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Improvement projects finish up around campus. Read more on Page 3.
The Iron Horse Statue is being restored. Read more on Page 2.
August 12, 2024
Vol. 52, No. 4
BACKTOCAMPUS
news.uga.edu/columns
Donors set university fundraising record
By Clarke Schwabe ccschwabe@uga.edu
Dorothy Kozlowski
UGA officials and state dignitaries mark the groundbreaking of the new medical education and research building.
Doctors’ orders
Progress continues on UGA School of Medicine In February, the University System of Georgia Board of Regents authorized the University of Georgia to establish a new independent School of Medicine. In the time since, the university has hit many important milestones toward the establishment of this critical new school. In June, Flad Architects was named as the design firm for the new medical education and research building that will be constructed on UGA’s Health Sciences Campus. The proposed structure will measure approximately 92,000 square feet and will include research laboratories, medical
simulation suites, standardized patient rooms, clinical skills labs, an anatomy lab and a medical library. Programming and planning meetings with faculty and staff are well underway, and early proposals for the building’s design are being developed. Once finalized and approved, it will be built by Turner Construction. Following the recommendation from Gov. Brian Kemp, the Georgia General Assembly passed a fiscal year 2024 amended budget that includes $50 million in funding for a new UGA School of Medicine facility. That state funding will be matched by private contributions
to fund the $100 million structure. Donors to the SOM have now committed more than $12 million in only five months to help support the construction of the new medical education and research building. Coupled with support from the UGA Foundation and UGA Research Foundation, UGA has already secured over $37 million in commitments for the necessary matching funds, as well as donations for student scholarships. Dr. Shelley Nuss, who was named founding dean of the UGA School of Medicine in March, is leading the preparation of materials See MEDICAL on page 4
OFFICE OF INSTRUCTION
University develops strategic enrollment plan By Heather Skyler
heatherskyler@uga.edu
In response to the record number of applicants in recent years, the University of Georgia has released its first strategic enrollment management plan since 2007. This fall, UGA will welcome close to 6,200 first-year students from a pool of more than 43,000 applicants. It is one of the largest and most academically qualified classes in the university’s history as the demand for an undergraduate education at UGA has reached record levels. “With the University of Georgia’s continued rise as a top public institution, more students than ever are seeking a UGA education,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We are committed to ensuring that every student receives world-class
instruction in a vibrant collegiate environment.” To maintain a balance between student enrollment and the resources necessary to support a large student body, UGA Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Andy Borst has developed a comprehensive plan. The new plan also aligns with the strategic enrollment plan of the University System of Georgia. “This plan underscores our collective commitment to student success,” said Borst. “Our enrollment strategies are designed to enhance students’ academic journeys, minimize debt burdens and optimize career prospects.” UGA’s strategic enrollment management plan recommends sustaining the size of the first-year class over the next five years. At the same time, UGA will expand online graduate programs and modestly grow the
number of transfer students while increasing campus infrastructure and the number of instructional faculty.
Hiring faculty and building infrastructure
Over the next five years,UGA will hire additional tenure-track faculty to ensure the number of instructional faculty keeps pace with enrollment growth. To accommodate the increased number of campus community members, construction is underway on a new parking deck, projected to be finished by next fall. A 565-bed residence hall and a new dining, learning and wellness center are on track for completion by fall 2026.
Graduate programs
Another important strategy
See ENROLLMENT on page 3
Donations to the University of Georgia in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30, surpassed $275 million for the first time in the university’s history. Nearly 70,000 alumni and friends contributed $275.2 million to scholarships, faculty support, public service programs, the new UGA School of Medicine and much more. “I have immeasurable gratitude for everyone who made this record year possible,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We are at an important juncture in UGA’s history, and by giving at levels we have never seen before, donors are empowering us to achieve at levels we have never seen before.
These contributions — made to all areas of the university — will truly change lives, enhance our state and improve our world.” The record-breaking year caps a sustained period of strong giving. UGA’s three-year rolling average for fundraising, which averages the previous three years of donation totals, now stands at over $258 million, an all-time high. This is the seventh consecutive year this figure has exceeded $200 million. “We are in the midst of an amazing time for this university, and our donors are a huge reason why,” said Jill S. Walton, vice president for development and alumni relations. “I am filled with gratitude and pride knowing that so many donors — long-time and first-time, alumni and friends,
See FUNDRAISING on page 4
CAMPUS SAFETY
University continues to strengthen campus security with new initiatives As new and returning University of Georgia students begin the fall semester, they will notice a series of highly visible initiatives to further strengthen campus security — from new signs and perimeter fencing to lighting upgrades, emergency call stations and automatic license plate readers. Students, faculty, staff and visitors also will see more uniformed personnel — including a new unit of Campus Safety Ambassadors, who will augment the efforts of UGA Police by serving as student escorts and providing extra “eyes and ears” across campus
during evening hours. The university’s $7.3 million investment in new security initiatives this year adds to the more than $16 million in campus security measures enacted during the past eight years — bringing UGA’s total investment in safety and security enhancements during that time to more than $23 million. “There is no higher priority at the University of Georgia than the safety and security of our campus community,” said UGA President Jere W. Morehead. “We continually evaluate our safety programs See SAFETY on page 4
AUXILIARY SERVICES
Updated parking, transportation strategies for a changing campus As the University of Georgia campus continues to grow, so does the demand for parking. In fact, the parking waitlist for students has risen sharply from approximately 1,000 students in fall 2019 to over 7,000 in 2024. Several factors compound the parking strain. For example, new state-of-the-art academic, housing and athletic facilities have been built atop former parking lots, and options to replace those spaces in a central location are limited. Enrollment has also grown,and bus ridership is down. Still,Transportation and Parking Services (TPS) continues to work diligently on ways to alleviate parking
issues for faculty, staff and students. “We’re in the midst of a perfect storm,” said Brett Jackson, associate vice president for Auxiliary Services. “Multiple factors have hit us virtually all at once and have driven the demand for parking to an all-time high. Rest assured that we will leave no stone unturned in our commitment to develop solutions that best serve our campus and its parking needs.”
Finding innovative solutions
Since 2018, over 3,700 parking spaces have been added to campus through funding provided by TPS for the construction of new parking See PARKING on page 2