Georgia Postsecondary Education: Where We Are and Where We Need To Be, or Studying a Porcupine.

Overview & Synopsis

Nine concerns about postsecondary education voiced by educators, business, and other citizens in Georgia are addressed, as part of a needs assessment conducted by the Governor's Committee on Postsecondary Education. The following nine concerns are discussed and designated as true or false: Georgians are aware of postsecondary educational opportunities available to them (largely false); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions provide citizens throughout the state with a broad set of educational and training opportunities (largely true); the future existence of Georgia's private institutions is secure (somewhat true); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions provide students with education and training to meet their career needs (largely true); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions adequately identify and respond to changing needs (somewhat false); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions communicate and cooperate with each other (largely true); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions provide adequate educational and career counseling services to students (somewhat false); Georgia's postsecondary education institutions provide adequate educational opportunities for the changing compositions of their student bodies (largely false); and lack of money is a serious problem for many Georgia postsecondary education students (largely true). It is recommended that a postsecondary education commission be established in statute to provide advisory functions, to collect and analyze information on postsecondary education, and to make annual reports and other reports as needed to maintain or improve achievement of statewide goals. (SW)