University System News
USG NEWS:
www.northfulton.com
http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-EDUCATION-c-2013-10-29-201267.114126-sub-University-of-North-Georgia-committee-sets-goals-for-future.html
University of North Georgia committee sets goals for future
Focus on community input, technology
by Caitlyn Walters
CUMMING, Ga. — University of North Georgia steering committee members and participants held a meeting to discuss the institution’s strategic plan, focusing on further uniting its four campuses.
www.cordeledispatch.com
http://cordeledispatch.com/local/x703149209/Darton-Progress-in-the-making
Darton – Progress in the making
Becky Crissman
Cordele Dispatch
Cordele — Work is progressing smoothly at the site of the future Darton College and Project Manager, Wright Woodall of Piedmont Construction of Macon said that the community is already feeling the impact of the project. “Workers are putting in dollars locally,” he said. “Staying in hotels, shopping in local stores and patroning local restaurants. Things are really going well. Personally, I am glad to be part of a project that is so important to a community. It is not often that we get to be involved in something with so much community support.”
www.wjcl.com
http://www.wjcl.com/news/local/ga-southern-hosts-college-fair
Ga. Southern hosts College Fair
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By Dave Williams
Savannah, GA.-Some area high school students get a head start on their college careers. The PROBE College Fair Tour makes a stop at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro. It was an opportunity for current high school juniors and seniors to meet with some 65 college representatives to see what their schools had to offer.
USG VALUE:
www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/business/2013-10-29/uga-president-be-more-involved-states-economic-health?v=1383074846
UGA president: Be more involved in the state’s economic health
By Tim Rausch
Business Editor
The faculty at the University of Georgia will be busier than it has in the past through an edict from its new president to leave the confines of Athens and assist the economic health of the state. Jere Morehead, who became president July 1, told Augusta business leaders Tuesday that a focus of his administration is to use the “intellectual capital” of the university to aid the state’s economy.
www.athens.patch.com
http://athens.patch.com/groups/around-town/p/athens-named-one-of-the-best-places-in-georgia-for-job-seekers
Athens has low unemployment, a low median household income and
Posted by Rebecca McCarthy
Nerdwallet, a consumer advocacy group, has named Athens Clarke County as the seventh best place in Georgia for job seekers. …Here’s what they said about Athens: “Athens-Clarke is a consolidated city-county in northeastern Georgia and is the fifth-largest city in the state. Athens-Clarke saw 3.1 percent growth in the working-age population between 2009 and 2011. Top employers in the region are the University of Georgia, Athens Regional Health System and Pilgrim’s. The University of Georgia, located in Athens, has a Small Business Development Center designed to help small businesses and their employees exceed.
GOOD NEWS:
www.us.vocuspr.com
http://us.vocuspr.com/ViewNewsOnDemand.aspx?ArticleID=100190_24319_107581567&Preview=true
DeKalb, Georgia Perimeter agree to open up more college credits
Outlet: Dunwoody Crier – Online
A new agreement between Georgia Perimeter College and the DeKalb County School District will increase opportunities for high school students to earn college credit, while also providing resources and training to enhance high school instruction. DeKalb Schools Superintendent Michael Thurmond and interim GPC President Rob Watts signed a Memorandum of Understanding Oct. 17, authorizing an expanded partnership between the school system and college that leaders say will strengthen college readiness of students, expose more students to college and promote college completion.
www.forest-blade.com
http://www.forest-blade.com/news/education/article_a45d6d32-40c0-11e3-be9d-001a4bcf887a.html
EGSC Statesboro approved to offer Associate of Arts degrees
East Georgia State College Statesboro has been approved by the Board of Trustees of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Commission on Colleges in Decatur to offer Associate of Arts degrees in general studies, psychology, and sociology. The approval is effective fall 2013, and follows approval by University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents in August 31, 2012.
www.times-herald.com
http://www.times-herald.com/opinion/20131030-Rants-and-Raves
Rants, Raves & Really?!?
A look back at last week’s highs, lows and whatevers: …RAVE: West Georgia Technical College and the University of West Georgia signed an agreement allowing WGTC students who complete the Associate of Science Degree in criminal justice to transfer to UWG’s program.
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-10-29/uga-professor-wins-national-teaching-award-wildlife-society
UGA professor wins national teaching award from The Wildlife Society
By UGA NEWS SERVICE
The University of Georgia’s Robert Warren recently won the 2013 Excellence in Wildlife Education Award, a national award from The Wildlife Society that recognizes exemplary teaching of wildlife education.
RESEARCH:
www.forest-blade.com
http://www.forest-blade.com/news/education/article_98b1e818-40c6-11e3-aece-001a4bcf887a.html
Ecology class studies populations
East Georgia State College students in Dr. Breana Simmons’s ecology class took to the woods on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2013 to study reptile and amphibian populations in different locations on campus. The students set up three different types of traps at three sites that represented a broad spectrum of habitats.
www.solardaily.com
http://www.solardaily.com/reports/Breakthrough_for_solar_cell_efficiency_999.html
Breakthrough for solar cell efficiency
Did you know that crystals form the basis for the penetrating icy blue glare of car headlights and could be fundamental to the future in solar energy technology? Crystals are at the heart of diodes. Not the kind you might find in quartz, formed naturally, but manufactured to form alloys, such as indium gallium nitride or InGaN. This alloy forms the light emitting region of LEDs, for illumination in the visible range, and of laser diodes (LDs) in the blue-UV range… In an article recently published in the journal Applied Physics Letters, the ASU group, in collaboration with a scientific team led by Professor Alan Doolittle at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has just revealed the fundamental aspect of a new approach to growing InGaN crystals for diodes, which promises to move photovoltaic solar cell technology toward record-breaking efficiencies.
www.times-georgian.com
http://www.times-georgian.com/news/local/article_127e0848-410d-11e3-80f2-001a4bcf6878.html
Report: ‘West Georgia economy continuing to recover’
By Winston Jones/Times-Georgian
The West Georgia region is continuing to show recovery from the recession, with increases in employment, housing permits and home prices. “Overall, the region added 3,420 jobs between the first quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013,” said Dr. Joey Smith, associate economics professor at University of West Georgia. “That was a 2.5 percent increase, compared to Georgia’s statewide increase of 1.9 percent during the same period.” Smith spoke on the West Georgia economic outlook at Tuesday’s annual 2013 Economic Forecast Breakfast held at the University of West Georgia’s Campus Center Ballr
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.gpb.org
http://www.gpb.org/blogs/georgia-works/2013/10/21/building-a-brighter-future-through-workforce-readiness
Building a Brighter Future Through Workforce Readiness
By Chip Rogers
Estimates suggest that by the year 2020, 60% of all Georgia jobs will require a college degree or certification. Today, only 42% of Georgia’s workforce meets these qualifications. Perhaps more sobering is the fact that only 17 out of 100 Georgia public school 9th-graders will graduate on time from a two- or four-year college or university, according to data from the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems. These numbers are a call to action for educators and economic development professionals. The University of North Georgia, in conjunction with the Complete College Georgia plan, recently created the Regional Economic and Educational Development (REED) task force.
www.ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2013/oct/30/new-teacher-evaluations-tougher-not-always-used-im/
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
New teacher evaluations: Tougher but not always used to improve instruction
Speaking of new studies per my previous posting this morning, the National Council on Teacher Quality just released “Connecting the Dots: Using Evaluations of Teacher Effectiveness to Inform Policy and Practice.” The council describes the study as “a lay of the land on state teacher evaluation policy in 2013.” Here is the full report.
Education News
www.daltondailycitizen,com
http://daltondailycitizen.com/local/x252040407/Dalton-state-facing-trifecta-hit-to-education
Dalton, state facing ‘trifecta’ hit to education?
Advocate hopes local unity will stave off ‘deep-six’
By Christopher Smith
When talking about how to get students to become contributing members of society, Stephen Dolinger said he imagines a pipeline. But if education is the pipeline, then it’s currently leaking, he said, with poverty the biggest problem. Dolinger, president of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education — a nonprofit group that tries to get leaders in government, business and education to work together — is touring school districts in northwest Georgia this week. …“They are learning the value and wisdom of working as a team,” Dolinger said of leaders from the county and city of Dalton school systems, Dalton State College, the chamber of commerce and Mohawk and Shaw Industries, among others. …Katy Green, an Archway professional from the University of Georgia who joined the Readers to Leaders program this year, said officials are starting to look at how the program can help children under the age of 5.
www.sacbee.com
http://www.sacbee.com/2013/10/28/5858149/countdown-to-college-common-application.html
Countdown to College: Common application chaos or ‘commotion’ application
By LEE BIERER
McClatchy Newspapers
It wasn’t supposed to happen this way. The Common Application made great fanfare of what was touted as the “new and improved” application.” Completing and submitting applications was to be made easier for students, high school counselors and colleges. Let’s just say it didn’t work out so well. Here is a sampling of some of this past week’s headlines regarding the Common Application debacle: “Halloween Tricks Come Early at Common App,” “Common App-oplexy, Redux,” “College application insanity gets worse,” “Mass Panic as Common App Crashes” and “Application Armageddon.”… The Common Application, with more than 500 college members, shut down completely on Oct. 14, the day before what was to be a baby-step in handling deadlines. Georgia Tech and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill are two colleges with Early Action deadlines of Oct. 15. Both colleges extended their Early Action deadlines to Oct. 21.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Redefine-Full-Time-So/142691/
Redefine ‘Full Time’ So Students Can Graduate on Time, Paper Suggests
By Katherine Mangan
Salt Lake City
Seven out of 10 college students who fit the federal government’s definition of being enrolled full time couldn’t earn an associate degree in two years or a bachelor’s degree in four even if they never changed majors, failed a course, or took one they didn’t need, according to a new policy brief from Complete College America. The report, released here on Tuesday at the nonprofit organization’s annual summit of member states, is based on a survey of students’ fall course loads at 158 public two-year and 171 public four-year colleges across 30 states.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/30/despite-new-studies-flipping-classroom-still-enjoys-widespread-support#ixzz2jCTZiPby
Still in Favor of the Flip
By Carl Straumsheim
Go ahead and postpone the conversation about the backlash against the flipped classroom model. Supporters and skeptics alike — and even the researchers behind a seemingly critical new report — say the evidence continues to be positive. Flipping the classroom — the practice of giving students access to lectures before they come to class and using class time for more engaging activities — hasn’t been nearly as divisive as many other ed tech trends, such as massive open online courses or outsourcing digital services. So when USA Today last week reported on an experiment at Harvey Mudd College that had failed to improve student outcomes, it provided a rare contrast… Other critics, like Ian Bogost, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology who placed himself in the “cautiously cautious” camp on flipped classrooms, said the model is only one of many factors in the larger debate about technology-based educational reform.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/30/mla-sees-decline-job-listings-english-and-languages#ixzz2jCMyy553
Humanities Jobs Decline
By Colleen Flaherty
After two years of slight growth, hiring for faculty positions and other full-time jobs in English and foreign languages was down year-over-year, according to a new report from the Modern Language Association. The annual report is published in the Job Information List each fall and includes all jobs advertised with MLA for this academic year (reflecting ads posted during the most recent hiring season). Although not every job is advertised with the MLA, the vast majority of full-time, tenure-track positions are, making the list a trusted indicator of the job market.
www.csoonline.com
http://www.csoonline.com/article/742273/many-ios-apps-found-open-to-hijacking-on-public-wi-fi
Many iOS apps found open to hijacking on public Wi-Fi
Israeli startup Skycure discovers vulnerability that allows attackers to send their own data to Apple devices
By Antone Gonsalves
An Israeli startup has discovered a vulnerability in many iOS apps that attackers could secretly exploit over a public Wi-Fi network to send their own data to an Apple iPhone or iPad. Skycure discovered the “coding pitfall,” which it calls HTTP Request Hijacking, while investigating a bug in its mobile security product. Further investigation uncovered the widespread flaw that could be used to send malicious links or fake news to a news app. The exploitation would start with a man-in-the-middle attack over a public Wi-Fi network. An attacker would first have to gain access to the HTTP traffic between the app and the server that receives its requests and sends back data… HTTP is known for being an insecure protocol susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks, Tielei Wang, a mobile security researcher at Georgia Institute of Technology, said. This particular attack is “very limited” because it only affects HTTP connections.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/jp/u-of-florida-president-condemns-fraternity-for-racial-and-sexual-taunts?cid=pm&utm_source=pm&utm_medium=en
U. of Florida President Condemns Fraternity for Racial and Sexual Taunts
The University of Florida’s president, J. Bernard Machen, on Monday sent a letter to members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, criticizing them for what he called a “hateful incident” involving a member who yelled racial slurs and sexual comments at a black female student. The fraternity apologized over the incident and said it had suspended the privileges of the member who made the comments.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/30/economists-faculty-warn-risk-colorado-states-stadium-plan#ixzz2jCNFJaiU
Luring Students With a Stadium
By Allie Grasgreen
Colorado State University is, like many public institutions, in a precarious financial position due to steady disinvestment by politicians in its state. But as common as its predicament might be, its leaders are consider a decidedly unconventional strategy to turn its financial situation around: building a $226 million on-campus football stadium.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/57137/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=7eaabde4a17a4b1aa8ab52249d3f2985&elqCampaignId=62#
University of Tennessee Says New Tuition Model Paying Off
by Associated Press
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ― Officials at the University of Tennessee say a new tuition model that charges new students for 15 credit hours instead of 12 is paying off in more ways than one. Sally McMillan, vice provost for academic affairs told the Knoxville News Sentinel that more freshmen have signed up this year to take 15 credit hours per semester. She said the tuition model change stems in part from a desire to see students graduate in four years.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/57130/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=7eaabde4a17a4b1aa8ab52249d3f2985&elqCampaignId=62#
HBCU Presidents at a New Crossroads
by Dianne Hayes
Only three months into the academic year and headlines have been littered with announcements about HBCU leadership turnover. There have been a plethora of reasons, including university presidents being fired, being encouraged to leave their posts by their boards of trustees or opting for retirement. Gone are the days of decades of top-down leadership, now replaced by a need for charismatic personalities who are well-skilled at fundraising while navigating internal needs and external stakeholders, as well as politics and long-standing traditions. The burning question that remains is about the fate of HBCUs and how to stop the trend that’s making it difficult for presidents to lead.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/30/obama-administration-announces-series-public-hearings-college-ratings-system#ixzz2jCNabdVb
Listening Tour on College Ratings
By Michael Stratford
The Obama administration will convene hearings at college campuses across the country next month to gather public input on its controversial proposal to create a federal college ratings system, the Education Department will formally announce Wednesday. As the administration moves ahead with developing the specific criteria for the rating system, officials will travel to four campuses next month to solicit feedback at public forums.
Related article:
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Hearings-Will-Gather-Public/142689/s
Hearings Will Gather Public Feedback on Obama’s Plan to Rate Colleges
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/big-data-is-bunk-obama-campaigns-tech-guru-tells-university-leaders/47885?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
‘Big Data’ Is Bunk, Obama Campaign’s Tech Guru Tells University Leaders
By Marc Parry
New York — Lots of college leaders and technologists are gathered in Lower Manhattan this week for a State University of New York-sponsored conference about all the great things “Big Data” can do for higher education. Harper Reed, who served as chief technology officer in President Obama’s 2012 campaign, offered those people what he jokingly called “an intervention.”