(Oct. 15, 2009) -In a historic event for North Georgia College & State University, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia met at the school’s campus in Dahlonega Oct. 13 and 14.

“This was a rare opportunity for the Board of Regents to visit our campus as a group, and it gave us the opportunity to share information about our programs and activities with key decision makers in the University System of Georgia and have them experience first-hand what makes North Georgia such a special place,” President David Potter said.

This event marked the first time the Board of Regents had met at North Georgia in recent history, and for many board members, it was their first time to visit campus.

To kick-off the meeting, President Potter presented an overview [link to presentation pdf] of the university’s mission, strategic plan and education initiatives. Billy Wells, executive assistant to the president and president of the Organization for Military Education in Georgia, also made a presentation to the Board of Regents’ academic affairs committee on military education in Georgia.

While visiting campus, the regents served as honorary reviewing officers for a Corps of Cadets review, at which Chairman Robert Hatcher spoke to cadets about the responsibilities and rewards of leadership.

The business portion of the board’s meeting will take took place in the Library Technology Center. Meals provided a special opportunity for students, faculty and staff, trustees, and community members to make an added impression.

USG Chancellor Erroll Davis, in commenting on the meeting, wrote, “I… enjoyed the atmosphere, the many amenities, the programs, and most of all, the warm hospitality provided by the truly impressive students, faculty and administration at North Georgia. I came away with a greater sense of pride and appreciation for the excellence within our System.”

The 18-member Board of Regents holds most of its meetings at its offices in Atlanta, however, the group schedules two meetings each year on campuses of its member institutions. The University System of Georgia includes four research universities, two regional universities, 13 state universities, eight state colleges, and eight two-year colleges. Together, these institutions enroll more than 283,000 students and employ over 40,000 faculty and staff to provide instruction and related services to students and the communities in which they are located.

The Board of Regents was created in 1931 as a part of a reorganization of Georgia’s state government. With this act, public higher education in Georgia was unified for the first time under a single governing and management authority.

The governor appoints members to the board, who each serve seven years. Five members are appointed from the state-at-large, and one is appointed from each of the 13 congressional districts. Regent James Jolly, of Dalton, represents the Ninth Congressional District, which includes Dahlonega and North Georgia College & State University.

During the meeting, the regents approved the university’s plans to offer a Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.

“To this point, our PT students have been granted the DPT degree by Medical College of Georgia, because we were not authorized to grant this applied doctoral degree,” said Dr. Linda Roberts-Betsch, vice president for academic affairs. “This will be the first applied doctoral degree authorized for North Georgia.”

She added that the university is still awaiting final approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), as the program requires a degree-level change, but that approval is anticipated at the Commission on Colleges/SACS Annual Meeting in mid-December.