Southern Polytechnic State University

Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU or Southern Tech) is "Georgia's Technology University", located just northwest of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It is a part of the University System of Georgia.

Establishment

Founded in 1948 as a two-year division of the Georgia Institute of Technology, SPSU was established at the request of Georgia's business and industry. It first opened its doors as the Technical Institute in Chamblee, Georgia, with 116 students, all but 10 being World War II veterans, and a staff of 12.

In 1949, SPSU became the Southern Technical Institute and was recognized as a college-level school by the U.S. Department of Education. Less than a decade later (around 1958), the college migrated to its present campus in Marietta, Georgia.

In 1961, Hoyt McClure was named acting director and led the movement to build eight new buildings on 120 acres of land. Since then SPSU has continued to expand -- the campus now encompasses more than 230 acres and contains 35 buildings.

SPSU became accredited as a four-year college in 1970, and was one of the first colleges in the nation to offer the bachelor of Engineering Technology degree. SPSU also earned independence in the University System, separating ties with Georgia Tech. In the summer of 1980, SPSU officially became the 14th senior college and the 33rd independent unit of the University System of Georgia.

The college's first president, Dr. Stephen R. Cheshier of Purdue University, was named in 1980 and served with distinction until his retirement as president in June 1997. He saw SPSU through two name changes -- Southern College of Technology in 1987 and Southern Polytechnic State University in the summer of 1996, when the school also became a university.

List of Presidents

Students

Student Government

Student organizations such as fraternities, clubs, and the general student body are governed by the Student Government Association of Southern Polytechnic State University. SGA is composed of elected and appointed undergraduate and graduate students. The SGA is designed closely to the U.S. government, where the President has veto power, the Vice President chairs the legislative body, and the Chief Judge has judgment authority over questions of constitutionality. The SGA is composed of three main branches: Executive (President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, Chief Judge, and four committee chairs), Legislative (Ten Councilmen including the four committee chairs, chaired by the VP and recorded by the Secretary/Treasurer), and Judicial (Chief Judge and six Associate Judges). The current officers for the 2007-2008 school year are Kevin Moss (president), with Eddie Macham (Vice President), Anjli Patel (Secretary/Treasurer), and Donna Washington (Chief Judge).

Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU or Southern Tech) is "Georgia's Technology University", located just northwest of Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia, USA. It is a part of the University System of Georgia.