The College

Print this Page

Click on any of the following links for information:

• Overview
  
• Accreditations
• Mission
• Vision Statement
• Core Values
• Strategic Goals
• General Education
• Campuses and Buildings Gainesville Campus
• Oconee Campus
• Affiliated Organizations

Serving Northeast Georgia since 1964, Gainesville State College is a non-residential unit of the University System of Georgia.  The Gainesville State College Gainesville Campus, located 45 miles northeast of Atlanta and six miles southwest of downtown Gainesville in Oakwood, is easily accessible from I-985 via Exit 16 (Highway 53).  Gainesville is very close to beautiful Lake Lanier, the Appalachian Trail, white water canoeing, and the rich multicultural activities of metropolitan Atlanta.  The Gainesville State College Oconee Campus is located at 1201 Bishop Farms Parkway in Watkinsville, Georgia.  The Oconee Campus is part of a community known for its rural beauty, vibrant art community, and recreational and sports complexes.  Its proximity to Athens provides ready access to the intellectual and cultural activities characteristic of a university town as well as the State Botanical Garden.  Students are drawn primarily from the increasingly diverse Northeast Georgia area.

With an enrollment that will exceed 8,000 in Fall 2008, Gainesville State College offers courses leading to the Bachelors of Applied Science in Environmental and Spatial Analysis, Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education for Grades P-5, Bachelor of Science with a Major in Early Childhood Care and Education, Bachelor of Applied Science with a Major in Technology Management, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, and Associate of Applied Science degrees, in addition a variety of certificate programs.  Over ninety percent of Gainesville State College students are in programs transferable to four-year colleges and universities.

Gainesville State College integrates academic and extra-curricular activities in order to emphasize development of the “whole person.”  Gainesville State College students can enjoy the “total college experience” by participating in student activities such as:  intramurals, clubs and organizations, bands, chorale, publications, cultural affairs programs, fine arts offerings including theatre, and international-intercultural studies programs.

Gainesville State College is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of College and Schools to award the Associate Degree and a limited selection of Baccalaureate Degrees.  Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Gainesville State College. 

The Gainesville State College Business Division is nationally accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs for the offering of the Associate Degree in Business Administration and Education. The Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies and the Certificate of Paralegal Studies are approved by the American Bar Association.

Gainesville State College is an institutional member of the American Council on Education, American Association of Community Colleges, Georgia Association of Colleges, College and University Personnel Association, National Association of College and University Business Officers, National Association of College Auxiliary Services, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers, National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, and Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers.

The mission of Gainesville State College is to provide broad access to a quality liberal arts higher education primarily for the population of Northeast Georgia.  Gainesville State College seeks to assure the success of its students and contribute to the quality of life in the surrounding region.  The institution, with an emphasis on diversity and international issues, prepares students to function in a global society.

The College also values its role as a service organization that responds to the economic and educational needs of the community and reaches out to the citizens of Northeast Georgia. By offering continuing education programs, public service activities, cultural enrichment experiences, and forums for public discussion, the College expands its tradition of service beyond its immediate student body and into the community at large.

To accomplish its mission, the College will serve its students by:

• Offering lower-division courses to prepare students to transfer to four-year colleges and universities and to provide opportunities for University System of Georgia institutions to offer appropriate upper-division and graduate courses and programs through the College’s University Center; 
• Offering a limited number of baccalaureate programs and upper-division courses to meet the educational, civic, and economic needs of the community and region; 
• Offering a Learning Support Program to enhance students’ academic success; 
• Offering career programs and courses relevant to area employment needs and the interests of students; 
• Integrating technology into instruction and support services, whereby the College assures the technological proficiency of its students and effectiveness of services; and 
• Providing a climate supportive of student success through academic support, administrative support, and student development services and activities that complement and enhance the instructional program.

To accomplish its mission in meeting the broader needs of the community, the College will:

• Offer continuing education programs, public service activities, and facilities for people who want to enrich their lives intellectually, socially, culturally, physically, and vocationally; and 
• Promote the aspirations of students and their academic preparation through outreach programs to the public schools and organizations in the College’s community.

Gainesville State College systematically assesses its effectiveness in reflecting its values, accomplishing its goals, and promoting its vision, and uses the results to enhance programs and services.

In meeting the educational needs of the citizens of Georgia, Gainesville State College shares with all other institutions in the University System of Georgia the commitment to ensure academic excellence and educational opportunities through:

• A supportive campus climate, leadership and development opportunities, and necessary services and facilities to meet the needs of students, faculty, and staff; 
• Diversity in the faculty, staff, and student body supported by practices and programs that embody the ideals of an open, democratic, and global society;
• Technology to advance educational purposes, including instructional technology, student support services, and distance education; and 
• A commitment to sharing physical, human, information, and other resources in collaboration with other System institutions, the public libraries, state agencies, local schools, and technical colleges to expand and to enhance programs and services available to the citizens of Georgia.

Gainesville State College seeks to be recognized as the region’s premier teaching institution by building on its tradition of teaching excellence and the strength of its student-focused and learning-centered environment.  As a dynamic institution, the College will continue to address the region’s call for accessible, high-quality academic programs in an atmosphere that fosters student success.

At Gainesville State College we value:

• Our student-oriented environment focused on student learning and growth. 
• The philosophy that all humans have potential and equal worth. 
• Qualified and dedicated faculty and staff who play a critical role in the education of our students. 
• Academic freedom and scholarship. 
• Open and effective communication. 
• A caring and collegial environment. 
• The growth and well-being of employees. 
• Providing a range of opportunities to meet the cultural, educational, and entertainment needs of our diverse community. 
• Innovation and experimentation to facilitate progress and to advance knowledge. 
• Teaching, which recognizes the relationship among academic disciplines. 
• The integration of technology into the fabric of the college. 
• A clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing environment. 
• The cooperative process for carrying out the business of the college. 
• The strong support of our community and alumni. 
• Positive influence of education on improving people’s lives.

The Strategic Goals of Gainesville State College are:

• To affirm the College’s core values and provide access and opportunities for a quality higher education.  This includes a review of our institutional values, seeing the connection between values and goals, and seeking ways to assure that policies, procedures, and programs reflect these values. This goal emphasizes access and includes such actions as clearly communicating our mission.  The College will add programs, degrees, institutional baccalaureate programs and graduate degrees as needed.  This also includes collaborating with other institutions (peer, feeder, and transfer) and providing flexible delivery in terms of scheduling, format, and international components to enhance students’ ability to succeed in a global society.
• To facilitate success and educational goal attainment for all students and to foster a welcoming environment that values and reflects diversity and inclusion.  This includes the broad array of academic and student support services that promote academic success as well as programs and activities that promote service, leadership, and ethical behavior.  It also includes increasing academic and need-based scholarships, increasing the diversity of students, faculty, and staff, and dealing with diversity issues in the curriculum and in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.
• To maintain academic standards of excellence with accountability. This goal includes reviewing academic programs to ensure regional and global relevancy, maintaining academic standards, and accessing student performance at the College, after transfer, and in the workplace.
• To promote the growth and well-being of faculty and staff through professional development and recognition.  This goal includes providing opportunities for faculty and staff to participate in regional, national, and international professional organizations and activities and support for further educational opportunities.  The institution supports and rewards faculty and staff members who make a meaningful contribution to their disciplines, student learning, and student success.
• To continue developing sources of funding while maintaining sound fiscal and operational standards and practices.  This includes continuing to work with the University System of Georgia to increase state funding allocations to reflect the College’s enrollment and needs as well as complying with University System policies, state regulations, federal guidelines, and other accountability measures.  The College will also seek alternative funding through grants, public-private partnerships, and community financial support through the Foundation.
• To enhance the College’s services and opportunities to the community.  This includes a broad array of activities including Continuing Education and Public Service programs, Gainesville Theatre Alliance, birth through grade 12 collaboration, and other cultural and educational opportunities and programs.

General Education at Gainesville State College is a shared set of curricular and co-curricular experiences that cultivates in students the knowledge, skills, and perspectives necessary for lifelong learning and productive citizenship in a dynamic and multi-cultural society.

As a result of their experiences at Gainesville State College, students will be able to:

1. Communicate effectively through speaking, writing, reading, and listening;
2. Perform basic arithmetic and algebraic operations and use mathematical concepts to comprehend, interpret, and communicate quantitative information; 
3. Demonstrate critical thinking skills and a basic understanding of systematic methods of inquiry and apply those principles and procedures; 
4. Demonstrate knowledge of history and political systems and their implications in local, national, and international contexts; 
5. Demonstrate an awareness of cultures different from their own; 
6. Demonstrate the knowledge necessary to plan and execute a personal wellness program; 
7. Use computers and other forms of technology to perform a variety of tasks; 
8. Develop an appreciation of a broad range of artistic experiences; 
9. Work effectively in groups; 
10. Further education and professional areas of their lives; and 
11. Gain enrichment in the personal areas of their lives.

The Gainesville Campus is located six miles southwest of Gainesville on Mundy Mill Road (Highway 53) and near Exit 16 of Interstate Highway 985. The campus contains approximately 150 acres. Eighty additional acres, contiguous to the original campus, have been made available for educational use through a gift from Johnson & Johnson to the Gainesville State College Foundation.

DUNLAP-MATHIS BUILDING

This building was recently renovated for the Gainesville State College University Center, which assists with delivering selected four-year Bachelor’s Degrees and some Graduate courses on the Gainesville State College Campus. It also houses the Art Department, Foreign Language Department, Office of Planning and Institutional Research, Institute for Global Initiatives, Testing Center, Disability Services, and Information Technology Department.

ACADEMIC BUILDING II

In this building are located the offices and classrooms for the Humanities and Fine Arts and Social Sciences Divisions as well as the Center for Resarch and Public Service. It also contains two computer labs and two multimedia classrooms.

ACADEMIC BUILDING III

This building houses the offices and classrooms for the Mathematics and Computer Science Division, the Communications Department, the Learning Support/ESL Department, and the Academic Computing, Tutoring, and Testing Center (ACTT Center).

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

This building houses the offices of the President, Vice President for Academic Affairs, Vice President for Business and Finance, and Vice President of Institutional Advancement (Foundation and Alumni Affairs).

BUSINESS/CONTINUING EDUCATION/PERFORMING ARTS

This 40,000-square-foot building contains two wings, one with offices and classrooms for the Business Division as well as for continuing education/public service activities and the other for classrooms and related instructional space to support drama and business. The wings are connected to a common lobby, which is the center of many College activities. A 300-seat teaching theater is included, as well as the Roy C. Moore Art Gallery.

CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND PUBLIC SERVICE

The Center for Research and Public Service utilizes the institutional expertise of GSC to provide public service through research, consultancies, faculty, and students’ community engagement, and programs which will improve the lives of peoples in environing communities and farther afield and directly benefit the Private, Non-Profit, and Public Sectors.

JOHN HARRISON HOSCH LIBRARY

The Hosch Library provides professional staff to assist students in locating information resources and in the effective use of these resources. Assistance is provided in using GALILEO, the award-winning collection of databases provided by the University System of Georgia, and in using GIL, the online catalog. GIL provides access to over 80,000 books, videos, and other items housed at the Hosch Library and the Oconee Library, as well as to resources in other University System of Georgia Libraries. Inside the library are various types of student areas - individual study carrels, tables, study rooms for group work, a large multi-purpose room, and a smaller classroom/meeting room. Students are offered a large number of computers on the first floor for their use. Major emphasis is placed on supporting the curriculum by providing basic works in all subject areas and by subscribing to periodicals, newspapers, bibliographies, and similar tools of scholarship. Library instruction is available to individuals and to classes. A joint agreement with Student Life provides popular books for recreational reading. The cordial atmosphere of the library makes it a popular center for study and relaxation.

PLANT OPERATIONS AND FACILITIES

There are two buildings for Plant Operations and Facilities. One contains the administrative offices for Plant Operations and Facilities and Public Safety and additional warehouse storage. The other building contains the building maintenance, landscape services, cleaning services, shipping and receiving, construction shop, mobile equipment service and repair shop, surplus and warehouse storage and sheds for mobile equipment.

MUSIC BUILDING

This structure houses the Music Department and the support facilities. This includes the lecture room, electronic-piano laboratory, sound-proof practice rooms, applied-music studios, offices, and space for equipment storage.

SCIENCE, ENGINEERING, AND TECHNOLOGY BUILDING

The state-of-the-art 50,000 square foot Science, Engineering, and Technology facility contains faculty offices for the Division of Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Technology, as well as four lecture halls, five classrooms, two class/lab rooms, a microcomputer based physics lab, three chemistry labs, a microbiology lab, three biology labs, two multipurpose labs, an analytical chemistry instrument room, a research lab, a soil/rock prep lab, a Geographic Information Science lab, an Integrated Technology lab, and a large general-use Multimedia Science Computer lab.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION COMPLEX

The Physical Education Complex houses the Education, Health and Wellness Division and includes the gymnasium, indoor heated swimming pool, sauna bath, steam room, fully equipped Fitness Center, classroom, weight room, dressing facilities, and multiple-purpose rooms. A lift is available upon request to assist handicapped persons getting into and out of the pool. Outside facilities include all-weather track, bike trail, exercise trail, intramural field, tennis courts, golf range, game field, mini-field house, and fishing lakes. These facilities are widely used by students, faculty, and community groups.

STUDENT CENTER

At the heart of the campus is the Student Center which houses many convenient accommodations for students, faculty members, and other groups who seek workshop, seminar, or general meeting rooms. Student Government Association Offices, recreational areas, game room, food service, and the bookstore are located in this building. The facility also includes the Student Development and Enrollment Management Office, Admissions, Counseling and Career Services Center, Minority Affairs Office, Registrar’s Office, Student Life Office, Financial Aid Office, Academic Advising Center, and the Cyber Cafe/Gameroom.

The Oconee Campus is located on Bishop Farm Parkway in Watkinsville off Highway 53 (Experiment Station Road) and also easily accessible from Highway 441. The campus contains 14 acres in a pastoral setting of rolling hills. The Campus was acquired in 2003 with the first classes offered Summer Semester 2003.

ADMINISTRATION BUILDING

This building houses the administrative offices, business services, testing lab, advising center, Learning Support, some faculty offices along with all Student Development and Enrollment Management offices.  Space originally used as the campus bookstore has been converted to use as a second Student Computer Lab.

STUDENT RESOURCE CENTER BUILDING

The Library, Information Technology Department, Foreign Language Lab, Office of Student Life, “The Voice” student newspaper office, and a coffee kiosk are located in this building.  Faculty offices, a science lab, and classrooms are also contained in the building.

The Library on the Oconee Campus combines the best features of the Hosch Library and ACTT Center on the Gainesville Campus. The Library houses a collection of over 10,000 books, videos, and other academic materials and provides professional staff to assist students in locating the information resources they need. Professional and peer tutors provide assistance in Math, English foreign languages, and a variety of other subjects. A large group of computers provides access to GALILEO, the widely-acclaimed collection of online databases, to GIL, the Library catalog, to an extensive array of software applications on the campus network, and to the Internet. Professional student employees of the Information Technology Department provide computing assistance. The Library also provides Regents’ Test Skills courses, administers make-up tests, and has TV/VCRs available to support class work, as well as study materials which faculty make available to students on a reserve basis.

CLASSROOM BUILDING

Classrooms, computer labs, science labs, and faculty offices are located in this building.

FACULTY CENTER BUILDING

The latest addition to the facilities on the Oconee campus, the Faculty Center Building houses the Bookstore, the Bishop Wellness and Activities Hall, and faculty and staff offces.  The building was completed during Fall Semester 2008.  The Bishop Wellness and Activities Hall allows the College to offer Physical Education courses on the campus and provides additional space for student activities.

GAINESVILLE STATE COLLEGE FOUNDATION

The Gainesville State College Foundation was established in 1967 to generate and administer private financial support of the College. Overseeing the funds raised by the Foundation is a continuing responsibility of the Board of Trustees which operates through an Executive Committee. With our campus in Oconee County, the Foundation has identified alumni in that area to serve on the Trustee Board. Our goal is to gather additional support from that community for our Scholarship Program for Oconee students.

Funds provided through the Foundation continue to increase annually and are used primarily for student scholarships, faculty and staff development, as well as important technology upgrades for students and faculty. Currently 80% of funds raised are used for student scholarships and other related programs and technology enhancements. The Foundation currently has an endowment base of over $11 million. Anyone wishing further information about the Foundation may call the College Development Office.

GAINESVILLE STATE COLLEGE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION

The Gainesville State College Alumni Association was established in 1985 and is affiliated with the Gainesville State College Foundation. The Association’s activities on behalf of the College are coordinated with those of the Foundation. The activities of the Alumni Association are coordinated by an Alumni Council with representatives from throughout Northeast Georgia. Membership is free and open to anyone who has attended Gainesville State College. The primary objectives of the Association are to maintain contact with alumni and to encourage their continuing support of the institution.

Activities include the Alumni & Friends Golf Tournament, Anchors Away - an alumni newsletter, alumni recognition at graduation, Starlight Concert and Fireworks Show, and a variety of other events throughout the year. The proceeds from all alumni events support scholarships provided through the Gainesville State College Foundation.