"The challenges of living in a global community require men and women of character who can anticipate and respond effectively to an uncertain and changing world."
-Dr. Dan Kaufman, President

Georgia Gwinnett College is a premier 21st century liberal arts college where learning takes place continuously in and beyond the confines of the traditional classroom. The college is built on the cornerstones of the innovative use of educational technology and the commitment to an integrated experience that develops the whole person. Georgia Gwinnett was created by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) as "a true 21st century higher education institution," with a principal responsibility for developing innovative approaches to higher education.

GGC's focus is on a face-to-face classroom experience with portable technology solutions allowing students to learn, study, and work both on and off campus.

The Campus of Tomorrow

According to the American Council on Education, Georgia Gwinnett College is the first public four-year liberal arts college to be founded in the United States in the 21st century. It is also the first four-year college to be founded by the University System of Georgia in more than 100 years.

For more than 15 years prior to the formation of GGC, community leaders pressed for a four-year college in Gwinnett County. As the area grew rapidly, it was evident that the expanding business community needed a source of qualified candidates for its workforce. A resolution was passed by the Board of Regents in October 2004, and the college was established by the Georgia General Assembly in March 2005. It will serve as the USG's model campus for innovative approaches to highly-efficient student, facility, and administrative services.

Noted by USG Chancellor Erroll Davis, "GGC will be a campus that students will flock to as a means of taking advantage of its high tech learning environment, and one that educators from around the nation will examine and embrace for its unique and important advanced learning methodology."

Lawrenceville, Georgia. A Place to Call Home.

GGC is located in Lawrenceville, Georgia, in the heart of Gwinnett County. Gwinnett is a vibrant community 30 miles northeast of downtown Atlanta where a mixture of quiet postcard neighborhoods and bustling commercial districts blend the past with the present. Businesses and residents alike enjoy safe neighborhoods, good schools, modern infrastructure, and a thriving economy. Gwinnett County remains one of the most dynamic regions in the South in which to live and work, with a current population of 614,500, and a population of 1.2 million projected by the year 2025.

Degree Programs

GGC currently offers courses through the 2006-2007 academic year in three degree programs: business, biology and psychology. In fall 2007, information technology will also be offered in three separate tracks. In following years, degrees in education and nursing will be added as a part of the curriculum.

Engaging the Student

GGC's degree programs emphasize face-to-face teaching and learning, supported by technology that makes learning enjoyable and transferable between classroom, home and work – wherever a laptop can go.

Technology-based teaching methods engage students more actively in their own learning experience. Teachers can control a variety of tools while in the classroom – the Internet, DVD players, overhead digital projectors, for example. A built-in recorder can capture the classroom discussion and save it to a website or email. This gives students more options for acquiring, reviewing and retaining class content.

The Campus Today

The Gwinnett campus currently consists of three buildings on 170 wooded acres. These facilities, built within the last four years, were designed and constructed with an infrastructure that supports GGC's educational technology requirements. Each classroom has the same level of technology available, allowing any class to be taught in any classroom to maximum efficiency. Without ties to any past practices, GGC is positioned to implement best practices and cutting-edge innovations.

Until the fall of 2008, GGC will share the campus with four other partner institutions of higher education. Collectively, there are more than 8,000 students on campus. The partner institutions will be phased out as their students graduate or transfer. GGC expects to enroll a freshman class of 3,000 in fall 2007.

Building for Tomorrow

GGC's master plan is being developed by Sasaki Associates Inc., a noted architectural design firm based in Boston. The firm takes an environmentally friendly approach to design and construction.

Overlapping the master plan is a five-year plan already set in motion. It includes Phase II construction of an existing classroom building which is currently underway, followed by a 1,500-space parking deck beginning in December 2006. A $28.3 million library was recently approved by the Board of Regents, and a student housing project is under consideration.

Working in tandem with the college, the Georgia Gwinnett College Foundation has been established to develop private funding for projects such as student centers, bookstores and athletic facilities. The Foundation plans to develop partnerships with area businesses and a collaborative center where companies can share their projected workforce needs and see firsthand the advantages of the college's commitment to technology.

Mission

Georgia Gwinnett College serves the baccalaureate needs of Gwinnett and surrounding counties in the Atlanta metropolitan region. It emphasizes the innovative use of technology and active-learning environments to provide its students enhanced learning experiences, practical opportunities to apply knowledge, increased scheduling flexibility, and a variety of course delivery options.

Georgia Gwinnett's vibrant faculty and staff actively engage students in various learning environments, serve as mentors and advisors, and assist students through programs designed to enhance their academic, social and personal development.

GGC produces contributing citizens and future leaders for Georgia and the nation. Its graduates are inspired to contribute to the local, state, national and international communities, and are prepared to anticipate and respond effectively to an uncertain and changing world.

"The opportunity for students here is unlike any other. Our graduates will become the trendsetters and leaders of the next several generations. Students attending GGC will be making history."
-Dr. Dan Kaufman, President