Gordon State College Hosts Annual Education Ecosystem Summit, Considers Plan of Action for new Strategic Initiative

By Karolina Philmon, GSC marketing manager 

On Friday, Sept. 29, Gordon State College hosted the first Education Ecosystem Summit of the 2023-24 academic year. Education community partners from multiple districts covering GSC’s 14-county primary service region met and engaged in discussions about education attainment and related initiatives.

Those in attendance included superintendents, principals, counselors, state and local officials, career readiness specialists, and graduation coaches with representatives from Bibb, Butts, Clayton, Fayette, Henry, Lamar, Meriwether, Monroe, Newton, Pike, Spalding, and Upson Counties. GSC Interim President Dr. Donald J. Green began the conversation with a welcome and an overview of the college’s new strategic priorities for the next year.  

“There’s an ongoing debate over the value of a college degree,” Green said. “We want to provide a value preposition with a graduation message and emphasize low cost tuition. We want our statistics to reflect high graduation and success rates with great careers and high employment.”

Green wants students to get a better understanding of their vision for the future.

The morning session continued with a presentation on GSC school district collaborations resulting in increased interactions through college and career fairs, high school visits, and community events. GSC Vice President of Enrollment Services and Marketing, Melissa Johnson said the response from area high schools has been most positive.

Dr. Tonya Y. Moore, GSC executive director of external relations and strategic initiatives outlined the process for developing the college’s new strategic plan. The process is being led by a college committee that is meeting with various stakeholders to gather feedback and insight that will inform institutional goals and priorities for the next three years. The group plans to begin drafting the guiding document in January.

Moore also shared performance data for each district within the primary service region. District personnel, formed into teams, used this information to develop action items plans for the coming year.