YHC to become four-year college

A unanimous vote cast by the Young Harris College board of trustees on Friday, April 27, is the first step in a new and exciting future for a 121-year-old institution of higher education. Long recognized as a quality, two-year college, Young Harris will begin the process of a transition to baccalaureate granting status. Board Chairman Paul D. Beckham '63 stated, "It is important that Young Harris College offer an experience reflecting the modern demands made on today's young people, but at the same time surround them with a traditional college atmosphere that is rich in relationships with other students, faculty members and administrators. This vote by the trustees sets the course to accomplish this goal."

Young Harris College will remain true to its original mission of providing an education in liberal arts for students who value and are attracted to an institution with high academic standards and superior teaching. President- Elect Cathy Cox, who will take office in June, expressed her support of the decision saying, "Offering baccalaureate degrees here at Young Harris College will mean an even greater opportunity to meet the needs of students who want an inspiring, close-knit college experience. And it will give us the ability to offer our students a four-year curriculum that blends the best of a liberal arts education with the strong United Methodist focus on intellectual vigor, concern for the community and the search for values. I am excited about the challenges that come with this transition."

The decision to transition the model of Young Harris College was made after months of discussion and study on the part of the college administration and trustees. Former Georgia Governor and U.S. Senator Zell B. Miller '51 chaired the Strategic Action Committee, a group of trustees assembled to evaluate the information and suggest a possible future for Young Harris College to the full board. "This was an historic decision made as a result of a thorough and open process. We made great efforts to include the faculty and staff as well as alumni," Miller commented. "Much work remains, and indeed the hard part is yet to come. However, the whole concept has been given quite a thoughtful start."

Young Harris College has long been an institution that has attracted students from across Georgia and the Southeast. The student body today is drawn from more than 100 counties in Georgia as well as various other states and countries. "This is going to take time," noted John W. Wells, interim president and provost of YHC. "Our first order of business is to begin the steps of changing our status with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The board's vote on April 27 was a historic moment at Young Harris College, but it certainly signifies the beginning of a process and not the culmination of one. It is a long journey, but surely an exciting one."

Founded in 1886, Young Harris College is a private, core liberal arts college focused on university preparation. Historically affiliated with the United Methodist Church, a primary goal of young Harris College is to provide a quality education for the whole person: intellectually, socially, culturally, and spiritually. To learn more about Young Harris College, visit us at www.yhc.edu.