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Georgia State University

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Georgia State University (GSU) is an urban research university in the heart of downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Founded in 1913, it serves over 28,000 students, and is one of The University System of Georgia's four research universities. The current president is Carl V. Patton.

The university has a well-known program in actuarial studies [link], a highly-rated business school, including a notable part-time MBA program (consistently ranked among the top ten of its kind in the nation), and a respected music school. The university is also ranked in various other fields such as astronomy, philosophy, law, urban policy studies, and respiratory therapy. Georgia State University is also known for its programs in urban geography, community psychology, languages, nursing, physical therapy, and sociology.

Contents

History

View of (from L-R) the Sports Arena and Library South on Decatur Street
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View of (from L-R) the Sports Arena and Library South on Decatur Street

Georgia State University was founded in 1913 as the Georgia School of Technology's "Evening School of Commerce". The school focused on what was called "the new science of business". A reorganization of the University System of Georgia in the 1930s led to the school becoming the "Atlanta Extension Center of the University System of Georgia", and allowed night students to earn degrees from several colleges in the University System. During this time, the school had two informal names: "Georgia Evening College", which granted business degrees, and "Atlanta Junior (Day) College". In September 1947, the school became affiliated with the University of Georgia and was named the "Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia". The school received its independence in 1955 and became the "Georgia State College of Business Administration". In 1961, other programs at the school had grown large enough that the name was shortened to "Georgia State College". It became Georgia State University in 1969. In 1995, the State Board of Regents accorded Georgia State "research university" status, joining Georgia Tech, the University of Georgia, and the Medical College of Georgia.

Campus Expansion

Over its 90-plus year history, Georgia State's growth has required the acquisition and construction of more space to suit its needs. During the late 1960s/early 1970s, numerous buildings were constructed, such as the Pullen Library (1966), Classroom South (1968), the expansion of the Pullen Library in 1968, the Arts & Humanities Building (1970), the 10-story General Classroom Building (1971), the Sports Arena (1973), and the 12-story Urban Life Center (1974). In addition, a raised plaza and walkway system was constructed to connect these buildings with each other over Decatur Street and parking structures.

In the 1980s, another round of expansion took place with the acquisition of the former Atlanta Municipal Auditorium in 1979, which was subsequently converted into Alumni Hall in 1982, which houses Georgia State's administrative offices. That same year, the Georgia State College of Law was founded in the Urban Life Center, and the Title Building on Decatur Street was acquired and converted into the College of Education's headquarters & classroom space. In 1988, the 9-story Library South was constructed on the south side of Decatur Street, which was connected to the Pullen Library via a three-story high walkbridge and effectively doubled the library's space. The University Center was expanded in 1989 to include the University Bookstore Building, whch also houses the Auxiliary Services Department.

Georgia State continued this expansion into the 1990s, with the expansion of Alumni Hall in 1991, the opening of the Natural Sciences Center in 1992, and the acquisiton of the former C&S Bank Building on Marietta Street in 1993, which is now the home of the Robinson College of Business. Georgia State's first expansion into the Fairlie-Poplar district was the aquisition of the Rialto Theater in 1996. In 1998, the Student Center was expanded towards Gilmer Street and provided a new 400-seat auditorium and space for exibitions and offices for student clubs. A sorely needed Student Recreation Center opened on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Gilmer Street in 2001. In 2002, the five-story high Helen M. Aderhold Learning Center opened on Luckie Street amid controversy over the demolition of historical buildings on its block. Most recently, in 2004, the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was moved to the former Wachovia Bank Building at Five Points.

In 2006, the University announced a $1 billion dollar campus expansion that will add over a dozen new buildings, including a new convocation center, science research park, new buildings for the schools of business and law, a new humanities building, and an expanded student recreation center. Streetscape improvements are also included, such as improvements to Decatur and Piedmont streets, and dropping raised walkways to street level. Sparks and Kell Halls will be torn down, with Sparks being torn down first to make way for the new humanities building. Many renovations are already underway, with major renovations to the Pullen Library scheduled to begin in 2006.

Housing

Until fairly recently, Georgia State was known as strictly a commuter school due to the lack of housing. After the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games were held in Atlanta, Georgia State acquired the 2,000-bed Olympic Village housing complex located at the southeast corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive (formerly Techwood Drive) and North Avenue that was used to board Olympic athletes during the Games. For the first time in its history, the university became a residential institution. In August, 2002, the 450-bed University Lofts opened at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Courtland Street on the northeast side of campus as housing for graduate students, undergraduates over the age of 21, and honors students. In the fall of 2007, Georgia State is scheduled to open a new state-of-the-art 2,000-bed complex known as University Commons at the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Ellis Street bringing its total residential capacity close to 4,500 students. In addition, the university is also planning new dorms near Underground Atlanta and is considering selling the GSU Village due to its 1 1/2 mile distance from campus.

GSU colleges and schools

View of (from L-R) the Student Center, Urban Life Building, and University Center
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View of (from L-R) the Student Center, Urban Life Building, and University Center

Georgia State has six colleges and schools:

Student Media

There are five student-run media organizations:

Arts

Georgia State University's main cultural stage is the Rialto Center for the Performing Arts, an 833-seat performing-arts venue located in the heart of the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta. The venue is home to the Rialto Series, presenting the best of national and international jazz, world music, and dance; School of Music performances; the Atlanta Film Festival, and many others.

An additionally important venue at Georgia State is the Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory (DAEL). Housed in the Department of Communication, the Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory (DAEL) has received more than $2 million in funding from the Georgia Research Alliance, Georgia State, and Georgia State’s College of Arts and Sciences. DAEL offers a full range of equipment and facilities for digital media research and production. It also includes state-of-the-art equipment and facilities for producing and manipulating extraordinarily high quality moving images. Supported image capture formats include HDTV and 35mm film. In addition, DAEL provides state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for assessing audience responses to film, television, computer animation, and interactive media.

Research

Georgia State University is the Southeast's leading urban research institution. It is on the list of the top 100 public universities for doctoral degrees awarded. More than 250 fields of study are offered through some 52 accredited degree programs at the bachelor's, master's, specialist, and doctoral levels. Students may enroll in day or evening classes and in part-time or full-time study.

Georgia State houses three university libraries. Additionally, many academic departments provide libraries for their students. The University Library (also known as the William Russell Pullen Library, housed in Library North and Library South) contains more than 1.4 million volumes, including 8,000 active serials and nearly 22,000 media materials. The library provides access to numerous electronic periodical and resource indexes (many with full text), more than14,000 electronic journals, and about 30,000 electronic books. It is also a Federal Document Depository and holds more than 820,000 government documents with electronic access to many additional titles. Georgia State maintains the one of the elite undergraduate media and communications programs in the US.

Athletics

GSU's two primary athletics logotypes
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GSU's two primary athletics logotypes

Georgia State currently sponsors 17 Division I teams. On July 1, 2005, the school left the Atlantic Sun Conference to join the Colonial Athletic Association. Until 2003, the Georgia State Panthers were coached by Lefty Driesell, one of the winningest coaches in Division I history.

Recently, the Panthers won their first two Colonial Athletic Association Championships, the 2006 men's and women's CAA Golf Championships.

Greek Life

Georgia State University is home to some fraternities and sororities: four of the North-American Interfraternity Conference (IFC), five of the National Panhellenic Conference (PC), five of the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and three of the National Multicultural Greek Council (MGC).

View of the plaza with Library North, Library South, and the Classroom South Building in the background
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View of the plaza with Library North, Library South, and the Classroom South Building in the background

IFC Fraternities

NPHC members

PC Sororities

Notable alumni

Notable Faculty

External links

References

  • Transcript of Nell H. Trotter's speech at the Administrative Council Breakfast, June 28, 1971. On file at GSU's library, LD 1965 .T76 B7

 

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