By Faith Peppers
University of
Georgia

Today, 15 University of Georgia students made history. They
were the first undergraduate students to attend classes toward
a UGA degree in Griffin, Ga.

“This is a pivotal, historic moment for the UGA Griffin campus
and the metro Atlanta Southern Arch,” said Gerald Arkin,
assistant dean for the Griffin campus of the UGA College of
Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“UGA degree programs are now available and accessible to
students, particularly place-bound students, that would
otherwise not be able to get a UGA degree,” Arkin said.

The program has attracted a collection of traditional and
nontraditional college students from across the south metro
Atlanta area.

On the Griffin campus, these students will have two degree
options: a biological science major that will lead to a
bachelor of science in agriculture and an environmental
resource science major that will lead to a bachelor of science
in environmental sciences.

The new teaching program offers students the benefit of study
close to home, with world-class facilities, laboratories and
faculty members.

The century-old Griffin campus has long been a nationally
respected agricultural research facility. It’s home to some of
the world’s most respected agricultural, environmental and food
scientists.

To enter the Griffin-based program, students must have 60
transferable hours of course work. To make that transition
easier, UGA is partnering with nearby Gordon College in a two-
plus-two program. Students do their freshman and sophomore work
at Gordon and transfer to UGA at Griffin to complete the
degree.

“I watched both of the first two classes as they began, and
things are going well,” Arkin said. “We started out on the
right foot.”

Besides the core students on the Athens campus, the CAES also
offers degrees through their Tifton, Ga., campus, in a similar
arrangement with Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. That
program graduated its first class of students in May.