COVERAGE ON CAMPUS CONSOLIDATION:
www.aascu.org
http://www.aascu.org/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=6485.
Public Purpose
Negotiating a consolidation in higher education
by President Bonita Jacobs
USG NEWS:
www.thebrunswicknews.com
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_access/local_news/PARTY-050213-hr#
College honors pioneer leader
By SARAH LUNDGREN The Brunswick News
Overlooking the picturesque campus she helped create, Valerie Hepburn stood with friends on the rooftop plaza of the campus center at College of Coastal Georgia Wednesday. Shaking hands and sharing hugs, the college’s outgoing president was all smiles — mixed with maybe a few tears — during a farewell party given by the college and the community. She will remain at the helm of the college until July 1, when Gregory Aloia, president of Concord University at Athens, W.Va., will step into the position.
www.southernalpha.com
http://southernalpha.com/the-feed/ga-registers-250k-students-and-educators-for-stem-celebration/
Ga. Registers 250K+ Students and Educators For STEM Celebration
WALKER DUNCAN
SouthernAlpha was impressed to learn today that the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed), the Technology Association of Georgia’s charitable organization dedicated to preparing the next-generation workforce, has signed up more than 260,000 students and educators to take part in the celebration of STEM education later this week. Full Release: …Organizations and partners supporting Georgia STEM Day include:
Clayton State University, Georgia College, Georgia Gwinnett College, Georgia Perimeter College, Georgia State University College of Education, Georgia State University J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia Southern College of Education, Georgia Southern Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education ( i2STEMe), Georgia Tech Direct to Discovery, Georgia Tech Research Institute, Georgia Tech CEISMC, Southern Polytechnic State University Teach, The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG), University of Georgia College of Engineering
www.mysouthwestga.com
http://www.mysouthwestga.com/news/story.aspx?id=892398#.UYKNSeCTpGN
Local students react to backpack banning at UGA graduation
by Colby Gallagher
ALBANY, GA — After recent events, the University of Georgia has made the decision to ban all backpacks during their upcoming graduation ceremony and some local students say they understand the move. On Monday, many students were kept from their finals at Darton State College after an unattended backpack was reported in the J building and they were forced to evacuate for an hour. Although they were displaced, some students say they think the extra steps are needed during big events in this day and age after the Boston Marathon bombing. Others, however, argue that a backpack is their personal property and say they think this is only the beginning of banning many items and it could spread to purses and other belongings.
www.flagpole.com
http://www.flagpole.com/news/news-features/2013/05/01/undocumented-uga-students-fight-higher-education-ban
Undocumented Athens Students Fight Higher Education Ban
By Melissa Hovanes and Richard Milligan
The past two years have seen an explosion of advocacy, events and activism around issues faced by Athens’ immigrant community. According to one organizer and founder of Dignidad Inmigrante en Athens, just a couple of years ago there was barely any awareness or civic dialogue around immigration issues in the city. …Athens is showing up almost weekly in national media for the robust efforts of a wide range of people working to push back against mounting pressures on immigrants living here. In March, more than 100 young people marched through the University of Georgia campus opposing a Board of Regents policy banning undocumented immigrants from attending UGA.
www.11alive.com
http://www.11alive.com/news/article/290982/3/Georgia-State-among-least-academic-least-sexy-colleges
Georgia State among “least academic, least sexy” colleges?
Doug Richards
It has more than 30,000 students and more than 200 degree programs. Yet Georgia State University rarely tries to sell itself as an elite school. With its concrete campus in downtown Atlanta, and its rather broadminded standards of admission, GSU’s reputation has been that of a commuter school that sometimes battles an inferiority complex. “In Georgia you have two extremes,” said Eugene Kokesnik, a GSU grad. “The sexy, being UGA. The academic, Georgia Tech. And Georgia State’s like — neither.” That is exactly the point of a piece on a web site called BuzzFeed. It has compiled what it calls the sexiest, smartest colleges in America. Its chart puts Georgia State squarely among the least academic / least sexy schools.
www.midtown.patch.com
http://midtown.patch.com/articles/apd-investigate-link-between-ga-tech-carjackings-and-buckhead-armed-robberies
APD Investigate Link Between GA Tech Students Carjacked and Buckhead Armed Robberies
One man was forced into his trunk and not released until the police arrived.
By Kiri Walton
Atlanta Police are investigating to see if the recent carjackings of two Georgia Tech students and Buckhead armed robberies may be connected. One of the carjacking victims, who are Georgia Tech students, told WSB that the suspects seemed “pretty coordinated” and confronted them with a gun as soon as he opened his car door. They took the students’ wallets, cell phones and car keys, WSB reports.
GOOD NEWS:
www.savannahnow.com
http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2013-04-30/ribbon-cut-learning-commons-armstrong#.UYKAfuCTpGN
Ribbon cut for Learning Commons at Armstrong
By Savannah Morning News
Armstrong Atlantic State University officially opened its new Learning Commons on Monday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring school officials, students and the building’s architect and builder. The $3 million Learning Commons with 14,000 square feet is designed to provide what school officials call “an engaging space that fosters interaction, collaboration, and student success.”
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-05-01/uga-education-researchers-honored
UGA education researchers honored
Three faculty members, an alumna and a graduate student from the University of Georgia College of Education recently were nationally recognized for their work by the American Educational Research Association at its annual meeting in San Francisco.
www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2013/04/10/2429761/farming-expert-shares-knowledge.html
Farming expert shares knowledge at Fort Valley State
By ANGELA WOOLEN
FORT VALLEY — Inside Fort Valley State University’s Pettigrew Center last week, Will Allen showed pictures of the hoop houses at his farm in Milwaukee, Wis. Allen, chief executive officer of Growing Power, attributed his yield of thousands of pounds of vegetables to hoop houses (tunnels that act like greenhouses), constant watering and his own soil, which he made using a worm compost. … Allen was named one of Time magazine’s top 100 most influential people in 2010. His company, Growing Power, is a nonprofit that aims to help “provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities,” according to its website. …Fort Valley State is a regional center for Growing Power, a designation Mark Latimore Jr., interim assistant vice president for land grant affairs, hopes to expand upon in the coming years. Latimore said the university’s partnership with Allen has been ongoing for several years. …The partnership also will provide Fort Valley State students an opportunity to intern at the Wisconsin headquarters.
USG VALUE:
www.cbsnews.com
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57582235/25-universities-with-the-best-return-on-investment/
25 universities with the best return on investment
By LYNN O’SHAUGHNESSY / MONEYWATCH
If you want to attend the college providing graduates with the best return on their investment, take a look at Harvey Mudd College. Students who receive a bachelor’s degree from Harvey Mudd, an elite engineering and liberal arts college in Southern California, should earn roughly $2,113,000 million (after subtracting the cost of the college) over the next three decades, according to Payscale’s new College Education ROI Rankings. This is the second year in a row that Harvey Mudd, whose degree will cost more than $250,000, has captured first place… Top 25 schools with the best ROI:… 17. Georgia Institute of Technology (nonresidents) $1,304,000
www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2013/04/10/2429770/grant-funds-free-meals-for-fort.html
Grant funds free meals for Fort Valley backpack program
By LAURA CORLEY — Center for Collaborative Journalism
More than 40 children at the Boys & Girls Club in Fort Valley have a few free meals because of a new backpack program. Feed The City, a nonprofit that works on hunger projects, started the program to help children have access to nutritious food and encourage healthy eating habits. …The Boys & Girls Club, New Hope International Food Bank and Fort Valley State University’s social work department are working together to help with the project.
www.msgr.com
http://www.msgr.com/news/community/article_15820704-a78b-11e2-9b2d-001a4bcf887a.html
Volunteers assist senior residents
Lynn Hobbs
The Area Agency on Aging, in conjunction with Fort Valley State University, brought a team of volunteer consultants to the Putnam County Senior Center at Jimmy Davis Park March 28 to help area seniors. Volunteers helped with questions about insurance, Medicaid, Social Security and other issues.
RESEARCH:
www.digitaltremds.com
http://www.digitaltrends.com/social-media/4-words-that-make-pinterest-different-than-twitter/#ixzz2S8fkzW73
4 words that make Pinterest different than your average social network
By Kate Knibbs
Look, use, want, and need – what do these words have to do with Pinterest? In ““I Need to Try This!”: A Statistical Overview of Pinterest,” authors from Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Minnesota examine Pinterest using three questions: They asked what makes certain “pins” succeed and others fail, they asked what the structure of social connection is on the site, and they compared Twitter and Pinterest. Some of the results are pretty surprising – others, not so much.
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/gwinnett-pilot-hopes-to-draw-students-to-computer-/nXdKm/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajcpremium
Gwinnett pilot hopes to draw students to computer programming through music
BY NANCY BADERTSCHER – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Students in Mike Reilly’s computer programming classes could be helping to bust the stereotype of the computer nerd hunched over a keyboard, writing programs that crunch numbers and sort lists. They are creating and remixing hip-hop beats as part of a pilot program that could have broader implication for the future of computer science education. … Now, with the same objective and a grant from the National Science Foundation, Georgia Tech is testing software in Reilly’s classes at Lanier High School in Gwinnett County that is designed to incorporate fun and music into students’ first foray into computer programming. “The students are doing something that’s very technical and cool,” said Brian Magerko, an associate professor in Tech’s School of Literature, Communications and Culture and one of the software’s developers… The students use EarSketch, the software created by Magerko and Jason Freeman, an associate professor in Tech’s School of Music.
www.in.reuters.com
http://in.reuters.com/video/2013/04/26/wooden-solar-cells-shine-light-on-cleane?videoId=242497013&videoChannel=105
Wooden solar cells shine light on cleaner power option (2:18)
Researchers at Georgia Tech University have developed an organic solar cell made of wood. The biodegradable, transparent films are designed to replace the layers of glass or plastic found in conventional solar cells, heralding the possible development of solar panels that are 100 percent recyclable. ( Transcript )
www.robotics.tmcnet.com
http://robotics.tmcnet.com//topics/robotics/articles/336486-robotic-arms-with-tactile-feelings-make-their-debut.htm
Robotic Arms with Tactile Feelings Make Their Debut
By Robbie Pleasant
TMCnet Contributor
Robotic arms have been improving recently, and now they’ve gotten even better. The Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University has developed new robotic control methods that use whole-arm tactile sensing, providing a sense of touch across the entire arm.
www.bna.com
http://www.bna.com/incentives-watch-masondixon-b17179873719/
Incentives Watch: A Mason-Dixon Line for Renewable Energy Tax Credits?
The Civil War ended long ago. Confederate currency never caught on, but there are still a few things that are unique to the South: those accents, an abundance of Waffle Houses, and a lack of renewable energy incentives. “Many southern states oppose renewable portfolio standards because they believe their renewable resources are insufficient,” according to the Georgia Tech’s School of Public Policy’s working paper entitled Renewable Energy in the South: A Policy Brief. Renewable portfolio standards require utilities to use renewable energy as the source of a certain percentage of their electricity production and, therefore, is an impetus for using more renewable energy overall.
www.atlantaintownpaper.com
http://www.atlantaintownpaper.com/2013/05/atlanta-streets-alive-takes-over-peachtree/
Atlanta Streets Alive takes over Peachtree
Submitted by collin
Three years after a portion of Edgewood Avenue was shut down for the inaugural Atlanta Streets Alive, sponsor Atlanta Bicycle Coalition (ABC) has its sights set on the city’s signature street – Peachtree. Atlanta Streets Alive will see 2.7 miles of Peachtree Street from Midtown to Downtown closed to vehicular traffic on Sunday, May 19, from 2 to 6 p.m… Serna described the mix of activities for the spring event as “zany and fun,” including bike polo, street hockey, yoga, a climbing wall, fun stuff for kids and more. Students at Georgia Tech are finishing up a smartphone app to help visitors find happenings along the route. Organizations and individuals who would like to host an activity along the route can apply up to May 12 at atlantastreetsalive.com.
STATE NEEDS/ISSUES:
www.beta.effinghamherald.net
http://beta.effinghamherald.net/section/6/article/21300/
Deal signs dual-credit courses bill into law
Staff report
POSTED: April 30, 2013 5:55 p.m.
Gov. Nathan Deal has signed into law legislation that aims to boost Georgia’s college completion rate. HB 131 gives high school students more incentives to take dual-credit courses — those where a student enrolls in a college course and simultaneously earns college credit and high school credit for the course.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/05/01/freeenterprise-georgia-among-best-for.html
FreeEnterprise: Georgia among best for entrepreneurship and innovation
Jacques Couret
Senior Online Editor-Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia ranks ninth in the country for entrepreneurship and innovation, but 40th for performance, according to a new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.times-herald.com
http://www.times-herald.com/opinion/518498-20130501RantsandRaves-SQ
Rants & Raves
…EDUCATIONAL RAVE: The Board of Regents is considering making the University of West Georgia into a regional university, the second-highest classification. UWG keeps getting better and better.
www.flagpole.com
http://www.flagpole.com/news/city-dope/2013/05/01/this-new-terry-college-building-at-uga-looks-like-a-church
This New UGA Terry College Building Looks Like a Church
City Dope
By Blake Aued
God and Mammon: The University of Georgia broke ground Friday, Apr. 26 on Correll Hall, the first of five buildings that will make up a new Terry College of Business complex at the corner of Baxter and Lumpkin streets. …The good news is that the Terry College raised $35 million for the building—named for former Georgia-Pacific Chairman and Terry alum Pete Correll—from private donors, so it didn’t cost taxpayers a dime. (Future buildings will bank on state support.) The bad news is, as UGA President Michael Adams reminded those in attendance, that the university is going to have to continue to lean heavily on corporate benefactors. …Dan Amos, the chairman and CEO of Aflac who is heading up the fundraising efforts, said the college has raised $50 million of its $70 million goal and, from the podium on Friday, half-jokingly issued an “altar call” for the rest. Which leads to the question: Why does Correll Hall look so much like a church?
www.flagpole.com
http://www.flagpole.com/news/news-features/2013/05/01/here-s-what-s-in-the-downtown-athens-master-plan
Here’s What’s in the Downtown Athens Master Plan
By Blake Aued
The downtown Athens master plan is coming together, and most people seem to like it so far—at least out of the 150 or so who attended a public hearing at the Classic Center Thursday, Apr. 25. But that’s just a small fraction of the number of people who care about the future of downtown, so here’s a guide to what’s in the plan and how to make your voice heard. Allow us to explain the confusing jumble of dashes and arrows at the top of the page. …The biggest single project in the plan is converting a little-used Norfolk-Southern freight line running along East Campus Road through the University of Georgia campus.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/53043/#
Yes, Some Education Beyond High School Is Important
by Dr. Elwood Watson
Lately, it seems that a person cannot pick up a newspaper, look through a magazine or peruse a website blog without coming across an article bemoaning the continuing devaluation or suppose lack of worth of a college degree these days. I have had students ask me directly whether I felt that having an undergraduate degree from a college or university was worth the investment. It seems that there is no escaping the subject. Whenever confronted with this question, I do not hesitate to deliver an answer or beat around the bush. I make it clear that in no uncertain terms that the answer is a resounding, “Yes!”
www.insidehigheed.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/05/02/technology-innovation-should-focus-letting-teachers-teach-essay
‘Appropriate’ Technology
By Brian Parish
Virtually everywhere you turn, somebody is promoting the idea that technology is a – if not the — solution to educational completion. Panelists at conferences, politicians, foundation officials and journalists/bloggers promote the view. It is also being supported loudly by the checkbooks of the venture capitalist community. College completion is, without a doubt, a serious problem. In fact, for the first time, the current generation of Americans entering the work force is less educated than the generation that is now retiring.
www.harvardmagazine.com
http://harvardmagazine.com/2013/05/harvardx-and-edx-online-learning-update
Differences of Opinion on Online Courses
As edX , Coursera, and Udacity continue to build and launch massive open online courses (MOOCs)—and other would-be contenders approach the field—evidence and opinions are accumulating about how best to use such courses, the experience of learning this way, and possible applications of the evolving technology. Herewith, a survey of some recent perspectives, and some news updates on the users of an early HarvardX course and Coursera’s expansion into professional education… Two teachers have written for The Chronicle of Higher Education about their experiences in devising and delivering MOOCs. Karen Head, an assistant professor at Georgia Institute of Technology’s School of Literature, Media, and Communication, received a Gates Foundation grant to explore teaching first-year writing in a massive, online course, to be offered via Coursera.
www.insidehigheed.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/no-pell-remediation
No Pell for Remediation?
By Matt Reed
A fellow at the Hoover Institute wrote in Bloomberg — I know, I know — a proposal to eliminate Pell grant aid for students who need remedial coursework. The idea is to “raise the academic tenor” of college, to send a signal to high school students that they’d better get it right the first time, to light a fire under high schools, and to direct the poor and the late blooming into trades.
www.insidehigheed.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/crestron-capture-hd-instructor-video-recording
Crestron Capture-HD for Instructor Video Recording
Are your faculty recording lectures and presentations for their courses? I’m not talking about lecture capture during the class, but where instructors record lectures prior to the class meeting time. Use cases include:
www.insidehigheed.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/third-place-faculty
A Third Place for Faculty
By Barbara Fister
We’ve come a long, long way since Scott Carlson kicked off a firestorm of defensiveness and soul-searching with a 2001 feature in the Chronicle titled “The Deserted Library” (subscription required). In the ensuing years there has been so much chatter about “the library as place” that the idea of designing libraries for learning rather than for storing and accessing collections is no longer radical; libraries clearly are places for learning and library spaces should be designed accordingly. Granted some faculty aren’t thrilled with challenges to the dominance of the stacks, and many libraries have some way to go in making their libraries attractive and effective sites for student learning, but nobody thinks it’s a crazy idea.
www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ruth-starkman/humanities-scholar-teachers-at-stanford_b_3187968.html
Preparing the Next Generation of Humanities Scholar Teachers at Stanford
Ruth StarkmanAcademic
teaching staff, Stanford University
Stanford University’s “Graduate Student and Faculty Collaborative Teaching in the Humanities,” is training future scholars to focus on teaching in the liberal arts. With a $125,000 grant from the New York-based Teagle Foundation, this new program supports faculty-graduate student course development, team-teaching, and provides a plenum forum for collaborators to discuss humanities research and their teaching experiences.
Education News
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/lawsuit-against-young-harris-college-alleges-anti-/nXdcR/
Lawsuit against Young Harris College alleges anti-hazing remarks led to firings
BY LAURA DIAMOND – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Two former instructors filed a lawsuit against Young Harris College saying they lost their jobs because they spoke out about hazing at the private liberal arts college. Shortly after Theresa Crapanzano and Joseph Terry shared their concerns they were terminated, according to the lawsuit filed in March. A third plaintiff, student Jo Hannah Burch, says she was hazed while pledging a sorority in early 2012. Burch is still enrolled at the college. The lawsuit claims the college violated Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and state negligence laws.
www.ajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/rapes-put-dark-cloud-over-morehouse-as-graduation-/nXdzr/
Morehouse reeling over sex charges
BY MARCUS K. GARNER AND ERNIE SUGGS – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
The nation’s only black college for men is reeling at a time when it should be rejoicing. Just weeks before Morehouse College, which prides itself in developing leaders in business, politics and academia, hosts President Barack Obama as its commencement speaker, the school is dealing with two allegations of sexual assault.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/05/02/marshall-faculty-votes-no-confidence-president
Marshall Faculty Votes No Confidence in President
Faculty members at Marshall University passed a vote of no confidence Wednesday in President Stephen Kopp. Of the 420 faculty members who participated, 290 voted no confidence, 107 voted in support of Kopp, and 23 abstained. The vote at the West Virginia public university comes in the wake of Kopp’s decision to move funds from departmental accounts to a central account to analyze revenues and expenditures, a move that generated a backlash among faculty members. Kopp previously apologized and returned the funds.
www.bbc.co.uk
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-22368498
Online universities launching courses for teachers
By Sean Coughlan
BBC News education correspondent
A major global online university network is to enter the teacher-training market for the first time.
Coursera, based in the United States, has announced partnerships with schools of education to provide content for free online training materials. The project has been backed by Gordon Brown, former UK Prime Minister and now United Nations global education envoy. Mr Brown said it would support the “global challenge” of training teachers in developing countries.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/02/survey-finds-presidents-are-skeptical-moocs
MOOC Skeptics at the Top
By Scott Jaschik
It would be easy to think that the leaders of American higher education are all in when it comes to MOOCs. Dozens of colleges and universities — many of them among the elites — have rushed to offer massive open online courses. Top foundations back the effort. The American Council on Education has moved quickly to certify some of the courses as credit-worthy. Many other colleges are considering plans to award credit for MOOCs or to use them in instruction.
www.washingtonpost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/as-amherst-rejects-online-lecture-model-educators-ponder-whats-to-gain-from-trend/2013/05/01/6b76cb7e-a75c-11e2-a8e2-5b98cb59187f_story.html?wpisrc=nl_cuzheads
As Amherst rejects online lecture model, educators ponder what’s to gain from trend
By Nick Anderson
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — A new academic credential of unknown worth is circulating around the world, issued by affiliates of some of the most valuable brands in higher education. These “certificates of mastery,” available for free to anyone with an Internet connection who passes an online course, come from BerkeleyX, MITx and HarvardX. Soon, there will be certificates from GeorgetownX. But not from AmherstX.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/05/02/florida-senate-advances-plan-turn-outside-course-providers
Florida Senate Advances Plan to Turn to Outside Course Providers
The Florida Senate passed a measure Wednesday designed to allow outside groups, including the providers of massive open online courses, to offer credit-bearing courses to Florida public college students.
www.orlandosentinel.com
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/features/education/os-teacher-raises-education-bills-20130501,0,2366196.story
Teacher raises will kick in this year – not 2014
By Leslie Postal, Orlando Sentinel
Florida’s teachers could get raises as soon as this summer under a revised budget agreement state lawmakers hammered out Wednesday. The change means school employees won’t have to wait until June 2014 for a pay hike, as legislative leaders had decided earlier in the week. The latest agreement allows for the $480 million earmarked for school employee raises to be doled out as soon as local school districts and their unions decide how to divvy up the money based on student performance.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/02/social-class-influences-where-even-valedictorians-go-college-research-finds
Class Matters
By Paul Fain
SAN FRANCISCO — Poverty influences where even valedictorians go to college, new research has found. High schools generally fail to provide adequate college admissions guidance to top students, according to research by Alexandria Walton Radford, who directs studies on students’ transition to college for RTI International, a nonprofit research group. And lower-income valedictorians are more likely than their wealthier peers to be “undermatched” in less selective colleges.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/05/02/panel-proposes-radical-changes-culture-scientific-research
The Science of Collaboration
By Carl Straumsheim
In the face of rising global competition and increased funding for science, mathematics, engineering and technology, researchers across the spectrum need to develop interdisciplinary collaborations to tackle pressing societal challenges, a conglomerate of scientists declares in a new report.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/53047/#
Virginia State University SGA President Says Hazing Plea Was Coerced
by Associated Press
RICHMOND, Va. — The president of Virginia State University’s student government association is asking a judge to set aside his hazing conviction, arguing that he only pleaded guilty because the prosecutor said he wouldn’t graduate if he refused. Brandon Randleman, 22, and three others pleaded guilty April 8 to an August hazing incident involving a student. All are members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. Randleman’s attorney, Joseph Morrissey, claims in court papers filed last week that Randleman told Petersburg Commonwealth’s attorney Cassandra Conover he was innocent and agreed to plead guilty only after the threat was made, The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Wednesday.
www.insidedhighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/05/02/cuny-settles-discrimination-claim
CUNY Settles Discrimination Claim
The City University of New York has settled a discrimination complaint made by a pregnant student.
The National Women’s Law Center (NWLC) filed the complaint on behalf of Stephanie Stewart. According to the center, Stewart was told that she would not be able to make up tests or assignments missed as a result of her pregnancy; CUNY administrators suggested that Stewart should instead drop the class, since her due date was before the end of the semester.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/53035/#
Race to the Top Initiative Getting Mixed Reviews on the Road
by Lydia Lum
SAN FRANCISCO — Although the Obama administration’s $4 billion Race to the Top initiative to reform public schools continues to weather criticism, there are no plans to suspend or slow down the signature program, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan said Tuesday.