
this project to move forward. This site will allow us to extend
our programs to an under-served area of the state to improve higher
education access for a fast-growing community."
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Georgia Highlands College is
a two-year institution in the University System of Georgia, serving
more than 4,700 students at five sites in Rome, Cartersville, Marietta
and Carrollton.
Kennesaw State University is the third-largest university in Georgia, offering more than 65 graduate and undergraduate degrees, including new doctorates in education and business. A member of the 35-unit University System of Georgia, Kennesaw State is a comprehensive, residential institution with a growing student population of more than 21,000 from 142 countries.