Young Harris College has earned approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to offer five new bachelor’s degree programs beginning in August 2010.
The College received notification Friday afternoon that the SACS Commission on Colleges has approved the addition of the following five degree programs: bachelor of arts in communication studies, bachelor of arts in history, bachelor of science in outdoor education, bachelor of arts in theatre and bachelor of arts in musical theatre.
“We are thrilled to offer these five new programs to our students,” Young Harris College President Cathy Cox said. “Each major we offer has been custom-designed to fit the needs of today’s 21st-century student. We believe that these new programs are attractive opportunities for our current and future students.”
The new majors join the existing bachelor’s degree programs—biology, business and public policy, English and music—for a total of nine new baccalaureate programs added since the College was awarded four-year status in December 2008.
“We are pleased to receive approval for these new programs and believe that they are outstanding additions to our academic program,” said Ron Roach, Ph.D., associate vice president for academic affairs at Young Harris College. “The College’s strategic plan calls for the addition of new majors each year for the next several years as we move forward as a four-year school.”
In addition to expanding its academic program, Young Harris College has been adding faculty and staff at a record pace, hiring more than 60 new employees over the last two academic years to accommodate student enrollment growth. Fall enrollment for 2009 was at an all-time high for the third consecutive year.
The College is in an unprecedented building program to support its growth, having opened a new 200-bed LEED Silver-certified residence hall in August 2009. It is scheduled to open a 57,000-square foot, state-of-the-art student recreation and fitness center in August of this year, which will feature a 1,000-seat, NCAA-regulation arena that will be home to the newly reestablished men’s and women’s intercollegiate basketball program. In addition, a new tennis complex with 12 lighted, NCAA-regulation courts is currently under construction. Young Harris College’s master plan also calls for a new campus center that will include a new dining hall, student center and library.
In May 2011, Young Harris College will award its first bachelor’s degrees in nearly a century.
About Young Harris College
Founded in 1886, Young Harris College is a private, baccalaureate degree-granting college located in the beautiful mountains of north Georgia. Historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, Young Harris College educates, inspires and empowers students through the highest quality liberal arts education. Long known for nurturing students during the first two years of college, Young Harris College received accreditation in 2008 to grant bachelor’s degrees. The College currently has approximately 700 students across four divisions—Fine Arts, Humanities, Mathematics and Science, and Social and Behavioral Science—and plans to increase enrollment to 1,200 over the next few years. The historic campus in Young Harris, Ga., is currently undergoing major campus improvements to accommodate the College’s growth. For more information, visit www.yhc.edu.