Macon State College - History

History

The history of Macon State College began in 1965, when the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents passed a resolution to create a public two-year college in central Georgia. Subsequently, the voters of Bibb County approved a bond issue to fund the college.

Macon Junior College, as it was then known, opened its doors in 1968 to the largest enrollment ever for a new state college in Georgia. In 1970, the Board of Regents directed Macon Junior College to serve civilian and military employees at Robins Air Force Base. The Robins Resident Center, located on the base, was subsequently established.

As several other junior colleges had recently gained four-year status, many speculated that Macon's would as well. However, the change took some time. It was not until 1983 that a statewide needs assessment indicated that the Macon area was underserved by state higher education. In 1987, the Regents removed "Junior" from the college's name but Macon College remained a two-year school.

In 1989, the college's president, S. Aaron Hyatt, asked the state to grant the college senior status. The following year, 25,000 local citizens signed a petition supporting the move, but state budget cuts prevented the issue from advancing.

Over the next several years, the topic was repeatedly discussed, and "senior status" was often recommended by University System consultants, but it would be 1996 before the Regents finally approved a change in mission and the introduction of the Bachelor of Science degree. Later that year, the school became known as "Macon State College" to indicate the new status. Both changes formally took effect in 1997. The first bachelor's degrees were awarded in May 1999.

During the fall 2007 convocation President Bell mentioned that the Board of Regents estimates Macon State’s enrollment will hit 10,000 by 2020. To accommodate these expectations the College will have to grow to include a more complex mission with additional four-year programs, graduate degrees in appropriate areas and residential housing.

In the same speech, President Bell also announced that with this growth the college would have to reorganize from divisions into schools. He then announced the official foundation of the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Education, the School of Information Technology, the School of Nursing & Health Sciences, and the School of Business. Dr. Robert Kelly was then named the first dean of the School of Arts and Sciences.

In April 2010, the president announced that the college had assumed operations of a 300+ apartment complex adjacent to the Macon campus. The units are available only to Macon State students and opened as student housing for the Fall 2010 semester. The housing initiative is part of a new Residence Life program that includes new student activities. It is anticipated the college will add additional housing and new facilities for student activities.

In the fall of 2010, Dr. Bell announced that he would end his term as president in June 2011. In July 2011, Dr. Jeffery S. Allbritten, who had been serving as president of the Collier County Campus of Edison State College in Naples, Florida, assumed office as Macon State's new president.

In January 2012, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the merger of the college with Middle Georgia College by Fall, 2013. The name of the new school will be Middle Georgia State College. It is not anticipated that any of either schools' current campuses will close.

In addition to approving the name change on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents laid out a path for elevating the consolidated institution to university status after a review process. At the end of that process, the institution's name would be changed to Middle Georgia University, the Regents decided.