Plans for a Dalton State College satellite campus in Ellijay, Ga., are complete and await only formal approval from the University of Georgia Board of Regents, college officials said.
“This will be our first satellite campus,” said Jodi Johnson, Dalton State vice president of student affairs. “We’ve been offering classes at Gilmer County High School for several years now but we’ve been limited in the number we (could serve).”
The Regents are expected to give their OK when the board of meets in April.
The new “campus” will be in the former Gilmer County library, a 10,000-square-foot building downtown between Sand and Dalton streets.
The building will be leased by Gilmer County, which is investing about $700,000 to build classrooms and staff and administrative offices, according to Scott Bailey, Dalton State vice president of fiscal affairs.
“We will convert the open areas into six classrooms that will seat about 30 students each, and computer labs and office space,” Mr. Bailey said. “Initially we hope to serve 200 to 300 students and eventually serve up to 500.”
Gilmer is among the fastest growing counties in North Georgia, said Joanne Benson, county economic development director.
But the 30 or so miles west, crossing Fort Mountain to Dalton, takes an hour one way, she said.
“We have a lot of students who want to go college but to go over the mountain or to go to Kennesaw wasn’t working for them,” she said. “And Dalton saw our growth — our population is exploding — and they wanted a campus here. It’s a win-win.”
Investment in the Ellijay campus will not affect Dalton State tuition costs, which are set by Board of Regents that oversees the state’s public college and university system.
Mr. Bailey said the satellite campus will offer two-year degrees beginning in January, if all goes as planned. Students can take core classes such as math and composition at the satellite site. Four-year degree candidates still will have to take courses at the main campus, he said.
“But we are adding more online classes and hybrid classes, because of space issues and fuel costs,” to aid those four-year degree seekers, Mr. Bailey said.
Ms. Benson said Gilmer County’s growth shows in its new library and middle school. There is a variety of infrastructure projects, from courthouse renovation and airport expansion to road improvements.
A public/private partnership to develop an industrial park is in place, she said. And Gilmer and Pickens county officials recently signed an agreement to work on economic development projects together, she said.
“The county is just kind of exploding,” Ms. Benson said. “I think it’s our proximity — we’re one hour from Atlanta — and our economic incentives and our infrastructure. From 2000 to 2005, our population grew by 76 percent from people with second homes, retiring baby boomers and young families.”
WHAT IT MEANS
Gilmer County officials are considering a lease that could place a Dalton State College satellite campus at the former public library.
