It’s no surprise that the University of West Georgia has experienced some major growth over the past several years. What might be a surprise to some is how much.
A key development in the university’s advancement is the enrollment. Each semester, UWG continues to establish unprecedented enrollment records.
“When I came to West Georgia in 1994, there were fewer than 8,000 students, now we have approximately 11,500 here at UWG,” said UWG president, Dr. Beheruz Sethna.
Once known as West Georgia College, one significant change at UWG is that of its name.
“Since I came here in 2000, we’ve changed our name from the State University of West Georgia to the University of West Georgia. Plus, we’ve also celebrated our 100-year anniversary,” said Dr. Melanie McClellan, Dean of Students and Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management.
Another area where the university has excelled is in its pursuit of academic distinction, including its quality.
In the last eight of twelve years, UWG has dominated the national field in undergraduate research and as the university grows, the quality is increasing.
“When I came to West Georgia in 1994, 51 percent of full-time freshman had deficiencies and needed remedial education,” says Sethna, “Today that number is at about 0.5 percent.”
Probably one of the biggest and most noticeable transformations to the university is its facilities.
“I’m excited, delighted, and very pleased about the newest additions to the campus,” said Sethna.
Over the last few years, UWG has added several major facilities: the Campus Center, the Coliseum, The Greek Village, and the Stadium.
“We’ve always had people who wanted a strong campus life, but our lack of facilities made it difficult. These facilities have given us what we need to take campus life to the next level,” said McClellan.
Even with all the growth that UWG has experienced over the years, there are still several more future projects in the works.
“It’s on the books as an approved project, but the funding is not in the state budget right now,” said Sethna.
Some of these plans include a major library renovation, a new bookstore possibly located near the TLC, and a new nursing building. However, the statuses of these projects are currently in limbo due to the current state of the state budget and the economy.
“The library is currently undergoing a renovation and expansion which will make it more usable and inviting to students,” said McClellan, “We’re also in the very early planning stages of a new building for the College of Nursing, although we’re uncertain of the timeline for that in this economy.”
Other university projects include construction on the road near the Coliseum, which leads to the athletic complex.
“The new road from the main campus to the Athletic Complex will make the new part of campus more accessible,” said McClellan, “although, the unusually wet weather we are having this year has slowed that project down.”
The main plan is to foster UWG into a “destination university”. As a destination university, the goal is to make the university to be one of the first institution choices in Georgia through three key approaches.
“We want West Georgia to be that place where students come and graduate from. We hope to accomplish that building our academics, our social and cultural life on campus, and our facilities. That’s our vision,” said Sethna.
With the vision of developing UWG into a destination university, the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, is focusing on two primary areas for the next three years: improving the academic success of students and improving campus life.
“We want to see fewer students failing classes, see more students graduating, involve more students in leadership and community service opportunities, and watch them succeed academically with the skills and knowledge to help them be effective citizens and leaders,” says McClellan.
In the end, the goal is to as McClellan states, “help Carrollton feel more like a ‘college town’ with a great place to go to school and create lifelong memories.”
With all the talk of how UWG has evolved over the years, it begs to wonder: Where do the administrators of their respective departments see themselves over the next five to ten years or so?
Among other things, Dr. McClellan hopes to be retired, planning a birthday celebration and occasionally visiting UWG as it continues to evolve as one of four robust-tier universities in Georgia.
“Even though in 10 years, I’ll be planning my 65th birthday celebration, I have several years before I’m ready to make that decision. [Until then], I plan to be right here, continuing to work with our students, staff, and faculty to make UWG a better place every year,” said McClellan.
As for UWG President, Dr. Sethna? Although his answer might surprise you, he hopes to be at a “bigger, better, and more prestigious university”, of course.
“When I first came to this university in the late 90s, many had the belief that I would stay for a few years the move on to a bigger, better, and more prestigious university,” said Sethna, “They were right. I have and the University of West Georgia is it.”
Then and Now: A Decade at UWG
Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Updated: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 14:01
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