The state of the University of Georgia is good, but there’s still lots of work to do and money needed to do it.
That was the message delivered Thursday by President Jere Morehead in his first state of the university address since taking the helm of the state’s flagship institution last July. He highlighted UGA accomplishments over the past year while reinforcing strategies to move forward.
Morehead, a former UGA professor who rose to provost before being tapped as president, has announced a new fundraising campaign, and Thursday detailed a focused effort to stretch the university’s funding dollars. The percentage of UGA’s alumni donating to the school has fallen from 71st nationally in 2004 to 112th last year, Morehead said. And the school’s $786 million endowment is ranked 98th nationally, behind schools like Georgia Tech and the Universities of Florida and Kentucky.
To help students stretch their dollars, UGA is implementing a one-year freeze of housing and meal costs, Morehead announced. UGA has long touted its reputation as one of the best values in public higher education, and was ranked fifth on Kiplinger’s list of best values in public colleges last year.
Morehead also announced two new $1 million scholarship funds for the school’s neediest students and those who were leaders in their high schools.
With the state’s public colleges and universities having experienced enrollment and funding declines, college leaders like Morehead are having to become more independent, relying less on state dollars and more on private funds.
Still unknown is whether UGA’s employees, like other university and state workers, will see raises. Under Gov. Nathan Deal’s proposed budget, the employees would be eligible for — but might not necessarily receive — merit raises. The governor proposed that about $50 million go toward raises for those employees, which would be about a 1 percent increase if given to all workers.
Deal was a chief supporter of Morehead’s selection for UGA’s top spot, and has praised the president’s ideas for expanding the school’s economic development outreach and funding goals.
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