The Hinesville Rotary Club was introduced Tuesday to Southeast Georgia’s newest four-year college — the College of Coastal Georgia.
Dr. Valerie Hepburn, president and professor of public policy at CCGA, offered Rotarians a detailed portrait of what the school can offer to both traditional and non-traditional students.
CCGA, which was founded in 1961 as Brunswick College and more recently was known as Coastal Georgia Community College, was designated as a state college last year, bringing it under the umbrella of the University System of Georgia.
Hepburn said the college began its transition to a four-year school in July 2008. CCGA offers bachelor’s degrees in business administration, early childhood and special education and middle grades education, as well as associate degrees in the arts, sciences and applied sciences. The school will offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing starting spring semester 2010.
Its main campus is in Brunswick, and it has a satellite campus, the Camden Center, in Kingsland.
The College of Coastal Georgia is accredited as a Level II institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools commission on colleges, Hepburn said. She was named CCGA’s fourth president in February.
“We’re in a major construction campaign over the next 10 years,” she said.
The school is planning to build 2,000 on-campus housing units, and hopes to provide 2,000 off-campus housing units.
“Without housing we’re pretty limited [in enrollment],” Hepburn said.
Hepburn told Rotarians that the college plans to break ground on residence halls in 2011, and expects to have 10,000 undergraduate students enrolled by 2020. The school recently began construction on a new health and sciences building on the main campus.
Currently, the college has 3,200 students. Last year’s enrollment was 2,493, according to Hepburn. CCGA has 11 students from Liberty County and about 10 from Long County now enrolled.
“You can’t beat the value of our tuition,” she added. Tuition at CCGA currently averages $2,500-$3,000 a year for Georgia residents.
Hepburn added that credits earned at the College of Coastal Georgia are transferable to other state schools.
“Now is a great time to go to school and get the skills one needs to respond when this economy improves,” she said.
Hepburn emphasized that the college’s baccalaureate nursing program is an important focus of the school, because nurses are in high demand at present.
“As a nurse, you can carry that skill set with you around the world,” she said. Hepburn suggested that nursing would be a good field for military spouses to explore.
CCGA now has 85 faculty members, and more than 200 employees, Hepburn said.
“I have just hired 17 (faculty members),” she said. “I’m very proud of the caliber of individuals we’ve been able to recruit.”
For more information, call CCGA at (800) 675-7235.
Dr. Valerie Hepburn, president and professor of public policy at CCGA, offered Rotarians a detailed portrait of what the school can offer to both traditional and non-traditional students.
CCGA, which was founded in 1961 as Brunswick College and more recently was known as Coastal Georgia Community College, was designated as a state college last year, bringing it under the umbrella of the University System of Georgia.
Hepburn said the college began its transition to a four-year school in July 2008. CCGA offers bachelor’s degrees in business administration, early childhood and special education and middle grades education, as well as associate degrees in the arts, sciences and applied sciences. The school will offer a bachelor’s degree in nursing starting spring semester 2010.
Its main campus is in Brunswick, and it has a satellite campus, the Camden Center, in Kingsland.
The College of Coastal Georgia is accredited as a Level II institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools commission on colleges, Hepburn said. She was named CCGA’s fourth president in February.
“We’re in a major construction campaign over the next 10 years,” she said.
The school is planning to build 2,000 on-campus housing units, and hopes to provide 2,000 off-campus housing units.
“Without housing we’re pretty limited [in enrollment],” Hepburn said.
Hepburn told Rotarians that the college plans to break ground on residence halls in 2011, and expects to have 10,000 undergraduate students enrolled by 2020. The school recently began construction on a new health and sciences building on the main campus.
Currently, the college has 3,200 students. Last year’s enrollment was 2,493, according to Hepburn. CCGA has 11 students from Liberty County and about 10 from Long County now enrolled.
“You can’t beat the value of our tuition,” she added. Tuition at CCGA currently averages $2,500-$3,000 a year for Georgia residents.
Hepburn added that credits earned at the College of Coastal Georgia are transferable to other state schools.
“Now is a great time to go to school and get the skills one needs to respond when this economy improves,” she said.
Hepburn emphasized that the college’s baccalaureate nursing program is an important focus of the school, because nurses are in high demand at present.
“As a nurse, you can carry that skill set with you around the world,” she said. Hepburn suggested that nursing would be a good field for military spouses to explore.
CCGA now has 85 faculty members, and more than 200 employees, Hepburn said.
“I have just hired 17 (faculty members),” she said. “I’m very proud of the caliber of individuals we’ve been able to recruit.”
For more information, call CCGA at (800) 675-7235.