Atlanta — December 9, 2002

University System of Georgia Chancellor Thomas C. Meredith has been elected the new chair-elect of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), a leading national higher education association headquartered in Washington, DC.

Meredith was named to the position at AASCU’s annual meeting, held on November 26, in Naples, Fla. The selection means Meredith will serve as chair of the professional association in 2004, and become the first head of a system of higher education to hold the top post in the organization.

The American Association of State Colleges and Universities represents more than 430 public colleges and universities and systems across the United States and in Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands. Its mission is to promote appreciation and support for public higher education, analyze public policy, provide policy leadership and program support to strengthen academic quality, promote access and inclusion, facilitate educational innovation, and offer professional development opportunities for institutional leaders - notably presidents and chancellors.

“It is an honor and a privilege to be elected by my peers as chair-elect of AASCU,” Meredith said. “I look forward to serving the association and its members as higher education tackles some of the most critical issues it has faced in the past decade – from budget cuts to competing priorities for state support to calls nationally for increased accountability. It is critical we continue to inform the public regarding the impact of postsecondary education on our economy and its value in changing the lives of our citizens.”

In his role as chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Dr. Meredith oversees the state’s 34 public colleges and universities, including four research universities, two regional universities, 13 state universities, two state colleges and 13 two-year colleges. Serving more than 232,000 students from around the world and employing 35,000 faculty and staff, the University System of Georgia has an annual budget of $4.5 billion. The University System of Georgia, one of the largest systems in the country, is committed to creating a more educated Georgia.

A native of Owensboro, Ky., Meredith served from 1988 to 1997 as president and professor of education at Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green. He joined that institution from The University of Mississippi, where he served as vice chancellor for executive affairs from 1987-1988 and adjunct professor of higher education and executive assistant to the chancellor from 1984-1987. He served as chancellor of The University of Alabama System from June 1997 through 2001, at which time he was appointed Chancellor of the University System of Georgia.

Meredith holds a B.A. in social studies from Kentucky Wesleyan College, a M.A. in education administration and supervision from Western Kentucky University, and a doctor of education degree in administration and supervision with an emphasis in secondary and higher education from the University of Mississippi. He also completed the Institute for Educational Management program at Harvard University and was a participant in the Oxford Higher Education Roundtable at Oxford University.

Meredith also currently serves as president of the National Association of System Heads and is a member of the Board of Control for the Southern Regional Education Board.

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