Page 8 - Laker Connection Fall 2009

designation. But as worthy and ambitious as those goals were,
they were not his passion. Skin-
ner passionately believed that
the personal computer and the Internet would transform higher education, and he wanted Clay-
ton State to be in the forefront of
that revolution. He foresaw a campus of “ubiquitous comput-
ing;” and, through the Informa-
tion Technology Project (ITP), Clayton State became one of the
first campuses in the nation to achieve that objective by issuing university-owned notebooks to all stu- dents. ITP required vast amounts fac- ulty and student training, extensive infrastructure development, and class- room renovation. Clayton State also became a leader in offering coursework provided fully or partially online.
In 1996, the institution acquired a new name – Clayton College & State University.
Under the Skinner administration and continuing into the early 2000s, Clayton State expanded bachelor’s de- gree offerings with the “career focus” mandated by the Board of Regents and
Clayton State has always recognized the need for green space. Although the campus has its fair share of places to study indoors, there is nothing like studying outside on a crisp fall afternoon or a mild spring morning.
Then: Dental hygiene student Carol Robert- son (The Atlanta Constitution, June 27, 1973). Now: A Clayton State student enjoys an autumn day outside the Business & Health Sciences Building.
tiative. Michael Vollmer, who had served state government in sev- eral key positions including presi- dent at Middle Georgia College and who was Clayton’s interim CFO, became Clayton’s interim president. Program development was his principal goal while the presidential search proceeded.
In 2000, Dr. Thomas K. Harden, previously a dean at Eastern Michigan University, assumed the presidency of Clayton State. He vowed to maintain the campus commitment to ubiquitous comput-
ing, but his energies would be directed toward building Clayton State into a comprehensive regional university with a much wider range of programs in tra- ditional as well as career focused fields – including, he envisioned, master’s de- grees. This opened the door to several new majors including history, political science, English, criminal justice, and music education.
In 2005, 20 years after it authorized the institution to begin offering bache- lor’s degrees, the Board of Regents dropped “College &” out of the name and approved Clayton State University
During ITP, students gather outdoors with university-issued notebook computers.
Clayton College & State University: From 1996 to 2005
the University’s mission. Two especially innovative approaches were the Bach- elor of Information Technology degree and the Bachelor of Applied Science. The latter created a “2+2” option for stu- dents who held As-
to offer its first graduate pro- gram -- the M. A. in Liberal Studies. Other master’s de- grees followed rapidly including Nursing, Health Administration, Business Admin- istration, English
Clayton State University: From 2005 to present
sociate of Applied
Science degrees in
technical and busi-
ness-related fields.
In the Arts and Sci-
ences, the bache-
lor’s degree in
Psychology and
Human Services had
a practical focus as
did the Applied Biol-
ogy and Communications and Media
Studies majors. The BS in Health Care Adminis- tration became the only one of its type in the state.
President Skinner left Clayton State in 1999 to head up a University System technology ini-
Teaching, and Math Teaching.
Along with the new programming came a much enlarged physical plant. Over the years, the original campus grew slowly. First was the Arts & Sci- ences Building in the mid-1970s and the Library and the Physical Education additions a few years later. Next came Continuing Education, Technology, Avi- ation Maintenance on Tara Boulevard.
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THE LAKER CONNECTIO
LEARNING FROM NATURE
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