Atlanta – The state board of the Department of Technical and Adult Education, which oversees the Technical College System of Georgia, today voted to approve a merger of Georgia Aviation Technical College (GAVTC) in Eastman with Middle Georgia College (MGC) in Cochran effective July 1, 2007.
Under the terms of the agreement with the state Board of Regents, GAVTC will become part of MGC and will create Georgia’s only state-supported aviation college offering a variety of certificate and associate degree programs, plus select baccalaureate aviation degree programs.
The Board of Regents will vote on the merger during their regular March meeting.
“The joining of these two colleges will result in a stronger, more comprehensive institution of higher education with a unique focus on the development of our aviation workforce,” said DTAE Board Chair Ben Copeland. “There’s exciting potential here for this new institution to become a world-class center of learning in the field of aviation.”
The merger will mean no job losses as faculty and staff at GAVTC will continue in their current positions as employees of MGC.
The state-of-the-art facilities and the instructional expertise at GAVTC will support MGC’s new Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management degree program, which is scheduled to begin in the Fall of 2007. This will help to meet the aviation industry’s need for more graduates with four-year degrees as well as fulfill the continuing demand for skilled workers with certificates and associate degrees.
“Certificate and associate degree programs that are currently the mainstay at GAVTC are certain to remain,” said Copeland. “Except now, those programs will be supported by additional faculty, enhanced course offerings, more operational efficiency and greater student services, including dormitories. There’s a tremendous upside here for the students, the middle Georgia communities, and for all of Georgia.”
The combined colleges will have a positive effect on the on the local and state economies with improved aviation workforce training sparking development in aviation and the related fields. Existing industry, along with government and military operations like the Robins Air Logistics Command Center in Warner Robins, will also benefit from the colleges’ combined resources.
The merger is also expected to allow GAVTC to achieve quicker accreditation though the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges. Accreditation will allow a seamless educational transition for students looking to go from the certificate and associate degrees to baccalaureate degree completion.
