The Regents’ Annual Event

In 2003, the University System of Georgia Foundation, Inc. established the Regents’ Awards for Excellence in Education to recognize the contributions and achievements of its students, faculty, alumni and supporters. Each year at this prestigious event, the University System of Georgia Foundation Board presents the Regents’ Hall of Fame Awards and the McMillan Lifetime Achievement Award to honor faculty and alumni of the University System of Georgia. The event also raises funds to support the work of the University System and provide merit- and need-based scholarships for students attending USG colleges and universities.

The 2011 event was held on March 26 at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta. As in years past, this event boasted tremendous gathering of representatives from our colleges and universities, institutional foundations, distinguished faculty and administrators, state and federal elected leaders, public and private supporters of public higher education in Georgia. All showed their appreciation to the distinguished award recipients for 2011.

• The Elridge McMillan LifeTime Achievement Award Recipient
• The Regents Hall of Fame Alumni Award Recipients
• The Felton Jenkins, Jr. Hall of Fame Faculty Award Recipients

Plans are now underway for the 2012 annual event: “The Regents’ Salute to Education.” With a new name there will be continued focus on supporting the University System, and more opportunities to enjoy the Silent Auction, network with Georgia’s top education, corporate and elected leaders, and honor those who bring excellence to education in Georgia.

Make plans to attend! Sponsorship opportunities are available.

Corporate Partnerships

As State dollars available for higher education continue to diminish, never has academic achievement, need based financial aid, and private support of higher education been so vital to the future of Georgia.

The corporate and philanthropic communities have been exceedingly generous in their support of the Regents’ annual event, USG special initiatives and scholarships programs. Through their support, the Foundation was able to award more than $400,000 in scholarships in 2011 and provide support to the University System to advance its work in educating more than 310,000 students.

If you would like to support higher education in Georgia, you can do so in a number of ways.

• Become a sponsor of the Regents’ Salute to Education
• Join the Corporate Scholars Program
• Designate funding for a special program or initiative
• Make a donation

For more information, contact the USG Foundation Executive Director at 404-463-1745 or candace.sommer@usg.edu

On October 15, 2008, the University System of Georgia Foundation, Inc. formed the USG Real Estate Foundation, LLC with the USG Foundation as the sole member. The USG Real Estate Foundation, LLC was formed for the purpose of constructing projects and renting the projects to colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia on real estate owned by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Subsequently, USG Real Estate Foundation II, LLC and Real Estate Foundation III, LLC were formed for the same purpose.

To date, fifteen projects on thirteen campuses totaling $317 million have been financed through the USG Real Estate Foundations.

• Bainbridge College
• College of Coastal Georgia
• Columbus State University
• Dalton State College
• Darton College
• East Georgia College
• Fort Valley State University
• Gainesville State College
• Georgia College and State University (2 projects)
• Georgia State University
• Savannah State University
• Southern Polytechnic State University (2 projects)
• University of West Georgia

Read more about these construction projects.

The USG Foundation provides professional, financial and administrative services to the Office of the Chancellor, the Board of Regents, the USG system office and institutions to advance the work of the University System as a whole.

Fund accounts fall in to four categories:

1. Grants: The USG Foundation serves as the administrative home for private grants awarded to University System Office staff or education agency partners. All grant awards must feature the strategic priorities of the Board of Regents and involve or affect multiple University System institutions. Grants currently held in the Foundation are

   • Georgia Early Colleges, The University System of Georgia
   • The Gates Clearinghouse, Alliance for Education Agency Heads
   • Gates Supplemental Support for the Alliance of Education Agency Heads

2. Scholarships: Funds raised through the Regents’ annual event are designated for the Regents’ Scholarship Fund and the USGF Corpus. The proceeds have been used to fund the Regents’ President’s Choice Scholarships and the Regents’ Foundation scholarships. Read More about scholarships »

3. USG Discretionary Accounts: The USG Foundation provides financial and administrative services for USG accounts that are privately funded. Currently, the Foundation provides financial management of the fund accounts of:

   • The Office of the Chancellor - Discretionary Funds used to advance the work of the University System of Georgia
   • The Board of Regents – Donated funds to defray the costs of Board of Regents and Special Committee meetings
   • Information Technology Services - Funds deposited in the University System of Georgia Foundation are received from private companies and corporations to help defray the cost of annual conferences and training activities, such as the Georgia Summit and Rock Eagle Conferences
   • Georgia Public Library System - Private funding received to support the library programs
   • Library Services - Private funding received to support the work of Library Services
   • ICAPP - Georgia’s Intellectual Capital Partnership Program is the University System of Georgia’s economic development program. ICAPP connects the intellectual resources of Georgia’s 35 public college and universities to the state’s business community in innovative ways.

4. Special Programs and Initiatives: The USG Foundation provides financial and administrative services for special accounts designated for special initiatives. Current initiatives for which the Foundation provides services are:

   • The African American Male Initiative - Private funding received to support implementation of the Task Force on Enhancing College Access for African American Males.
   • The Educational Leadership Institute – Identifying, developing, and supporting high-potential employees within the University System is a key to attracting and retaining the best talent the state, the nation, and the world have to offer. The Executive Leadership Institute was implemented in 2009 to strengthen the future leadership of the System.
   • The Georgia State Charitable Giving Campaign – Coordinating funds raised by the USG Atlanta and Athens Central Offices to benefit the statewide campaign.