Georgia Southern University

About the Program

The Georgia Southern University (GSU)’s Center for Addiction Recovery (CAR) was established in 2008 in Statesboro, Georgia and is located within the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health. CAR is physically located on GSU’s Statesboro campus and has a drop-in center and a computer lab accessible to our students. We do not provide on-campus housing but do use a successful model of introducing prospective students with current students for off-campus sober living accommodations and can grant exemptions for incoming first-year students with regards to the on-campus living requirement. We currently have a full-time position and a graduate assistant who manage the daily operations of CAR as well as several GSU faculty who are affiliated with CAR and oversee the program. Our program is considered mid-sized and is well-supported by the campus. We provide recovery-focused weekly seminars, social activities, and all-recovery meetings open to all GSU students. In addition, we have foundation- and endowment-supported scholarships awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in academics, a commitment to CAR and to their recovery, and a financial need. There are also community service opportunities to address addiction stigma on campus and in the community. CAR offers academic advocacy, student conduct advocacy, and admissions advocacy to help prospective students gain admission to GSU, and we offer access to early registration to help our students prioritize their recovery. Membership to CAR is open to students who identify as being in recovery from alcohol or drug addiction and are committed to their recovery. Newcomers are welcome to explore recovery by participating in CAR events, and there is a clear pathway to full membership for those who are not yet in stable recovery.