As Georgia Southern University reaches record numbers in a number of areas, it also is trying to build new bridges and pathways with its communities.
The school now has an enrollment of more than 29,000, president Dr. Kyle Marerro told members of the Hinesville Rotary Club on Tuesday afternoon at GSU’s Liberty campus. GSU’s total enrollment is now 29,500 across all its campuses, up 2,000 from this time last year.
Georgia Southern also conferred a record number of degrees — 5,771 — and its retention of freshmen and sophomores is now at 81.4%, Dr. Marrero boasted.
He also said that Georgia Southern diploma is not an inanimate object.
“My job is that this piece of paper is increasing in value, every single day,” Dr. Marrero said.
That’s why Georgia Southern is advancing its strategic plan on several fronts, Soaring Beyond 2030, which Dr. Marrero said is rooted in people, purpose and action — growing ourselves to grow others.
The university is measuring the initiatives that are part of that, and all must have outcomes that impact the community, Dr. Marrero said.
“It is centered on our students being successful, being partners in the community, and make sure in the communities we serve, we’re engaged to problem solve in a growing environment,” he said.
Along with a now surging enrollment, including a record number of freshmen entering the university, Georgia Southern has topped its fundraising efforts. The university raised $27 million last year and over the last five years has raised $135 million. It’s led to $6 million in scholarships being awarded last year, Dr. Marrero pointed out.
“So we said, ‘let’s up it, and raise $300 million by 2030,’” he said. “We’re having great success because we’re able to show the (return on investment).”
A pilot program the university started three years ago — Ready Day One Connect — will be introduced into all its colleges curriculum over the next two to three years. The program administers cognitive skills tests to GSU freshmen and helps align their passions and interests with corresponding majors of study.
“We know people want to hire Georgia Southern grads,” Dr. Marrero said. “The first thing we want to know is, ‘are you in the right major?’” The university also will make having an internship or an experiential part of that degree outside the classroom as part of the graduation requirements.
“We know they are going to be ready from a skill standpoint, content-rich standpoint. We want them to be able to articulate and be part of a team and be critical problem solvers,” Dr. Marrero said. “You’re going to see our graduates being sought after because they are going to have experience on their resumes. We want them to be ready day one.”
The Liberty campus is growing too, said campus director Dr. Chante Baker Martin. Its enrollment has swelled from 444 last year to 486 this fall. Its dual enrollment numbers also have risen, from 113 to 159.
Over 70% of the students at the Liberty campus are residents of Liberty and Long counties, Dr. Martin added, and more than 50% of our students are military affiliated.
The campus also is trying to increase its availability and visibility. To that end, Dr. Martin noted, the campus hosted the Think BIG youth group in summer 2024 and two companies also rented space to train military personnel. Publix also reserved the campus to conduct hiring for its soon-to- open Flemington store.
“They were overwhelmingly impressed by the quality of applicants,” she said.
She also pointed to the collaboration between local businesses and Georgia Southern that led to the Eagle Excellence scholarships. GSU awarded five scholarships last week to students with unmet needs and the scholarships will be disbursed in two installments, Dr. Martin said.
Georgia Southern also hired 53 new faculty and staff to help with its booming enrollment, and Dr. Marrero also noted the university’s involvement in other areas outside the campus, from its Institute for Water and Health and the Institute for Health Logistics and Analysis. Georgia Southern also is a leader in logistics and advanced manufacturing education, Dr. Marrero added.
“Our public impact research agenda really ensures we’re propelling both discovery and innovation within the key sector areas of this region,” he said. “At the end of the day, if we’re not helping you to be better, to grow and improve, then we’re not doing our job. That is what is driving our strategic plan.”
Georgia Southern also may be elevated to a Carnegie Doctoral/R1 institution, perhaps as soon as fiscal year 2028. It is currently a R2 and it has met the benchmark of the number of doctoral degrees awarded. Another benchmark is the research expenditures, which have to average $50 million a year over three years.
R1 institutions are seen as very high research activity universities. The four in Georgia are Georgia Tech, Emory University, Georgia State University and Augusta University.
“We’re well on our way to get that,” Dr. Marrero said.