Revised May 30, 1989

External Degree Program Administration

The Consortium

Armstrong State College, Georgia Southern College and Savannah State College join Brunswick College in the formation of a consortium of University System institutions for the purpose of establishing a residence center for baccalaureate and graduate degrees in Brunswick, Georgia. This center will be called the Brunswick Center.

The Need

In 1982 the Governor’s Committee on Postsecondary Education published its final report which is titled "Maintaining Progress in Georgia Postsecondary Education: Recommendations for Today, Concerns for Tomorrow." This report identifies an area between Brunswick and Macon that is not within the service district of any senior college. On page 20, under actions recommended, this report reads:

The Board of Regents should elevate one of the three junior colleges in or adjoining the unserved area in southeast Georgia – Brunswick, South Georgia, or Waycross – to senior college status, following a study of the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Until a senior college has been developed, the Board of Regents should take specific action to monitor and encourage the offering of Baccalaureate and master’s level off-campus courses and programs in this area of the state.

In 1983, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia conducted a statewide needs assessment for public higher education and published its findings in a report titled "The Eighties and Beyond, a Commitment to Excellence." This report also identifies the southeastern sector of the state (Brunswick south to the Florida border and west to Valdosta) as underserved by the University System at the baccalaureate level and graduate levels. Under Delivery Mechanisms, page 25, the report recommends:

…that full use be made of satellite centers under aegis of university level institutions in cooperation with senior colleges to respond to the needs of the underserved areas of the state;…

In response to this recommendation, the colleges listed above secured the services of the Survey Research Center of the University System of Georgia to closely examine the need for baccalaureate programs in the area unidentified as underserved. The survey research was conducted during the summer of 1985 and showed strong support and need. Six counties – Brantley, Camden, Glynn, Long, McIntosh, and Wayne – were surveyed with 568 telephone interviews conducted. The proposal to permit college students to earn a baccalaureate degree from one of the system’s senior colleges by taking classes taught on the Brunswick College campus was favored by 76% of the entire sample. One percent opposed the proposal. Respondents who expressed personal interest in enrolling or who reported that a member of the household would be interested were also surveyed for program interest. Of the program areas proposed, General Studies was of interest to the largest percentage (75%). Other programs of interest to the respondents were general business (70%), computer science technology (59%), and teacher education (54%). Within teacher education the area of greatest interest was vocational/technical (81%), elementary (74%), and early childhood (64%).

The Center

The consortium of colleges named above proposes to operate a Brunswick residence Center on the campus of Brunswick College for offering baccalaureate and master’s degree programs. Master’s degrees in those subject areas specifically approved for the Center by the Board of Regents in June, 1971 (pages 6 and 7, June 16 Minutes of the Board of Regents), will be offered only by Georgia Southern College. Georgia Southern will be the lead institution for the granting of master’s degrees. Armstrong State will be the lead institution for the granting of baccalaureate degrees.

The policies for the continuing operation of the center will be established by a committee of representatives of the participating colleges named by the presidents of the colleges. The chairmanship of the committee shall rotate annually among the participating colleges. The committee will function under the oversight of the Chancellor, Presidents of the participating colleges. Policy and procedural issues that cannot be established by the committee will be referred to the Presidents for resolution.

Office personnel for the Brunswick Center shall initially include a half-time coordinator and a half-time secretary who will be employees of Brunswick College by a joint staffing arrangement with the other participating colleges. The staffing will be evaluated annually and upgraded to full-time when the need arises.

Credit

Credit taken in the Brunswick Center shall serve as residence credit for any of the participating colleges. EFT shall be counted and reported by the college granting the credit for instruction. Fees should follow the credit granted.

Fees

Matriculation fees for any courses offered at the 300 and 400 level will be at the prevailing rate for off-campus instruction for four-year colleges. All fees collected for a course will be credited to the account of the college granting credit. Fees will be collected by the business office of Brunswick College on behalf of all participating colleges.

Financial Aid

The Brunswick College office of Financial Aid will assist participating schools in the administration of financial aid.

Registration and Records

The Registrar’s office of Brunswick College shall register students and maintain records on behalf of participating colleges. Copies of grade reports will be supplied to the registrars of the colleges responsible for each course. Transcripts will be kept in duplicate in the Brunswick Center and in the participating college to which the student is initially registered.

All students will be admitted to participating colleges using admission standards in force on campus for that college. Once admitted by a participating college, a student will be allowed to take courses offered by every other participating college on a transient student basis.

Lower Division Students

Students who have completed 45 hours at Brunswick College, who have completed core English requirements, and who have met Regent’s Test requirements shall be allowed to enroll in the Brunswick Center on a transient student basis.

Library

Each participating college will be responsible for prescribing and evaluating library resources for the courses taught by them. The Brunswick College library will house and circulate library collection on behalf of participating colleges. All services of the Brunswick College library will be available to the students enrolled in the Brunswick Center.

Book Sales

The Brunswick College bookstore will retail books adopted for courses offered by participating colleges in the Brunswick Center.

Administration

Each participating senior college will share the costs of personnel who are hired to staff and administer the Center in accordance with the Board of Regents Business Procedures Manual Volume I – procedural directives 2 and 8 as appropriate. During FY86 and FY87, the administration costs will be shared equally by the participating senior colleges. Administrative costs will be kept to $7,500 per participating four-year college by delaying the hiring of the part-time secretary. Near the end of FY87 expenses will be re-examined to determine of cost sharing should be proportionate to the quarter credit hour production. Brunswick College will absorb all indirect costs including maintenance, utilities, security, and the costs associated with business office and registrar’s office support. Brunswick College will supply instructional and office space as part of indirect costs.

Curriculum

The initial baccalaureate level degree program offerings in the Brunswick Center will be:

Bachelor of General Studies with concentrations in business, political science, criminal justice, psychology, history.

Bachelor of Science on Education with concentration in Early Childhood Education.

Bachelor of Science in Nursing

Armstrong State is the lead institution for the awarding of baccalaureate degrees.

The course offerings for a three-year period are attached.