Georgia State University Georgia State University ( GSU ) is a 4 - year research university in downtown Atlanta , Georgia , USA . Founded in 1913 , it is one of the University System of Georgia ' s four research universities . With more than 30 , 000 students , its enrollment is second only to the University of Georgia . Georgia State is a commuter campus with nearly 25 % of its students studying part - time . The school is a popular pick for non - traditional students or post - baccalaureate students due to the school ' s history as a night school , location and accessibility with MARTA . In 2012 , the average age on campus was 24 . In contrast to other universities in the state , the average age for all students , both full - time and part - time at University of Georgia and Georgia Tech was 20 . The percentage of students studying part - time was 5 % at both institutions . Georgia State University offers more than 60 graduate and undergraduate degree and nondegree programs spread across six academic departments with more than 1 , 000 faculty members . Since its inception , 192 , 785 degrees have been conferred , with 6 , 737 of them conferred during fiscal year 2011 . The university has a full - time faculty count of 1 , 142 , with 69 percent of those faculty members either tenured or on tenure track . The university has an economic impact on the Atlanta economy of more than $ 1 . 4 billion annually . Organization . The President of Georgia State University ( currently Mark P . Becker ) is the head administrator and is appointed and overseen by the Georgia Board of Regents . The University comprises eight schools and colleges , and although some divisions use " college " and some use " school " , the title does not indicate any distinction between the eight colleges and schools that constitute the university : Campus security . Georgia State has the largest campus police department of any school in Georgia with more than 100 employees . The force is the only nationally - and state - certified police force among the universities in Georgia . The school uses video surveillance , call stations , and escort systems to provide student safety . With added concerns for student safety in the wake of increased crime downtown and at nearby Georgia Tech , Georgia State has hired additional security personnel to patrol campus and the surrounding area . As of 2011 , there have been 1153 instances of Larceny / Thefts , 14 instances of vandalism , 55 instances of motor vehicle thefts , 31 instances of aggravated assault , 12 forcible sex offenses , 73 instaces of robbery in the past three years . In August 2012 , a former Georgia State University soccer player , Ayokunle Lumpkin , was shot dead in southeast Atlanta . In June of 2012 , another GSU soccer player , Timothy Nixon , was killed when he crashed into an ice cream shop near the entrance of Underground Atlanta on the GSU campus . At the time of the accident , he was on a recruiting trip . The incident called for more security for Underground Atlanta . History . Initially intended as a night school . Georgia State University was established in 1913 as the Georgia School of Technology ' s " Evening School of Commerce " . The school focused on what was called " the new science of business . " A reorganization of the University System of Georgia in the 1930s led to the school becoming the " Atlanta Extension Center of the University System of Georgia " and allowed night students to earn degrees from several colleges in the University System . During this time , the school had two informal names : " Georgia Evening College , " which granted business degrees , and " Atlanta Junior College . " In September 1947 , the school became affiliated with the University of Georgia and was named the " Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia . " The school was later removed from the University of Georgia in 1955 and became the " Georgia State College of Business Administration . " In 1961 , other programs at the school had grown large enough that the name was shortened to " Georgia State College . " It became Georgia State University in 1969 . In 1995 , the Georgia Board of Regents accorded Georgia State " research university " status , joining the Georgia Institute of Technology , the University of Georgia , and the Georgia Regents University . Georgia State is located in downtown Atlanta . The Sports Arena and center campus are less than a half - mile from CNN Center , Centennial Olympic Park , Philips Arena and the Georgia Dome . The campus is right next to Underground Atlanta . The campus intersects Peachtree Street . The first African - American student enrolled at Georgia State in 1962 , a year after the integration of the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech . Annette Lucille Hall was a Lithonia social studies teacher who enrolled in the course of the Institute on Americanism and Communism , a course required for all Georgia social studies teachers . The Peachtree Road Race , was started by Georgia State crosscountry coach and dean of men Tim Singleton . The “ father of the Peachtree ” headed it the first six years before turning it over to the Atlanta Track Club by using volunteers from Georgia State ’ s fraternities and sororities . He marked the first race with cooking flour to indicate mileage and charged a $ 2 entry fee . The second year , he created the first valuable collectible T - shirt . Campus expansion . 1913 – 1975 . Over its 90 - plus year history , Georgia State ' s growth has required the acquisition and construction of more space to suit its needs . During the late 1960s / early 1970s , numerous buildings were constructed as part of a major urban renewal project , such as the Pullen Library ( 1966 ) , Classroom South ( 1968 ) , the expansion of the Pullen Library in 1968 , the Arts and Humanities Building ( 1970 ) , the ten - story General Classroom Building ( 1971 ) , the Sports Arena ( 1973 ) , and the twelve - story Urban Life Building ( 1974 ) . In addition , a raised plaza and walkway system was constructed to connect these buildings with each other over Decatur Street and parking structures . 1980 – 1989 . In the 1980s , another round of expansion took place with the acquisition of the former Atlanta Municipal Auditorium in 1979 , which was subsequently converted into Alumni Hall in 1982 , and currently houses Georgia State ' s administrative offices . That same year , the College of Law was founded in the Urban Life Building , and the Title Building on Decatur Street was acquired and converted into the College of Education ' s headquarters and classroom space . In 1988 , the nine - story Library South was constructed on the south side of Decatur Street , which was connected to the Pullen Library via a three - story high foot bridge ( officially referred to as a " link " ) and effectively doubled the library ' s space . The University Center was expanded in 1989 to include the University Bookstore Building , which also houses the Auxiliary Services Department . 1990 – 2004 . Georgia State continued this growth into the 1990s , with the expansion of Alumni Hall in 1991 , the opening of the Natural Science Center in 1992 , and the acquisition of the former C & S Bank Building on Marietta Street in 1993 , which is now the home of the Robinson College of Business . Georgia State ' s first move into the Fairlie - Poplar district was the acquisition and renovation of the Standard Building , the Haas - Howell Building , and the Rialto Theater in 1996 . The Standard and Haas - Howell buildings house classrooms , offices , and practice spaces for the School of Music , and the Rialto is home to GSU ' s Jazz Studies program and an 833 - seat theater . In 1998 , the Student Center was expanded toward Gilmer Street and provided a new 400 - seat auditorium and space for exhibitions and offices for student clubs . A new Student Recreation Center opened on the corner of Piedmont Avenue and Gilmer Street in 2001 . In 2002 , the five - story high Helen M . Aderhold Learning Center opened on Luckie Street amid controversy over the demolition of historical buildings on its block . Most recently , in 2004 , the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies was moved to the former Wachovia Bank Building at Five Points . 2005 – today . In 2006 , the University announced a $ 1 billion campus expansion that would add over a dozen new buildings , including a new convocation center , science research park , new buildings for the schools of business and law , a new humanities building , and an expanded student recreation center . A $ 20 million refurbishment to the Pullen Library complex was completed during the 2006 - 07 school year . The university has announced an expansion of their Alpharetta campus to include more classrooms and collaboration spaces , with work beginning heavily in 2010 . The university will add more than a dozen major new structures as it tries to accommodate an extra 10 , 000 full - time students projected to flow onto campus by 2015 . Several of those buildings , such as new on - campus student and Greek housing , a new convocation hall and an expanded athletic center , were included in GSU ' s new 10 - year master plan with undergraduates in mind . On the May 31 , 2012 , the athletics department released a new facilities master plan . The plan includes upgrades and renovations to the GSU Sports Arena including new outdoor sand volleyball courts and a new volleyball arena , as well as plans to build new baseball , softball , and soccer stadiums . These would replace the current stadiums in Panthersville , GA , and would be built as close to campus in and around downtown as possible . No land has yet been identified , nor has any date . Instead , the University will build as soon as funding becomes available . Georgia State was named the institution awarding most bachelor degrees to African Americans . The school is a minority - majority school . Coat of arms . The school ’ s coat of arms is registered in the College of Arms in London . The Latin motto means “ Truth is strong and will conquer ” ( or alternatively , " Truth is valuable and shall overcome " ) . The panther holds the symbol of education , with the quill in red to symbolize the fire in Atlanta ’ s city emblem . The gold coin indicates the university ’ s beginnings as a business school . The crown is a representation of the Stone Mountain granite . The center flame is an eternal flame in honor of the first president , George Sparks , and represents flames of scholarship and the burning of Atlanta . Campus . While constantly evolving from a single building night school into the university it is today , Georgia State has built itself into the urban fabric of Downtown Atlanta . Whereas the school ' s nickname — dating from the early 1960s — of " the Concrete Campus " was once a source of mild embarrassment , today its unique setting is embraced with the slogan , " a part of the city , not apart from the city " . This has led to the widening of sidewalks around the campus , and a focus on Decatur Street as becoming the " Main Street " of the campus . Housing . For much of its history , Georgia State was a commuter school with no on - campus or university - owned housing . After the 1996 Summer Olympics were held in Atlanta , Georgia State acquired the 2 , 000 - bed Olympic Village housing complex located at the southeast corner of Centennial Olympic Park Drive ( formerly Techwood Drive ) and North Avenue that was used to board Olympic athletes during the Games . The Village was later sold the Georgia Institute of Technology . University Lofts . In August 2002 , the 450 - bed University Lofts opened at the corner of Edgewood Avenue and Courtland Street on the northeast side of campus as housing for graduate students , undergraduates over the age of twenty - one , and honors students . As of Spring 2011 , Georgia State ' s housing system has a capacity of approximately 3300 beds . University Commons . On August 10 , 2007 , Georgia State opened the University Commons , a $ 165 million complex housing 1 , 992 students , occupying a city block bounded by Ellis Street , Piedmont Avenue , John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and Jesse Hill Jr . Drive . A GSU economics professor estimated the new dorm could have an economic impact of $ 10 – 12 million on downtown Atlanta . The university plans to ultimately accommodate 20 % of its enrollment in housing near the downtown campus . With the planned opening of University Commons , it was announced on March 7 , 2007 that the Georgia Institute of Technology was acquiring the Olympic Village housing , which is located across North Avenue from the Institute . Freshman Hall . In the fall of 2009 , Georgia State opened a 350 - bed residence hall exclusively for freshman students . Located on the corner of Piedmont and Edgewood Avenues , Freshman Hall ( as it is called ) is conveniently located in close proximity to the heart of the GSU campus . One notable feature in the Freshman Hall is Georgia State ' s first cafeteria - style dining facility . This dining hall is open to all GSU students who have purchased the meal plan and features a wide assortment of food for breakfast , lunch , and dinner . Additionally , other members of the GSU community and guests are welcome to purchase meals on an individual basis . Greek Housing . For the 2010 academic year , Georgia State opened its Greek Housing facility , located adjacent to Freshman Hall on Edgewood Avenue . Each townhome in the complex features a chapter room , kitchen , and bedrooms . Greek members are also free to use community rooms in the university center . The most notable Greek communities on campus are National Pan - Hellenic Council fraternities and sororities . Piedmont North . Most recently , following its plan for expansion , Georgia State acquired two hotels in downtown Atlanta , the Wyndham Garden Hotel and Baymont Inn and Suites on Piedmont Avenue . The hotels and grounds have been renovated and changed into dorms , Piedmont North Buildings A and B , contributing to the university ' s transformation into a 24 / 7 community in the heart of the city . The complex now includes living and study space for nearly 1 , 000 students , as well as greenspace , recreational areas , and a brand new dining hall , the Piedmont North Dining Hall . To cope with changes in its student population , Georgia State is pursuing increased expansion through the potential acquisition or construction of buildings in the downtown Atlanta area . Student life . Campus transportation . Georgia State ' s campus transportation system , referred to as " Panther Express " , has routes running between various points on campus as well as a route connecting the main campus to the Blue Lot of Turner Field , where GSU students may park for free during days on which the Atlanta Braves are not playing a game at home . On campus , Georgia State owns and maintains approximately 5 , 000 parking spaces for use by faculty , staff , students , and visitors . Commuting students , faculty and staff may also ride MARTA to and from the university . There are three MARTA train stations convenient to GSU . The Georgia State MARTA station is located a short distance from the Sports Arena and other main campus buildings , while the Five Points MARTA station is only blocks away from the Fairlie - Poplar district , where the Aderhold Learning Center and School of Music buildings are located . The Peachtree Center MARTA station is located a few blocks north of the Fairlie - Poplar district , Aderhold , and the School of Music . In addition to the MARTA rail stations , numerous MARTA bus stops are scattered about in various locations on and around campus . Along with MARTA transportation will be a streetcar system covering much of the campus . This streetcar system won funding from the U . S . Department of Transportation in 2010 . Steps towards its funding are currently being taken . The Westmar Student Lofts also offer a shuttle to and from the Georgia State campus . Student media . There are four student - run media organizations : Student facilities . Student Recreation Center . The on campus Recreation Center features racquetball courts , a squash court , a 7 , 000 square foot free - weight area , an aquatic center , a 35 foot climbing wall , game rooms , exercise rooms , aerobics , dance , and martial arts studios , and a gymnasium containing four basketball / volleyball courts . The top level includes a running track and omni gym . The aquatic center features an 9 - lane lap pool with a 1 meter diving board , a " leisure pool " with vortex , a spa , and a sauna . The omni gym is outfitted to allow for multiple different sports , including badminton , basketball , fencing , arena flag football , indoor soccer , and volleyball . Cinefest . Georgia State University operates Cinefest Film Theatre , a student - run movie theater in the school ' s University Center . Cinefest exhibits a wide array of motion pictures including international cinema , art house films , revival house movies , and second - run Hollywood fare . It has played host to various special events including screening films for The Atlanta Underground Film Festival and DragonCon . Panther Dining . There are two dining halls at Georgia State , one in Freshman Hall and another in Piedmont North dorms . In addition to these , there are food courts in the University Center and in the Student Center , as well as restaurants in the bottom of Kell Hall . Arts . Georgia State University makes notable contributions to the cultural vitality of the downtown Atlanta community . A prominent cultural stage is the Rialto Center for the Arts , an 833 - seat performing - arts venue located in the heart of the Fairlie - Poplar district in downtown Atlanta . The venue is home to the Rialto Series , presenting the best of national and international jazz , world music , and dance ; School of Music performances ; the Atlanta Film Festival , and many others . The School of Music holds concerts featuring faculty , students , and guest performers in the Kopleff Recital Hall throughout the year . In addition , the university ' s Art Galleries , based in the Ernest G . Welch School of Art and Design , feature special exhibitions , student and faculty works , and visiting artist collections . In 2010 , Georgia State University established its first ever Marching Band . The marching band began its inaugural season in the fall of 2010 . 150 students exceeded School of Music expectation and successfully auditioned for the band and established traditions of excellence in musicality and dedication . In its first year , the band performed at all home football games , a high school marching band exhibition , and ( most notably ) during the Georgia State vs . Alabama football game on November 18 , 2010 , in Tuscaloosa . The band is a drum corps style unit that focuses on precision musicality and movement . Like most ensembles , the band features a colorguard section , but in a departure from typical marching bands , the traditional auxiliary front sideline percussion section , or pit , has been replaced by a four - piece rock band consisting of a lead guitar , bass guitar , drum set , and keyboard synthesizer . Just after its third full season , the Georgia State University Marching Band will be participating in the Presidential Inauguration Parade in January of 2013 . The Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory ( DAEL ) , housed in the Department of Communication , offers a full range of equipment and facilities for digital media research and production . It also includes state - of - the - art equipment and facilities for producing and manipulating extraordinarily high quality moving images . In addition , DAEL provides state - of - the - art facilities and equipment for assessing audience responses to film , television , computer animation , and interactive media . In 2012 , GSU was mentioned in rapper Drake ' s hit single , " HYFR ( Hell Ya Fucking Right ) " . The song referenced Drake ' s previous girlfriend as a gold digger who attends GSU . The song hit controversy when the school was named number one " sugar baby " college in America a few months later . Research . More than 250 fields of study are offered through some 52 accredited degree programs at the bachelor ' s , master ' s , specialist , and doctoral levels . Students may enroll in day or evening classes and in part - time or full - time study . It is also on the list of the top 100 public universities for doctoral degrees awarded . In 2011 , $ 58 , 492 , 317 in external research funding was received by Georgia State investigators . Georgia State houses three university libraries . Additionally , many academic departments provide libraries for their students . The University Library ( also known as the William Russell Pullen Library , housed in Library North and Library South ) contains more than 1 . 4 million volumes , including 8 , 000 active serials and nearly 22 , 000 media materials . The library provides access to numerous electronic periodical and resource indexes ( many with full text ) , more than14 , 000 electronic journals , and about 30 , 000 electronic books . It is also a Federal Document Depository and holds more than 820 , 000 government documents with electronic access to many additional titles . On August 31 , 2006 , Georgia State announced that it would be participating in a supercomputing grid with the installation of an IBM P575 Supercomputer in its Network Operations Center . Through an initiative known as SURAGrid , eventually 24 universities in 15 states throughout the Southeast United States will form the research backbone and at its peak , the network will be able to perform over 10 trillion calculations per second . University of Georgia and Kennesaw State University are also part of the SURAGrid . Georgia State University hosts one of the world ' s most powerful optical stellar interferometers , the Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy ( CHARA ) , atop Mt . Wilson , California ; in 2007 this telescope array became the first to actually image the surface of another sunlike star . Athletics . Georgia State currently sponsors 17 NCAA Division I teams . Georgia State University competes with 16 teams in an athletics program at the highest level of NCAA competition ( Division I ) . Since 2008 , Georgia State has been a part of the Colonial Athletic Association . Georgia State won four CAA Championships in its first three years . On April 9 , 2012 , Georgia State officially accepted an invitation to enter the Sun Belt Conference in all sports , moving its football team to the highest level of collegiate football , the Football Bowl Subdivision . GSU will officially enter the Sun Belt on July 1 , 2013 . Georgia State University charges a fee to each student that enrolls at the school ( called the " Athletic Fee " ) . The fee is currently $ 283 . 00 and is charged every semester along with other academic fees . This fee is used for athletic scholarships and other costs associated with competitive athletics . The athletic fee allows students to use their Panther Card ( Student Identification Card ) for free access to athletic events . Greek life . Georgia State University is home to twenty - nine fraternities and sororities : six of the North - American Interfraternity Conference ( IFC ) , five of the National Panhellenic Conference ( NPC ) , seven of the National Pan - Hellenic Council ( NPHC ) , and eleven multicultural organizations operating as the Multicultural Greek Council ( MGC ) . Greek life at Georgia State continues to grow with the addition of Greek Housing in 2010 . Alumni and faculty . Since its opening , Georgia State has graduated 175 , 000 alumni . Currently , it is estimated there are 100 , 000 alumni living in the metro Atlanta area .