Georgia Institute of Technology President G. P. “Bud” Peterson announced today that he is accepting task force recommendations regarding Georgia Tech-Savannah. The report, “Defining a Path Forward for Georgia Tech-Savannah,” provided a comprehensive review of the coastal campus and the Georgia Tech Regional Engineering Program (GTREP).

In a memorandum sent to Georgia Tech Provost and Chair of the task force Rafael L. Bras, Peterson said that he was pleased by the task force’s comprehensive approach in analyzing Georgia Tech-Savannah operations and programs, and that he was excited about the prospects for the future.

Peterson also wrote, “While I know that much of the work focused on Georgia Tech’s operations and physical presence in Savannah, it is very clear that the task force took great care to consider how its recommendations might ultimately affect the lives and careers of our students, faculty and staff as well as the community we serve in the coastal region.”

Highlights from the task force report include recommendations that will allow Georgia Tech-Savannah to continue to have a strong presence in Southeast Georgia by creating a new academic and operational model for the campus while phasing out current degree programs.

The proposed organization, designed to be viable and self-sustaining, includes a portfolio of programs ranging from co-curricular undergraduate activities to instruction for the military and executive and other non-credit education programs to professional master’s degrees. In addition, the recommendations included the option of developing regional research opportunities.

During the 10-day comment period, Peterson had the opportunity to review comments regarding task force recommendations. The vast majority of comments were submitted by current Georgia Tech-Savannah students voicing support for the undergraduate program and expressing concern regarding their individual circumstances.

According to Peterson, the concerns of students, faculty and staff underscore the importance of developing a comprehensive and supportive transition and implementation plan.

The Georgia Tech-Savannah campus will operate in a “business-as-usual mode” during the summer and fall semesters of 2011. Academic advisors will work individually with Georgia Tech students in Savannah to provide the support necessary to aid them in completing their degree programs, according to Bras.