ATLANTA --- A written agreement outlining the plan for expanding the Medical College of Georgia and a multimillion-dollar commitment to new buildings at MCG's main campus could assuage some Augusta leaders' fears that an Athens branch is a prelude to moving the school, state officials hope.
Some Augustans fear that opening a campus in Athens in connection with the University of Georgia could eventually shift the school's focus to that branch or lead to the school being relocated, despite consistent denials from state officials.
MCG President Dan Rahn told the Board of Regents earlier this week that his college, the University of Georgia and the University System of Georgia would craft a "memorandum of understanding" to formalize plans for the expansion.
"We have to have an understanding of what the role of each participating component is in this," Dr. Rahn said.
After the meeting, Dr. Rahn said the goal of any agreement would be to lay out the responsibilities of each school and the university system as the expansion moves forward.
A written agreement could ease some of the fears in Augusta, said House Appropriations Chairman Ben Harbin, R-Evans.
Mr. Harbin also pointed to $65 million in bond financing the House set aside for construction at MCG in its budget for the coming fiscal year. Those funds still have to be approved by the Senate and Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Reach Brandon Larrabee at (678) 977-3709 or brandon.larrabee@morris.com.
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