Plan Could Merge Two-Year Colleges with Tech Schools

A plan that would merge the state’s two-year colleges with the Technical College System of Georgia is in front of the Governor. Sonny Perdue could consider it as part of his budget proposal to lawmakers next week.

The proposal is part of a report just-released late last month by a Perdue-appointed panel aimed at Georgia's educational future. The report concludes by spinning-off the two-year schools from Board of Regents oversight, the University System could focus squarely on four-year and research institutions, and graduate degree programs.

Mike Light with the Technical College System says if the plan got the Legislative go-ahead, a lot of issues would have to be worked out:

"It’s everything from the fact that the technical college system is currently on a quarter system vs. a semester system. We’d have to look at teacher and instructor pay...tenure...things like that."

There are eight two-year colleges in the state, with several others offering both two and four-year degree programs.

The system of 33 technical schools is currently preparing for an internal merger down to 27 schools by July 1st of this year.

Millionaire no more

A millionaire philanthropist from Augusta who once led the University System Board of Regents has filed for bankruptcy. Tim Shelnut Sr. raised money for politicians of both major parties and donated his own money to campaigns. His donations to Linda Schrenko's gubernatorial campaign violated legal caps. The state Ethics Committee fined him $40,000, a debt listed in his bankruptcy petition.

(Associated Press)