Ga. merges eight universities

ATLANTA — The state Board of Regents this week gave its nod to a plan to consolidate eight of the state’s 35 universities.

By merging the universities, officials believe they can save on administrative costs. With the approval, officials merged Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega; Middle Georgia College in Cochran and Macon State College; Waycross College and South Georgia College in Douglas; and Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University, also in Augusta.

“The Board’s approval now paves the way for us to proceed,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said in a news release. “We will focus on how these consolidations enable us to better serve our students and areas of the state more efficiently and effectively. I look forward to working with the eight institutions on this process.”

The actual consolidation will take an estimated 12-18 months to complete, officials said.