History

Georgia Gwinnett College opened its doors on August 18, 2006 as Governor Sonny Perdue, President Daniel Kaufman, Board of Regents Chairman Allan Vigil, U.S. Representative John Linder and GGC Foundation Chairman Glenn White cut the ceremonial ribbon for the nation’s first four-year public college created in the 21st century, and the first four-year public college created in Georgia in more than 100 years.

The new institution was built upon the work of the Gwinnett University Center (GUC) which was established in 1997 to provide University System of Georgia (USG) coordination in Gwinnett County with Georgia Perimeter College (GPC), which offered associate degrees, and with the University of Georgia (UGA), which offered some bachelor’s and graduate programs.

• September 1987: GPC offered its first courses in Gwinnett County on Sugarloaf Parkway.
• September 1990: UGA came to Gwinnett offering graduate courses.
• 1994: Recognizing that Gwinnett was the largest county east of the Mississippi River lacking a four-year college, the County purchased 160 acres of land located off GA Highway 316 and Collins Hill Road, and designated it specifically for the development of a college campus.
• February 1999: The State Legislature showed their support by allocating $19.7 million for the signature building.
• 2000: Gwinnett County donated the 160 acres to establish the Gwinnett University Center, a partnership among institutions of higher education.
• December 2000: The Board of Regents approved a unique public-private venture to construct the first classroom building on the new campus site. The 120,000 square-foot building was constructed in a record ten months.
• December 2001: The entire campus was relocated from Sugarloaf Parkway to 1000 University Center Lane.
• January 7, 2002: GUC opened its doors to more than 5,000 students enrolled in the partnership institutions - nine months earlier than projected and reaching the original five-year enrollment projection on opening day.
• August 2002: A $22 million signature building was completed, adding 100,000 square feet with18 state-of-the-art classrooms, a two-story library, and faculty offices.
• August 2002: Southern Polytechnic State University began offering classes.
• August 2003: The Medical College of Georgia began offering classes.
• October 2004: The Board of Regents (BOR) voted to create a new four-year state college in Gwinnett County. The County had doubled its population each of the past three decades, and was now home to nearly 700,000 people. With more than 8,000 enrolled students, the GUC was the ninth largest University System institution.
• March 2005: The Georgia General Assembly passed SR 33 establishing a new college in Gwinnett.
• May 2005: Gov. Sonny Perdue deferred a $5 million appropriation in the 2005 State budget for a 29,000 square-foot classroom building.
• September 2005: Dr. Daniel J. Kaufman was hired as the college’s inaugural president.
• October 2005: The BOR voted to name the institution “Georgia Gwinnett College.”
• November 2005: Initial bachelor degree programs approved by the BOR included a Bachelor of Science (“B.S.”) with a major in Biology, B.S. with a major in Psychology, Bachelor of Science in Education (“B.S.Ed.”) with a major in Early Childhood Education (including eligibility for certification in Special Education), Bachelor of Applied Science (“B.A.S.”) with a major in Technology Management, Bachelor of Business Administration (“B.B.A.”) with a major in General Business, Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology (“B.S.R.T.”), and Bachelor of Science in Nursing (“B.S.N.”).
• August 18, 2006: Georgia Gwinnett College opened with 120 juniors as its first students.
• Fall 2007: The College’s first freshman class joins GGC.
• June 2008: The first GGC graduation is held.
• 2010: Enrollment estimated to be 5,000 students.