Bill Text: GA SR84 | 2009-2010 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Regents; urged to merge foundations associated with the units of the university system
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2009-01-28 - Senate Read and Referred [SR84 Detail]
Download: Georgia-2009-SR84-Introduced.html
09 LC 94
0215
Senate
Resolution 84
By:
Senator Harp of the 29th
A
RESOLUTION
Urging
the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and the foundations
associated with the units of the university system to merge Savannah State
University with Armstrong Atlantic State University and Albany State University
with Darton College; and for other purposes.
WHEREAS,
merging of Savannah State University with Armstrong Atlantic State University
and Albany State University with Darton College is necessary to survive this
difficult economic climate, end the practice of illegal discrimination, and
ensure the preservation of the traditions and objectives of historically black
schools; and
WHEREAS,
the State of Georgia is currently facing a budgetary crisis, with calls for
dramatic decreases in state agency spending and a scaling back of services
throughout the state; and
WHEREAS,
these four higher education institutions are located in close proximity to each
other and offer students similar academic programs and education;
and
WHEREAS,
while these four schools are a quality source for higher education, the delivery
method of running four separate institutions that could be easily transformed
into two is proving inefficient and wasteful of the public dollar;
and
WHEREAS,
although the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the practice of
"separate but equal" systems of public education in 1954 with
Brown v. Board of
Education, several states, including
Georgia have continued to maintain systems of higher education that were once
legally segregated; and
WHEREAS,
in 2001, Tennessee State University was merged with the University of
Tennessee's Nashville campus as a result of the lawsuit
Geier v.
Tennessee, which alleged illegal
discrimination by the State of Tennessee in its maintenance of the historically
black college, Tennessee State University; and
WHEREAS,
similar to the merging of Tennessee State University with the University of
Tennessee, the Georgia Board of Regents should merge Savannah State University
with Armstrong Atlantic State University and Albany State University with Darton
College in order to ensure the state is not in violation of federal law which
prohibits a state from maintaining segregated public education facilities;
and
WHEREAS,
concerns that the consolidation of these institutions will lead to the closing
of all historically black colleges and universities is unfounded because private
higher education institutions may continue to maintain their mission as they
please since these universities are not publicly run and funded;
and
WHEREAS,
the merging of two schools that serve the same regional area and similar
missions would reduce administrative costs and eliminate the duplication of
similar services and programs; and
WHEREAS,
Georgia should not be in the business of maintaining segregated schools and the
Board of Regents must merge Savannah State University with Armstrong Atlantic
State University and Albany State University with Darton College in order to
close the ugly chapter of segregation in this state's history.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE that the Board of Regents of the
University System of Georgia and the foundations associated with the units of
the university system are urged to merge Savannah State University with
Armstrong Atlantic State University and Albany State University with Darton
College, so that the surviving universities shall be known as Savannah State
University and Albany State University.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Secretary of the Senate is authorized and directed
to transmit an appropriate copy of this resolution to the chancellor of the
university system for purposes of distribution to the members of the Board of
Regents.
