East Georgia College

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East Georgia College
Established:	1973
Type:	Community college
President:	Dr. John B. Black
Students:	2,555 (Fall 2008) [1]
Location:	Swainsboro, Georgia, United States
Campus:	Rural, 227 acres (0.92 km2)
Former names:	Emanuel County Junior College
Colors:	Hunter Green and Gold
Nickname:	Bobcats
Website:	http://www.ega.edu

East Georgia College is a two-year unit of the University System of Georgia. The main campus located in Swainsboro and its satellite center in Statesboro serve Emanuel, Bulloch, and surrounding counties throughout east-central Georgia.

Contents 1 History 1.1 Recent History 2 Vision Series 3 Statesboro Center 4 Location 5 Notable alumni 6 References 7 External links

[edit] History

In the 1960s, community leaders, led by Dr. Madison Frank Dixon, in Swainsboro and Emanuel County urged the state to establish a community college in the area. In the late 60s, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia named Swainsboro-Emanuel County one of six prospective sites for new community colleges in the state, provided that the county provide land and funding to build the initial physical plant. In September 1971, citizens of Emanuel County approved a $2.1 million bond issue and provided 207 acres (0.84 km²) of land within the city limits of Swainsboro for a new college. 190 acres (0.77 km²) of the site was donated by Mrs. Luck Flanders Gambrell. In December of that same year, the Board of Regents granted final approval for Emanuel County Junior College. The college hosted its charter class of 167 students in the fall quarter of 1973 at a temporary site, as the main campus would not be ready until the start of the 1974 academic year. The college assumed its current name in 1988 when the Board of Regents mandated that the word "Junior" be removed from the names of its two-year colleges^[2] and to better reflect the area the college serves.

[edit] Recent History

Since its opening, the original campus has been expanded significantly. In 2001, the Luck Flanders Gambrell Center opened its doors, housing the college library, main auditorium, classrooms, and executive offices. In 2003, the Physical Education building was augmented with a new indoor gymnasium, fitness center, an art studio, and additional classrooms. The Student Services Center was expanded and renovated in 2007, adding additional meeting space and improved administrative offices. The college opened a new entrance road, Madison Dixon Drive^[3], at the intersection of Lambs Bridge Road and Meadowlake Parkway in early 2008, and a new Community Learning Center is currently under construction near the entrance, which is expected to open in late 2009 or early 2010. The center, named for Sudie A. Fulford, a celebrated grade-school teacher in the Swainsboro community, will feature an educational resource center, meeting space for small conferences and the college's continuing education programs, and a great room with a domed ceiling which can be utilized as a planetarium.^[4] The college currently has plans to add student housing in the future.

In Fall 2008, students in a college-wide referendum approved a $75 increase in student fees to support an intercollegiate athletics program, with the Board of Regents approving the fee in their April 2009 meeting. The college plans to begin club-level play in Fall 2009 with men’s and women’s basketball, women’s fast-pitch softball, and men’s baseball as the college's initial sports and plans to begin competitive play in the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association in Fall 2010.^[5]

[edit] Vision Series

A program unique to any community college is the Vision Series. This privately-funded initiative brings programs of cultural and intellectual enrichment to East Georgia College and the Swainsboro-Emanuel County community. Noteworthy speakers who have visited East Georgia College include President and Mrs. Jimmy Carter, poet Maya Angelou, former Atlanta mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, broadcast journalist Cokie Roberts, author and television commentator Bruce Feiler, and the Honorable Leah Ward Sears, the first female Chief Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court. All Vision Series events are free and open to the public.^[6]

[edit] Statesboro Center

In 1997, the Statesboro Center was established as a collaboration between East Georgia College and Georgia Southern University. The Statesboro Center's primary purpose is to serve students who fail to meet Georgia Southern's regular freshman admission requirements. Additionally, students who live in the Statesboro area can apply for direct enrollment at EGC Statesboro. Because a majority of the Statesboro Center's classes are held on Georgia Southern's campus, EGC Statesboro students enjoy most of the benefits afforded to GSU students by paying the host university's student services fees. EGC Statesboro students are also permitted to take classes at the main campus. Students who earn at least 30 credit hours of college-level coursework and have a GPA of at least 2.0 can then transfer to Georgia Southern or any other university-level institution or choose to attend classes in Swainsboro to finish out requirements for the Associate in Arts degree.^[7][8]

[edit] Location

The main campus is located on 227 acres (0.92 km²) of land within the eastern city limits of Swainsboro, with the main entrance located at the intersection of Lambs Bridge Road and Meadowlake Parkway. East Georgia College's official street address is listed as 131 College Circle. The Statesboro Center is located at 1525-A Fair Road (State Road 67), approximately 1 mile (1.6 km) south of the campus of Georgia Southern University.

The city of Swainsboro is located 15 miles (24 km) off Exit 90 on Interstate 16, almost halfway between Macon and Savannah. By car, Swainsboro is approximately a 45 minute drive from Statesboro, an hour and a half drive from either Macon, Savannah, or Augusta, and three hours from Atlanta.

[edit] Notable alumni

Lee Berger, National Geographic Explorer and Paleoanthropologist

[edit] References

1. ^ "Semester Enrollment Report" (PDF). Office of Research and Policy Analysis. University System of Georgia. 2008. http://www.usg.edu/research/students/enroll/fy2009/fall08.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-11-13. 
2. ^ New Georgia Encyclopedia: East Georgia College
3. ^ USG Board of Regents Meeting Agenda April 15, 2008--"Naming of Madison Dixon Drive"
4. ^ Forest Blade: Groundbreaking held at EGC for Community Learning Center
5. ^ Forest Blade: Intercollegiate athletics come to EGC
6. ^ University System of Georgia Website: About East Georgia College
7. ^ East Georgia College at Statesboro
8. ^ East Georgia College Catalog 2006-2008

[edit] External links

• East Georgia College Online

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