 | |
| Type | Public college |
|---|---|
| Active | 1970–2017 |
Parent institution | University System of Georgia |
| President | Stuart Rayfield (interim) |
| Students | 4000[1] |
| Location | ,, United States 30°53′57″N84°32′04″W / 30.8992°N 84.5345°W /30.8992; -84.5345 |
| Colors | Green andwhite |
| Website | bainbridge.edu |
 | |
Bainbridge State College was apublic college inBainbridge, Georgia. It was part of theUniversity System of Georgia which merged it intoAbraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 2017. The college's campus was located on 173 acres (0.70 km2) of land just inside theBainbridge city limits onU.S. Highway 84 East. A separate campus inBlakely, Georgia was Bainbridge College Early County (which was built in 1999 asAlbany Technical College. The Early County Satellite Center was bought by Bainbridge College in 2006). There was also a campus inDonalsonville, Georgia that opened in 2016.
Students commuted from the nearby towns ofAttapulgus,Blakely,Brinson,Cairo,Camilla,Climax,Colquitt,Donalsonville,Iron City,Pelham,Thomasville, andWhigham. With the inclusion ofGadsden County to the college's service area, students from neighboringFlorida communities also attended as in-state students.
The college was established in 1970 with support of local citizens, including former Georgia governorMarvin Griffin, and its doors opened in 1973, during the governorship ofJimmy Carter. Dr. Edward Mobley was the first president. He served from the beginning of the college until 1999, when Dr. Clifford Brock took over, for a tenure that saw enrollment grow by 256 percent. Minority enrollment grew from 24 percent to more than 50 percent as students flocked to the formerly tiny school. Dr. Thomas Wilkerson became president in 2005.
The 1973 charter faculty consisted of Dr. Robert DuBay, Dean; Dr. R. Everett Langford, Chemistry and Geology; and Dr. Ray Chambers, History.
On February 13, 2013, the Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia officially announced that Bainbridge College had been converted into a 4-year state college, and its name was officially changed to Bainbridge State College.[2]
In 2017, the college ceased to exist as a separate entity. The consolidation of Bainbridge State College with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) became official December 2017 upon the approval of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia.
As of July 1, 2018, ABAC offered academic programs in Bainbridge.Southern Regional Technical College (SRTC) assumed responsibility for the technical programs available in Bainbridge.
