James_September-October_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 49
North Georgia has manifested itself. Besides its
main campus, Brenau is also a part of the physical
renaissance of downtown Gainesville, renovating
and rehabilitating a number of buildings to bring
back life to downtown. Barnett noted his particular
pride in some of these projects, with their connection to community collaboration that both benefits
Brenau and its neighbors. “Working with the City
of Gainesville, Brenau acquired long-term use of a
former convention center and converted the facility into a state-of-the-art health sciences academic
building. This helped launch new programs in physical therapy and physician assistant studies. The
academic classrooms and science labs now occupy
space once used for events. This multimillion-dollar
investment by Brenau in an underused city complex added vibrancy and a hub of activity to the
city and for the university,” said Barnett.
Another new facility constructed adjacent to
this building serves multiple functions with residential, retail, and academic space on the square of
Gainesville. Known as the Gainesville Renaissance,
the corporate development group included Brenau
University and its Lynn J. Darby School of Psychology and Adolescent Counseling as an anchor tenant
in the facility, bringing hundreds of students and
faculty to the downtown square daily.
THE “BRENAU IDEAL”
Carved into a granite slab on one of the most
hallowed spaces at the university is the “Brenau
Ideal”— a mission statement of sorts that has
helped to guide the university for more than 100
years and continues to loom large as part of convocations, class study and a bold vision for administrators and leaders like Barnett. It also captures
the “ideal” of what a liberal arts education sets out
to be, not only creating a foundation for career success but developing character and the “inner life”
of people as well.
“To find satisfaction in being rather than in
seeming; To find joy in doing rather than in dreaming; To be prepared for service thereby earning the
right to be served; To be pure in heart, vigorous in
mind, discreet in action; To love deeply, fear nothing, hate never; To enjoy that freedom which comes
from knowledge of the “Truth;” To be modestly conscious of the limitations of human knowledge and
serenely confident of the limitless reaches of human
endeavor— this is the ideal of Brenau,”
That’s wisdom from President H.J. Pearce.
Baker Owens is a staff writer for James and James Magazine
Online.
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