GSU Summer Summer School Sets New Record

7/30/2009 11:07:00 AM

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GSU Summer Summer School Sets New Record
As Statesboro's largest employer and home to nearly 18,000 students, Georgia Southern University's economic impact on Bulloch and surrounding counties is well-known.

While the Georgia Southern campus bustles during the "traditional" school year from August to May, it does not slow down much during the summer. This summer a total of 9,892 students were enrolled in classes, a nearly 25 percent increase from 8,890 in Summer 2008. The figure set a new record for the growing institution that attracts students from nearly every U.S. state and more than 80 countries.

"Georgia Southern is continuing to attract outstanding students at record levels," said Bruce Grube, president of Georgia Southern University. "We expect the trend of higher levels of summer enrollment to continue as more and more students take advantage of the course offerings."

The record enrollment is a boost not just to Georgia Southern, but to the regional economy as well. According to a study by the University's Bureau of Business Research and Economic Development (BBRED), Georgia Southern students spent $37.8 million on books and supplies, room and board, transportation and other expenses during terms A and B of Summer 2009.

Using a model that each dollar spent is then re-spent in the region, the student spending over the summer added up to a $57.6 million gross output for the economies of nine Southeast Georgia counties (Bulloch, Bryan, Candler, Chatham, Effingham, Emanuel, Evans, Jenkins and Screven). Output is the measure of the total goods and services produced in the region.

"Healthy summer school enrollments are good for the local economy," said Ron Shiffler, dean of the College of Business Administration and chairman of the Statesboro-Bulloch County Chamber of Commerce. "More students in town during the summer meant more money was spent in restaurants, grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations and more. In turn, those dollars will be re-spent within the community several times over, providing a stable base of economic activity."

Georgia Southern University had an economic impact of more than $748 million during the 2007-08 fiscal year, according to a study released last year by BBRED. The study showed that Georgia Southern was responsible for 9,350 jobs and pumped $748,099,767 into the economy of the nine-county region in 2007-08.

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