GRAPHIC BY JILLIAN HOBDAY I STAFF
An altered photograph in the Georgia Regents University view book shows Augusta State University basketball players with jerseys lacking the university name.

By Travis Highfield, Editor-in-Chief

Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz took full responsibility for a view book that was recently distributed featuring altered photographs of Augusta State University athletic teams.

Azziz said Wednesday in an email sent to faculty, staff and students that the photos were in no way meant to erase the achievements of the Augusta State athletic programs and reiterated that Georgia Regents is “proud of ASU’s and GHSU’s past accomplishments.”

“The alteration not only represented an error in judgment, but demonstrated an insensitivity to our history, to GRU’s history, rooted as it is in the long traditions and richness of our seminal universities, Augusta State University and Georgia Health Sciences University,” he said.

News of the altered photographs was first reported by The Augusta Chronicle on its website Wednesday, Feb. 27. The senior vice president of communications and marketing, David Brond, responded quickly with an email of his own Thursday, Feb. 28, calling the altered photos “an error in judgment” and saying the photos “do not reflect the views of University leadership, the Office of Communications & Marketing, or the Athletics department.”

The Augusta Chronicle reported around 5,000 view books were produced for the Office of Admissions, totaling $10,000 in all.

Prior to Azziz’s email, Vice Provost Roman Cibirka issued a statement claiming full responsibility for the approval of the view books. Cibirka concluded his statement with a promise.

“In future recruitment materials to actively recruit undergraduate students to the best of our ability, we will give more careful consideration to the rich and highly successful histories of ASU and GHSU as they are the foundation of our consolidated university,” he said.

The view books are no longer being distributed as officials work to produce corrected version.