ATLANTA – (Jan. 6) – Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College will consolidate to form a new institution to be named Georgia State University. Today, the Board of Regents approved a proposal from Chancellor Hank Huckaby recommending the consolidation of these two institutions to improve student success.

“Georgia State is a recognized national leader in improving student retention and graduation rates and will be able to apply its best practices,” said Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “Combining these attributes with Georgia Perimeter College’s leadership in providing access to students across the metro area presents a major opportunity to improve student success.”

The decision to consolidate the two institutions, whose combined enrollment this fall is 53,927 students, follows the six guiding principles for consolidation approved by the board in Nov. 2011.

Georgia State President Mark Becker will serve as the president of the new institution. The consolidation timeline calls for the approval of the plan by the board of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges by the end of this year, followed by Board of Regents approval of the new institution in early 2016.

An implementation team with representatives from both institutions to work out the many details associated with consolidating the two universities will soon be formed. The implementation team will also be responsible for submitting the required documents for accreditation. 

Georgia State University, the second-largest university in the University System of Georgia, is a research university located in downtown Atlanta with a national reputation for graduating students from diverse backgrounds. The university celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2013.

Georgia Perimeter College, located on five campuses throughout metropolitan Atlanta, was founded in 1964 for the citizens of DeKalb County by the DeKalb Board of Education. Georgia Perimeter is the top associate-degree-granting institution in Georgia.

Got Questions? Send them to us at marcom@gpc.edu

Also see consolidation Q&A from University System Communications Office and Q & A with Georgia State President Dr. Mark Becker.