Student success remains priority amid GHC site closure
Georgia Highlands College announced today the forthcoming closure of its Douglasville site, with the University of West Georgia committing to provide support to ensure student success in Douglas County.
“We will continue our commitment to engage with future students in the Douglas County area just as we work with students in the surrounding counties around each of our locations, offering remote options and in-person learning at our nearby Paulding site,” said Dr. Dana Nichols, GHC’s interim president. “As we have for many years, we look forward to continuing our work with UWG to ensure current and future students succeed on their path toward a college degree.”
Approximately 135 students currently attend classes at GHC’s Douglasville site, which will close at the end of the Spring 2022 semester. UWG Douglasville, which currently operates from the Douglasville Conference Center, will provide current GHC students with resources and pathways to complete their degrees at UWG.
“As a sister institution to Georgia Highlands in the University System of Georgia – and with our standing presence in Douglasville – we are able to assist in GHC’s central goal: a seamless transition for their students to continue or complete their education,” said Dr. Brendan Kelly, UWG’s president. “By providing our support, we are optimizing USG resources to offer the communities we serve the types of educational opportunities they need to thrive.”
As part of the transitional phase, UWG will engage in joint advising with GHC, offer course substitutions and transient status to current GHC students, and visit GHC’s Douglasville site to provide comprehensive academic support for all GHC students.
Additionally, UWG will enhance its support of Dual Enrollment students in the Douglas County School System, with 36 DCSS students currently attending classes at GHC’s Douglasville site, to affect the talent development pipeline at an earlier stage.
“As we dedicate ourselves to the curation of a first-choice university, we must leverage our geography to be an economic and intellectual engine for companies, communities and organizations through talent development and mutually beneficial partnerships like our ongoing partnership with Georgia Highlands,” Kelly said. “We look forward to advancing that work in Douglas County together.”
Additional information on available resources will be shared in the coming weeks. GHC students with immediate needs may contact the Office of the Provost at provost@highlands.edu or 678-872-8070.
