Atlanta — October 23, 2006

University System of Georgia Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Beheruz N. Sethna announced today that he has accepted the resignation of Savannah State University (SSU) President Carlton E. Brown, effective Dec. 31, 2006.

“Dr. Brown has provided visionary leadership for Savannah State University for almost a decade and has accomplished a significant number of goals to further the institution,” said Sethna. “Dr. Brown has been the driving force behind a number of student-centered initiatives ranging from quality living-and-learning facilities to the availability of financial resources for those who have outstanding academic credentials.”

Brown was appointed president of SSU in March 1997 after having served in senior administrative positions at Hampton University in Hampton, Va.

Sethna also noted that under Brown’s tenure, SSU experienced “an increase in student enrollment of 48 percent from fall 1998 to fall 2005,” a gain of 1,000 students. This compares with a gain in University System overall enrollment of almost 27 percent over the same time period. Brown will join the staff of University System of Georgia Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr., beginning Jan. 1, 2007. “I am pleased that Dr. Brown will be joining me to assist in the implementation of a major initiative,” said Davis. “Our new system-level projects initiative will involve our institutional presidents, and Dr. Brown’s expertise will be invaluable as this program moves forward.”

“Serving as president of Savannah State University for the past nine years has been an unqualified joy,” Brown said. “With strategic input from faculty, staff, students and alumni, an academic and physical infrastructure is in place that will ensure the continuity and relevance of Savannah State’s mission in an increasingly global and technology-driven society.”

Hallmarks of Brown’s nine-year tenure as Savannah State’s president include the transformation of student housing and support facilities with the construction of the University Village, the Freshmen Living and Learning Center, Tiger Arena and the Drew-Griffith Annex. Construction is slated to begin by the end of 2006 on a new $14 million academic building that will house the University’s social and behavioral sciences programs.

The University’s College of Business and academic programs in business, social work, and engineering and technology earned accreditation or re-accreditation under Brown’s leadership. The University received a number of significant grants for faculty and staff efforts in improving student retention, strengthening graduate programs and efforts to increase the number of minorities pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Savannah State also is the second institution among the University System’s 35 campuses to provide a wireless network campus-wide. It has been recognized by WebCT, a provider of distance learning systems for higher education, as a “Digital Content Leader” for the institution’s commitment to online learning. Savannah State has 35 web-enhanced courses.

A search for Brown’s successor will be conducted by the University System of Georgia Chancellor’s Office. The University System Office will announce details of the search process as they are developed.

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