James MagazineJames_July-August_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 15
Cathy Cox became the president of Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville in
2021, following prior stints as dean of the Mercer University School of Law and president of
Young Harris College. She is also a former journalist and lawyer, a one-time state representative from her hometown of Bainbridge and a former Georgia secretary of state. James caught
up with her for an update on the latest happenings at GSCU and their impact.
You’ve been president for a little
over four years. What are your
biggest accomplishments?
I can’t tell you how often people
have said to me over those four
years, “Georgia College is the best
kept secret!” It’s always meant as a
compliment, but I’ve taken it as the
best kind of challenge. Since arriving, I’ve been determined to take
us from being a “hidden gem” to a
household name.
The “wow” factors are already
here. GCSU is one of the top three
selective admissions institutions in
the University System of Georgia,
at the top with Georgia Tech and
UGA. We attract applicants who
are academically exceptional, but
who place a high value on what’s
different about GCSU: all the benefits of a private liberal arts education at a public school price tag.
With 50-plus undergraduate
degree programs and concentration and 40+ graduate programs
and certificates, GCSU experienced
a period of unprecedented interest
by top students since the pandemic, marked by record enrollment
and applications; all-time high
state, regional and national rankings; more rigorous admissions
standards than ever before; and
some of the strongest fundraising
records, too. Georgia College hit
several high points as I began my
fifth year as president:
FALL 2025
• GCSU was named among the Top
5 best public colleges and universities in the South by U.S. News &
World Report.
• GCSU’s Simulation and Translational Research Center, a $630 million investment, was renovated
and expanded for the award-winning School of Nursing.
• A new $4.5 million music rehearsal hall opened in 2025, GCSU’s
first new music facility opened
on campus since the 1930s.
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