The quiet of summer life on a college campus might seem peaceful to many, but it has Greg Aloia yearning for the return of students and staff.
With the return of faculty to College of Coastal Georgia this week, the college president is beginning to feel more like himself.
“A college is like a beautiful football stadium. When the game isn’t being played, it’s a pretty place, but it’s not the same. I’m ready to see the students and faculty. I’ve missed them,” Aloia said Monday.
Fall semester starts Monday, and Aloia and his crew are putting the finishing touches together to start his second year as president with a bang.
“I’ve been telling folks I’m even more excited about this year than I was my first, and I was certainly excited then,” he said.
During teacher orientation Tuesday, Aloia shared his focus for the coming year — a focus on three words: strategic, structural and sustainable.
From the governor’s office on down, the state’s increased focus on getting students to college and keeping them there through graduation has hit home for the Aloia.
“There’s a commitment to how we can get more students into college in Georgia, maintain that, and increase the process of retention, progression and graduation. That’s something that’s defining almost everything we’ve done since the day I arrived,” Aloia said. “We’re looking at things we’ve put into place here that are making a difference for students and their success and seeing what more we can do to improve the kids who come here. We’re trying to see how we can be more proactive.”
With its increase in comfortable study spaces for students and enhanced tutoring opportunities, among other things, the college has had a great response from students to efforts made last year to make the college experience better.
“Last year, our retention was between 52 and 53 percent, and this semester we’ll be closer to 65 percent. It’s an amazing jump,” Aloia said.
The number of students desiring to become a more permanent part of the area through student housing options is also on the rise. Aloia says all 350 dorm rooms on campus and the 88 rooms in the off-campus Coastal Place apartments are taken and a waiting list has been growing.
He says the college should be acquiring some 200 new rooms for students come August 2016.
Keeping the increasing number of students close to campus happy is another focus this year, Aloia said.
“We’ll have more clubs, more club sports, more student activities, a new rec room, new outdoor basketball courts, a better gaming room and eventually a functional cafe,” he said. “With the residence halls full, increasing quality faculty, an absolutely pristine campus and looking at the Academic Commons South under renovation to full be complete in January, all these things are great.”
Student move-in day at College of Coastal Georgia is Saturday. Classes start Monday.
The Brunswick News
SARAH LUNDGREN
Photo by Bobby Haven, The Brunswick News