Mergers in Georgia

Public higher education in Georgia is a flurry of activity. North Georgia College and State University merged with Gainesville State College to form University of North Georgia. Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University merged to form Georgia Regents University. Macon State College and Middle Georgia College merged to form Middle Georgia State College. South Georgia College and Waycross College merged to form South Georgia State College. And recently announced, Kennesaw State University will merge with Southern Polytechnic State University.

All this activity in Georgia is interesting from an outsider’s perspective; here is a state trying hard to deal with the new budget realities in higher education by merging institutions to create budget efficiencies to save money. The problem with these mergers is that, “‘the system expects the first round of mergers will save between $5 million and $7.5 million this year,’ Nickel said. That’s about 0.1 percent of the total $7.4 billion operating budget for the 31-college system.” Nickel is Shelly Nickel, the Associate Vice Chancellor, Planning & Implementation for the University System of Georgia.

Before I go on I must as a few questions about the University System of Georgia. Of the 31 campuses:
- Where can cuts be made to reduce redundancy?
- Can any one (or multiple) campus totally be shut down?
- Which programs can be cut because of low enrollments? How many faculty members would be let go if programs were cut; how many administrators and staff would be cut if programs were eliminated?
- Which programs can be cut to reduce geographic redundancy? How many faculty members would be let go if programs were cut; how many administrators and staff would be cut if programs were eliminated?
- How many student support/success initiatives can be cut? How many administrators and staff would be cut if these initiatives were eliminated?
- Which athletic programs can be cut due to the mergers? How many administrators and staff would be cut?
- Can statewide online courses help save money?
- Can statewide online courses help save money with general education courses?

I can only assume this first round of mergers with the 0.1% savings is only the beginning because for all the heartache caused by these mergers, 0.1% is not good enough. If University System of Georgia is going reduce costs and save money then they need to actually do it. Colleges and universities for the last few decades have been adding and adding to their offerings, their size, and their budgets. Even Harvard, with its huge endowment, stated it needs to watch its budget and not simply be additive.

As stated in my previous articles about music in Arizona and Physics in Maine, Georgia can find many places to cut amongst its 31 campuses and $7.4 billion operating budget. Maybe this is why Nickel said during the first round of mergers, Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic State University being the second round, only $5 to $7.5 million was saved.

We will see if the University System Georgia starts making real, substantial, and painful cuts during the next round. These cuts will cause a lot of heartache but if done thoughtfully, strategically, and without bias or political wrangling (I know...naive), higher education in Georgia will be transformed into a stronger and highly competitive system of colleges and universities.