When the two universities merge, Armstrong State University's main campus in Savannah will be called the Armstrong Campus of Georgia Southern University, the Consolidation Implementation Committee confirmed Friday.
As part of the same recommendation, Armstrong's campus in Hinesville will be named the Liberty Campus of the expanded Georgia Southern. It's currently the ASU Liberty Center. The campus-naming decision was one of four recommendations, from various working groups, approved by the committee Friday afternoon.
The confirmation of the "Armstrong Campus" name answers concerns from Armstrong alumni that the Armstrong name be retained and the campus not become the "Savannah campus." None of the recommendations were surprises, and all will go to the state Board of Regents for final approval.
By a second committee decision, all named buildings on the Armstrong campus will keep their traditional names.
Further, "all athletics-related scholarships for affected student-athletes will be honored, provided students are making satisfactory academic progress," the committee announced Friday. This confirmed a commitment that both Georgia Southern President Jaimie Hebert and Armstrong State President Linda Bleicken voiced during town hall meetings in January.
Protecting the scholarships will allow student-athletes affected by consolidation to continue in school without added financial burden, the committee's announcement said.
Athletes can transfer
That, however, does not guarantee an ASU Pirates athlete a position on a GS Eagles team, and another committee-approved recommendation announced Friday gives student-athletes transfer status.
The news release at http://consolidation.georgiasouthern.edu puts it this way:
"Student athletes will be immediately issued open transfer status by Armstrong's athletic administration, with the exception of softball, whose playing season is currently in progress. When softball season has concluded, the participating student-athletes will immediately be issued an open transfer status by Armstrong's athletic administration. This will ensure that student-athletes do not lose any eligibility."
Without open transfer status, the National Collegiate Athletic Association could require student-athletes to sit out a year before playing for another school.
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents voted Jan. 11 to consolidate Armstrong State University and Georgia Southern University. The consolidation, which will create a university under the Georgia Southern name with campuses in Statesboro, Savannah and Hinesville, is slated to be planned by the end of 2017 in order to take effect fall semester 2018. Post-merger, Georgia Southern will have more than 27,500 students, if current enrollment numbers hold.
In an earlier update, Feb. 16, the Consolidation Implementation Committee announced that all academic programs currently offered on a specific campus will continue on that campus at least through spring semester 2022 to allow students starting this fall to remain on their chosen campuses.