INTRODUCTION

ABOUT NORTH GEORGIA
COLLEGE & STATE UNIVERSITY

North Georgia College & State University is a co-educational, liberal arts university, as well as the Military College of Georgia. It is a state-supported senior unit of the University System of Georgia under the direction of the State Board of Regents.

North Georgia College & State University is located in Dahlonega, Georgia, approximately one hour north of Atlanta via Highway 400 and a 30-minute drive west of Gainesville via Highway 60. The City of Dahlonega is nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and is a popular tourist site. Dahlonega was the location of our nation’s first major gold rush and is the former home of the U.S. Mint.

History
Following the Civil War, the abandoned U.S. Mint property was given to the state of Georgia for educational purposes, thus the birth of what is now North Georgia College & State University. Originally named North Georgia Agricultural College, the institution was established in 1873 as a land-grant school of agriculture and mechanical arts, particularly mining engineering. As area gold mining resources were depleted and agricultural education was assumed by the University of Georgia, the mission of NGCSU evolved into one emphasizing arts and sciences. The school was renamed North Georgia College in the summer of 1929. The institution received university status in 1996 and was given the name North Georgia College & State University.

Military Orientation
NGCSU’s first class of students requested that military training be a part of the curriculum. Today, approximately 15 percent of the student body chooses to participate in NGCSU’s nationally prominent ROTC program, which is administered by the U.S. Army. NGCSU is the Military College of Georgia and is one of only six military colleges in the nation, along with Virginia Military Institute, The Citadel, Norwich University, Texas A & M, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

NGCSU is unique in that it serves as a military college for its Corps of Cadets and as a liberal arts, academic institution for all its students.

Mission Statement
North Georgia College & State University is a coeducational state institution that stresses a strong liberal arts program, as well as pre-professional, professional, and graduate programs that address the needs of a pluralistic society. Serving as a liberal arts university for all its students and as a military college for its Corps of Cadets, the university is distinct in many ways. As the only four-year public institution of higher learning in the Northeast Georgia region, NGCSU provides a quality college education to Southern Appalachian residents who might not otherwise obtain such an education. Approximately 40 percent of undergraduate students reside on campus.

One of only six military colleges in the nation, and the only one in the University System of Georgia, North Georgia College & State University maintains a nationally prominent Army ROTC program that attracts students from across the state, region, and nation. Approximately 15 percent of the undergraduate student body participates in the Corps of Cadets. North Georgia College & State University has one of the top academic programs among state universities in the University System of Georgia when measured in terms of admission test scores, retention rate, and graduation rate.

North Georgia College & State University shares with other institutions in the University System of Georgia the following characteristics:
• a supportive campus climate, necessary services, and leadership and development opportunities, all to educate the whole person and meet the needs of students, faculty and staff;
• cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender diversity in the faculty, staff and student body, supported by practices and programs that embody the ideals of an open, democratic, and global society;
• technology to advance educational purposes, including instructional technology, student support services, and distance education;
• collaborative relationships with other System institutions, State agencies, local schools and technical institutes, and business and industry, sharing physical, human, information and other resources to expand and enhance programs and services available to the citizens of Georgia.

North Georgia College & State University shares with other state universities in the University System of Georgia the following characteristics:
• a commitment to excellence and responsiveness within a scope of influence defined by the needs of an area of the state and by particularly outstanding programs or distinctive characteristics that have a magnet effect throughout the region or state;
• a commitment to a teaching/learning environment, both inside and outside the classroom, that sustains instructional excellence, serves a diverse and college-prepared student body, promotes high levels of student achievement, offers academic assistance, and provides developmental studies programs for a limited student cohort;
• a high quality general education program supporting a variety of disciplinary, interdisciplinary, and professional academic programming at the baccalaureate level, with selected masters and educational specialist degrees, and selected
associate degree programs based on area need and/or inter-institutional collabo-
rations;
• a commitment to public service, continuing education, technical assistance, and economic development activities that address the needs, improve the
quality of life, and raise the educational level within the University's scope of
influence;
• a commitment to scholarly and creative work to enhance instructional effec-
tiveness and to encourage scholarly pursuits, and a commitment to applied research in selected areas of institutional strength and area need.

North Georgia College & State University is committed to academic excellence. Consistent with that commitment, the University will:
• provide a high quality liberal arts education as a basis for traditional arts and sciences undergraduate programs, as well as for pre-professional, professional, and graduate programs;
• provide support services and an environment conducive to the students'
intellectual, ethical, social, and physical development and cultural awareness
so that they can become knowledgeable and responsible state, regional,
national, and international citizens;
• emphasize the development and enhancement of oral and written commun- ication, critical and analytical thinking skills, and research skills;
• remain one of the nation’s senior military colleges and maintain a high quality ROTC program;
• provide an environment conducive to maintaining high quality degree
programs while adapting and expanding program offerings and delivery sys- tems in response to changing societal needs;
• continually review and improve its institutional effectiveness process;
• provide professional development activities to encourage the faculty to
enhance their teaching, scholarship, and service;
• link higher education, public and private schools, and local communities in efforts toward educational reform;
• promote increased cultural, ethnic, racial, and gender diversity among the faculty, staff, and student body;
• provide support services and funding to enable faculty to conduct applied research in their areas of expertise;
• provide the technology to advance its educational purposes;
• expand its efforts toward internationalization;
• become preeminent in developing student leadership skills;
• maximize use of external resources to enhance the academic mission;
• provide human resource services and professional development activities to increase the effectiveness of administration and support staff;
• provide public service programs to meet educational, professional, and
community needs in northern Georgia by serving as a resource for services and providing expertise, training, research and enrichment opportunities to the citizens of northern Georgia.
(Approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia,
July 9, 1996.)

The University System of Georgia
All state-supported institutions of higher learning in Georgia were combined into the greater University System of Georgia by legislative enactment at the regular session of the General Assembly in 1931. Under the articles of the Act, all existent boards of trustees were abolished and control of the system was vested in a Board of Regents with all the powers and rights of the former governing boards of the several institutions. Control of the system by the Board of Regents became effective Jan. 1, 1932.

Accreditation
North Georgia College & State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS, 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097; telephone 404-679-4500) to award the associate of science in nursing degree, the bachelor of arts degree, the bachelor of science degree, the bachelor of business administration degree, the bachelor of science in nursing degree, the master of education degree, the master of science in nursing degree, the master of science in physical therapy degree, the master of public administration degree, the master of science in counseling degree, and the education specialist degree in Teacher Leadership. Furthermore, the university is an accredited member of the Association of Military Colleges and Schools, and the Association of Georgia Colleges.

NGCSU’s teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036-1023; telephone 202-466-7496) and are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (Two Peachtree Street, Suite 6000, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-3141). The Athletic Training Education Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (35 E. Walker Drive, Suite 1970, Chicago, IL 60601-2208; telephone 312-553-9355). The associate’s, bachelor’s and master's degree programs in nursing are approved by the Georgia Board of Nursing and accredited by the National League for Nursing (National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, 61 Broadway, 33rd floor, New York, New York 10006). The bachelor of business administration program is accredited by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (7007 College Boulevard, Suite 420, Overland Park, Kansas 66211; telephone 913-339-9356). The master of science in physical therapy degree is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education for the American Physical Therapy Association (1111 North Fairfax Street, Alexandria, Virginia 22314-1488; telephone 703-684-2782).

Library Services
Stewart Library is centrally located on the campus of North Georgia College and State University. The university's library collection contains over 120,000 books, educational videos and CD-ROM titles. Subscriptions to a wide variety of newspapers, magazines, and scholarly journals are available in print and electronic sources. The library is a selected depository of the federal government, receiving 20 percent of all published federal government documents. Facilities include seminar rooms, small study rooms, and a computer lab.

Stewart Library provides a quiet environment for studying, for research, and for consulting print, media, and electronic resources. Students enjoy access to full-text on-line resources, to particular information sources provided through the university system, the state of Georgia (GALILEO), and to the World Wide Web.

Computers, Computer Labs, and Computers in the Residence Halls
Use of computers and related technology has become an integral part of a college education. NGCSU recognizes the importance of technology and its role in today’s society and makes every effort to ensure that its students are afforded the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to compete in a world that increasingly relies on technology.
Upon acceptance to NGCSU, each student is assigned an e-mail address, BANNER Student Information System ID, and Novell network login ID and password. These accounts remain active as long as the student is enrolled at NGCSU.

Currently, NGCSU has several fully-equipped computer labs available for student use throughout the daytime and evening hours. The computers in the laboratories are connected to the NGCSU network, which allows the student to register for classes via BANNER, conduct research via the Internet, complete class assignments and term papers, and utilize e-mail services.

Additionally, NGCSU has established a wireless network for students who bring laptop computers to the campus and wish to connect to the Internet. Currently, access to the wireless network is limited to Hoag Student Center and Stewart Library. Students who wish to utilize the wireless network must equip their laptop with a wireless access card and configure the computer to meet certain specifications. Recommendations regarding wireless access cards and specifications can be found under "Information Technology" on the NGCSU web page.

Finally, every room in the NGCSU residence halls has been wired for Internet access. Students wishing to take advantage of this capability should have computers that meet certain specifications. Up-to-date specifications for residence hall Internet access can be found under "Information Technology" on the NGCSU web page.

The specifications shown on the NGCSU web page are the minimum specifications necessary in order for students in NGCSU residence halls to connect to the Internet via the NGCSU network. Students may wish to utilize computers with greater capabilities than these minimums. Computers that do not meet the recommended specifications or that are not appropriately configured may not function properly when connected.

It is important to note that the Department of Information and Instructional Technology will ensure that the computer ports in the students' rooms are functional, but Board of Regents’ policy prohibits NGCSU employees from working on privately-owned computers. Should a computer not function properly, it will be the student’s responsibility to see that the machine is configured appropriately.

Student Population
Today, NGCSU’s approximate 4,500 member student body is about 36 percent male and 64 percent female. Thirty-five percent of the students live in campus residence halls, while 69 percent commute from nearby hometowns. Students under the age of 23 whose parents live outside of a 50 mile radius (25 mile radius for Cadets) of Dahlonega are required to live on campus unless they are married or enter with an Associate's degree. Participation in ROTC is required for all undergraduate resident males and is optional for resident women and commuting students.

NGCSU's excellence is evident in the accomplishments of its students, who regularly post among the highest college admission test scores and maintain one of the highest graduation rates among four-year state universities in the University System of Georgia.