HOW DO WE RISE TOGETHER?
It starts with one life. One professor who notices something in a student—something the student might not even know is there.
Georgia Southwestern State University knows what it takes to succeed. We understand what it means to work hard, to overcome obstacles, and to refuse to give up. Now is the time to step up and make a difference, to strengthen the foundation that will make our great University even greater.
Rising Together, Shaping Futures:
The Campaign for Georgia Southwestern, a five-year campaign to raise $12.5 million, will keep our mission relevant and vibrant for coming generations—but only if we work together, as we have always done.
At Georgia Southwestern, we are transforming the lives of each student and the families they will build. It’s about their children’s lives, their grandchildren’s lives. It’s about their families, their neighbors, their siblings. We are transforming generations of lives. That’s an incredibly important responsibility—one that takes all of us.
DR. MICHELLE R. JOHNSTON PRESIDENT
To ensure we are poised to take the future by storm, we are proud to launch Rising Together, Shaping Futures.
This campaign is about our ability to provide access to a great education and an outstanding college experience, retain students by creating a path to success, and encourage faculty excellence so we can prepare students to be successful in their next phase of life.
JEFF BENTON ’92 AND ’96, CHAIR, BOARD OF TRUSTEES
SHAPING THE FUTURE
Our most important work is to shape futures. Just as others have sacrificed for our benefit, so now we must play our part by rising together to support students.
If Georgia Southwestern is going to prepare leaders who can serve effectively today and tomorrow, we must act.
PEOPLE. PURPOSE. PROFESSION.
These are the foundational ideals on which Georgia Southwestern State University was built, and these are the ideals that will shape our future.
HERITAGE OF SERVICE
Founded in 1906 as the Third District Agricultural & Mechanical School, Georgia Southwestern State University was established to serve as a bedrock of education in our region. And for over 115 years, we have excelled at our mission.
Georgia Southwestern has not only shaped our region, but has touched the world. Our alumni, including former President of the United States and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jimmy Carter, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, former U.S. Attorney General Griffin Bell, and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Jaha Dukureh, have been voices for justice, peace, and hope.
Our past helped form the first-class education we offer today. One that unites academic excellence with accessibility. One that empowers students thanks to the leadership of exceptional faculty who are recognized in their fields yet know the names of each student in their classrooms.
Proud of our Hurricane spirit, together we uplift our community, our region, and our world.
JIMMY CARTE
ON THE RISE
GSW’s momentum continues with record achievements and recognition:
• Recognized as the fastest-growing state university in the University System of Georgia
• Retained over 80% of graduates in Georgia , significantly impacting the state’s workforce
• Contributed a total of $500 million economic impact over the last five years
• Ranked among the Top Public Universities in the South by U.S. News & World Report
COMMUNITY FOCUS
Our impact reaches beyond campus through partnerships with schools, businesses, hospitals, and nonprofits—locally and globally in places like Bulgaria and Nepal. Students learn that education is for sharing and serving others to strengthen communities.
COMPETITIVE ATHLETICS
To attract students, we’ve invested in Athletics—with visible results. Our golf, baseball, and women’s basketball teams won conference championships, advancing to the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Our athletes also rank No. 1 nationally in NCAA DII community service.
CAMPUS RENEWAL
We’ve upgraded many facilities, including Canes Central, the Florrie Chappell Gymnasium, and the James Earl Carter Library. We’re committed to ensuring all our facilities and services are equipped to take us forward into the future.
OUR VISION
To ensure Georgia Southwestern State University takes the next century by storm, we set forth these three strategic priorities:
PRIORITY 1: STUDENT ACCESS
• Expanding scholarship funds
• Increasing emergency funds and degree completion awards
• Enhancing campus facilities to attract students
PRIORITY 2: STUDENT SUCCESS
• Boosting our college-skills program
• Advancing capacity for mentoring and coaching at-risk students
• Growing experiential learning and internships
• Upgrading athletics facilities, improving the fan experience, and creating an athletics endowment
PRIORITY 3: FACULTY EXCELLENCE
• Endowing professorships and leadership positions to attract great minds to steer our programs
• Supporting teaching and learning
• Providing next-level professional development opportunities
GIVING BACK
For Doug Moses ’97, life could have been very different.
He delayed enrolling in college to provide financial support for his mother. His mother’s attorney, Rudolph Patterson, recommended he apply to GSW.
Moses received enough scholarship funds to enroll—and he thrived.
Eventually, Moses discovered by accident that Patterson had not just recommended he apply to the University—but was helping fund his education.
“GSW took a chance on me,” explained Jeff Benton ’92 and ’96, chair of the GSW Foundation Board of Trustees.
After serving in the Army, Benton enrolled at GSW in 1988 as an ROTC student and the first in his family to attend college.
“I was fortunate to have people at the school that took an interest in me—and my life changed dramatically.”
“Rudolph Patterson helped so many students receive scholarships, many of whom he never met,” explained Moses. “He’s the reason I give back to GSW.”
After graduation, Moses went on to obtain an MBA with an emphasis in accounting and was later hired by the CPA firm Mauldin & Jenkins. He has since become a government assurance partner.
Recently, Moses and his wife, Yolanda Sims ’01, created an endowed scholarship for accounting and computer science majors at GSW with em phasis on graduates from their high schools, because they understand the transformational impact of scholarships.
Benton earned his BBA and MBA from GSW. He has worked in the lighting industry for more than 30 years and now serves as the vice president for operations of the residential and wiring devices division at Eaton.
“We need to find a way to bridge that gap so that when we get students, we don’t lose them,” he explained. “There is a desire there, but a lack of preparation that’s not necessarily their fault.”
At GSW, Benton met lifelong friends and his wife, Amy ’90—also the first in her family to attend college. Now, both of their children have graduated from GSW.
To give back, the Bentons have established two scholarships through the GSW Foundation.
They want to encourage others to join them in shaping futures through this campaign.
PRIORITY 1: STUDENT ACCESS
More students are demanding a Georgia Southwestern State University education than ever before. These students are eager, bright, genuine, and perceptive. They are committed to making a difference.
To attract and retain this promising student body, we must significantly increase scholarships, emergency funds, and other support. And we must continue to enhance our campus facilities, making them more appealing to prospective students. It’s simple.
More access, more scholarships, more opportunity
When you give students financial support for their education, you empower the change they will make. You enable them to transform their communities—for generations.
You Can Help a Student in Crisis
Sometimes, students face personal challenges that threaten to derail their educational goals. Without financial support, those grappling with family illness, emergency expenses, or simply rising costs may feel they have no choice but to give up on their dreams.
On average, an emergency award of $620 empowers a GSW student to continue their education. Your gift to this campaign means more students receive these emergency grants, ensuring they take one step closer to graduation.
CALLED TO NURSING
When a routine hip surgery caused her father unexpected complications, Henderson Hurdle realized she wanted to be a nurse.
“Caring for him was a beautiful thing that really grew our relationship and showed me that nursing was definitely the field I wanted to be a part of,” she explained.
At Georgia Southwestern, Hurdle has found a place where she has been encouraged to thrive.
“I’ve really grown a lot,” she said. “I’m so close with all my professors. They have personal relationships with you, and push you to be the best nurse possible. I feel very prepared going into the workforce.”
Hurdle is also grateful to have been selected as a Mix Scholar in the President Jimmy Carter Leadership Program and for the opportunity to pursue her lifelong passion for softball.
She is extremely appreciative of those who have contributed toward her education.
“Scholarships have really changed my life,” Hurdle said. “There is such a connection between the University and our community. It’s amazing. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”
PRIORITY 2: STUDENT SUCCESS
Academic excellence is at the heart of what we do. We want to keep the bar high—to inspire students to reach their full potential.
Yet we recognize that just as we challenge students to a higher standard, we also must provide the tools they need to succeed.
With your help, we will implement five proven solutions to help students rise to the rigors of our programs. We will:
You Can Help a Student Succeed
84 percent of GSW graduates remain in Georgia after earning their bachelor’s degree - a higher rate than all other University System of Georgia institutions.
1. Expand our summer program to help at-risk students prepare academically for their first year at GSW.
2. Provide more mentors to give academic and social support.
3. Focus on preparing students for their professions and careers through hands-on, experiential learning.
4. Enhance our campus facilities, making them more modern, innovative, and accessible.
5. Upgrade our athletic facilities, improve the fan experience, and create an athletics endowment.
Investing in the future
When you provide resources to help students succeed, you demonstrate your unwavering belief in them. Your actions express how much you value their education, their future, and their life.
You are needed to build pathways to success, empowering students to drive change in our communities and around the world.
BRINGING LEARNING TO LIFE
Education is about experience.
That’s why Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences Paul Dahlgren uses student-led, historically based roleplaying games to teach composition.
“Students wear costumes,” he said. “They debate each other. It is the most fun thing you’ve ever seen.”
He has found that the skills students hone through these experiences—communicating as they work together in teams to develop strategy—transfer to other academic abilities.
“I will never forget the first time I taught a class this way,” he explained. “I was floored at the research papers they produced afterwards.”
And that is part of what makes GSW unique.
“For me, the secret GSW sauce is that we expect the best from our students,” he said.
Now, Dahlgren is spearheading an effort to improve first- and second-year student retention by championing integrative learning.
“If we can send faculty to structured experiences where they have the opportunity to learn something that can help them with their classes, that’s huge,” he said. “Then they are excited to bring it back.”
Dahlgren understands success in an innovative, re-imagined classroom also requires professional development for faculty.
PRIORITY 3: FACULTY EXCELLENCE
Faculty at Georgia Southwestern are outstanding. Renowned in their fields, they care deeply for their students.
By endowing professorships and leadership positions, we will ensure that great minds lead our programs—making our programs stronger than ever before.
By providing next-level professional development, we will inspire faculty to engage students using fresh, research-based approaches.
Stronger faculty, stronger university
You can ensure that our world-class faculty thrive.
When you support faculty excellence, you uphold all the lives that will be touched in their classrooms. You strengthen the vibrancy of our learning community. You build on the foundation created by generations of Hurricanes—so we can continue to inspire students for generations to come.
You Can Help Faculty Thrive
GSW employs over 200 faculty who are recognized in their fields of expertise and who are hyper-focused on student learning. With donor support, faculty can build additional resources for students to help shape a stronger future.
EMPOWERING HOPE
When GSW Athletics Hall of Fame golfer JP Griffin graduated in 2013, Debra Sloan, the administrative assistant in the Department of Athletics, handed him an envelope.
“What’s this?” asked Griffin.
“All your news clippings and articles from your entire time at GSW,” Sloan said. “I saved them for you.”
Griffin was amazed.
“She didn’t have to do that,” he said. “I think that’s just a really good example of a very tangible difference that no one else might see—just an incredible kind of commitment to the people around you and something I saw all the time at Georgia Southwestern.”
Griffin noted how excellent facilities attract top-ranked athletes.
“Georgia Southwestern prides itself on being a small school that has competitive teams,” he said. “Good facilities and excellent coaching are how you get the best players.”
Now a Teaching Professional at the Capital City Club in Atlanta, Griffin understands firsthand the impact of a strong athletics program. Not only do top-tier facilities and coaching develop elite athletes, but athletics also help drive enrollment—which brings more funding for the University overall.
While at GSW, Griffin earned a degree in human resource management and earned All-America honors in golf. He loved the close community and opportunity offered by the University.
“Some of the poorest counties in Georgia are in the southwest part of the state,” he said. “If the economics of the area are keeping some students from an opportunity of being able to complete their degree and then go on and do big things, then we should help.”
HELP US SHAPE THE FUTURE
TOGETHER, WE WILL RISE AND SHAPE THE FUTURE. It is up to us.
Hurricane alumni and friends have proven their loyalty. Without their past generosity, we would not be where we are today. Now is the time to show our support for Georgia Southwestern’s vision for the future.
Your support for scholarships will ensure deserving students have opportunities to benefit from the transformative education we offer. Funding student success will lead to more graduates. Gifts attracting and retaining the best talent will equip instructors and inspire an entire generation of Hurricanes. Your involvement today means a distinctive GSW education will thrive for years to come. This is our moment.
