Georgia Highlands College: A Comprehensive Overview

Georgia Highlands College (GHC) is a public college within the University System of Georgia. Founded in 1970 as Floyd Junior College, the institution has evolved into a four-year college offering a range of associate and bachelor's degrees. GHC aims to provide accessible and affordable educational opportunities to a diverse population in Northwest Georgia and beyond.

History and Evolution

Established in 1968 and opened in 1970 as Floyd Junior College, the school was originally named for Floyd County, of which Rome is the county seat, which was in turn named after John Floyd. The college was founded to provide educational opportunities for the physical, intellectual, and cultural development of a diverse population in seven northwest Georgia counties. In 1987, the name was shortened to Floyd College. Over the years, GHC has expanded its scope of influence beyond its original geographical area through distance learning technologies, specialty programs, off-campus centers, and collaborative arrangements.

Mission and Philosophy

The philosophy of Georgia Highlands College is rooted in the belief that education is essential to the intellectual, physical, economic, social, emotional, cultural, and environmental well-being of individuals and society. GHC is committed to providing geographically and physically accessible and affordable education. The college strives to meet both individual student goals and the evolving needs of Northwest Georgia’s workforce by working closely with local partners to develop educational programs that support regional economic growth.

Accreditation

Georgia Highlands College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This accreditation ensures that GHC meets rigorous standards of quality and effectiveness in its educational programs and services. GHC's Associate of Science in Nursing degree and its Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree are accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), demonstrating the college's commitment to excellence in nursing education.

Campuses and Locations

GHC has multiple locations across Northwest Georgia, including:

Floyd Campus (Rome): The original campus, featuring Bishop Observatory, a library, the Lakeview Auditorium building, the McCorkle and Walraven academic buildings, a tennis court, and fields for soccer, softball, and baseball.
Cartersville Site: Opened in 2005, featuring a 55,000-square-foot student center designed with a mountain lodge feel.
James D. Maddox Heritage Hall Instructional Site (Rome): Housed in downtown Rome, this site has been in operation since 1994 and houses the college's Division of Health Sciences nursing and dental hygiene programs.
Marietta Site: Originally opened in 2005 on the campus of Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) (now Kennesaw State University (KSU)), GHC relocated to 1090 Northchase Parkway, Suite 150 in Marietta in 2022.
Paulding Site (Dallas): Opened in 2009.

Academics

Georgia Highlands College offers over 40 areas of study with associate and bachelor's degree options, including online degree programs. GHC offers transfer associate, career associate and bachelor’s degrees focused on high-demand fields including nursing, business, criminal justice, organizational leadership, building information modeling management, and digital media and communication. The college provides a fully online Bachelor of Science in criminal justice, dental hygiene, health sciences, and nursing. The most popular majors are nursing, business, and education.

Faculty and Staff

In 2016, GHC's full-time faculty was 57% female and 87% white. 73.2% of the GHC faculty was full-time and ranked Assistant, Associate, or full Professor, while 26.8% had the rank of Instructor. As of Fall 2016, 51% of the full-time faculty had tenure, 22% were on track for tenure, and 26.8% were not on the tenure track.

Student Life

GHC is a commuter college that draws students from Floyd, Polk, Chattooga, Gordon, Bartow, Cobb, Paulding, Cherokee, Douglas, Carroll, and Haralson Counties in Georgia. The student body at Georgia Highlands College is relatively diverse. Over 60% of students are female, and 24% are non-traditional age students (24-65 years old). GHC offers a variety of clubs and organizations, including Brother 2 Brother (B2B), which encourages excellence among minority male students, and business-focused clubs such as Business Leaders of Tomorrow and Logistics and Supply Chain Management Association. These business clubs focus on developing relationships between students and local industry leaders as well as developing workforce related skills.

Athletics

Georgia Highlands College, nicknamed the Chargers, is a Division I member of the Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) and Region XVII of the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). Men's sports include basketball and baseball. Women's sports include basketball and softball. The athletics program began play in the 2012-2013 season with men's and women's basketball, and added baseball and softball the following year (2014). The men's basketball team has won Regional Championships in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Student Support Services

At GHC, disability assistance is provided for students who have qualified for admission. The college aims to promote equal educational opportunities and offer a welcoming, supportive environment for all of its students. GHC also cares about its students’ safety. Academic/career counseling and employment services for students are available. Credit is offered for life experiences.

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Enrollment and Demographics

GHC has more than doubled its enrollment in the last seven years and now serves more than 5,700 academic and 5,000 continuing education students annually. Total Entering Students in Fall 2023 totaled 1,874. Student Life in Fall 2022 showed 2,258 full-time enrollment and 3,422 part-time enrollment. Age Distribution shows Under 18 at 8%, 18-24 at 70%, 25-64 at 22%, and Over 65 at 0%.

Tuition and Financial Aid

GHC offers some of the most affordable tuition rates in the state while maintaining high standards of academic quality. For 2020-2021, the in-state tuition and fees were $3,344, and out-of-state tuition and fees were $9,696. The application fee is $30. At Georgia Highlands College, 61 percent of undergraduates receive grant or scholarship aid and the average scholarship or grant award is $5,043. Books and supplies cost approximately $1,200.

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