After a great deal of consideration, the Board of Regents voted today to proceed with the consolidation of Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University as recommended by University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley. The combined institution will be named Georgia Southern University.With more than 27,000 students, Georgia Southern University will become the fourth largest public university in the state of Georgia. As Chancellor Wrigley stated, "Armstrong State University and Georgia Southern University are already the top destinations for students seeking public higher education in southeast Georgia. Creating the new Georgia Southern University will combine the best of both institutions, which ultimately serve many of the same students."As we move forward, I will lead an implementation team with representatives from across the Georgia Southern University community. We will work closely with members of Armstrong State University and leadership at the University System of Georgia. We will hold Town Hall sessions on Thursday, Jan. 19 at each institution so our entire community – on and off-campus – will have an opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback on the consolidation. We welcome your input. These Town Hall sessions will be streamed live on the new consolidation website consolidation.georgiasouthern.edu . I encourage you to visit this site often for updates.