University System News

USG NEWS:
www.myacj.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/regents-approve-new-rules-for-georgia-colleges/nZPGp/?icmp=ajc_internallink_textlink_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajc_launch
Regents approve new rules for Georgia colleges
BY KRISTINA TORRES – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
The State Board of Regents formally approved a plan Wednesday to clearly spell out what types of degrees each of its 31 colleges should offer and how heavily they should focus on research versus teaching. The unanimous vote represents the first time in almost two decades the University System of Georgia has changed its policy regarding the function and mission of each of its schools. …Regents also approved Wednesday a new, five-year strategic plan designed to emphasize the state’s push to increase how many college graduates it produces.

www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2013/08/14/georgia-regents-align-member-schools.html
Georgia regents align member schools with university system goals
Dave Williams
Staff Writer-Atlanta Business Chronicle
The University System of Georgia is bringing more clarity to the different missions of its 31 member schools. The system’s Board of Regents adopted a policy Tuesday requiring each institution to develop programs that support its mission and the category within the system in which it has been placed. “Given the size of the system and the demands and expectations placed upon it as well as the reality [that] resources are finite, we need to have a structure that clearly defines what institutions do and the types of programs and areas that are appropriate,” system Chancellor Hank Huckaby said.

www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2013/08/14/2607647/university-system-of-georgia-reshaping.html
University System of Georgia reshaping strategic plan
By JENNA MINK
In an effort to reshape itself as public higher education changes, the University System of Georgia is rolling out a new strategic plan. The Board of Regents adopted Wednesday the new plan, which acknowledges affordability concerns and extra pressure to offer quality programs, according to a news release.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55281/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=ae1c944cd5e74c40ae6635bae9d25af6&elqCampaignId=33
Regents Set New Policies for Georgia Colleges
by Associated Press
ATLANTA—The University System of Georgia took several steps Wednesday to establish a more comprehensive approach to guiding the state’s 31 public colleges and universities. The Board of Regents voted to implement a new policy determining a wide range of issues, including what types of degrees each institution should offer, how much of an emphasis should be on research and teaching and access and admissions selectivity. …Also Wednesday, the board approved a five-year strategic plan emphasizing degree completion, research and innovation. A key element of the plan is the Complete College Georgia initiative, which has a goal of increasing the percentage of Georgians completing college from 42 percent to 60 percent by 2020.

Related articles:
www.chronicle.com
Georgia Regents to Align Colleges’ Missions With System Goals
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/georgia-regents-to-align-colleges-missions-with-system-goals/64621?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en

www.onlineathens.com
Regents set new policies for Georgia colleges
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-08-14/regents-set-new-policies-georgia-colleges

www.atlanta.cbslocal.com
Regents Set New Policies For Georgia Colleges
http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2013/08/14/regents-set-new-policies-for-georgia-colleges/

www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2013-08-13/gru-grads-get-new-diplomas-after-college-misspelled
RU grads get new diplomas after college misspelled
By Meg Mirshak
Staff Writer
Check college of the list, but not before someone clicks spell-check. A few recent Georgia Regents University graduates were surprised to find that the diplomas honoring their academic success featured a dictionary blunder. Diplomas for the 14 summer-term graduates of GRU’s Pamplin College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences misspelled a seven-letter word that encompassed life for the graduates: college. It had three L’s instead of two: Pamplin Colllege. After a student alerted staffers to the spelling error, the diplomas were reprinted, said university spokeswoman Christen Carter.

www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2013-08-14/glitch-delays-financial-aid-gru-students
Glitch delays financial aid for GRU students
By Tracey McManus
Staff Writer
Just days before fall classes begin at Georgia Regents University, thousands of students are without financial aid disbursements to pay for tuition and books because of a technical glitch caused by consolidation. Although the consolidation of Augusta State and Georgia Health Sciences universities became official in January, the new institution did not receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education to participate in the federal financial aid program as GRU until July 2.

www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-08-14/uga-set-launch-huge-new-records-system
UGA set to launch huge new records system
By LEE SHEARER
The first phase of a new multimillion-dollar student information software system will go live in less than a month, University of Georgia officials said Wednesday. “This is the largest and most collaborative project ever attempted at the University of Georgia,” UGA Chief Information Officer and Vice President for Information Technology Tim Chester said at a Wednesday forum in UGA’s Tate Student Theater. The new system, named “ConnectUGA,” is based on the Banner system licensed from the Ellucian educational software company, already in use by other University System of Georgia colleges and universities.

GOOD NEWS:
www.environmentalleader.com
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2013/08/14/princeton-review-announces-green-honor-roll/
Princeton Review Announces Green Honor Roll
Stanford University, Cornell University, Columbia University and the University of California, Los Angeles are among 22 colleges nationwide listed on Princeton Review’s 2014 Green Rating Honor Roll, which measures the environmentally friendliness of the schools. Princeton Review, known for its college test-prep and education services, tallied the scores for 832 colleges based on their sustainability practices for 2012-2013. It scored the schools on a scale of 60 to 99. The 22 colleges earning the top score of 99 made it to the green honor roll. They include: American University, California State University-Chico, College of the Atlantic, Dickinson College, Georgia Institute of Technology,

www.lawrenceville-ga.patch.com
http://lawrenceville-ga.patch.com/groups/schools/p/ggc-rolls-out-the-green-carpet
GGC Rolls Out the Green Carpet, Special Arch Ceremony Aug. 15
The fall semester begins Monday, and a special “March Through the Arch” ceremony takes place Thursday for new students.
Posted by Joy L. Woodson
Georgia Gwinnett College is rolling out the green carpet this week for its new and returning students — more than 9,000 of them — who begin classes on Monday. On Thursday, the Lawrenceville college will welcome more than 3,000 new students in a special ceremony, “March Through the Arch.” Faculty and student leaders will be there to greet and address the new students as they walk through the college’s “Arch of Knowledge” and on to the main lawn.

www.lawrenceville-ga.patch.com
http://lawrenceville-ga.patch.com/groups/schools/p/grizzlies-stop-drop-and-roll-as-they-move-into-dorms
Grizzlies ‘Stop, Drop and Roll’ as They Move Into Dorms
About 500 new students will move into campus housing at Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville this week.
Posted by Vanzetta Evans
In just a matter of minutes, all of Traci Crawford’s belongings are emptied out of her mother’s car, in to several carts and up to her home away from home. …Crawford’s move was made easier thanks to a group of more than 200 volunteers. …Almost 500 freshmen and transfer students will move into their new housing this week according to Ramsey.

Related article:
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Students descend on GGC as move-in process begins
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/aug/14/students-descend-on-ggc-as-move-in-process-begins/

www.statesboroherald.com
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/52374/
Keel: Georgia Southern University is ‘on the move’
Special to the Herald
Georgia Southern University is on the move, and now is not the time to stand still, University President Dr. Brooks Keel said Wednesday during his annual State of the University address. The address was the centerpiece of Georgia Southern’s annual fall convocation, held at the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center. The theme was “Success in Motion.” …“As we get ready for students to return to campus and start classes on Monday, I can’t think of a better time for us to look at where we’ve been and where we are going,” he said. “Our faculty are prepared, our staff are supportive and our students have never been more qualified. A lot of exciting opportunities are ahead this year at Georgia Southern.”

Related articles:
www.wsav.com
Georgia Southern Holds Fall Convocation
http://www.wsav.com/story/23140065/georgia-southern-holds-fall-convocation

www.mygeorgiasouthern.edu
DAY ONE Kicks Off a New Year at Georgia Southern
https://my.georgiasouthern.edu/index.php?option=com_content&id=1877

www.gainesvilletimes.com
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/archives/86752/
Student veterans use grant for campus, other area improvements
UNG group receives $5,000 grant
By Carly Sharec
They deserve a hero’s welcome, but all too often returning veterans barely register to their fellow Americans as people who need help. One college group is working to change that, for both student veterans and the community as a whole. Armed with a $5,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation, the Student Veterans Association at the Oakwood campus of the University of North Georgia has stretched that funding for three projects, including adding to their own space on campus.

www.gainesvilletimes.com
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/87332/
University of North Georgia begins academic year as united campus
President Jacobs announces new initiatives to promote research, strong academics
By Carly Sharec
As the University of North Georgia begins its first full academic year as a united campus, President Bonita Jacobs has announced new initiatives to inspire and encourage research among professors. “We are positioned to actively shape our future and become a model of transformation in higher education,” she said Tuesday at the Gainesville UNG campus.

www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=264492
UNG faculty, staff events highlight success, new initiatives
By Staff
In events held in Gainesville and Dahlonega Tuesday, University of North Georgia (UNG) President Bonita Jacobs launched the first full academic year of the consolidated institution by thanking the university’s nearly 2,000 faculty and staff for their hard work on consolidation and announcing new initiatives to support innovation, scholarship and service.

USG VALUE:
www.rockdalecitizen.com
http://www.rockdalecitizen.com/news/2013/aug/14/gpc-has-highest-economic-impact-of-state-colleges/
GPC has highest economic impact of state colleges
From staff reports
CLARKSTON — A recent study shows that Georgia Perimeter College has the greatest economic impact among the University System of Georgia’s state colleges. The study showed that the impact was $774 million and 7,221 jobs in fiscal year 2012. Fiscal year 2011’s impact was $713 million and 6,762 jobs. GPC’s increased economic impact on the region can be felt from Newton to Dunwoody to Alpharetta, according to the report.

www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=264458
Business forum helps forge partnership between chambers, UNG
By Staff
DAHLONEGA – To strengthen the business partnerships that are critical to the success of today’s business students, the Center for the Future of North Georgia in the Mike Cottrell College of Business at the University of North Georgia (UNG) invited the region’s Chambers of Commerce to discuss collaborations that could benefit area businesses and UNG students.

RESEARCH:
www.valdostadailytimes.com
http://valdostadailytimes.com/schoolnews/x738624902/VSU-Students-study-fungi-in-Ireland
VSU Students study fungi in Ireland
Valdosta State University
VALDOSTA — Dr. Emily Cantonwine, professor of mycology and plant pathology at Valdosta State University, studies fungal diseases and methods for control. Her findings can be used to determine fungicide effectiveness and to reduce disease development. This summer, Cantonwine provided 11 students with the opportunity to get firsthand experience studying fungi during a Maymester trip to Ireland.

www.energy.einnews.com
http://energy.einnews.com/pr_news/163206375/doe-selects-ten-projects-to-conduct-advanced-turbine-technology-research
DOE SELECTS TEN PROJECTS TO CONDUCT ADVANCED TURBINE TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Ten university projects to conduct advanced turbine technology research under the Office of Fossil Energy’s University Turbine Systems Research (UTSR) Program have been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for additional development. Developing gas turbines that run with greater cleanness and efficiency than current models is of great benefit both to the environment and the power industry, but development of such advanced turbine systems requires significant advances in high-temperature materials science, an understanding of combustion phenomena, and development of innovative cooling techniques to maintain integrity of turbine components… Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia): The aim of this project is to develop a microstructure-sensitive crystal viscoplasticity (CVP) model that accounts for γ’ precipitate morphology evolution that will be introduced through the coupling of coarsening kinetics and constitutive relations of the CVP model.

www.cltampa.com
http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2013/08/14/hart-offers-new-app-to-let-you-know-where-your-ride-is#.UgzituCTpGN
HART offers new app to let you know where your ride is
OneBusAway has its origins in the Seattle/Puget Sound region, where it was developed at the University of Washington.
Posted by MITCH PERRY
As has been widely reported over the past year, both Hillsborough and Pinellas transit agencies have enjoyed record ridership, as more and more Tampa Bay area citizens, for whatever reason, are relying on public transportation. And HART officials continue to tinker with advancements to make the riding experience more enjoyable. HART’s latest development is called OneBusAway Tampa. “It just gives riders real time arrival and departure information,” said HART spokesperson Sandra Morrison. Currently, transit agencies in Seattle and New York City employ such a program, and Morrison said Atlanta will also have one soon. OneBusAway has its origins in the Seattle/Puget Sound region, where it was developed at the University of Washington. HART worked with officials at Georgia Tech and the CUTR institute on the USF Tampa campus.

Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.thealmatimes.com
http://www.thealmatimes.com/articles/2013/08/14/opinion/doc520b9e344b18f444749841.txt
We are cheating our kids
By Tom Crawford
This is what we are doing to the children we are supposed to be educating. Ten years of cutting state funds to local school systems has forced them to reduce school calendars that once were required to be 180 days. Less than one-third of Georgia’s public school systems – just 57 of them – will be holding classes for 180 days during the 2013-14 school year, according to the state Department of Education.

www.theconversation.com
http://theconversation.com/georgia-techs-mooc-masters-an-end-to-high-cost-higher-ed-17004
Georgia Tech’s MOOC Masters: An end to high cost higher ed?
For those still believing that MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) pose no threat to established universities, Georgia Tech has launched the first accredited fully online Masters of Computer Science based for a cost of slightly less than US$7,000. By comparison, Georgia Tech’s current charge for this degree to out-of-state students is US$40,000. At one Australian university, the cost of a Master of Computer Science degree for international students is around AU$56,000 for tuition fees alone. …Thus, strictly speaking, this is not an “open” course since it comes with prerequisites and has a fee.

Education News
www.online.wsj.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323455104579013121315495820.html
U.S. Steps In on College-Accreditation Dispute
Department of Education Warns Agency It Wasn’t in Compliance With Federal Guidelines.
By DOUGLAS BELKIN And JIM CARLTON CONNECT
SAN FRANCISCO—A dispute that erupted last month over an accreditation agency’s proposed shutdown of one of the country’s largest community colleges escalated this week when the Department of Education warned the agency that it wasn’t in compliance with federal guidelines. The Education Department warning, in a letter dated Tuesday, comes at a time when President Barack Obama is calling for major changes in the accountability of the nation’s higher-education accreditation system and has threatened to create an alternative system if the changes aren’t forthcoming.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/bottomline/moodys-report-forecasts-a-gloomy-future-for-public-universities/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Moody’s Report Forecasts a Gloomy Future for Public Universities
By Eric Kelderman
Things were supposed to get better after the 2012 fiscal year, the year that colleges fell off the “cliff” created as federal stimulus money for higher education ran out and state appropriations had yet to recover. Instead, 2012 was just foreshadowing the difficult financial future that public colleges will continue to face, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service, a bond-rating company.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/In-Victory-for-HBCUs/141133/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
In Victory for HBCU’s, Department to Reconsider a Policy Change on Parent PLUS Loans
By Kelly Field
Washington
The Education Department, yielding to pressure from historically black colleges and members of Congress, said Wednesday that it would reconsider recent changes to the standards it uses to award Parent PLUS loans. In a letter obtained by The Chronicle, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan told the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Marcia L. Fudge, Democrat of Ohio, that his agency would review its definition of “adverse credit” in rule-making sessions planned for next spring.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55277/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=ae1c944cd5e74c40ae6635bae9d25af6&elqCampaignId=33
Diverse Conversations: The Benefits of an Online Education
by Dr. Matthew Lynch
Over the past decade, the number of online colleges and universities has grown exponentially. This has led to many debates over the efficacy and overall benefits of an online education. I recently sat down with Dr. John Ebersole, president of Excelsior College, to discuss the benefits of an online education. In his 25-year career in higher education, Ebersole’s personal experience as a post-traditional student has directed his approach to adult education. During our conversation, Ebersole touches on the pros and cons of an online education, his role as president and Excelsior’s role as an online institution.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/55273/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=ae1c944cd5e74c40ae6635bae9d25af6&elqCampaignId=33
System Breakdown
by Lekan Oguntoyinbo
Six years ago Dr. Onyeka Ezenwoye received his doctorate in computer science from Florida International University in Miami. He was the first Black person to enroll in the program and the first to complete it. Two other Blacks enrolled before he graduated—and that was it. Though minorities have made advancements in academia, like assuming presidencies of prestigious universities or chancellorships of large college systems, STEM is still an area where minorities are lacking.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/15/u-texas-president-wants-faculty-input-future-online-education#ixzz2c2b2P4q6
Charting a Course
By Colleen Flaherty
Hitting faculty and student inboxes today at the University of Texas at Austin is President Bill Powers’s white paper on the future of “technology enhanced” education. He’s calling the document a report, but Powers said in an interview it’s really an invitation to jump into a dialogue this fall on how the highly visible flagship university will continue to develop – and remain a leader in – online and “blended learning.”

www.nytimes.com

Seeking Better Teachers, City Evaluates Local Colleges That Train Them
By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has used data to rate restaurants, track the repair of potholes and close lackluster schools in New York City. Now he is bringing his results-oriented approach to an area far outside his usual purview: teacher colleges.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/15/nyu-confirms-end-date-sexton-presidency#ixzz2c2asY6Q0
Change at NYU
By Scott Jaschik
New York University trustees sent out an e-mail Wednesday that officially said that John Sexton’s presidency would end by 2016 — and also announced that the university would abandon a policy of providing highly favorable loans to senior administrators and some faculty members for vacation homes. The revelation — in a New York Times article in June — that NYU was providing loans for Sexton and others to enjoy luxury vacation homes infuriated many at NYU and came amid a Congressional investigation into executive compensation at the university.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Rise-of-International-Rankings/141135/?cid=at
Rise of International Rankings May Heighten Inequalities Between and Within Institutions
By Karin Fischer
The rise of global higher-education rankings may exacerbate inequalities between and within institutions, according to a new paper published in the research journal Minerva. That’s because rankings may influence policy makers to direct money to a small number of select research institutions competing for “world class” status and, within those universities, disproportionately to programs in science and technology.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/08/15/student-protesters-accuse-florida-atlantic-university-violating-their-first#ixzz2c2bCBHoZ
Free Speech or Heckling?
By Carl Straumsheim
A predictable pattern of events played out at Florida Atlantic University this spring: an Israeli speaker gave a presentation on campus, and pro-Palestinian students protested. But the way they protested — by interrupting his talk — has renewed a debate over free speech.