USG NEWS:
www.ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/education/college-head-to-reimburse-school-for-wedding-costs/nXTZy/
College head to reimburse school for wedding costs
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, Ga. — Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz plans to reimburse the school for costs of a state-owned bus that was used to carry guests of a private wedding at his home, school officials said.
School spokeswoman Christen Carter acknowledged the use of university resources, including the bus and GRU police officers for security at the wedding for Azziz’s niece, Breeanna Beckhamn, and groom Brian Straessle.
Their wedding was held Saturday evening on the grounds of the Azziz residence, which is property of the University Board of Regents, The Augusta Chronicle reported (http://bit.ly/17UADDL ).

www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2013-04-22/azziz-reimburse-gru-resources-used-private-wedding?v=1366679782
Azziz to reimburse GRU for resources used at private wedding
By Steve Crawford
Staff Writer
Georgia Regents University officials said President Ricardo Azziz plans to reimburse the university for the cost of a state-owned bus used to carry guests of a private wedding held at his home last weekend. University spokeswoman Christen Carter acknowledged the use of university resources, including the bus and GRU police officers for security at the wedding for Azziz’s niece, Breeanna Beckhamn and Brian Straessle. Beckham and Straessle live and work in the Washington, D.C., area but held their wedding Saturday evening on the grounds of the Azziz residence, which is property of the University Board of Regents.

GOOD NEWS:
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2013-04-22/university-systems-energy-spending-drops-9-million
University System’s energy spending drops $9 million
By WALTER C. JONESMORRIS NEWS SERVICE
ATLANTA — Spending on energy of all sorts within the University System of Georgia dropped $9 million from 2011 to 2012 — a nearly 7 percent decline, much of it due to equipment upgrades. The system’s $112 million budget for electricity, natural gas and coal benefitted from the installation of improved lighting fixtures and more efficient heating and air-conditioning units in various buildings across the system.

RESEARCH:
www.medicalxpress.com
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-rare-condition-implicated-pregnant-women.html
Rare condition implicated in pregnant women infected with malaria
A passing remark launched the project that will be described at the Experimental Biology 2013 conference in Boston on Monday. A poster, presented by undergraduate Ashley McMichael from Albany State University, has preliminary data that hint that there is an association between a rare pregnancy condition and malaria. The remark that launched the project was made by a collaborator of Julie Moore, a malaria expert at the University of Georgia. Moore was visiting her collaborator, pediatric pathologist Carlos Abramowsky at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (affiliated with Emory University), armed with placental tissue slides collected from women living in western Kenya, a region where malaria is rampant. While viewing the slides, Moore recalls Abramowsky commenting, “Wow, this is a really interesting case of chorangiosis.” …Then “I sat down with more tissue sections and realized that there were quite a few more cases of this,” she says. Moore found the connection between chorangiosis and malaria tantalizing.

www.usatoday.com
http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/2013/04/22/2104101/
Robots may be future guardians against terrorism
Researchers at Georgia Tech in Atlanta are programming robots to work together. The scientists believe that in the future, robotic swarms could play an important role in assessing threats at high profile events like the Boston Marathon.

www.usatoday.com
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/04/22/green-honor-roll-princeton-review-earth-day-2013/2103947/
Princeton Review names Green Honor Roll
Clara Ritger, USA TODAY Collegiate Correspondent
Students are often the driving force behind initiatives that allow universities and colleges to adopt models that focus on sustainability.
For 21 colleges and universities, paving paradise to put up parking lots is a thing of the past. The Princeton Review released its Green Honor Roll, which recognizes schools that received a green rating of 99, just in time for Earth Day. According to the Review, the rating measures “a school’s performance as an environmentally aware and responsible institution” and primarily considers sustainable campus living, academic coursework in sustainability and sustainable school policies to determine the score… The other schools named to the honor roll are: American University; Arizona State University; California Institute of Technology; California State University–Chico; Catawba College; College of the Atlantic; Columbia University; Georgia Institute of Technology;

www.scientificamerican.com
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hurricane-irene-might-have-triggered-virginia-earthquake-aftershocks
Hurricane Irene Might Have Triggered Virginia Earthquake Aftershocks
The rate of aftershocks following the August 23, 2011, quake increased sharply as Irene passed by, suggesting that ground disturbances from large storms might be strong enough to prompt tremors
By Richard A. Lovett and Nature magazine
Hurricane Irene, a powerful storm that ran north along the US East Coast four days after a magnitude-5.8 earthquake rattled Virginia in 2011, may have triggered some of that earthquake’s aftershocks, scientists reported today at the annual meeting of the Seismological Society of America in Salt Lake City, Utah. The rate of aftershocks usually decreases with time, says study leader Zhigang Peng, a seismologist at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in Atlanta. But instead of declining in a normal pattern, the rate of aftershocks following the 23 August 2011, earthquake near Mineral, Virginia, increased sharply as Irene passed by.

Related articles:
www.upi.com
Possible link seen between hurricane, earthquake aftershocks
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2013/04/22/Possible-link-seen-between-hurricane-earthquake-aftershocks/UPI-24731366662801/#ixzz2RHN8NnO8

www.livescience.com
Earthquake Weather? Hurricane Irene May Have Triggered Tiny Temblors
http://www.livescience.com/28929-hurricane-irene-triggered-earthquake-aftershocks.html

www.computing.co.uk
http://www.computing.co.uk/ctg/news/2263212/big-data-used-to-alter-video-game-difficulty#ixzz2RHvgqALX
Big data used to alter video game difficulty
By Danny Palmer
Computing – Insight for IT leaders Claim your free subscription today.
Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have devised a big data algorithm for customising the difficulty of video games. The computational model predicts player’s in-game performance, using big data to devise a level of difficulty they are capable of beating, teaching them new in-game skills as they do so. In theory, the model could be applied to training and educational content, allowing the big data model to provide benefits in the real world. George Tech researchers developed a simple, turn-based game then used player scores to develop an algorithm to predict how others with a similar skill level would do, then adjusted the difficulty setting to cater for that.

Editorials/Columns/Opinions
qww.edweek.com
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/04/24/29nar_ep.h32.html?tkn=TTXFYXWll%2FXue2mxmExhVpBJ9uevyWfS1Cuq&cmp=ENL-EU-VIEWS1
A Nation at Risk: Where Are We Now?
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the release of A Nation at Risk by the National Commission on Excellence in Education formed by U.S. Secretary of Education Terrel H. Bell. The landmark report declared that “the educational foundations of our society are presently being eroded by a rising tide of mediocrity that threatens our very future as a nation and a people.” Pointing to what it said were flagging test scores, diluted curricula, and weak teacher-preparation programs, among other issues, A Nation at Risk argued that an “incoherent, outdated patchwork quilt” of instruction was creating a culture of passive learning in which students could advance with minimum effort.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/04/23/essay-how-professors-can-deal-assessment
Making the Best of Assessment
By Adam Kotsko
My first encounter with assessment came in the form of a joke. The seminary where I did my Ph.D. was preparing for a visit from the Association of Theological Schools, and the dean remarked that he was looking forward to developing ways to quantify all the students’ spiritual growth.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/world-view/university-mergers-russia-happy-marriage-or-misalliance-0
University Mergers in Russia: Happy marriage or misalliance
By Maria Yudkevich
“And they lived happily ever after.” No one should expect that it could be an appropriate start for a story about university mergers in Russia. On the contrary, as Jamil Salmi wrote recently, many merged universities experience severe problems establishing a new identity and academic culture as well as challenges building new and efficient administrative structures for the core activities of the newly formed institutions.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/just-visiting/im-failing-my-mooc
I’m Failing My MOOC
By John Warner
I’m failing my MOOC. But that doesn’t mean I’m not learning anything. I enrolled in Coursera’s “English Composition I” with the best of intentions. I’ve been writing about MOOCs, often critically, and thought I should experience massive, open, online learning for myself. I chose English Composition I because it’s a course I teach and I was curious to experience it from the student side of the equation. So, six weeks ago, 60,000 classmates and I began watching the initial videos featuring our teacher, Prof. Denise Comer of Duke University.

Education News
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/23/votes-no-confidence-proliferate-their-impact-seems-minimal
Voting With No Confidence
By Kevin Kiley
Last month the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at New York University passed a vote of no confidence in the university’s president, John Sexton. While there were multiple complaints against Sexton, the theme running through them was a sense that faculty members were being cut out of decision-making. The response by the university’s governing board to the vote was swift and decisive.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/23/14th-best-job-university-professor
14th Best Job: University Professor
CareerCast.com has released its annual list of the best and worst jobs, and university professor is ranked the 14th best job out there.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/23/new-study-challenges-popular-perceptions-ap
Should AP Be Plan A?
By Zack Budryk
New research by a scholar affiliated with Stanford University challenges much of the conventional wisdom about the Advanced Placement (AP) program and how it affects students’ preparedness for higher education.
The study, by Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford’s Graduate School of Education and co-founder of the advocacy group Challenge Success, analyzes the accuracy of four commonly encountered talking points relating to the AP program:

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/04/23/survey-documents-interest-community-colleges-moocs-and-open-educational-resources
Which New Ideas to Use
By Scott Jaschik
SAN FRANCISCO — Some community colleges are exploring ways to use massive open online courses and open educational resources in their curriculums, but plenty are skeptical. Those are among the findings of a new survey of distance education officials at community colleges, released here on Monday. The survey was conducted by the Instructional Technology Council and was released at the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/How-to-Improve-Public-Online/138729/
How to Improve Public Online Education: Report Offers a Model
By Charles Huckabee
Public colleges and universities, which educate the bulk of all American college students, have been slower than their counterparts in the for-profit sector to embrace the potential of online learning to offer pathways to degrees. A new report from the New America Foundation suggests a series of policies that states and public higher-education systems could adopt to do some catching up. The report, “State U Online,” by Rachel Fishman, a policy analyst with the foundation, analyzes where public online-education efforts stand now and finds that access to high-quality, low-cost online courses varies widely from state to state.

Related article:
www.insidehighered.com
State Universities Should Move Online More Aggressively, Report Argues
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/23/state-universities-should-move-online-more-aggressively-report-argues

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/internet2-signs-deal-with-smithsonian-to-connect-colleges-to-digitized-artifacts/43563
Internet2 Signs Deal With Smithsonian to Connect Colleges to Digitized Artifacts
By Jeffrey R. Young
The Smithsonian Institution has signed a deal with Internet2 that could make it easier for colleges to connect with digital content in museums on the National Mall. The new partnership, to be formally announced this morning at Internet2′s member meeting, will also bring high-speed Internet connections to some of the Smithsonian’s 19 museums and a technology-demonstration area in the institution’s Arts and Industry Building, which is currently being renovated. Internet2 is a nonprofit group that provides superfast network connections to some 220 college and university members.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/pearson-acquires-learning-catalytics-a-cloud-based-assessment-system/43543
Pearson Acquires Learning Catalytics, a Cloud-Based Assessment System
By Jake New
Pearson, the publishing and education giant, announced on Monday that it had acquired Learning Catalytics, a cloud-based assessment system created by three Harvard University educators. The acquisition is the latest move by the company to extend its reach into college classrooms beyond just textbooks.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/52846/#
Community Colleges Work to Fight Stereotypes
by Jasmine Evans
SAN FRANCISCO — Hundreds of community college faculty, staff and administrators have participated in several days of collaborative and motivational sessions at the American Association of Community Colleges’ Annual Conference. Dr. Walter Bumphus, AACC president and CEO, proudly stated to a crowd of more than 300 people that this is a “Camelot moment for community colleges. These really are the best of times.” He was referring to the attention and support that community colleges are receiving from businesses and all levels of government.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/For-Community-Colleges-a/138717/
For Community Colleges, a National Spotlight Is a Mixed Blessing
By Katherine Mangan
San Francisco
When Richard Rhodes arrived as president of Austin Community College, in 2011, he was greeted by a highway billboard, sponsored by the Texas Association of Business, proclaiming “4 percent of Austin Community College students graduate in 3 years. Is that a good use of tax $?” Fast-forward two years, and graduation rates are once again being scrutinized, not only by businesses but also by state lawmakers, who are expected to weigh student-performance measures in doling out about 10 percent of their budget allocations to colleges.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/23/under-plan-california-would-embrace-performance-based-funding-colleges
Under Plan, California Would Embrace Performance-Based Funding For Colleges
California would move aggressively into performance-based funding for higher education under a draft plan being circulated by Governor Jerry Brown, the Los Angeles Times reported.

www.nytimes.com

Measuring College Prestige vs. Cost of Enrollment
By PAUL SULLIVAN
Having a choice is generally a good thing, and being able to choose among several college acceptances should be a wonderful thing indeed. But let’s face it: the cost of a college education these days ranges from expensive to obscenely expensive. So the decision is likely to be tougher and more emotional than most parents and children imagined as they weigh offers from colleges that have given real financial aid against others that are offering just loans.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/52836/#
Governance Association Says Colleges Must Step Up or Face Shutting Down
by Lydia Lum
SAN FRANCISCO — Unless colleges and universities respond to technology demands by students as well as shifting workforce needs, the fiscal challenges clouding the academic landscape will not only deepen but perhaps force some institutions to shutter, several higher education leaders said Sunday.

www.tampabay.com
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/k12/gov-rick-scott-signs-sweeping-education-bill/2116640
Gov. Rick Scott signs sweeping education bill
Kathleen McGrory, Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
TALLAHASSEE — More changes are coming to Florida’s public schools, colleges and universities. On Monday, Gov. Rick Scott signed a sweeping education bill that will revamp the state’s high school graduation requirements and place new emphasis on coursework that prepares students for high-tech careers. The law will also create two new diploma designations: one for teenagers seeking technical training and another for teenagers pursuing college-level classes. The legislation will also:

Related article:
www.chronicle.com
Florida’s Governor Signs Sweeping Bill to Give Top Universities Special Status
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/floridas-governor-signs-sweeping-bill-to-give-top-universities-special-status/59067

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/23/wisconsin-system-under-fire-quietly-building-budget-reserves
Wisconsin System Under Fire for Quietly Building Budget Reserves
State leaders are demanding explanations — and in some cases urging retribution — for the University of Wisconsin System’s decision to quietly store hundreds of millions of dollars of budget funds in hundreds of accounts spread across its institutions, the Journal-Sentinel reported.

www.edweek.com
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2013/04/24/29ii-politicalpower.h32.html?tkn=YNPFgkGwbTzk4LTRB%2Bnr9s09be9VT7hrOVcl&cmp=ENL-EU-NEWS1
Ed. Companies Exert Public-Policy Influence
Some observers are alarmed at what they see as increasingly aggressive moves by companies
By Michelle R. Davis
The online education provider K12 Inc.—a publicly traded company with $708 million in revenue in 2012—had 39 lobbyists around the country on the payroll last year to work for state and local policies that would help expand the use of virtual learning. Pearson Education—an offshoot of the publishing giant Pearson—has spent more than $6 million over the past decade lobbying at the federal level. And the charter school operator White Hat Management and its employees contributed more than $2 million in campaign support between 2004 and 2012 to mostly Republican politicians in Ohio, where the company, which runs 33 schools in three states, is the largest for-profit charter operator and has been under fire for poor performance. Those examples, and many others, suggest the influence education companies are trying to exert on policymaking and legislation.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/04/23/senator-raises-questions-about-student-visa-system-aftermath-boston-attacks
Senator Raises Questions About Student Visa System in Aftermath of Boston Attacks
U.S. Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, has posed the question of whether student visas should be suspended in light of the Boston Marathon bombing. Although neither of the suspected bombers was in the United States on student visas (one was a permanent resident, and the other a naturalized citizen), Paul nonetheless raises the student visa system as an area of concern in a letter about national security and the immigration system, asking: