University system sets enrollment record

The University System of Georgia has hit an all-time high for student enrollment this fall.

Nearly 365,000 students are enrolled at the system's 26 public colleges and universities, an increase of more than 20,000, or 5.9%, compared to last fall, Angela Bell, the system's vice chancellor for research and policy analysis, told the Board of Regents Tuesday.

The enrollment growth since the pandemic year of 2020 has been most dramatic among out-of-state students, Bell said. Out-of-state enrollment has increased by 27% since the pandemic year of 2020.

'Students are looking to the South for a number of reasons, whether it be winning football or the weather,' she said.

Bell said another reason for enrollment growth in the university system is that Georgia remained open for business during the pandemic while other states shut down.

Other highlights of Bell's report included a huge 53.5% increase in dual enrollment students since 2020.

The university system also has become increasingly diverse in recent years. While enrollment among white students declined from 47% in 2020 to 42% this fall, enrollment among Latino students has grown from 10% to 12%, and Asian enrollment is up from 11% to 14%. Enrollment among Black students has held steady at 25%.

In other business Tuesday, board members unanimously approved a series of policy changes aimed at basing student admission and faculty hiring decisions on merit. Among other things, the changes prohibit requiring prospective students or professors to submit 'diversity statements,' typically one or two pages that outline how the applicant plans to advance the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

'These (policies) all make clear the employees and students are evaluated on their merits, not on any ideological tests,' board Chairman Harold Reynolds said.

While encouraging individual freedom of expression, the policy changes assert that the university system 'shall remain neutral on social and political issues unless such an issue is directly related to the institution's core mission.'

'Our mission is education – not politics,' system Chancellor Sonny Perdue said.

The board also voted to authorize a $25 million renovation and expansion of Georgia Tech's basketball facilities. The project will be funded by the Georgia Tech Athletic Association.