Brenau University, based in Gainesville, announced this week it will close its campus in Augusta, Georgia at the end of the year.
University officials said the trend of students moving toward remote learning in the region prompted the plan to close the physical location effective Dec. 31, 2020.
Of course, all current students from the Augusta area have been taking courses remotely because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brenau officials said Tuesday the university will continue online instruction for those seeking degrees remotely without interruption.
"The vast majority of our Augusta students over the years have been adult learners," said Jim Eck, Brenau’s provost and vice president of academic affairs, in a press statement. "As Brenau has become a regional leader in remote learning and support, it has naturally followed that especially our adult learners have gravitated to this mode of instruction. Going forward, we remain steadfast in our commitment to providing a world-class education to residents in the Augusta region remotely in a more effective and efficient way."
Brenau University began offering courses in Augusta in the 1980s and has a robust alumni base in the area that has contributed significantly to the local economy over the years, according to Eck.
In addition to its historic Gainesville campus and other city locations, Brenau will continue to offer classes online, on-ground and in hybrid form in Norcross, Fairburn and Jacksonville, Florida.
