University System of Georgia

Abbreviation	USG
Formation	1931
Purpose	Educational oversight
Headquarters	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Membership	26 public colleges and universities
Chancellor	Sonny Perdue[1]
Students	344,392[2]
Website	usg.edu

UGA

GT

Augusta University

Georgia State

Georgia Southern

Kennesaw State

West Georgia

Valdosta State

Albany State

Clayton State

Columbus State

Fort Valley State

Georgia College

Georgia Southwestern State

Middle Georgia State

Savannah State

North Georgia

Abraham Baldwin

AMSC

Coastal Georgia

Dalton State

East Georgia State

Georgia Gwinnett

Georgia Highlands

Gordon State

South Georgia State

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University System of Georgia Locations.
Black: Research Universities; Red: Regional Comprehensive Universities; Yellow: State Universities; Green: State Colleges.

TheUniversity System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in theU.S. state ofGeorgia. The system is governed by theGeorgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general policy to educational institutions as well as administering thePublic Library Service of the state which includes 58 public library systems. The USG also dispenses public funds (allocated by thestate's legislature) to the institutions but not the lottery-fundedHOPE Scholarship. The USG is the sixth largest university system in the United States by total student enrollment, with 344,392 students in 26 public institutions as of 2023.^[2] USG institutions are divided into four categories:research universities, regional comprehensive universities,state universities, andstate colleges.

The system designates four institutions as "research universities":Georgia Institute of Technology,University of Georgia,Augusta University, andGeorgia State University.^{[note 1][3][4]} The University of Georgia is the state and system'sflagship university, the state's oldest institution of higher learning, and one of the state's twoland-grant universities.^[5][6] After its 2016 merger withGeorgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University became the largest institution of higher learning in the USG until 2024, with over 50,000 students.University of North Georgia is the state's designated military school. There are threehistorically black schools housed within the USG:Savannah State University,Albany State University, and the state's second land-grant university,Fort Valley State University.

In 2012, all USG institutions combined had a $14.1 billion economic impact on the state of Georgia. Georgia Tech in Atlanta and University of Georgia in nearby Athens had the largest impacts on their regional economies: $2.6 billion and 20,869 jobs at Georgia Tech and $2.2 billion and 22,196 jobs at the University of Georgia. Georgia State University's central campus in Atlanta had a $1.6 billion economic impact with 13,736 jobs; given its merger with Perimeter College, with an economic impact of $600 million, Georgia State's overall economic impact on the Atlanta metro area is $2.2 billion.^[7][8]

The University System of Georgia was created with the passage of the Reorganization Act of 1931 by theGeorgia General Assembly in 1931. The Reorganization Act created a Board of Regents to oversee the state's colleges and universities and the 26 boards of trustees that had provided oversight over the various institutions before passage of the act.^[9] The Board of Regents officially took office on January 1, 1932, and consisted of eleven members to be appointed by theGovernor of Georgia pending approval from theGeorgia Senate. The Governor held anex officio position on the Board. The regents were to elect a chairman and select a secretary. One regent was appointed from each of Georgia's tencongressional districts and the eleventh member was chosen at large.^[9]

GovernorRichard Russell Jr.'s initial appointees included Cason Jewell Callaway Sr.,Martha Berry,Richard Russell Sr. (the governor's father),George C. Woodruff, William Dickson Anderson Sr. (1873–1957), Egbert Erle Cocke Sr. (1895–1977) and Philip Robert Weltner Sr. (1887–1981). Anderson was elected chairman, Weltner vice-chairman and Cocke was appointed as the secretary/treasurer. Prior to the Reorganization Act, Georgia university chief executives held the title of chancellor; however, after the Act, University heads were given the title of president and a new chancellor position was created. The USG chancellor was selected and overseen by the board. At the request of the regents,Charles Snelling, the presiding head of theUniversity of Georgia (UGA), stepped down from his position at UGA to become the initial chancellor of the entire system.^[9]

The 1932 Annual Report for the Board stated outstanding debts of $1,074,415.^[9] Over the next few years the USG endeavored to transform the state's institutions of higher learning by reorganizing schools, merging and closing others and transforming course offerings and curriculum.

In 2011, Chancellor Hank Huckaby recommended four consolidations among eight institutions, which would be implemented in 2013. The same year, the Board of Regents adopted six "Principles for Consolidation", which has led to multiple consolidations in the subsequent years.^[10] As of 2018, these consolidations have decreased the number of USG colleges and universities from 35 to 26.^[11]

In Fall 2018, the university system saw enrollment reach an all-time high of 328,712 students enrolled across the system's 26 colleges and universities.^[12]

On March 6, 2019, an Atlanta court upheld a USG policy barringunauthorized immigrants from attending Georgia State, Georgia Tech, and the University of Georgia.^[13]

In regards to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the USG decided against making wearing face coverings mandatory for the Fall 2020 semester^[14][15] before deciding to mandate them.^[16]

On April 1, 2022, formerGeorgia Governor andUnited States Secretary of AgricultureSonny Perdue became the system's 14th Chancellor.^[1] That same month, the system wascensured by theAmerican Association of University Professors over changes to tenure protections.^[17]

Additionally, theSkidaway Institute of Oceanography was aligned with theUniversity of Georgia, which became effective July 1, 2013.^[24]

The Georgia Research Alliance is anAtlanta, Georgia-basednonprofit organization that coordinates research efforts between Georgia'spublic andprivate sectors. While GRA receives a state appropriation for investment in university-based research opportunities, its operations are funded through foundation and industry contributions. In its first 19 years, GRA leveraged $525 million in state funding into $2.6 billion of additional federal and private investment.

In 2007, GRA coalesced the strengths of several universities into a focused research effort built around new types of vaccines and therapeutics.^[25]

GRA Eminent Scholars

GRA Eminent Scholars are top scientists from around the world recruited by the Georgia Research Alliance. For each scholar, GRA invests $750,000 for an endowment, an amount that the research university matches in private funds on a minimum 1-1 basis. Eminent Scholars often bring a research team, significant federal funding and private support for their research. Georgia's investment in GRA Eminent Scholars has yielded more than $1 billion in outside grants and contracts for the state and helped to launch some 35 companies.^{[citation needed]}

GRA's Cancer Initiative

After 10 years as an independent nonprofit organization, theGeorgia Cancer Coalition became an initiative of the Georgia Research Alliance on January 18, 2012. The move was part of a larger effort to align Georgia's economic development assets in a more effective way.

GRA VentureLab

The Georgia Research Alliance set out to help launch companies around Georgian university research results, GRA launched its lead commercialization program, VentureLab, in 2002.^[26]

GRA also works with established Georgia companies through theGeorgia Department of Economic Development and the Georgia Centers of Innovation in aerospace, logistics, life sciences, energy, agriculture and advanced manufacturing. TheCOIs help find technology solutions to industry challenges, in part by connecting companies to leading-edge research at Georgia's universities.^{[citation needed]}

From 2002 to 2010, GRA directed $19 million of state funding into VentureLab. During that time, more than 700 university inventions or discoveries have been evaluated for commercial potential. More than 107 active companies have been formed, which employ more than 650 Georgians. These companies have also attracted $460 million in equity investment and generated $77 million in revenue.^[27]

GRA Centers of Research Excellence

Centers of Research Excellence are collaborative and individual efforts that focus on one area of scientific research.^[28]

USG classifies its institutions into four "functional sectors" based on each institution's specific mission and function:^[4][3]

• Research University: Doctoral-granting institutions classified by theCarnegie Classification as "very high" or "high" research activity (R1 and R2, respectively).^{[note 1]}
• Regional Comprehensive University: Institutions that offer undergraduate and master's-level degrees with some master's-dominant graduate programs.
• State University: Institutions that offer associate's, bachelor's, and master's degrees with limited, select doctoral programs.
• State College: Institutions that offer bachelor's and associate degrees with no graduate programs.

• Student Advisory Council of Georgia – An organizational body composed of the student government presidents at each of the University System's institutions
• Technical College System of Georgia – A separate post-secondary education system which oversees Georgia's technical colleges
• List of colleges and universities in Georgia – A list of all colleges and universities in the state of Georgia

• Official website

• University System of Georgia
• Public universities and colleges in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Public university systems in the United States
• 1931 establishments in Georgia (U.S. state)
• Universities and colleges established in 1931

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