Another college merger/closure thread, but this time with evidence that it can work

Georgia Southern and Armstrong Atlantic State are merging in the great state of Georgia. This is after Kennesaw and Southern Poly have merged and Georgia State and Georgia Perimeter have merged. The state of Georgia has had enough.

This is akin to UNO and Southeastern or La Tech and Monroe. This writer isn't happy about it, but its happening.

LINK

Although it has been officially labeled a consolidation, the University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents (BOR) ruled that the new school would be called Georgia Southern University, and would be headed by Georgia Southern President Jaimie L. Hebert. So, it would be a de facto takeover.

These consolidations matter. They have massive effects on athletic departments. Jobs at various athletic departments across the state have evaporated over the past decade. The whole point of consolidation is to cut costs. The Georgia State, Kennesaw State, and Georgia Southern consolidations are the biggest to date. If you look at it from a business perspective, it’s not hard to see the how addition of Armstrong State’s campus in Savannah would benefit Georgia Southern. But not without costing a few good people their jobs.

The Armstrong merger announcement meant it was Georgia Southern’s turn on the BOR’s consolidation carousel. Georgia State and Kennesaw State already had larger enrollment and were closer to Atlanta than Georgia Southern before consolidation. Now the gap was widening. Armstrong State has roughly 7,000 students, ~6,300 undergraduates, ~700 post-graduates. It’s a further expansion into the heart of Georgia Southern’s most important local media market. This was a huge win for the University from a strategic level.