Georgia Southern, OTC sign agreements to provide more education opportunities for local students

Georgia Southern University (GS) and Ogeechee Technical College (OTC) have signed three new agreements to create seamless transitions for students seeking a bachelor’s degree in information technology, logistics and intermodal transportation, and criminal justice and criminology programs at GS. The agreements for these three programs are designed to minimize the loss of credit and course requirement duplication for students transferring to GS from OTC.

Tuesday, GS President Kyle Marrero and OTC President Lori S. Durden formalized the collaboration between the two institutions to streamline the path to success for local students.

Marrero said the signings are a first step in a regional collaboration that will surely expand in Statesboro and throughout the region.

“This is merely a start,” Marrero said in front of a crowd of officials from both institutions in the main lobby of OTC. “We are working together to make sure that we can continue to serve the southeast region with an educational network that works together to ensure that everyone is employed, enrolled or enlisted by the time they are 18 years old.”

Durden said the agreements will be good for the most important members of the partnership — the students.

“Any time we have a chance to help students succeed, it is a good day,” Durden said. “These agreements help with our goal of promoting the economic well-being of this region. This is the right thing to do.”

Georgia Southern has also signed agreements with other local institutions, including Savannah State University and East Georgia State College, to improve administrative efficiency and serve students more effectively.

Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/R2 institution founded in 1906, offers 141 degree programs serving nearly 26,500 students through nine colleges on three campuses in Statesboro, Savannah, Hinesville and online instruction. OTC provides student‐centered academic and occupational programs and support services at the associate degree, diploma, and certificate levels.