College of Coastal Georgia

College of Coastal Georgia
Established	1961
Type	State College
President	Dr. Valerie A. Hepburn
Academic staff	598
Undergraduates	3,500[1]
Location	Brunswick, Georgia, USA
Former names	Brunswick College Brunswick Junior College Coastal Georgia Community College
Colors	Royal Blue and gray
Nickname	Mariners
Affiliations	SSAC (NAIA)
Website	www.ccga.edu

The College of Coastal Georgia (also known as CCGA) is a public college located in historic downtown Brunswick, Georgia, United States. The College was established in 1961 and opened in 1964, making it one of Georgia's newest state colleges. The college is currently transitioning from a two-year community college into a four-year comprehensive institution and conferred its first baccalaureate degrees on May 7, 2011.^[2]

History

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia established the college, originally known as Brunswick College, in 1961 with Brunswick and Glynn County citizens providing a $1 million bond issue for construction of buildings and purchase of land.^[3] The college opened in 1964 and shortly after changed its name to Brunswick Junior College in 1965.^[4] The college continued expanding the academic facilities on the college's 193-acre (0.78 km²) campus through the late 1960s and 1970s.^[3] In 1972 the college added technical programs in addition to the traditional junior college programs and offered both associate programs in higher education and postsecondary technical and adult programs until 2008.^[4]

In 1986 the University System of Georgia Board of Regents created the Brunswick Center Consortium composed of Brunswick Junior College, Armstrong Atlantic State University, and Georgia Southern University.^[4] As part of the consortium the two university provided the college's students with opportunities to begin schooling at the community college and complete education in one of seven bachelor degree programs and seven graduate degree programs through one of the two universities. In 1988 the college name reverted to Brunswick College after the Board of Regents voted to drop "Junior" from the names of all state two-year colleges.^[4]

During the late 1980s and 1990s the college grew into a comprehensive community college, offering over 39 associate degrees, 21 vocational and technical certificate programs.^[4] The Board of Regents authorized the creation of the Camden Center location in Kingsland in response to growing populations in expanding population of Camden County.^[4] The college transformed the former Kingsland Elementary School into the extension location and opened the facility in January 1993. The center offers general education transfer and vocational/technical programs.^[4] In 1996 Brunswick College changed its name to Coastal Georgia Community College. In 2004 the Kingsland location moved into the a new facility in Kingsland and became known as The Camden Center at The Lakes.^[4]

Recent expansion

In 2008 the college began transitioning from community college to a four-year college when it announced its 10-year strategic plan for the college.^[1] The plans include expansion of academic programs and infrastructure to accommodate an enrollment of more than 10,000.^[3] In addition to academic and physical expansion the expansion plans include addition student and residence life programs, as well as expanded athletics.^[3] That same year, the vocational and technical programs were transferred to Golden Isles Career Academy in Brunswick, Okefenokee Technical College in Waycross, and Altamaha Technical College in Jesup and the college changed its name to the College of Coastal Georgia.^[4] In 2009 the college began offering its first bachelor's degree programs in business administration, early childhood and special education, and middle school education began in fall 2009 and added a bachelor's degree in nursing in 2010.^[3][4] Shortly after the transition to a four year college began in 2009 College of Coastal Georgia saw a peak enrollment of over 3,000 students.^[3]

The Health and Science Building opened in early 2011 at a cost of $15.8 million., followed in March 2011, by the announcement that the House Appropriations Committee of Georgia approved $7.6 million for a 30,000-square-foot (2,800 m²) classroom and laboratory building, known as the Teacher Education and Learning Center.^[5] The new building will be connected to the Jones Science Building and the Allied Health Building and the two older buildings will be renovated as part of the project.^[5] The TELC will include space for teacher education classes and will be located in close proximity to the Brunswick High School, located just off the campus, allowing education majors access to teaching practicum opportunities and helping to facilitate early college entrance for high school students.^[5]

On May 7, 2011, the college conferred the first ever baccalaureate degrees.^[2] In July 2011, the college opened the new $12 million student center that includes: dining areas, the campus bookstore with a cafe, a theater, as well as study and recreational areas for students.^[1] The college will open a 352-bed residential building at the cost $14 million, as the college's first student housing structure in August 2011^[1] The three-story building features suite-style dorms with individual bedrooms connected to a common living area.^[6]

Campus

The Health and Science Building

Camden Center

The Regents authorized a satellite location to serve Camden County residents in 1992 and classes began in the former Kingsland Elementary School in 1993. A new permanent facility, the Camden Center, opened in 2004.

Academics

The College of Coastal Georgia is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, and has had continueous accrediation since 1967. The college offers various majors and areas of study and confers associate degrees and bachelor's degrees from its five schools:

• School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
• School of Business and Public Affairs
• School of Education and Teacher Preparation
• School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
• School of Nursing and Health Sciences

The School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS) includes the Department of Arts & Humanities and Department of Social Sciences. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and an Associate of Arts or Associate of Science degree.^[7] The School of Business and Public Affairs (SBPA) began in 2009 and enrolls approximately 700 students. The school offers various baccalaureate and associate degrees in business, computer science, criminal justice, health informatics, hospitality management, and community & organizational leadership.^[8] The School of Education and Teacher Preparation offers a Bachelor of Education in Early Childhood/Special Education, a Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education, and an Associate of Science degree with a concentration in Teacher Education for Early Childhood, Middle Grades, and Secondary Education.^[9] The School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences include two departments, the Department of Department of Mathematics and the Department of Natural Sciences. It offers a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences with specialization in one of three tracks: Pre-Professional, Secondary Education and Coastal Ecology, an Associate of Science degrees with concentrations in Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education, and an associate degree in Clinical Laboratory Career.^[10] The School of Nursing and Health Sciences offers a Baccalaureate degree in Nursing (Prelicensure BSN and RN to BSN), and Career Associate of Science degrees in Nursing (RN) and Radiologic Science.^[11]

Athletics

The College of Coastal Georgia fields athletic teams known as the Mariners. The college is currently a provisional member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).^[12] CCGA will become a member of the Southern States Athletic Conference (SSAC) in the 2012-13 academic year after becoming a full member of NAIA following the one year provisional period.^[12]

Until 2011 the college competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) and as a member of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association.^[13] As part of the college's transformation from a two-year junior college to a four-year institution, Coastal Georgia applied for membership in the NAIA after exploring option to join the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).^[14] The college also began expanding athletics in 2010 with the additions of men's and women's golf and tennis for the for the 2010-2011 academic year, in which both golf programs placed in the top-10 nationally in the NJCAA championship tournament. The school will add women's basketball men's and women's cross country, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer and baseball over the next five years.^[14]

Men's sports Baseball (2013-14) Basketball Cross country Golf Soccer (2012-13) Tennis

Women's sports Basketball Cross country Golf Soccer (2012-13) Softball Tennis Volleyball

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} Stepzinski, Teresa (May 9, 2010). "College of Coastal Georgia sees expansion, increase in enrollment". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-05-09/story/college-coastal-georgia-sees-expansion-increase-enrollment. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Dickson, Terry (May 7, 2011). "College of Coastal Georgia confer 1st 4-year degrees in college’s history". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-05-07/story/college-coastal-georgia-confer-1st-4-year-degrees-college-s-history. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "About College of Coastal Georgia". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/About/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
4. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} Barber, Henry E. (October 22, 2009). "College of Coastal Georgia". The New Georgia Encyclopedia. http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1436. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
5. ^ ^{a b c} Dickson, Terry (March 11, 2011). "House approves $7.6M for education building at College of Coastal Georgia". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-03-11/story/house-approves-76m-education-building-college-coastal-georgia. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
6. ^ Dickson, Terry (June 11, 2011). "College of Coastal Georgia shows off first ever student housing". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2011-06-11/story/college-coastal-georgia-shows-first-ever-student-housing. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
7. ^ "School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolAHSS/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
8. ^ "School of Business and Public Affairs". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolBPA/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
9. ^ "School of Education and Teacher Preparation". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolEd/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
10. ^ "School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolMNS/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
11. ^ "School of Nursing and Health Sciences". College of Coastal Georgia. http://www.ccga.edu/Academics/SchoolNursing/. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
12. ^ ^{a b} "College of Coastal Georgia Membership Application Accepted". Southern States Athletic Conference. July , 2011. http://www.ssacsports.com/article/1532.php. Retrieved July 12, 2011. 
13. ^ "College of Coastal Georgia Men and Women Qualifies for NJCAA Golf Championships". College of Coastal Georgia. May 11, 2011. http://www.njcaa.org/newsArticle.cfm?articleId=14653. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 
14. ^ ^{a b} Price, Kevin (September 15, 2010). "College of Coastal Georgia mulling athletic affiliations". The Florida Times-Union. http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2010-09-15/story/college-coastal-georgia-mulling-athletic-affiliations. Retrieved June 12, 2011. 

External links

• www.ccga.edu