2026 - 2030 Silver Anniversary Strategic Plan
Shaping Bold Futures
Letter from the President Dear Georgia Gwinnett College community,
As we look toward 2030 and the celebration of Georgia Gwinnett College’s (GGC) 25th anniversary, we stand at an important moment in our history – one that invites us to celebrate how far we have come while thoughtfully preparing for what lies ahead. Since opening our doors, GGC has been defined by a commitment to access, student success and service to our region. Together, we will build upon that foundation with a clear sense of purpose for what comes next. Shaping Bold Futures is more than a strategic plan. It is a shared vision for the future of Georgia Gwinnett College and a commitment to building upon our strengths while embracing new opportunities – one that not only responds to change but helps lead it. This plan reflects our responsibility to prepare students for a dynamic and evolving world while strengthening the communities we serve. The ideas reflected here are grounded in the insight, experience and aspirations of our campus community. Your collective voice is one of GGC’s greatest strengths and will be essential to guiding our success in the years ahead. The work ahead will require focus, innovation and a shared commitment to continuous improvement. We will continue to strengthen how we support students, deepen how we engage in teaching and learning, invest in our people and extend our impact beyond campus in meaningful ways. Along the way, we will remain accountable for our progress while staying responsive to new opportunities and the evolving needs of higher education. We must all ensure this plan remains a guide for thoughtful decision-making, purposeful action and sustained institutional growth. Our success ultimately will be measured not only by the goals achieved, but by the experiences we create, the opportunities we expand and the lives we help transform. I am deeply grateful for the passion of our faculty, staff, students and partners who continue to shape Georgia Gwinnett College into a place of purpose and possibility. Together, we will continue shaping bold futures and expanding opportunities for generations of students to come.
Sincerely, Jann L. Joseph, Ph.D. President Georgia Gwinnett College
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SHAPING BOLD FUTURES
2026 2030
Introduction As Georgia Gwinnett College concludes our 2023-2025 strategic plan, we pause to reflect and celebrate our achievements. This plan reinforced our mission, advanced key priorities and created a strong foundation for our next chapter.
From its founding in 2005, GGC was built to do things differently: to expand access to higher education, prioritize student success and respond to the evolving needs of our region. That spirit of innovation and purpose continues to define who we are today. As we launch our Silver Anniversary Strategic Plan, Shaping Bold Futures, we are intentionally charting a course to GGC’s 25th anniversary in 2030, a defining milestone that calls us to honor our past while boldly shaping our future. This moment connects the vision that shaped our founding with the future we now have the opportunity and responsibility to create. The development of this plan has been intentionally collaborative and grounded in the voices of our campus community. In partnership with the University of Georgia Fanning Institute for Leadership Development, we engaged faculty, staff, students and campus leaders through listening sessions, leadership interviews and a college-wide survey. More than 600 members of the GGC community contributed their perspectives, helping ensure the plan reflects our shared aspirations and priorities. This plan is also firmly grounded in the enduring elements that define who we are as an institution – our mission, vision, values and four pillars of student success, as well as our history. These foundational guideposts anchor our strategic direction and shape our decisions. It is important to recognize that this strategic plan represents a beginning, not an end. It sets direction, but its impact will only be realized through action, sustained commitment and continuous learning. Achieving our bold future will require ongoing partnership, adaptability and shared responsibility across the institution. This plan continues the promise that defined our founding while calling us forward: grounded in our values, informed by our community and driven by bold futures. Together, we will build on our strengths, embrace new opportunities and shape a future that is ambitious and centered on student success.
Guiding Principles of the Silver Anniversary Strategic Plan • Student centered • Evidence informed • Inclusive and accessible
• Future focused • Collaborative • Mission driven
Guided by these principles, the following goals define our strategic focus through 2030.
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Advance Goal 1 Advance Student Success and Lifelong Opportunity Deliver a cohesive, engaging and supportive student experience that fosters belonging, wellbeing, leadership and lifelong opportunity for our rich, global community while achieving measurable gains in progression, graduation and post-graduation success.
OBJECTIVES:
• Achieve sustainable enrollment aligned with market demand, institutional capacity and strong student success outcomes. • Design and deliver an integrated, end-to-end student journey across academic, co-curricular and support services that enhances the quality, accessibility and consistency of the student experience. • Increase retention and graduation rates through targeted, evidence-based interventions and proactive student support strategies. • Align current and future academic programs and related services with workforce needs and regional economic priorities. 3
SHAPING BOLD FUTURES
CORE OUTCOME MEASURES: • Term-to-term and year-to-year retention rates.
• Credit completion rates (credits earned relative to credits attempted). • Graduation rates. • Student engagement and belonging (climate survey). • Post-graduation outcomes.
Goal 2 Innovate Teaching and Learning for Future Readiness Advance high-quality education through innovative teaching, engaging learning experiences and purposeful use of emerging technologies.
OBJECTIVES:
CORE OUTCOME MEASURES:
• Enhance institution-wide artificial intelligence (AI), digital fluency and future-ready skill development initiatives for students, faculty and staff.
• Student achievement of defined future-ready competencies.
• Advance innovative, engaging and evidence-informed teaching and learning practices across in-person, hybrid, online and technology-enhanced environments.
• Expand experiential applied and interdisciplinary learning opportunities that prepare students for lifelong success and evolving workforce needs.
• Student success outcomes (e.g., course success and retention rates) in high-impact and technology-enabled courses.
• Percentage of students who complete experiential learning opportunities.
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Goal 3 Cultivate an Engaged and High-performing Community of Faculty and Staff Foster an engaged, high-performing campus community where faculty and staff feel valued, supported and connected.
OBJECTIVES:
• Strengthen talent recruitment, development and retention to position GGC as an employer of choice. • Expand professional development and cross-functional learning opportunities. • Promote a culture of belonging, collaboration and shared purpose across faculty and staff.
CORE OUTCOME MEASURES: • Employee retention rates.
• Employee participation in professional development and leadership programs. • Employee engagement index (climate surveys).
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SHAPING BOLD FUTURES
Cultivate
Goal 4 Expand Partnerships, Reputation and Regional Impact Enhance GGC’s reputation, value proposition and role as a premier access institution.
OBJECTIVES:
• Elevate brand awareness and clearly communicate GGC’s value to prospective students, families and partners. • Strengthen community and employer partnerships that expand student opportunity and regional impact. • Streamline messaging and communications strategies across all channels to reinforce institutional identity and impact.
Expand
CORE OUTCOME MEASURES: • Brand awareness and perception.
• Growth in employer and community partnerships that expand student opportunity. • External engagement metrics including alumni participation.
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Ensure Goal 5 Ensure Sustainable Growth and Stewardship of Resources Optimize sustainable, efficient and resilient use of financial, physical, technological and data resources to support long-term institutional success and student outcomes.
OBJECTIVES:
• Strengthen financial sustainability through strategic enrollment, resource allocation and revenue diversification. • Enhance institutional resilience, safety and security across physical, digital and operational environments to mitigate risk and ensure continuity of operations. • Expand access to timely, reliable and actionable data to support effective decision-making, planning and continuous improvement. • Maximize the institutional impact of academic and administrative technologies through intentional adoption, integration, streamlining and continuous improvement.
CORE OUTCOME MEASURES: • Enrollment health indicators.
• Financial sustainability metrics. • Use of data and analytics to inform decision-making across the institution. • System reliability and security posture.
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SHAPING BOLD FUTURES
Mission, Vision, Values Mission
Georgia Gwinnett College offers affordable, high-quality associate, bachelor’s and selected career-advancing graduate degrees that meet the workforce and economic development needs of the growing Gwinnett County region and beyond. Through a supportive and engaging learning environment, GGC faculty and staff empower students from all backgrounds to achieve their goals and strengthen our communities.
Vision
Georgia Gwinnett College will be a premier access institution recognized for student success and enduring impact that extends beyond the region.
Values
These values reflect the shared commitments that define Georgia Gwinnett College. They guide how we engage with one another, steward resources, support student success and work together to fulfill our mission.
EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY
RESPECT COMMUNITY AND BELONGING
Pursuing high-quality outcomes and continuous improvement in all that we do. Safeguarding the public trust through responsible stewardship of the human, intellectual, physical and fiscal resources entrusted to GGC in support of student success, scholarship, teaching and service. Honoring the dignity and perspectives of every person and fulfilling the responsibility to treat each person with fairness, compassion and decency. Cultivating a welcoming community that fosters belonging by valuing the backgrounds, cultures, experiences and perspectives of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.
Four Pillars of Student Success The Four Pillars of Student Success reflect the knowledge, habits and abilities GGC seeks to cultivate in every graduate, and they are advanced through our mission and goals.
SC H O LAR SH I P
L E A D E R S HIP
SE R VIC E
C R E ATIVIT Y
Georgia Gwinnett College prepares students for lifelong, intentional learning enabling them to discover, acquire, integrate and apply knowledge in ways that enhance their lives and the lives of others.
Georgia Gwinnett College inspires students to take purposeful action and work collaboratively toward shared goals. Students lead by example, engaging both heart and mind while encouraging others to do the same.
Georgia Gwinnett College fosters engaged, contributing citizens who serve in ways that create positive impact across local, state, national and global communities.
Georgia Gwinnett College cultivates curiosity, intellectual versatility, imagination and critical thinking, empowering students to embrace varied perspectives and generate innovative solutions to complex challenges.
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GGC Institutional History and Evolution Georgia Gwinnett College has evolved from a bold vision for access into a dynamic, high-impact institution that is defining its role as a college of choice for Gwinnett County and a model for student success within the University System of Georgia.
Evolve 2005
GEORGIA GWINNETT COLLEGE FORMALLY ESTABLISHED
2006
GGC OPENED ITS DOORS
2007 2009 Enrollment grew steadily, surpassing 12,700 students in recent years and reflecting the college’s strong connection to one of the most dynamic and fast-growing counties in the nation.
2010 2011 2014
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SHAPING BOLD FUTURES
2018
In October 2004, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia voted to seek approval from the Georgia General Assembly to establish a new state college in Gwinnett County. Senate Resolution 33 was passed in March 2005 and signed by Governor Perdue on May 12, 2005, formally creating the institution. Later that year, Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman, a retired U.S. Army brigadier general, was named the college’s inaugural president. On August 18, 2006, GGC welcomed 118 students to the first four-year public institution created in Georgia in more than a century.
FIRST FRESHMAN CLASS
The college quickly established momentum, enrolling its first freshman class in 2007 and celebrating its inaugural commencement in 2008.
ACCREDITATION ACHIEVED
GGC achieved initial accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges in record time, enabling the expansion of academic programs and access to research and grant opportunities.
LIBRARY AND LEARNING CENTER, AND RESIDENCE HALLS OPEN
The college experienced rapid and intentional growth in both enrollment and infrastructure. By 2010, GGC had opened its Library and Learning Center and its first residence halls, transitioning from a commuter only campus to offering a full on-campus experience.
STUDENT CENTER OPENS ALLIED HEALTH AND SCIENCES BUILDING OPENS LABORATORY FACILITIES OPEN BUILDING W OPENS
2019
DR. JANN L. JOSEPH’S LEADERSHIP
Following President Kaufman’s departure in 2013, Dr. Stanley C. “Stas” Preczewski served as interim president and was later named president in 2014, leading the college through a period of significant growth and institutional strengthening. After his retirement in 2019 and a brief interim period under Dr. Mary Beth Walker, Dr. Jann L. Joseph was named president on July 1, 2019, and she has since supported GGC’s continued evolution. Under Joseph’s leadership, GGC has advanced its commitment to access and student success while strengthening its institutional identity and impact. The college successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining continuity of learning while supporting students through unprecedented challenges.
2024
2026
ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY RELEASED
According to a 2024 economic impact study released by the University System of Georgia, Georgia Gwinnett College has generated more than $7 billion in cumulative economic impact since 2007. In fiscal year 2024 alone, GGC contributed more than $558 million to the economy of Gwinnett County and the Atlanta metropolitan area. The college supports 3,788 jobs, including both on-campus positions and those created throughout the region.
MORE THAN 60 PROGRAMS OF STUDY GGC offers 21 majors, 29 minors, five Nexus degrees, and 17 certificates and certifications. The college is recognized for its strong student engagement, a key driver of retention and completion. Its impact extends well beyond the classroom.
MORE THAN 15,500 ALUMNI
A growing number of GGC alumni live, work and serve in Gwinnett County, across Georgia and beyond, contributing to the continued growth and vitality of the communities GGC was created to serve.
2027
FIRST GRADUATE PROGRAM
2030
GGC APPROACHES THIRD DECADE
Today, GGC continues to expand opportunities through innovative academic programming, including the recent approval of a blended mission and offering its first graduate program beginning spring 2027. The institution is no longer defined by its rapid growth alone, but by its outcomes, its community impact and its unwavering focus on ensuring every student can succeed. SILVER ANNIVERSARY STRATEGIC PLAN | 2 0 2 6 - 2 0 3 0
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Shaping Bold Futures