3 min read March 2024 — In an interview with Focus:, Georj Lewis, president of Clayton State University, talked about the university’s strategic plan, how stackable credits and other nontraditional programs help students build their careers, and the importance of student success and social mobility in the university’s activities. “Our plan is focused on students being successful, persisting, and moving toward graduation,” he said.
What are the most important highlights of the first year since you became president of Clayton State University?
When I first came on board, our transitional goals included developing a strategic plan, stabilizing enrollment, and solidifying the senior leadership team. These goals will yield the direction of our university for the next three years. We have been working on the strategic plan throughout the past year and plan to launch it in April; We have now solidified our leadership team, which has enabled us to position those key team members to execute our strategic plan; and we have also stabilized enrollment. Specifically, our enrollment was flat in the fall semester, and we are trending up 4-5% for the spring 2024 semester, a significant sign of stability.
We have also identified four foundational capabilities that will enable us to move forward in our major focus areas. We will focus on branding and marketing to ensure that we are telling our story; we are working to achieve efficiencies by improving the systems on campus; our focus on our people is a priority; and offering academic programs that connect to the workforce will contribute to our students’ social mobility.
What strategies is Clayton State University implementing to increase its enrollment rates?
We regularly explore, research, and evaluate our ability to deliver programs in high demand areas. The majority of our focus has historically been limited to our region, but we are now not only exploring opportunities in the southern crescent of Atlanta, but we are stretching our footprint beyond. Our extensive target audience includes everyone from dual enrollment students and high-school students who are looking for a two- or four-year degree to adults who may be transferring, entering academia for the first time, or those who would like to change careers and need additional education to do so.
Considering the diverse needs of our students, we offer classes in various modalities that provide the flexibility for all to balance school, work, and family.
How can an education at Clayton State help students improve their career and life perspectives?
Social mobility is at the forefront of everything we do as well as an integral part of our strategic plan. We want students to not only enroll, but to graduate.
Our mission focuses on students being successful, persisting in their studies, and moving toward graduation. Once students graduate from Clayton State University, they should have the skill set and opportunity to move their families to a higher point in a positive way. Those graduates should be able to move into higher-paying careers that change their lives, their families’ lives, as well as their communities for future generations.
Research informs us that the average Clayton State student comes from a family with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of $29,020 per year (as of the 2021-22 financial aid year), which is the second lowest of the 26 institutions in the University System of Georgia. However, Clayton State’s administration, faculty, and staff are committed to helping students and their families advance in society through educational attainment and career placement.
What role do stackable credentials play in helping students advance their careers and continue their education?
We work with local school districts to engage students as early as middle school to offer them pathways to high demand, higher paying careers in technology. When those students reach high school, we introduce dual enrollment programs that include opportunities to visit various companies so that they can earn a certificate and develop skills by the time they graduate from high school. Once those students arrive at a college campus, they have an easier path toward an associate, bachelor’s, or even a master’s degree, such as our undergraduate program in computer science or our master’s in cybersecurity.
We are also working with corporate partners that may need a student so that those students receive 16 or 18 stackable credits that certify them to work in a certain area as they work toward their degree. We build those credits within our degree programs because we want students to get their bachelor’s degree. Our students must have options to grow at each educational level. Having a certificate creates opportunities and allows students to work and start building their careers. As those students get their associate, bachelor’s, or master’s degrees, they can engage in the areas where they are highly skilled, be leaders in their fields, and have more options. It comes down to giving people the option to chart their own course through education opportunities.
What are the top priorities of Clayton State University for the next two to three years?
Our strategic plan is focused on the next three years and our priorities are (1) building academic and career pathways, (2) growing enrollment, (3) driving student success and social mobility, and (4) increasing community and corporate engagement.
We realize that in order to maximize outcomes from those priorities we must also do some foundational work. That work will include establishing alternate streams of revenue through fundraising and grant writing; enhancing the university’s well-being through programs centered around supporting students, faculty, and staff; and enhancing the strength of the Clayton State brand through comprehensive marketing efforts.
Additionally, we are about to kick off a campaign that will focus on supporting innovation, student scholarships, student success, and faculty excellence.
What is the university’s strategy to serve the workforce and academic demands of the future?
Institutions cannot be exactly sure what jobs will be in demand in 10 to 15 years, however, we are consistently working with the local Chambers, surrounding industries, etc. to review the data and the outlooks for high-demand careers to invest in those programs.
We need to be nimble and build the academic and career pathways that support that workforce development. We will also focus on developing and supporting partnerships with K-12 organizations, corporate partners, and technical schools. We have signed several memoranda of understanding with technical schools to facilitate a smooth transition for students from two-year programs to Clayton State.
Moreover, we will continue increasing our presence in the community and engaging with our corporate and local partners. Finally, we will continue focusing on student success and social mobility. We aim to surround our students with the support services that serve their needs, whether they are adults coming back or students who are transitioning and need extra support, such as counseling.
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