The Rural Studies Institute (RSI) at Georgia College was officially launched on January 1, 2020, and will serve as an important strategic endeavor to assist the university in carrying out its public mission.

Through scholarship and research; education; leadership development and training; practice; strategy and policy, the Rural Studies Institute hopes to develop rural innovative approaches to change.

MISSION

The mission of RSI is to assist in developing sustainable rural communities that are equipped to address the unique challenges of the 21st century. Specifically, the institute will lead efforts to develop best practices in building sustainable rural communities with a focus on four areas of rural disparity: Health, Education, Economic Opportunity and the Environment (HEEE).

Building on Georgia College’s tradition of commitment to community-based participatory research and action,community engagement and leadership development, the university-wide institute is dedicated to utilizing the expertise of existing GC faculty and staff, an inclusive group of community leaders and external experts to carry out the mission of the institute.