GTREP: a new model for expanding the availability of engineering education

The Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program (GTREP) expands engineering education opportunities by offering Georgia Tech undergraduate engineering degrees in southeast Georgia in collaboration with Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Southern University and Savannah State University. While branch campuses and remote programs are not new, GTREP incorporates a number of innovative elements. Students initially enroll at one of the three regional institutions, then become Georgia Tech students for their junior and senior years, while remaining in Savannah or Statesboro and taking courses taught by locally-resident Georgia Tech faculty. Distance learning technology, including two-way video and Internet-based courses, increases the available course offerings and fosters interactions between the main and southeast campuses. GTREP faculty members in southeast Georgia are regular tenure-track Georgia Tech faculty, engaged in both instruction and research. This paper addresses the challenges and innovative solutions associated with bringing GTREP from concept to initial graduates in less than four years.