Proximity may be one of the chief reasons to consolidate Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University.

But while the two institutions share a common region, their differences in academic reputation, mission and culture are provoking questions from students, alumni and faculty on what could be lost in the change.

Sweeping consolidation plans were announced last month by the University System of Georgia, then approved by the Board of Regents. Gainesville State will join with North Georgia in Dahlonega; Macon State College with Middle Georgia College in Cochran; Waycross College with South Georgia College in Douglas; and Augusta State University with Georgia Health Sciences University in Augusta by fall 2013.

The local consolidation will create a regional institution of nearly 15,000 students, according to a joint news release from the two colleges. The academic programs will include "associate degrees through graduate-level education."

Those vast changes are leaving the institutions' stakeholders concerned over how the transition will reconcile the high academic standards of North Georgia, which ranks third in the state system, with the accessibility that's central to Gainesville State's mission.

North Georgia's academic standards, which earned the school a spot on Kiplinger's Personal Finance's list of 100 best values, are a point of pride among students. It is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. On campus, cadets in uniform walk side-by-side with civilian students.

Cadet Peter Huggins, a freshman at North Georgia, was drawn to the college in hopes of becoming a commissioned military officer. On academics, he calls the school "a pretty good hidden gem."

Gainesville State College, on the other hand, seeks to provide broad access for students in Northeast Georgia as part of its mission — even those with low high school grades — at an affordable rate. Gainesville State is a commuter campus that currently does offer a four-year degree. Many of the college's forward-thinking students see the institution as an inexpensive way to prepare them to transfer to another college or head straight to a new career.

Melding these differences is being billed as a way for a single institution to offer a variety opportunities for students in the region. That consolidation is expected to create more efficiencies, thus reducing reliance on state funding and tuition increases, university officials say.

University documents say the change will only strengthen the existing partnership between the two campuses.

However, a lack of specifics on how the consolidation will shake out are leaving room for concern among onlookers. The decision to consolidate was approved with the particulars of implementation still to be determined.

After the consolidation news broke, dozens of Georgia residents wrote to the University System of Georgia with concerns. Most of those messages, which were acquired by The Times through an open records request, were from students and alumni concerned about the North Georgia/Gainesville State consolidation. The majority of them were North Georgia stakeholders laying out perceived irreconcilable differences with Gainesville State.

"Please do not ruin NGCSU for dedicated students by introducing a merger that would drastically affect the student body, filling it with unmotivated, underachieving students," wrote North Georgia student Ryan Bell in a message to the University System of Georgia.

"I know money is tight," wrote Kiley Morgan, "but raise my tuition before compromising the integrity of my degree."

Bonita Jacobs, the current North Georgia president and presumed future president of the consolidated institution, is trying to ease those worries.

"This is going to be an amazing opportunity for our entire region," she said in January. "This gives us tremendous opportunities to explore a lot of options, so that's what we'll do: Roll up our sleeves, get to work and figure out the best way to implement all of this that works for everybody."

Meanwhile, the academic accessibility at Gainesville State that worries the North Georgia camp is treasured by Gainesville State students and supporters.

Student Michelle Cash calls her school a home for nontraditional students, where professors offer a personal touch.

Cash wrote in a message to University System officials that her school's current role in the community would be "destroyed" by the consolidation.

Many students also worry about tuition spikes, said Dylan Brooks, Gainesville State's student government president.

In-state tuition is $2,367 at North Georgia and $158 per hour in 2012. At Gainesville State it's $1,388 and $93 per credit hour.

Philip Wilheit, who sits on the USG Board of Regents, said a tuition hike for Gainesville State is not a foregone conclusion.

"Particularly with the first two years, we won't price anyone out of an education," he said.

Brooks said students do see the potential rewards with access to more degree programs, Greek organizations, sports and other aspects that come with a traditional university.

Zach Thomas, a senior business administration major at North Georgia, has mixed feelings about the merger.

Thomas started his college career at Gainesville State.

He admits a lack of interest in academics in high school landed him at the college.

"I wasn't the school type," he said.

It was easy to gain admission to the school, he said, but that doesn't mean the classes were a breeze.

"They let you in," he said. "But I struggled more at Gainesville State than I did here (at North Georgia)."

After success as Gainesville State, he transferred to North Georgia where he'll graduate this spring.

According to USG records, 265 students transferred from Gainesville State to North Georgia in 2009, the most recent year in which data was available. And on average, the students saw a barely perceptible drop in grades from 3.10 GPA to 3.06 after one year.

For now, school and university officials are assuring students and alumni that all those concerns will be addressed in due time.

To conceptualize the change, Gainesville State spokeswoman Sloan Jones said institutions are trying to avoid the term "merge" because of the connotations of one entity taking over another. Instead, officials emphasize the word "blend" to describe the process of taking what's best from both institutions and concocting a new one.

However, Brooks said there are no definitive answers to people's concerns, and the concerns still have to be hashed out during implementation.

"Everything is still up in the air," he said. "We won't know any of that for sure for a while."

In addition to the big concerns about academics and economics, Brooks said both schools will be concerned about the little details that mean a lot to stakeholders, like the new school's name, colors and mascot.

Brooks is on an implementation team with other stakeholders from both institutions to work out those components.

It's nearly guaranteed that a lot will change and not everyone will be happy.

Bob Babich is president of North Georgia's alumni association and also a member of the consolidation implementation team.

On the one hand, Babich said he's confident North Georgia alumni will be satisfied with the final changes, but he said there are big culture differences that will have to be addressed.

Babich, who has a background in business development, said this consolidation could go a lot like mergers and acquisitions in business.

"Some of the culture of each is preserved," he said, "but the end culture will be different."