Gordon College pumped more than $100 million into the regional economy during fiscal year 2008, according to a report released Wednesday by the University System of Georgia.
University system Chancellor Errol Davis was in Barnesville March 31 to meet with community leaders. (Photo: Walter Geiger)
“For each job created on a campus, there are 1.6 jobs that exist off-campus because of spending related to the college or university,” said Jeffrey M. Humphreys, director of economic forecasting for the Selig Center.
Perhaps in a region such as Tallahassee, Florida (FSU), Savannah, Georgia (SCAD) or Athens, Georgia (UGA) this applies. However, I have not noticed many businesses (if any) that directly cater to or have an impact on the Gordon campus. So to suggest that for each job Gordon has on campus provides 1.6 jobs off-campus....I must completely disagree.
I feel as if there is a large and somewhat self-imposed (on the part of us, the citizens of B'ville) separation with Gordon. Those students over there have jobs, money, and time, and I simply don't think we capitalize on it at all.
Reviewing the study, the context of the statement is that there are 1.6 jobs created for each campus position across the state. In the local area, that number becomes about 2.5. Whether those jobs are employees at McDonalds feeding students, or DOT workers maintaining the highways to the school, I can't discern from the report, but to imply that Gordon does not bring jobs beyond the boundaries of the campus is irrational.
Being a graduate of a certain Technical School on North Avenue, I don't always agree with the products of the "University" in my hometown of Athens. That said, I don't find 1.6 outside jobs per campus job all that unreasonable, given the facts and figures given to support those numbers. Of course, I have nothing to substantiate my thoughts other than the report on which this release is based.
My comparison to Florida was not based on the report. It was a comparative note which also included Athens...not a Florida school.
While I still disagree and I especially disagree with the fact that you rarely go out and not see Gordon faculty, staff, and/or students as I often go out and see no one directly related to Gordon.
I don't think that either of us will be proven right or wrong as I don't see Gordon or Lamar County conducting a macroeconomics study anytime soon.
And as far as the bumper sticker...my car has an older Yale sticker on the bumper that was there when I bought it. I do hope people think I went there. That would be sweet irony for my comedic opinions.
The report was for the region. I could not however find the parameters of the region and when trying to research it again I couldn't even find the report online any longer.
I think however it is the semantics of the report that concerns me the most. The initial quote was “For each job created on a campus, there are 1.6 jobs that exist off-campus because of spending related to the college or university." While this statement does not directly reference Georgia it indirectly speaks to all schools studied by the Selig group. I question the word exist. Defined as "to continue to be" the word exist would mean that those 1.6 jobs exist because of said college or university. So, while 'Somebody' made reference to brickmasons and carpenters as well as gas stations, restaurants, grocery stores, etc. the term exist coming into play would mean that without Gordon all those providers would meet their demise.
You make mention of city employees in the water, sewer and electrical divisions that would not have jobs if Gordon did not exist. While technically Gordon owns no streets and therefore the city maintains those right of ways, Gordon supplies its own maintenance crews, lawn maintenance workers, and garbage contractors which may or may not be from the region. But yes, someone must do those jobs so I guess Gordon does provide some jobs. The question at hand though is are those dollars directly contributing to the region?
I stand corrected though in that whether McDonalds employees DOT workers or what not would or would not be employed should Gordon move out, Gordon IS here and those jobs DO exist. And because at least 1 Gordon student reads the Herald-Gazette (at least I hope) it is contributing to me having a job.
The link in the article above lacks a "p".
Has Gordon instituted some sort of branding or tattooing campaign to identify those associated with the school? If so, that surely created a few jobs.
That said, I would think a more reasonable endeavor would be to look into the modeling software used to create this figure of an average of 1.6 non-campus jobs per campus job.
Reading briefly, the selling points of the IMPLAN system is that collecting real data is really hard so our model gives good output with easily obtained input. That seems a lot more novel than saying "I never see Gordon people supporting local business."
But I am just sayin'. If you did that, you might end up looking like a UGA hater, and that could be dangerous at the HG office.
You make a very valid point in that saying the IMPLAN system is a guestimate, so to speak, rather than my abrupt and, perhaps, hastily spoken "I never see Gordon people supporting local business." I don't care to split hairs but I just don't think the "region" is gaining that much from Gordon and I don't think Gordon is gaining that much from the "region."
I think that with more planning, more flexibility, and more desire, both parties could benefit more.
And about UGA? I am an FSU grad so I think I alright sit in the 'dawg house,' if you know what I mean. hahahahah
An investigation of the p-card programs at 35 public colleges and universities found 18 cases of fraud, according to a report issued in January 2008 by the University System of Georgia.
-Proper-Azzi
In many small towns, a local college adds to the town in the sense of community events, young people who attract new businesses that will cater to the young crowd and an atmosphere and liveliness that then attract new residents to the community.
Gordon somehow seems isolated and removed from the rest of Barnesville.
Shame, really, the campus is pretty.