News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5056 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE MAY 10, 2005

ABAC QUEST FOR 4 –YEAR STATUS MOVES FORWARD

TIFTON - Interim President Tom Call said Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is moving forward with its quest for a change of mission status in the University System of Georgia (USG).

“We have a list of 16 questions from the University System that we are going to provide very detailed answers to,” Call said. “There are no guarantees at this point but this is a positive sign.”

ABAC is one of four two-year colleges notified by the USG that they can continue working toward State College status.

There are two State Colleges in the System, Macon State and Dalton State. Both offer a limited number of four-year degrees and continue to offer mainly two-year degrees. ABAC hopes to join that twosome.

Call said ABAC is proposing four-year degrees in Diversified Agriculture and Golf Turf Management.

“We have the farm, and we have our own golf course,” Call said. “So facilities will not be a problem.”

The USG has set no timetable for granting change of mission but Call said the college can be prepared to begin offering the classes in the fall of 2006.

Call expects over 3,400 students to be enrolled at ABAC when classes begin for the fall term on Aug. 22.

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