Georgia State University Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ====2016–present==== The newest incarnation of the university's strategic plan gives an outline of the university's growth from 2011 until 2016 and a brief overview that will be amended for up to 2021.<ref name="strategicplan">{{cite web|title=Strategic Plan 2011-2016/21|url=http://strategic.gsu.edu/files/2012/09/GSU_Strategic_Plan_2016-2.pdf|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> In 2016, an extension to the Petit Science Center was completed. Plans exist for the building of graduate student housing behind the center.<ref name="strategicplan" /> On May 31, 2012, the [[Georgia State Panthers|athletics department]] released a new facilities master plan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia State Athletics Master Plan |url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12700&ATCLID=205408033|work=Georgia State Athletics|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> The plan includes upgrades and renovations to the [[GSU Sports Arena]]<ref>{{cite web|title=Sports Arena Master Plan|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205408197&DB_OEM_ID=12700|publisher=Georgia State Athletics|access-date=June 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160621225733/http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205408197&DB_OEM_ID=12700|archive-date=June 21, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> including new outdoor sand volleyball courts (which have since been completed)<ref>{{cite web|title=Sand Volleyball Complex Master Plan - Completed Sept. 2012|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205415149&DB_OEM_ID=12700|publisher=Georgia State Athletics|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> as well as plans to build new baseball, softball, and soccer stadiums.<ref>{{cite web|title=Baseball Complex Master Plan |url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205408151&DB_OEM_ID=12700|work=Georgia State Athletics|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Softball Complex Master Plan|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205408254&DB_OEM_ID=12700|publisher=Georgia State Athletics|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Soccer Complex Master Plan|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&ATCLID=205408188&DB_OEM_ID=12700|publisher=Georgia State Athletics|access-date=June 6, 2013}}</ref> These would replace the current stadiums in [[Panthersville, Georgia|Panthersville]]. In May 2014, the university announced its intentions to pursue the {{convert|77|acre|m2|sigfig=3|adj=on|}} [[Turner Field]] site once the [[Atlanta Braves]] [[Major League Baseball]] club moves into [[Truist Park]] in 2017. The university intends to retrofit Turner Field into a 30,000-seat open-air football stadium and build a new baseball field on the site of the former [[Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium]], incorporating the wall where [[Hank Aaron]] hit his record-breaking 715th home run. Additional retail and student housing development is also planned for the parking areas surrounding Turner Field.<ref name="GA State Turner Field">{{cite web |last=Roberson|first=Doug|title=Georgia State wants to turn Turner Field into football stadium|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/college/georgia-state-wants-to-turn-turner-field-into-foot/nfq8R/ |work=[[The Atlanta Journal-Constitution]]|access-date=May 27, 2014}}</ref> On December 21, 2015, the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority announced that Georgia State's bid to redevelop Turner Field had been accepted.<ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia State/Carter/Oakwood Team Named Winning Bidder for Redevelopment of Turner Field|url=http://news.gsu.edu/2015/12/21/georgia-state-carter-team-named-winning-bidder-for-redevelopment-of-turner-field/|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=December 22, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151223091134/http://news.gsu.edu/2015/12/21/georgia-state-carter-team-named-winning-bidder-for-redevelopment-of-turner-field/|archive-date=December 23, 2015}}</ref> On August 18, 2016, Georgia State and the Atlanta-Fulton County Recreation Authority reached a tentative purchase agreement for Turner Field, and the purchase and redevelopment plan was approved by the Board of Regents on November 9, 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Davis|first1=Janet|last2=Suggs|first2=Ernie|last3=Trubey|first3=J. Scott|title=Georgia State, partners reach deal to buy Turner Field for $30 million|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/georgia-state-partners-reach-deal-to-buy-turner-fi/nsHhr/|access-date=August 18, 2016|newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Molly|last2=Trubey|first2=Scott|title=Georgia State's $53M Turner Field redevelopment plan approved|url=http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/georgia-state-53m-turner-field-redevelopment-plan-approved/7GNOtIxm0xzYwcWVaPf8HL/|access-date=November 9, 2016|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution}}</ref> On January 5, 2017, Georgia State's acquisition of Turner Field, since renamed [[Georgia State Stadium]], was officially closed, with the stadium conversion project beginning in February 2017.<ref>{{cite web|title=Georgia State, Private Development Venture Finalize Acquisition of Turner Field Site|date=January 5, 2017|url=http://news.gsu.edu/2017/01/05/georgia-state-private-development-venture-finalize-acquisition-of-turner-field-site/|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=January 6, 2017}}</ref> Georgia State Stadium hosted its first game on August 31, 2017.<ref name="GSU_Stadium_first_game">{{cite web|last1=Holmes|first1=Mike|title=Football Stadium Opener Date Set|url=http://www.georgiastatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=12700&ATCLID=211463872|publisher=Georgia State Athletics|access-date=February 10, 2017}}</ref> In June 2021, [[M. Brian Blake]] became Georgia State University's first [[African-American]] and [[person of color]] president.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wabe.org/regents-approve-first-black-president-at-georgia-state-university/|title=Regents Approve First Black President at Georgia State University|date=June 17, 2021}}</ref> =====Consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College===== On January 5, 2015, news broke that Georgia State and [[Georgia Perimeter College]] would merge.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gpb.org/news/2015/01/05/georgia-perimeter-georgia-state-possibly-merging |title=Georgia Perimeter, Georgia State Possibly Merging |author=Tanya Ott |publisher=GPB News |date=January 5, 2015 |access-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> Over a year later, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the merger of Georgia State University and Georgia Perimeter College, a 2-year college with five campuses. The board also announced that the president of Georgia State would remain the president of the combined university, which retained the name Georgia State University.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.covnews.com/section/1/article/57581/ |title=Merger of GPC, GSU approved |newspaper=Covington News |date=January 6, 2015 |access-date=January 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106184243/http://www.covnews.com/section/1/article/57581/ |archive-date=January 6, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref> The merger created the largest university in the state of Georgia at about 52,000 students.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.gsu.edu/2016/01/06/welcome-panther-family-perimeter-college/|title=Welcome to the Panther Family|website=GSU.edu|publisher=Georgia State University|access-date=January 6, 2016}}</ref> Since Georgia State's consolidation with Georgia Perimeter College in 2016, graduation rates at Perimeter College have almost tripled.<ref>{{cite web |title=Georgia State Sets A Record For Overall Enrollment, Most Qualified Freshman Class In University History |url=https://news.gsu.edu/2019/08/22/georgia-state-sets-record-overall-enrollment/ |website=Georgia State News Hub |date=August 22, 2019 |publisher=Georgia State |access-date=4 March 2020}}</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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