Clayton State University
| Address: | Clayton State University
2000 Clayton State Boulevard
Morrow, GA 30260-0285 |
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| Type: | State University |
| Phone: | Main: 678-466-4000 Admissions: 678-466-4115 Financial Aid: 678-466-4185 Compliance, Ethics, and Reporting Hotline: 877-516-3421 |
| Website: | www.clayton.edu |
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| Links: | Mission Statement Apply Online Directory Degrees & Majors Authorized Library Compliance, Ethics, and Reporting Hotline |
Institution Overview
As an outstanding comprehensive metropolitan university located 15 miles southeast of downtown Atlanta, Clayton State University has come a long way since its inception nearly four decades ago.
The University first opened in 1969 as Clayton Junior College with Dr. Harry S. Downs as founding president and an enrollment of 942 students. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia elevated it to baccalaureate status as Clayton State College in 1986 and university status as Clayton College & State University in 1996. The school’s current designation as Clayton State University was approved in 2005.
Since Downs’ retirement in 1994, the University has had two presidents, Dr. Richard A. Skinner, and current president Dr. Thomas K. Harden who took office in June 2000. The current enrollment is in excess of 6,000 students and the school provides a multitude of degree credit programs that—in the words of the university’s mission statement—provides "career-oriented education with a solid liberal arts foundation."
In addition to a host of undergraduate degrees, Clayton State also has several graduate programs. The first, the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies, was approved by the Board of Regents in 2005 and began in 2006. Since then, the Master of Science in Nursing, the Master of Health Administration and the Master of Business Administration were all approved by the Board and all three programs began in 2007. Proposals for additional degree programs are under development.
Clayton State is also home to Spivey Hall, the finest small performance facility in the Southeast. First opened in 1991, Spivey Hall is known locally, nationally and internationally for presenting the best in jazz and classical music as well as an education outreach program that serves tens of thousands of school children from throughout metro Atlanta annually.
The past three years at Clayton State have been highlighted by the establishment of the first joint state and federal archives facilities adjacent to campus, the institution of a comprehensive strategic planning process, the reaffirmation of the university’s accreditation by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the opening of Clayton State – Fayette in Peachtree City, Ga.
One of the university’s newest buildings is The James M. Baker Center, which opened in 2004 and provides the university with a true "Center" for student life. Three additional buildings will open in August 2008— the University's first student housing, a student activities center and a new building for the AACSB-accredited School of Business.