Page 14 - Laker Connection Fall 2009

The Skinner family, 1996
During the years 1994-1999, Clayton State College was caught up in the sweeping changes that encompassed the University System of Georgia, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the emergence of Atlanta as a major American and international city. With newly-appointed Chancellor Stephen R. Portch at its head, the University System shed old habits and out-dated practices and became a leader in the application of infor- mation technology, initially through the launch of GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online
(GALILEO), one of the very first digital li- braries and ultimately the state's online library. Clayton State capitalized on this leadership to undertake the Infor- mation Technology Project (ITP), one of the largest deployments of mobile computing in Ameri- can higher education and earned national recognition for the use of technology to improve student learning, services, and career prepara-
tion.
Academic progress figured prominently in this period of the institution's development. Between 1994 and 1999, fresh- man admission standards rose more than any other System institution. By the end of the decade, Clayton State was producing more "high tech" graduates than
any other college or university.
Almost simultaneously, Clayton State
joined with other colleges and universities in Georgia, South Carolina, and Florida in the Peach Belt Athletic Conference, added five new sports, and joined the NCAA Division II, thereby fulfilling a commitment made to stu- dents years before.
Clayton State's centerpiece, Spivey Hall, figured prominently in the Cultural Olympiad and Special Olympics that accompanied At- lanta hosting the 1996 Summer Olympic Games, thereby adding to the luster of host-
10 THE LAKER CONNECTION
The Skinner Years
By Dr. Richard A. Skinner
Skinner’s inauguration