Wednesday at its October meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved Gainesville State College’s Bachelor of Fine Arts in design and technology for theater degree.

Gainesville State College has provided classes in the entertainment and theatrical design fields since 1985. Students also have earned experience through the college’s hands-on approach to live theater production in the Gainesville Theatre Alliance, a nationally acclaimed collaboration of Gainesville State, Brenau University, theater professionals and the Northeast Georgia community.

Jim Hammond, a theater professor at Gainesville State and artistic and managing director of Gainesville Theatre Alliance, earned his bachelor’s degree from Brenau in 1979.

"The impressive blend of support and resources from GSC, (Brenau University) and the Northeast Georgia Community is the main reason 85 percent of our graduates since 1990 are currently working professionally in the field and have earned full assistantships in graduate schools from Yale to the University of Southern California," Hammond said.

"As GTA continues to grow, Gainesville State College will become the hub of the technical theater and design side of the collaborative program, while Brenau serves as the center of the performance side of the program. This new structure will save both institutions the cost of duplicating services, will make the most of our impressive resources, and will ultimately raise the quality of the theater training and performances we offer our students and community."

Beginning in the fall of 2009, Gainesville State students can begin course work toward the Bachelor of Fine Arts in design and technology for theatre. Most of the courses will be offered at the Gainesville State campus, and Brenau students can earn this same degree from Brenau.