The University of Georgia Institute of Higher Education will launch its 50th Anniversary with a celebratory reception Aug. 27 at 4:30 p.m. at Meigs Hall on UGA’s North Campus.

The celebration will include the reading of a proclamation issued by Gov. Nathan Deal noting the date as “Institute of Higher Education Day,” in honor of the institute providing 50 years of “extraordinary educational service for Georgians.”

“We are excited to celebrate this special anniversary of sustaining excellence within the field of higher education,” said Libby Morris, director of the Institute of Higher Education. “We’re proud of the institute’s legacy and the reputation of our faculty, graduate programs, alumni and public service efforts. The 50th anniversary provides the opportunity to reflect on past successes and envision new goals for the future.” 

Scheduled events throughout the year include an academic roundtable on Sept. 11-12 at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries. The event will bring invited scholars from universities across the nation to discuss issues facing the field and challenges for the future. This program is supported in part by the President’s Venture Fund through the gifts of the University of Georgia Partners.

On Dec. 2, the institute continues an annual tradition with the Louise McBee Lecture at 11 a.m. in the UGA Chapel. Mary Sue Coleman, president emerita of the University of Michigan, will deliver the lecture, which focuses on higher education.

One of IHE’s long-standing outreach programs, the Governor’s Teaching Fellows, will celebrate its 20th year of programming this academic year. An anniversary celebration around teaching and learning is scheduled for Jan. 23, with more than 500 former GTF participants invited. The program is open to the public.

The anniversary year will round out with the 50th Anniversary Conference and Celebration scheduled forMarch 30-31 at the UGA Center for Continuing Education. In addition to bringing alumni back to campus, the conference will explore latest trends and best practices in the field of higher education.

Additional events include education policy seminars, held three or four times during the academic year in Meigs Hall. These lunchtime seminars bring leading scholars to campus for the exchange of views on key policy issues in higher education and related areas.

The UGA Institute of Higher Education was founded in 1964 by Georgia higher education officials and policymakers to address the academic and operational challenges facing colleges and universities across the state and region. Today, 50 years later, the institute is nationally and internationally recognized for its enduring commitment to offering advanced education and training, research, and professional services for college and university leaders. For a full listing of events and more information about the institute, see ihe.uga.edu.