The Board of Regents The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia was created in 1931 as a part of a reorganization of Georgia’s state government. With this act, public higher education in Georgia was unified for the first time under a single governing and management authority. The governor appoints members of the Board to a seven year term and regents may be reappointed to subsequent terms by a sitting governor. Today the Board of Regents is composed of 19 members, five of whom are appointed from the state-at-large, and one from each of the state’s 14 congressional districts. The Board elects a chancellor who serves as its chief executive officer and the chief administrative officer of the University System. The University System The University System of Georgia (USG), a part of the community in each of Georgia’s 159 counties, provides services across the state. The USG is composed of 26 higher education institutions including four research universities, four comprehensive universities, nine state universities and nine state colleges. The Georgia Public Library System, encompassing approximately 389 facilities in 61 library systems throughout Georgia, is also part of the USG. Additionally, the USG includes the Georgia Archives which identifies, collects, manages, preserves, publicizes, and provides access to records and information of Georgia and its people.