With only two weeks in central Georgia under his belt, Middle Georgia State College President Chris Blake says he's already trying to make himself known around campus.
"It's something I hope very much to do is get to know why our students look to Middle Georgia State to help them with their lives," says Blake.
He is the first permanent president of the school since Macon State and Middle Georgia colleges merged, but he doesn't want his impact to end there. Blake says he wants to transform Middle Georgia State from a college to a university.
"We have great programs, wonderful opportunities, we reach out to the community, and the great news about Middle Georgia State is that most of our graduates stay in the region. So, they're serving Georgia. They're being able to give back to this great state, and that's something that as a university, we could do even more powerfully."
Blake says, like the students, he has a lot of homework to do in order to make that happen.
"My goal this year is to make sure we have the best possible plan, and that it's a plan that is realistic and ambitious and achievable," says Blake. "It would include an outright overview of a case for the university, how it can be resourced, how it can be funded, and what outcomes it would mean."
He says upgrading to a university could mean adding graduate programs and enhancing other student services, but it will take at least a year to make it all happen.
First, the Board of Regents will have to go over and approve Blake's long-term plan for the school.
