The recently proposed Georgia Tech-Savannah (GTS) reformation program is a rightfully justified course of action. The primary challenge that prevented the Savannah program from reaching its intended success was its lack of unique attributes. The Savannah program currently does not offer any experiences distinct from Atlanta’s main campus. The lack of facilities and the cookie-cutter class structures provide few incentives for students to enroll. Moreover, the economic unsustainability of the program in its current form siphons away money that could be used at the Atlanta campus.
Tech’s strategy of transforming GTS from a traditional satellite campus provides some sound solutions to the current obstacles. The new work opportunities offer incentives to non-traditional students around the city by utilizing Savannah’s unique characteristics, such as its coastal position, as well as its established trade management and businesses. The original intent of convincing students to attend GTS was misguided considering the Atlanta campus offers the same materials. The new program, which will cater specifically to the population living in Savannah, will provide Tech with a more compelling alternative. The proposed professional program’s potential for future profits will also be a great approach to reverse the fiscal woes of the current program.
Despite its operating costs, a satellite campus like the original GTS setup could do little to spread Tech’s influence even though GTS supposedly drew from the Institute’s strong academic reputation. The new program should at least function as a great way to salvage the unsatisfactory results of the original Savannah program setup, creating new profit opportunities that could help Tech to expand its overall academic repertoire while phasing out the satellite campus’s present emphasis on traditional degree programs.