The Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia received the recommended names of the two combined schools based in Augusta and Douglas late Friday.
The two schools are the result of mergers begun in January designed to save taxpayers money and improve education for students.
A committee of faculty, administrators, students, alumni and community leaders from each of the campuses have been haggling over the names ever since.
The group from Augusta's Georgia Health Sciences University and Augusta State University is recommending Georgia Regents University. Other names offered include Georgia Arts & Sciences University and University of Augusta.
The group based its decision on what the staff memo to the regents describes as "rigorous national opinion research" conducted by Kennesaw State University. Administrators have said they wanted a name that will enhance the merged school's national reputation as a medical-research center.
The group from South Georgia College and Waycross College is recommending South Georgia State College. Other names nominated include Georgia Southeastern College, Satilla State College, South Georgia College and Southeast Georgia State College.
Boosters in both areas want the names to reflect on their cities. Readers of The Augusta Chronicle, for instance, voted overwhelmingly in an online poll to tab the school the University of Augusta, highlighting the city's name that has an international reputation for hosting The Masters Tournament.
University System spokesman John Millsaps said when the regents vote on the name Tuesday they are not bound by the recommendation, as was illustrated in May when they crafted a name for another merged school different from what that committee proposed.
"Just because we have a recommendation doesn't mean that's the name until the board actually says so," he said.
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