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Standard Number 3.4.2: The institution's continuing education, outreach, and service programs are consistent with the institution's mission.Full Compliance “The University's hallmark is a culture of engagement that bridges theory with practice, extends the learning environment beyond the classroom, and promotes student growth and life success.” Furthermore, “Georgia Southern University is committed to advancing the State of Georgia and the region through the benefits of higher education, offering baccalaureate through doctoral degrees and a variety of outreach programs. The University fosters access to its educational programs, provides a comprehensive and fulfilling university experience, and enhances quality of life in the region through collaborative relationships supporting education, health care and human services, cultural experiences, scientific and technological advancement, athletics, and regional development.”
As evidenced by Georgia Southern's Mission Statement , the University takes it public service role very seriously. The Division of Continuing Education and Public Service has been charged with the responsibility for implementing the University's continuing education and public service efforts and is comprised of the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden, the Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball, Jr., Raptor Center, the Georgia Southern Museum, the Performing Arts Center, and the distance learning centers (Dublin Center, Coastal Georgia Center, Brunswick Center, and Liberty Center).
The Georgia Southern Museum offers a variety of educational programs designed to appeal to children, adults, families, and teachers, including interactive, hands-on programs for K-12 school groups. Correlated to the Georgia Performance Standards, these programs are free and are accompanied by teacher's guides that suggest related in-class activities. Project SENSE (Science Education Network for the Southeast)—a Museum outreach program—provides training to area science teachers and access to comprehensive science activity kits for the classroom. The philosophy behind Project SENSE is to engage students as active learners in “hands-on, minds-on science” that demands students reflect, discuss, and make sense of their learning. The Museum also sponsors Eagle Science Camp, a resident, summer workshop program for talented middle school students. This program provides young learners with laboratory opportunities to explore biology, physics, chemistry, computers, mathematics, and geology.
The Center for Wildlife Education and the Lamar Q Ball, Jr., Raptor Center also offers several educational programs, most visibly in its flighted raptor demonstrations. The Center also provides short 30-minute lecture hall programs geared toward age-specific audiences. Some of these sessions are “Up the Food Chain—Who Eats What, or Who, in the Animal Kingdom;” “Vertebrates” which teaches about fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals; and “The Only Good Snake is a Live Snake!” which discusses human fears toward snakes, distinguishes between venomous and non-venomous snakes, and notes the benefits of snakes. All of these lecture programs use live animals. Similarly, the Georgia Southern Botanical Garden conducts workshops and lectures to educate the public about the region's native plants and animals as well as about environmentally responsible behavior.
The Performing Arts Center is one of the region's largest and finest performing arts venues. It features a Broadway and More Series, concert series, dance series, heritage series, school matinee series, Puppetry Festival, and Summer Drama Camp with renowned and national and international touring artists.
In addition to these centers and their activities, Continuing Education offers numerous programs designed to meet the lifelong learning needs of the southeast, to improve the skills of the region's workforce, to enhance societal and cultural understanding, to facilitate healthy lifestyles and constructive use of leisure time, and to address the personal development and enrichment needs of the region's citizens. A sampling of these courses includes American Red Cross First Aid & CPR, Coping with Dementia, College of Business Professional Development , Leadership in Southeast Georgia , and an SAT Test Preparation course. Moreover, citizens can participate in a variety of the University's academic programs and pursue degrees at off-campus locations through the off-campus centers . Degree programs offered through these off-campus sites include the Master of Education, Master of Public Administration, Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Business Administration, among others. 7 Georgia Southern University's Mission Statement, adopted June 30, 2004 . |
