GEORGIA SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY

'Georgia Southern University', established 1906, is a regional university located in Statesboro, Georgia, USA, and part of the University System of Georgia. It is the largest center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia and is the sixth largest institution in the University System.^[1] The University has a residential campus of 16,425 students, with every state and 87 nations represented in the student body.

Contents

Academics

Rankings

Location

History

Athletics

Erk Russell and football

Georgia Southern Football Coaching Records

Student activities

Greek Life

People

External links

Sources

References

Academics

The President of Georgia Southern University is the head administrator and is appointed and overseen by the Georgia Board of Regents.
The University offers more than 120 bachelor's degree, masters degree, and Doctorate programs in eight colleges:

★ College of Business Administration

★ College of Education

★ College of Information Technology

★ College of Health and Human Sciences

★ Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies [1]

★ Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health [2]

★ College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences

★ Allen E. Paulson College of Science and Technology
Beginning Fall 2007, four new graduate programs, including two Doctoral programs will be introduced.
The College of Business Administration houses the only School of Economic Development in the southeastern United States.
The College of Information Technology is the only one in Southeastern United States, and one of the few in the nation.
The University Library is undergoing major renovation and expansion and will be completed in the Fall of 2008. The Library is the only one in Georgia which operates a 24 hour schedule.
Black Issues in Higher Education has recognized Georgia Southern University among the top institutions in the country for the number of bachelor’s degrees awarded to African-American students.
Georgia Southern is home to the world renowned Institute of Arthropodology and Parasitology. An integral part of this program is the U.S. National Tick Collection; it is the largest collection of ticks in the world, with more than one million specimens, representing most of the world's 850 species.

Rankings

As of 2008, Georgia Southern is classified as a Doctoral/Research Institution[3] and ranks as one of the top 262 national universities by US News.[4]
The University’s Master of Business Administration and the Master of Accounting are featured in Best 282 Business Schools published by The Princeton Review. [5]
''US News & World Report'' consistently ranks the University’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program among the best in the nation, and has once again recently ranked the program in its 2007 edition. The program ranked 11th in the nation; ahead of schools like Emory and Vanderbilt [6]
Georgia Southern University has one of the best Logistics programs in the nation. According to Supply Chain Management, the University is ranked 16th among private and public institutions. [7]
The prestigious American Chemical Society consistently ranks the University’s Department of Chemistry among the top 25 in the nation for certified baccalaureate graduates.[8]

Location

The town of Statesboro is located inland from the east coast off of Interstate 16 between the cities of Macon (which is in central Georgia) and Savannah (located on the coast of Georgia at the mouth of the Savannah River). Statesboro is less than one hour's drive from Savannah, about two hours from Macon and Augusta, and about three and a half hours from Atlanta.

History

The school which was to become Georgia Southern University was founded as a district agricultural school named First District A&M in 1906 as one of several agricultural and mechanical trades schools chartered by the Georgia General Assembly, the state legislature. During the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s the school expanded, offering a richer curriculum with an emphasis on education and changed its name for the first time to Georgia Normal School. It progressed from a two-year to a four-year teacher's college called South Georgia Teacher's College during those years. In 1959, the school became known as Georgia Southern College when it became a senior college within the University System of Georgia followed by receiving university status in 1990. In April 2006, The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching officially announced that Georgia Southern changed classifications from its previous Masters I designation to the National Doctoral/Research University level. Despite this classification change, the University System of Georgia will continue to consider Georgia Southern a regional university for its organizational purposes and budget/tuition calculations. [9]On October 30, 2006, Georgia Southern University was visited by President George W. Bush, marking the first time that a current President has visited the campus. The presidential visit was a first for Statesboro, Georgia as well.

Athletics

The Georgia Southern Eagles compete in baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, volleyball, soccer, softball and track & field. The football team has won a record six NCAA Division I-AA national championships (1985, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1999 and 2000). It also has been to the College World Series twice (1973,1990). The university also offers intramural teams for all varsity level sports, as well as others such as equestrian events, fencing, and judo. Georgia Southern's football team plays at Allen E. Paulson Stadium.

Erk Russell and football

In 1982, former University of Georgia Defensive Coordinator Erksine "Erk" Russell was hired to restart the football program at Georgia Southern College (as the university was called at the time), a program that had not competed in forty years. Three years after beginning the team, Coach Russell had won his first of three National Titles (1985, 1986, and 1989). Russell's bald head, coupled with the fact that he coached the Eagles, gave him the nickname "The Bald Eagle". After the Eagles moved to Division I-AA in 1984, he fashioned a 70-14 (.825) mark. Russell averaged 10.4 wins per season. He entered the 1989 season as America's winningest coach, orchestrator of two national championships, 68 wins and 14 All-America selections -- all during a seven-year period. In the ensuing 105 days, Georgia Southern ascended to the top spot in the NCAA I-AA football poll and Russell smoked 15 victory cigars. The Eagles extended Division I's longest home win streak from 26 to 37 games, en route to gaining distinction as the only 15-0 college team of the twentieth century. Russell's final record at Georgia Southern, after his retirement in 1989, was 83-22-1 (.788). During the Mike Sewak Era, Russell unfortunately cut ties with GSU after his son Rusty was fired from the coaching staff. In 2006, with the hire of new Head Coach Brian VanGorder, he was reunited with the program. He addressed the team the night before his shocking and sudden death on September 8, 2006. Georgia Southern University and thousands of friends, family, and fans gathered at Paulson Stadium to mourn the passing of Erk Russell, one of America's most exciting and successful college football coaches. The cause of death was a stroke while pulling out of a gas station on the west side of Statesboro. He was 80. Since Russell's departure, football has continued to be prominent at Georgia Southern, which now lays claim as the most successful Division I-AA program ever. Head coach Tim Stowers succeeded Russell and won the 1990 national title, while Paul Johnson added two more in 1999 and 2000 with teams led by all-time Division I rushing leader Adrian Peterson. On December 9, 2005, Brian VanGorder became the sixth head football coach at Georgia Southern. In January 2007, Coach VanGorder left the Eagles to be the Linebackers Coach of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons. Not long after VanGorder's departure, Athletics Director Sam Baker announced Chris Hatcher to take over the Eagles. Hatcher, who was previously the head coach at Valdosta State University, where he had an all time record of 76-12, promised more championships will be added to the six that have already been won.

Georgia Southern Football Coaching Records

Years Name # of Years Won Lost Tie Pct.
----- ---- ---------- --- ---- --- ----
1924-26 E.G. Cromartie 3 7 5 1 .583
1927-28 H.A. Woodie 2 11 6 1 .647
1929-41 B.L. Smith 13 44 66 7 .415
1982-89 Erk Russell 8 83 22 1 .790
1990-95 Tim Stowers 6 51 23 0 .689
1996 Frank Ellwood 1 4 7 0 .364
1997-01 Paul Johnson 5 62 10 0 .861
2002-05 Mike Sewak 4 35 14 0 .633
2006 Brian VanGorder 1 3 8 0 .273
2007- Chris Hatcher 1 0 0

Student activities

The university has a botanical garden at Bland Cottage, the Performing Arts Center where national acts as well as Georgia Southern student shows are performed, a college radio station (WVGS 91.9 ''The Buzz''), and a daily college newspaper, ''The George-Anne Daily''. Various departments within the university offer students the opportunity to participate in as well as enjoy events such as concerts, plays, and musicals. Several national organizations such as the ACM are represented by student chapters.
The Recreation and Activities Center (the RAC) has an area for weight lifting, several basketball courts, an indoor track, two dance studios, equipment for yoga and pilates, several racquetball courts, and an indoor climbing wall. During Spring and Fall 2006 semesters, the RAC was expanded, adding additional basketball and multi-purpose courts, weight and fitness rooms, a Olympic size swimming pool, a rehabilitation pool, and more space for CRI (Campus Recreation and Intramural) personnel. With completed expansion, the RAC is now one of the finest collegiate recreational facilities in the nation.

Greek Life

There are three governing bodies for Greek organizations at Georgia Southern University, governing all NIC, NPC, and NPHC recognized organizations on campus. The first North American Interfraternity Conference (NIC), National Panhellenic Conference (NPC), or National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC) Greek organization at Georgia Southern was Tau Kappa Epsilon, which colonized on the campus in 1967 and chartered in 1968. The Southern Greek Housing Corporation, a 501(c)3 corporation representing NIC and NPC Greek organizations on campus, owns and operates the Greek housing community, which maintains property adjacent to the University. The corporation is managed by a board of directors, consisting of fraternity and sorority alumni. There are also Greek-letter professional fraternities (such as Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia which was founded at Georgia Southern in 1953), along with a number of academic honor societies (such as Alpha Upsilon Alpha and Phi Alpha Theta).
Social Sororities (NPC, NPHC)

★ Alpha Delta Pi 1968

★ Alpha Kappa Alpha 1979

★ Delta Sigma Theta 1979

★ Phi Mu 1968

★ Kappa Delta 1968

★ Zeta Phi Beta 1989

★ Zeta Tau Alpha 1968

★ Sigma Gamma Rho 1993

★ Tau Beta Sigma 1986

★ Alpha Omicron Pi 1988

★ Kappa Kappa Gamma 1990

★ Alpha Delta Chi 2004

★ Omega Phi Alpha 2004
Social Fraternities (NIC, NPHC)

★ Alpha Phi Alpha 1980

★ Alpha Tau Omega 1968

★ Delta Chi 2002

★ Delta Sigma Phi 2004

★ Delta Tau Delta 2006

★ Kappa Alpha Order 1968

★ Kappa Alpha Psi 1978

★ Kappa Sigma 1968

★ Iota Phi Theta 2005

★ Omega Psi Phi 1987

★ Phi Beta Sigma 1987

★ Pi Kappa Alpha 1993

★ Pi Kappa Phi 1968

★ Sigma Alpha Epsilon 1989

★ Sigma Chi 1970

★ Sigma Pi 1968

★ Sigma Phi Epsilon 1993

★ Tau Kappa Epsilon 1967

★ Theta Xi 2007

★ Sigma Nu 1969

People

Some notable Alumni of Georgia Southern include:

★ Lee Berger (Explorer)

★ Rob Bironas (athlete)

★ David Cool (athlete)

★ Michael Curry (athlete)

★ Reginald B. Riley (social worker/philanthropist)

★ Todd Greene (athlete)

★ Tony Arata (musician, songwriter)

★ Dan Cathy (President, Chick-fil-A)

★ Tracy Ham (athlete)

★ Linnes Finney, Jr. (President, National Bar Association)

★ Joey Hamilton (athlete)

★ Michael Knight (fashion designer)

★ Earthwind Moreland (athlete)

★ Adrian Peterson (Chicago Bears) (athlete)

★ Jeff Raynard Sanders (athlete)

★ Fred Stokes (athlete)

★ Kiwaukee Thomas (athlete)

★ Jason Russell (athlete)

★ Charlton Young (athlete)

★ Aron Price (athlete)

★ Charlie Norwood (politician)

★ Mark Collier (actor)

★ Patrika Darbo (actress)

★ Lea Anne McBride (government)

★ Matthew J. Fagan (business leader)

★ Tony Townley (founder, Zaxby's)

External links

★ Georgia Southern University web site

★ Georgia Southern Student Media (print publications)

★ WVGS Statesboro 91.9 FM, Georgia Southern Radio

★ Georgia Southern University Eagles athletics

★ Board of Regents of The University System of Georgia web site

★ Georgia particpants in the National Biological Information Infrastructure

★ The New Georgia Encyclopedia

Sources

★ "TSC Blues Review Interview with Erk Russell" Southern-Connection.com August 2002

★
★ The Southern Century: Georgia Southern University 1906-2006, , Delma Eugene, Presley, Georgia Southern University, 2006, ISBN 13:978-0-9788650-0-9

References

1. Semester Enrollment Reports - Fiscal Year 2007