Georgia Highlands College

Georgia Highlands College
Name	Georgia Highlands College
Established	1970
Type	Public community college
President	Dr. Michael A. R. McFarlane
City	Rome
State	Georgia
Country	United States
Campuses	Rome, Cartersville, Marietta, Dallas, Online
Colors	Navy, Gold
Nickname	Chargers
Affiliations	University System of Georgia

Georgia Highlands College

Georgia Highlands College is a public two-year institution located in Rome, Georgia, with additional campuses in Cartersville, Marietta, and Dallas, and an expanding online presence. Founded in 1970 during a period of expansion of the University System of Georgia and regional community college development, the college serves a diverse student body drawn from Cherokee, Bartow, Floyd, Paulding, Polk, and surrounding counties. The college emphasizes transfer pathways, workforce training, and community partnerships with regional employers and institutions such as Kennesaw State University, Georgia State University, and technical centers.

History

The college emerged amid statewide efforts led by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to increase access to higher learning in northwest Georgia during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Its initial charter and early campus development involved collaborations with municipal leaders from Rome, Georgia and county commissions in Floyd County, Georgia and Bartow County, Georgia. Over subsequent decades the institution expanded through accreditation milestones with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and program articulation agreements with four-year institutions, facilitating transfer to entities such as Valdosta State University and University of North Georgia. Strategic growth included the opening of satellite sites in response to population shifts linked to suburbanization in the Atlanta metropolitan area and industrial changes around manufacturing centers like the former Lockheed Martin facilities and regional healthcare providers.

Campus and Facilities

The Rome campus occupies facilities proximate to historic districts and civic institutions including partnerships with the Historic Rome City Auditorium and local museums. The Cartersville campus is located near cultural anchors such as the Tellus Science Museum and industrial corridors tied to Cartersville, Georgia economic development. The Marietta campus serves students from Cobb County, Georgia and coordinates with workforce initiatives connected to Dobbins Air Reserve Base and metropolitan transit planning. Facilities include modern classrooms, science laboratories meeting accreditation standards, an allied health simulation suite aligned with regional hospitals like Redmond Regional Medical Center, and dedicated spaces for the college’s library collections and academic advising centers modeled after best practices from institutions such as Georgia Highlands College Library Consortium partners. Campus infrastructure investments have been funded through capital appropriations coordinated with the Georgia General Assembly and private philanthropy from regional foundations and business leaders.

Academics

Academic programming centers on associate degrees in arts, sciences, and applied sciences, with transfer curricula mapped to major pathways at institutions like University of Georgia, Emory University (for select partnerships), and regional state universities. Workforce and occupational credentials address regional demand in nursing, allied health, business technology, and information technology, with certificate pathways aligned with industry standards from organizations such as CompTIA and healthcare credentialing bodies. The college's curriculum committee maintains articulation agreements facilitating admission to baccalaureate programs at universities including Kennesaw State University and Georgia Southern University. Distance education initiatives expanded in collaboration with the University System of Georgia eCore platform, enabling online course access and credit transfer. The institution supports faculty development through grant partnerships with agencies and foundations that fund pedagogical innovation and curriculum alignment projects with regional school systems like Floyd County School District and Bartow County School District.

Student Life and Organizations

Student engagement includes student government associations that coordinate events with community partners such as Rome-Floyd County EMA and cultural programming linked to institutions like the Chamber Music Concerts of Rome and regional arts councils. Student clubs reflect academic, cultural, and professional interests, including chapters affiliated with national organizations and honor societies tied to entities such as Phi Theta Kappa and discipline-specific groups connected to professional associations. Civic engagement initiatives collaborate with local nonprofits and service agencies including United Way of Northwest Georgia, volunteer coalitions, and regional workforce development boards. The college provides support services including counseling, veterans’ affairs liaison services coordinating with Department of Veterans Affairs benefits processes, and career services that host employer recruitment from companies like GAF Materials Corporation and regional healthcare systems.

Athletics

Athletic programs compete at the junior college level and include teams known as the Chargers, competing in intercollegiate schedules that draw opponents from other two-year institutions and conference structures affiliated with national junior college athletics governance. Sports offerings have included basketball and athletics programming that engage local high schools such as Darlington School and recruit student-athletes from surrounding counties. Facilities support training and competition, and athletics serve as a conduit for transfer opportunities to four-year programs including those at Berry College and Division II universities in the region.

Administration and Governance

The college operates within the governance framework established by the University System of Georgia and receives oversight from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Institutional leadership includes a president and administrative cabinet responsible for academic affairs, student affairs, finance, and institutional advancement, while local advisory boards and foundation boards engage in fundraising and community liaison functions. Fiscal planning aligns with state appropriations processes of the Georgia General Assembly and compliance requirements set by accrediting bodies such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Category:Community colleges in Georgia (U.S. state) Category:Universities and colleges established in 1970