The Consolidation of ASU and GHSU: A Bold Future-oriented Move
By Ricardo Azziz | February 4, 2012
Last month the Board of Regents announced one of the most transformative initiatives they have addressed in decades – the consolidation of multiple campuses around the state.
More specifically, the mandate to consolidate the Augusta State University (ASU) and Georgia Health Sciences University (GHSU) campuses represents the single-greatest event in the history of our respective universities since GHSU became a free-standing health sciences university in 1950 and ASU became a 4-year university in 1963.
And that is saying a lot, considering a history that is as long and deep as ours is, with GHSU beginning in 1828 in what is now the 13th-oldest medical school in the United States, and ASU tracing its roots back to Richmond Academy in 1783, the oldest such institution in Georgia.
Is this a good thing? I will be brief, because we will have plenty of time in the weeks ahead to flesh out the opportunities (and challenges) we are facing.
In the most simplistic of terms, one could view this consolidation as a mutual opportunity for explosive and enormous growth.
What is an Academic Health Center?Strictly defined, the term ‘academic health center (AHC)’ is used to describe an enterprise that contains the following:
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Through this bold, future-oriented move, the ASU campus, faculty, and students will make the state’s Academic Health Center (AHC; see What is an Academic Health Center), the jewel of the University System of Georgia, and a massive economic engine, their own. And for the GHSU campus, faculty and students, they will become part of a nascent comprehensive university, with all the opportunities it implies.
And yet, this simplistic reasoning begs the question “is it true that the consolidation will be good for both campuses?” And while only time will tell we can look to data to begin to answer this question.
To ASU, the consolidation serves as an enormous accelerator in the natural course of its history. The consolidation would – overnight – increase the number of graduate programs available, and enhance the educational and experiential opportunities to all students. And the consolidation will not only provide new prospects and directions, but would also allow us to better continue its traditional mission of ensuring constant progress in student undergraduate learning outcomes, enhancing the success and graduation rates of students who enter with less than desired academic preparation, and developing and maintaining programs geared to the specific needs of the community. Why? Because added resources and opportunities will allow us to serve those students better.
To GHSU, the consolidation also represents a giant step in its natural evolution. The stand-alone health sciences university is becoming more difficult to maintain and grow… the reason that only a handful of successful models remain nationwide.
Because growth in a health sciences university, particularly in student body, is limited by the narrow focus of its curriculum. Because the ability to enhance the diversity of its student body is limited by its restricted ability to engage and foster the development of promising undergraduates. Because the ability of the health sciences disciplines to articulate a broader meaningful impact on greater society is enhanced by the availability of other disciplines, such as business, education, and the arts. And because innovation in thought and approach is broadened by the wider array of disciplines available… notwithstanding the many good partnerships we develop.
We need to keep in mind that at the end of the day we are not just trying to enhance ASU and GHSU… we are creating a brand new university. The fourth public comprehensive research university in Georgia.
A new university that will be stronger and whose future is far more promising than that of either institution individually. A university that will have a much greater potential of becoming a top-50 research institution. A university that will also be able to offer a greater array of opportunities to its students and faculty, fostering the development of new and collaborative educational and research programs. A university that will be able to partner more closely with our community to create an ever-richer campus life, encouraging both local and statewide students to choose us as their alma mater. A university that will enhance the value of the effort and investment students, faculty, staff, and the state of Georgia already make.
But what is the data suggesting that having an AHC as part of your university is a good thing for the institution, its students, and the state? To answer this question we studied all top 50 American universities represented in the three principal rankings used to categorize such institutions*. Of the 56 universities included at in at least one of these rankings as ‘Top 50,’ fully 70% (39) included an AHC. In contrast, there are only another 60 or so AHCs in the US, but well over 4000 colleges and universities. Overall, the probability of being ranked as a top-50 American university is 50 times more likely if the university includes an AHC.
Why does having an AHC as part of a university appear to serve as a strong catalyst for greater growth and ranking? Contrary to what some may think, it’s not because it has a medical school. In fact, universities that have a medical school, but not an associated AHC, do not do any better and may actually do worse than if they had no medical school at all (more on that in a later blog). It’s primarily because the clinical enterprise of the AHC is able to generate financial capacity for growth not present in other university ventures. Growth that benefits the entire university. And having an AHC also fosters greater recognition and branding opportunities through its research, discoveries, clinical care, and service, offerings that often resonate widely with external audiences.
And is being part of a comprehensive university a good thing for an AHC? To try and answer this question, we began by studying medical school and nursing rankings**. Our data (See: Relationship between an AHC and its university, and medical and nursing school rankings) indicates that 100% of medical schools in an AHC that is part of a smaller proximate comprehensive university were included in the top 50 in at least one of the rankings. Furthermore, these medical schools had the highest ‘Top 50’ ranking potential for research (94%) and total NIH dollars (76%). 100% of these medical schools – a ranking potential greater than that of medical schools that are part of larger universities (68% and 65%, resp.), those serving as health sciences campuses of distant universities (45% and 42%, resp.) , or those part of free-standing health sciences universities (40% and 28%, resp.). However, we should note that the ranking potential for Nursing Schools (41%) and for Primary Care (47%) was lower when they were part of a smaller proximate university, suggesting we should be vigilant in this regard as our consolidation moves forward. Thus, the new consolidated university being formed through the merger of ASU and GHSU has a high potential for eventually yielding a ‘Top 50’ research university.
Why should its research potential be higher when an AHC is part of a smaller proximate university? Likely because being part of a comprehensive university fosters greater opportunities for creative and academic synergy between the health sciences and the non-health educational and research programs.
And why a small proximate university above all? Because, it is not unreasonable to consider the possibility that being part of a large proximate university would drain a greater amount of funds from the AHC than would a smaller proximate university, potentially hampering the growth of the AHC. A disadvantage that would be compounded even further by the limited synergy that would occur if the comprehensive large university campus were remote to the AHC.
But isn’t consolidation of two different universities complicated? Yes, and while I will try to address the challenges ahead in later blogs, the good thing is that lots of other institutions have consolidated before us… and succeeded. Showing us the way and presenting us, not only with what we should consider doing, but also what we should consider not doing. And importantly, still others have assiduously explored these options, but due principally due to a lack of political will, community support, and conflicted governance, were unable to do so. This is where we differ for the better.
For example, the fact that our two institutions are under a single governance structure, the USG Board of Regents, is a massive advantage for the state of Georgia over other states, where perhaps each public institution has its own governing board. The USG system and the state of Georgia can then maximize its higher educational assets speaking with one voice and a broad view to state value.
And we are fortunate to enjoy the vocal support of many of our community leaders in regards to this transformative initiative. For that is what leadership is all about… seeing into the future and ensuring that we are prepared to meet it… as a university, as a community, and as a state.
Finally, our own efforts over the past 18 months to integrate GHSU with the Georgia Health Sciences Health System, in leadership and administration, have provided us with an important advantage, that of experience. And that experience, although still ongoing, is yielding numerous strategies and best practices to consider… lessons that will be extremely helpful in the months to come.
To be sure, there is still much that we do not know … And in the days ahead we will be trying not only to find the right answers, but also to ensure we ask the right questions. But we need to understand that there is no specific roadmap drawn, that we are exploring new territory…. That we are sculpting in clay. But as long as we have a clear and compelling vision, that of the great American University, we will not lose our way.
I heard some say that we will see the benefits of this consolidation 25 years from now… And while it may take a decade or even two to reach our full potential, I am certain we will be able to see tangible benefits much sooner…. some almost immediately, others in the next two to five years.
And no, I am not being an overly optimistic Pollyanna. There are many difficult challenges and tough decisions ahead. But we will succeed. Because, simply put, this consolidation is “The Right Thing”.
It is the right thing for our students, our faculty, our community, and, most of all, for Georgia.
Our Chancellor, our Regents, and our community leaders should be congratulated on their boldness, vision, and courage.
5 Comments
Denise Kornegay, MSW on February 6, 2012 at 10:47 am.
I think this opportunity is excellent for both campuses. It underscores the fact that we SHOULD have been working more closely together already. What emerges from this consolidation is really up to the faculty and students and staff on both campuses – if we are willing to flex and to compromise, and to learn from each other what emerges should be a vibrant integrated university unparallelled in Georgia.
Anthony on February 7, 2012 at 11:34 am.
I have never been a big fan of the board of Regents. The ivory tower and all that. But I think they got this right. As you state, it is a bold move. Bold because it was unexpected, bold because it’s upsetting to many, bold because it is far-reaching. This is the Regents charting a course. I am glad we have visionary leadership in place to pull this all together.
Bree on February 7, 2012 at 1:00 pm.
I don’t agree that this consilidation is “the right thing.” Especially since it was a decision made with not so much of an opinion from the faculty or the students. Being a student myself, I have heard many of my peers ‘complain’ about the changes that are about to take place. For instance, a name change has been one of the biggest issues talked about among peers and myself. Augusta State University is known just by that, Augusta State University. Its one of the many reasons I elected this university as my college of choice. Anything else does not seem right. Some faculty members have also talked about the unfairness of not being notified about the changes before hand. All I’m saying is that at the end of the day students come for the education given by the professors, and the professors come to educate the students. Without them, there would be no University. We should have atleast been asked our opinion before decisions where made concerning and affecting us.
Anthony R. Page on February 8, 2012 at 1:15 pm.
It’s projected that more 60% of the population of the CSRA will be African American by 2025…also as noted in the last census, 54.7% of the Black people in the United States now live in the South…it’s being called the Reverse Migration…I suspect we will see a Southern Renaissance over the next 2 decades…Augusta will be a part of that…as you move forward, i hope you will consider looking for talent in non-traditional places…there have been many who have not been afforded certain opportunities… those forward thinking leaders who do can perhaps gain a great advantage.
Kurt on February 13, 2012 at 12:13 pm.
I think that this will be good for both universities in the long-term. That said, I am very apprehensive about how the changes are going to affect current students. The $800 parking fee and tuition hikes that are planned are a huge setback to non-traditional students like myself. Also, both GHSU and ASU have nursing programs. I don’t expect them to continue as 2 separate entities, does this mean there will inevitably be less open slots for beginning nursing students. I would think that it would have to until proper facilities are built to house a larger program. This will have an effect on many students. Most of the science majors are either pre-nursing, pre-med or pre-pharmacy. I read that the change will “enhance the educational and experiential opportunities” for ASU students. The increase in tuition and fees and decrease in slots available in highly sought-after programs seems to fly in the face of this. I understand that this is happening regardless of mass approval. I sincerely hope that a great deal of thought will be put into this change to make it as fair as possible to current students and a true opportunity for expansion and not just a haphazzard throw together because of a mandate by the bosses. A lot of people have a lot invested in their education and that demands thorough consideration.