October 09, 2018
by Jere W. Morehead, President
As the University of Georgia evolves to meet the changing needs of our society, our commitment to student learning and success remains constant. The University recently completed a presidential hiring initiative known as Investing in the Student Experience to help us enhance the learning environment and meet the needs of students in emerging areas of high demand.
Interest in the STEM disciplines has greatly increased among undergraduates in recent years, and a growing number of students at UGA are now majoring in computer science, engineering, statistics, biology, and related fields. In addition, more students are now choosing to major in finance, financial planning, international affairs, and political science than ever before. Targeted hires of tenure-track faculty, lecturers, and advisors through the Investing in the Student Experience initiative are helping to provide active and engaged instruction and mentoring to students in these high-demand areas.
Investing in the Student Experience is one of several initiatives launched in the past five years at UGA to further strengthen the learning environment. Past efforts have focused on ensuring that all undergraduates benefit from experiential learning in their field, increasing the number of small classes to facilitate student-faculty interaction, and creating pathways for students to earn a bachelor’s and master’s degree within five years through the Double Dawgs program, among others.
Thanks in part to these initiatives, UGA is reaching new heights in the national rankings, recently reaching No. 13 among publics in U.S. News & World Report. The future is brighter than ever for the University of Georgia—and for our students.