Georgia Southern University Museum earns high marks with reaccreditation

The Georgia Southern University Museum’s commitment to education about Georgia’s Coastal Plain region and its communities helped it earn renewed accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) for another 10 years. The Museum first received the accreditation in 1997.

AAM accreditation is awarded based on several criteria including how a museum identifies and serves its community, the diversity of its programming, and its commitment to placing education at the center of public service. The accreditation committee noted the Georgia Southern Museum not only meets, but exceeds requirements in several key areas. Community partnerships like Project Eaglet received high praise from the evaluators, something that does not surprise Museum leadership.

“Our connections with partners across the region mean a lot,” said Museum Director Brent Tharp, Ph.D. “Everyone from the Kiwanis Club to Bulloch County Schools to faculty and staff across the University who are not Museum staff, they are all a critical part of our operations.”

The depth of education offered at various locations also caught the eye of the evaluators. They noted that the Museum on Main, housed at the Statesboro Convention and Visitors Bureau, provided rich local history in a way that appealed to visitors. They also cited how the Gretsch Collection exhibited at the Plant Riverside District in Savannah takes engagement beyond the usual museum audience.

Museum leaders credit much of the success of their programs to the student staff. Students do everything from leading tour groups through exhibits to running the gift shop. Assistant Director Lashanda Hicks-Griffin credits the enthusiasm from the students for creating an environment where learning feels like an adventure.

“The only way that we can accomplish so much of what we’re doing is because we have a strong student support system,” said Hicks-Griffin. “They make it fulfilling and fun to come to work every day.”

The Museum staff takes pride in their dedication to building diverse exhibits through interdisciplinary work. Curator of Paleontology and Associate Professor Kathlyn Smith, Ph.D., is so accustomed to the involvement of Georgia Southern’s faculty that she cannot imagine operating without it.

“The evaluation team said it was unusual that I spent a lot of time doing outreach,” said Smith. “They said some institutions struggle to get their faculty to join outreach efforts, but I love taking our collection to places like comic conventions and sharing it with people who might not expect to find it there.”

Presenting a wide spectrum of topics to a broad audience is a core part of the museum’s mission. Thousands of visitors, from University students to school groups to tourists, pass through the Museum each year. Curator of Education Marjean Cone takes an individual approach to connecting all of them with the discoveries they make inside the exhibits.

“I feel like I’ve done my job at the end of the day if somebody from any background can come in here, be inspired by something we present and want to keep learning more when they go back outside to their daily life.”

The Museum features permanent exhibits that chronicle the history of Georgia’s Coastal Plain region. It also hosts rotating exhibits on diverse topics in science, history and culture. General admission is $4 per person. Admission is free for Museum members as well as Georgia Southern students, alumni, faculty, staff, members and children under 3 years old.