An 'ending' and a 'beginning' for Brenau Academy

GAINESVILLE - When the nine young ladies who are graduating from Brenau Academy receive their diplomas Saturday morning, it will mark an ending and a beginning for the Gainesville girls preparatory school.

Brenau officials announced earlier this year that the academy will be "re-tooled" as an "early college" institution, getting away from a traditional high school curriculum...a move that is also going to affect personnel, faculty and staff at the school.

"These are not advanced placement courses or other high school courses," said Jim Southerland, the Brenau University provost and vice president for academic affairs at the time. "These are actual college courses that could transfer easily to Brenau or any other institution of higher learning. Those who elect to do so and complete the requisite courses could even receive a two-year Associate of Arts degree from the university at the completion of the Brenau Academy program." (See earlier story.)

Brenau spokesman David Morrison said Thursday the Academy has 13 employees, faculty and staff, full- and part-time included. There are eight staff, six of them full-time. There are six faculty, three full-time.

"Three staff members, house directors," Morrison said, "will not come back because residence life positions will be filled by Graduate Resident Assistants (supervised by the Student Services team at the University just like the university resident students. Four staff members remain to begin the transition."

As for faculty transitioning to college-level teaching, as a general statement, Morrison said, "There are different credentials involved, so it is not automatic you could move from high school-level teaching to university level