Degree of difference

University should specify where undergraduate degree is earned

It goes without saying that the University of Georgia is one of the flagship universities in the state. At least the Athens campus is.

Two of the University’s satellite campuses – Griffin and Tifton – offer undergraduate degrees outside Athens. While Tifton only offers degrees within the College of Agriculture and Environmental Science, Griffin offers such programs as biological sciences, microbiology and consumer economics, to name a few.

Students can transfer to these extended campuses, often from small community colleges, and walk away with a degree from the University of Georgia.

The degree does not specify which campus the student attended. But since the experience at each campus is different, we think degrees should make that distinction.

The University claims to be proud of the programs offered at the extended campuses – so why not distinguish them?

The classes and professors are different, the buildings and student bodies are not the same, and the course listings differentiate. At the end of the day, it just isn’t the same education.

The same can be said of the various colleges here in Athens. A degree from Terry College of Business is not the same as a degree from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. Why should students at the various campuses not earn degrees as specific to their location as they are to their subject of study?

Schools such as the University of North Carolina and Penn State have numerous campuses and distinguish them. A degree from UNC-Chapel Hill is different than UNC-Wlimington. Shouldn’t UGA do the same?

- Megan Otto for the editorial board