Features
Summer enrollment sets all-time record
Summer 2020 represents the largest summer enrollment in the history of Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW). Despite the country facing the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, enrolled students are up more than 6% compared to last summer. These are the highest summer numbers ever recorded in the school's 114-year existence, and administrators expect enrollment to continue to trend upward into the Fall.
From graduating high school seniors to executives at high-level organizations, individuals were flocking to online classes this summer. GSW stated that almost every academic area was up with the biggest gains in graduate enrollment, specifically the MBA program, the M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education and the addition of the new Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership.
"In times of economic trouble, people turn to higher education as a path to a brighter future," said GSW President Neal Weaver, Ph.D. "With GSW's affordability, quality of instruction and personalized attention, we know many people will choose us as their destination for higher learning. This is certainly welcome news considering the decline that was predicted by industry experts because of COVID-19."
Read more about summer enrollments here.
Dr. Liz Wilson retires as Dean of GSW College of Business and Computing after 30 years of dedication
Liz Wilson, Ph.D., dean of GSW's College of Business and Computing, formerly the School of Business, has retired effective June 30, 2020 after serving GSW for 30 years.
“You hope as a teacher that you’ve made an impact on people, and you hope as a dean that you’ve had a positive influence on your team of employees,” said Wilson. “I am so proud of our team who has melded together into an incredibly productive, engaged group of colleagues who share a vision of innovation and involvement as a means to enhance the student experience and their individual success.”
During her tenure, Wilson shepherded GSW’s small online program into one of the most outstanding online programs in the nation; spearheaded the adoption of GSW’s BBA degree into the University System of Georgia’s (USG) eMajor program; led the school through two successful reaccreditations of the prestigious AACSB International accreditation; and expanded Human Resource Management from a concentration with four classes to a full-fledged undergraduate degree program, the only one of its kind in the USG.
Read more about Dr. Wilson and her time as Dean here.
GSW’s commitment to diversity and inclusion
Over the past few weeks, Georgia Southwestern has heard powerful feedback from our campus community, and has had moments of intentional reflection that dig deep into our core values. At such a crucial time in the fight for racial equality, it’s important that, as an institution of higher learning, we understand and acknowledge our history while continuing to move forward. Georgia Southwestern is dedicated to fostering an inclusive campus environment that recognizes, supports, and empowers each individual member’s voice. We are actively listening to our students, faculty, staff and alumni. But it’s not enough to just listen - we must take action.
Read the full statement at here.
