Mercer University Regional Academic Center

HENRYCOUNTY.COM

BUSINESS PROFILE

The Henry County Mercer University Regional Academic Center

160 Henry Parkway, McDonough, GA 30253

The Henry County Mercer University Regional Academic Center (RAC) comes alive during prime time. Designed to support a growing demographic of working adults in pursuit of higher education, all classes are held in the evening hours and weekends. The average age is 35 – they are the center of attention at the facility which is one of Mercer University’s two Regional Academic Centers in Georgia — the other one is in Douglas County.

The Henry County RAC is comprised of a 30,000 sq. ft. building within view of a lake and the Cotton Fields Golf Club near the Henry County government center on Henry Parkway in McDonough, GA. It houses a microcosm of amenities and services in support of more than 450 students who attend classes on site and several hundred who take classes online. Through the Tift College of Education, Penfield College, and the Stetson School of Business and Economics, Mercer offers undergraduate and graduate programs that prepare adults for roles as teachers, managers of profit and not-for-profit organizations, communication and public relations experts, human resources management, criminal justice, and leadership professionals.

Kelly Browning (l.), the Georgia Occupational Award Leadership winner at Southern Crescent Technical College received a scholarship to attend Mercer University Regional Academic Center starting this Summer. Here she is asked to share her journey by Dr. Penny Elkins, Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management at Mercer University.

Mercer seems to have thought of everything to enable student success. In fact, the staff refers to themselves as the “student success team.” During the day the RAC is a thriving hub of activity with students flowing through to use the library, visit the bookstore, meet with faculty or staff or study in the student lounge. The faculty is readily available with offices on site as well as financial aid and career services staff members. The facility has its own Academic Resource Center with tutors to assist students at no additional cost. An all-in-one health sciences lab and classroom is on the opposite end of the building from two fully equipped computer labs which students can access when they’re not in use for classes. All the classrooms have smart board technology for faculty.

The bookstore located at the Regional Academic Center is a source for Mercer Bear wearables as well as books.

About Mercer University

Founded in 1833, Mercer University is the oldest private, nonprofit University in Georgia and has the largest physical footprint of all centers of higher education in the state. More than 8,500 full-time students choose to attend this prestigious institution following a traditional path to graduation at one of its many locations across Central and South Georgia offering 130+ academic degree programs from undergraduate to doctorate in 12 degree-granting schools and colleges. The Mercer students have the option of attending a traditional campus, completing their studies through online programs or a hybrid of online and on-site classes in the evening and weekend programs offered at the Regional Academic Centers in Douglas or Henry County.

Chamber Involvement

The Henry County Regional Academic Center joined the Henry County Chamber of Commerce in 2003, the same year that the facility opened. Lt. Col. (Ret.) Scott Mahone joined Mercer University as an Adjunct Professor in 2005 after retiring with 27 years serving in the U.S. Army. He held the position of Assistant Director of Center Operations supporting the Henry County RAC until he was promoted to Director of Operations in 2018. For his expansive work in the community contributing in a multitude of ways, Col. Mahone was named the Citizen of the Year in 2015 by the Henry County Chamber. He joined the Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2018 and was named to the Executive Board this year. Mercer supports the Chamber each year with sponsorship of the Henry County Schools Teacher Induction Program (TIP) and its annual golf tournament.

Scott Mahone

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