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Bill to reserve two Board of Regents at‑large seats for HBCU alumni draws broad support at committee hearing
Summary
House Bill 203 would require that two of the five at‑large seats on the University System of Georgia Board of Regents be filled by alumni of the state's three public HBCUs; sponsors and alumni groups testified in support, while members asked about scope, implementation timing, and precedent.
Representative Floyd Griffin, sponsor of HB 203, told the House Higher Education Committee the bill would ensure that "two of the five at‑large seats on the Board of Regents are held by graduates" of Georgia's three public historically Black colleges and universities and described the measure as a correction of longstanding underrepresentation.
Multiple witnesses representing alumni organizations — including Kenneth Dandy of GAPSU (the Georgia Alumni Association of Public State HBCUs) and Garen Walker of the Fort Valley State University National Alumni Association — testified in support, arguing that graduates from Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State bring lived experience and insight into the needs of those institutions. Dandy told the committee that representation matters because Board decisions shape funding, program decisions and student experiences across the University System.
Committee members asked questions about whether the requirement would be limited to the three named institutions (the sponsor said yes), about appointment timing and whether any precedent exists in other systems. The sponsor said, if enacted and signed by the governor, one HBCU‑alumnus seat would be sworn in on Jan. 1, 2028, and the second on Jan. 1, 2031. No committee vote occurred; members indicated willingness to continue the conversation at a subsequent meeting.
The hearing included historical context offered by witnesses and members (sponsors pointed to long‑running appointment patterns) and several committee members offered to assist the sponsor in follow‑up outreach and technical drafting before the bill is considered further.
