Georgia State University

School mission (as provided by the school):

Georgia State University is one of the nation's leading urban research universities, educating a diverse population of students through teaching, research and service. More than 50,000 students are seeking degrees annually, attracted by the benefits of living, learning and working in the heart of downtown Atlanta in an environment rich in varied ideas, cultures, ages, lifestyles and experiences. To keep pace, the campus community has grown significantly in the last decade, providing students with many new and modern facilities. The university now accommodates more than 3,000 students with on-campus housing. Georgia State's 87,000 square foot freshman residence hall opened in August 2009. The facility also features the university's first traditional dining hall. A 350,000 square foot state-of-the-art science center opened in 2010. The facility houses laboratories, offices and classrooms, and is now home to university research and education programs in biology, chemistry, nursing, nutrition, physical and respiratory therapies, public health, as well as the Neuroscience Institute.

Increasing and strengthening research has also become a top priority, and Georgia State officials announced a 10-year strategic plan that lists five goal areas, as well as a five-year hiring initiative aimed to build internationally recognized scholarly strength around research themes. The strategic plan The Second Century Initiative (2CI), which launched in November 2009, is designed to build upon existing strengths and strategic plans and accelerate collaborative faculty research. The initiative's goal is to add 100 faculty members over the next five years. The eight winning proposals and areas of focus for the first round of 2CI include diagnostics, neuroimaging, evidence-based policy, law, media and ethics, new media, Chinese language and culture, bioinformatics, and health justice. Georgia State also added additional programs for students, including a the three-year GSU executive doctorate program designed to equip executives with advanced skills to bring back to their respective workplaces. By comparison, most other executive doctoral programs focus on careers in academia.

Interdisciplinary research is conducted in all fields of academic scholarship, focusing on biological sciences, health and fitness, literacy, policy, business and law. Georgia State continues to attract and retain outstanding faculty and administrative personnel who are well respected in their fields. It offers a challenging intellectual environment with 55 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in more than 250 fields of study in its six colleges. Opportunities for involvement in innovative research projects and life enhancing community service abound on our campus. Students may enroll in day or evening classes and in part-time or full-time study. The university has International Cooperation Agreements with some 80 universities around the world. Georgia State is under the the leadership of President Mark P. Becker and Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Risa Palm.