University System News
USG NEWS:
www.businessinsavannah.com
http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2013-10-14/business-savannah-news-summary#.Ul1Hwih5iCZ
Local firmed picked as architect for Armstrong project
Armstrong Atlantic State University has announced that Hussey, Gay, Bell & DeYoung has been named the architecture firm for the university’s new 20,000-square-foot Armstrong-Liberty Center in Hinesville. “To us, it is bigger than just a building,” said Eric Johnson, the firm’s president. “It’s a place for the soldiers and their families to advance their education.
www.valdostadailytimes.com
http://valdostadailytimes.com/opinion/x252027833/Successful-collaboration-produces-results
Successful collaboration produces results
The Valdosta Daily Times
— — Faculty at Valdosta State University’s College of Education found statistics that alarmed them regarding the large number of students who qualified for free or reduced lunches based on U.S. poverty guidelines and the number of students who drop out and fail to graduate, particularly in the black community.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/90128/
University of North Georgia forms strategic steering committee
New university to develop five-year plan
By Carly Sharec
University of North Georgia officials are forming a committee to outline what the institution will look like five years from now. “As a new university, we need to develop a strategic plan for the institution that will take us into the future,” said Andrew Leavitt, vice president for university advancement.
USG VALUE:
www.jacksonprogress-argus.com
http://www.jacksonprogress-argus.com/news/2013/oct/14/bill-jones-among-uga-alumni-of-distinction-winners/
Bill Jones among UGA Alumni of Distinction winners
By Special to the Progress-Argus
ATHENS, Ga. — Jackson businessman Bill Jones is among 16 graduates recently honored by the University of Georgia Graduate School as 2013 Alumni of Distinction for achieving exceptional success in their professional careers and in service to their community. The Graduate School Alumni of Distinction Award was established in 2012 by the University of Georgia’s Graduate Education Advancement Board, and the first recipients were named in 2013.
GOOD NEWS:
www.businessinsavannah.com
http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2013-10-14/business-savannah-news-summary#.Ul1Hwih5iCZ
‘Military friendly’ schools include Armstrong
Armstrong Atlantic State University has been included on Victory Media’s 2014 Military Friendly Schools list, which honors the top 20 percent of the nation’s colleges, universities and trade schools that embrace military service members, veterans and spouses.
www.thecrier.net
http://www.thecrier.net/news/article_f70c0edc-3533-11e3-9cec-001a4bcf887a.html
GPC reaches out to offer veterans’ programs on five campuses
Georgia Perimeter College has been named a Military Friendly school for the third year in a row, with more than 1,000 veterans attending the college. But for Mark Eister, GPC’s military outreach director, the phrase “Military Friendly” is more than just a buzzword. The retired U.S. Army Sergeant Major has developed outreach programs that go beyond processing a veteran’s military benefits.
www.businessinsavannah.com
http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2013-10-14/business-savannah-news-summary#.Ul1Hwih5iCZ
Georgia Southern designated military friendly
STATESBORO — For the third year in a row, Georgia Southern University has been named a Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine for its efforts to provide educational opportunities to America’s veterans, active-duty troops and their families.
www.wsav.com
http://www.wsav.com/story/23690135/georgia-tech-helps-veterans-find-jobs-thanks-to-new-program
Georgia Tech Helps Veterans Find Jobs Thanks to New Program
By Meredith Ley, Reporter
SAVANNAH, GA –
Fourteen percent — that is the approximate unemployment rate for post 9/11 veterans in Georgia. But a local program is trying to reduce that number. Georgia Tech’s Savannah campus is offering the “Veterans Education Training and Transition program.” The four week curriculum is the first of its kind in the nation and works with local businesses allowing veterans to get hands on experience in the civilian world.
RESEARCH:
www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-ellen-biery/what-non-government-econo_b_4096494.html
What Non-Government Economic Indicators Say
Mary Ellen Biery
Research Specialist, Sageworks
In the shutdown-induced absence of several national economic indicators, media outlets have highlighted some quirky options for gaining insight on the U.S. economy – including the plastic surgery indicator and the beer consumption index. Odd indicators aside, there are many private data sources of information that can be useful on an ongoing basis to determine the current state of American businesses and consumers… A separate study of publicly traded firms by the Georgia Tech Financial Analysis Lab released recently noted median revenues declined in the 12 months ended June 2013, which researchers said signals a slowdown for the U.S. Economy.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2013/10/mobile-startup-raises-25m-from.html
Mobile startup rings up $2.5M from Valley, Atlanta Vcs
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer-Atlanta Business Chronicle
Mobile software startup StarMobile has raised $2.5 million from West Coast and Atlanta investors. The Georgia Tech spinoff says its technology can convert desktop enterprise software, such as Salesforce.com, Oracle and SAP, into a mobile applications for 80 percent less than third-party mobile platforms. “We have technology that, in real-time, converts the existing enterprise app into a mobile application that can be accessed on-the-go,” Star Mobile CEO Todd Fryburger said.
www.saportareport.com
http://saportareport.com/blog/2013/10/atlanta-maker-brainstorming-and-creating-tech-prototypes-in-48-hours/comment-page-1/
Atlanta Maker — brainstorming and creating tech prototypes in 48 hours
By Saba Long
Weekend projects. We all have them but I doubt any of ours were as exciting as what the folks at Atlanta Maker worked on this past weekend. The Georgia Tech Invention Studio partnered with the Coca-Cola Co. and General Electric to host a special “maker” edition of Startup Weekend, the second of its kind in the world. Much like Startup Weekend focused on pitching and building software solutions, Atlanta Maker brought individuals together to brainstorm and construct physical prototypes in just 48 hours. Fourteen pitches resulted in eight teams, including one made up of Georgia Tech students, and six functioning demos.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.ccnewsnow.com
http://www.ccnewsnow.com/im-living-proof-that-community-colleges-can-fix-our-broken-education-system/?utm_campaign=1015ccnewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=b22ccc47f6bc48d0bd55d5459c70292e&elqCampaignId=102
I’m Living Proof That Community Colleges Can Fix Our Broken Education System
Source: Kevin Golembowski, PolicyMic
In the U.S., we look down on community college. This must change. Community colleges present a viable cost-effective alternative to universities and, as a result, can play an important role in addressing our student debt crisis. With more students attending community colleges, student debt will decrease and these institutions will pose a competitive threat to larger universities, forcing them to lower their price of admission.
www.online.wsj.com
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304561004579135363266072976.html?KEYWORDS=%22Georgia+Tech%22
The Opportunities—and Risks—in the MOOC Business Model
Advocates of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) claim they have the potential to transform higher education by expanding academic access on an unprecedented scale. But in the technology’s early days, it remains to be seen whether this promise can be realized. So we asked The Experts: What are the opportunities—and risks—in the MOOC business model?
www.blogs.computerworld.com
http://blogs.computerworld.com/mobile-security/22969/lets-dump-av-and-move
Let’s dump anti-virus software and move on
By Antone Gonsalves
I have a message for Americans with smartphones: Don’t install anti-virus software. It’s a waste of money. And I have a message for the security industry: Forget trying to make money on AV products. It’s time to move on to something a lot more effective. Why I’m anti-anti-virus: My anti-AV stance is based on mounting evidence that malware is at best a minuscule threat on mobile devices and AV doesn’t work. Let’s start with the nearly nonexistent threat. Researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology and security vendor Damballa found during a three-month study that 3,492 out of more than 380 million mobile devices had malware, which amounts to an infection rate of 0.0009 percent.
Education News
www.wsbtv.com
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/online-application-site-causing-issues-students/nbNgd/
Online application site causing issues for students
By Richard Elliot
ATLANTA, Ga. — Thousands of students across the country and here in Georgia are having trouble applying online to some colleges and universities because of problems with a popular online application website. The Common Application, or Common App, acknowledged it’s had issues with the site ever since it launched a new software platform in August. …Georgia Tech, Morehouse College, Emory University, Agnes Scott College, Spelman College, Clark University, Berry College and Oglethorpe University all use Common App.
Related articles:
www.forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2013/10/14/mass-panic-as-common-app-crashes/
Mass Panic As Common App Crashes
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/common-app-has-a-wild-day-and-a-competitor-adds-a-big-name/36923?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Common App Has a Wild Day, and a Competitor Adds a Big Name
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Cloud-of-Uncertainty-Unsettles/142283/?cid=at
Enrollment: a Moving Target for Many Colleges
By Scott Carlson, Goldie Blumenstyk, and Andy Thomason
Earlier this year, people who worked at colleges would tell you that there was a palpable nervousness about this fall—a sense that amid an unsteady economy and questions in the popular press about the value of college, bringing in students was going to be tough. A Chronicle survey of 436 small private colleges and comprehensive state institutions conducted last month offers a glimpse of what colleges might actually be facing in terms of enrollment and revenue. In the survey, conducted with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the Council of Independent Colleges, nearly half of the respondents said that they missed either their enrollment or their net-tuition-revenue goals.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/15/american-adults-see-online-courses-least-equivalent-most-ways#ixzz2hnNnQoio
Americans’ Views of Online Courses
By Doug Lederman
A majority of Americans believe online instruction is at least as good as classroom-based courses in terms of providing good value, a format most students can succeed in, and instruction tailored to each individual. But they question the rigor of testing and grading, and whether employers will view such degrees positively, a new survey by Gallup shows.
Related article:
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/traditional-education-beats-online-in-key-areas-many-say-in-gallup-survey/47363?cid=wc&utm_source=wc&utm_medium=en
Traditional Education Beats Online in Key Areas, Opinion Poll Finds
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/56701/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8e4e9318d2ef45b1825a11bdb0aea068&elqCampaignId=62
Schools Increase Efforts to Attract More Women to Business Programs
by Maria Eugenia Miranda
…As more professional women continue to slowly but surely break down barriers in the traditionally male-dominated C-suite, news of their accomplishments has initiated conversations about attracting more females into the business world, particularly as it pertains to their enrollment in business schools.
www.weartv.com
http://www.weartv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/preparing-floridas-youth-real-world-37104.shtml
Preparing Florida’s youth for the ‘Real World’
Many feel Florida’s youth aren’t prepared financially to enter into the “Real World”. The Florida Council on Economic Education wants to change that. They are asking state lawmakers to require Florida high schoolers to take a Financial Literacy course. One study the group did shows that young adults had more trouble finding a job during the recession. That’s why they say it’s more important now than ever to educate students on how to handle their finances.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/15/faculty-sharing-experiment-working-out-kinks#ixzz2hnNHjp7g
Easier Said Than Done
By Colleen Flaherty
The recent recession hit higher education hard, but posed a near-existential threat to some small, private colleges without substantial endowments. So when a group of such institutions announced a faculty-sharing experiment in 2012, it attracted a fair amount of attention. After all, it’s one thing for colleges to seek economies of scale by sharing contracts to buy laptops or health insurance, but faculty teaching goes to the heart of institutions.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/headcount/36915/36915
How Much Do College Rankings Matter to Students?
By Eric Hoover
Prospective college students don’t care about college rankings nearly as much as their anxious mothers and fathers do, right? Maybe not. According to the results of a survey released on Tuesday, 34 percent of college-bound students strongly disagreed, and 32 percent somewhat disagreed, with the statement that rankings “don’t matter to me, but they matter to my parents.” Meanwhile, just 6 percent strongly agreed, and 20 percent somewhat agreed, that rankings “don’t matter.”
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/15/after-nearly-15-years-education-dept-revives-fines-against-two-institutions#ixzz2hnNei49Y
Ed Dept Cold CasesBy Michael Stratford
It’s a case of either colossal inefficiency or supreme accountability. Earlier this year, the Education Department suddenly told officials at two universities they needed to pay up for minor infractions of federal student aid rules alleged to have occurred from 1994 to 1996.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/10/15/colleges-prepare-major-software-upgrades-kuali-tries-woo-them-corporate-vendors#ixzz2hnNU1ylz
Kuali Tries to Compete
By Ry Rivard
Times are already tough, but colleges will likely spend billions in coming years to upgrade the administrative computer systems that make them tick. Kuali, an ambitious nonprofit created by a group of colleges nearly a decade ago, is trying to get a big piece of the action. In order for it to become a major player, Kuali’s supporters must convince college officials they are wasting money when they buy software from traditional for-profit companies, including Oracle, Ellucian, Campus Management Corp. and Jenzabar, as well as new entrants into the field of campus software, like Workday.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/56696/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8e4e9318d2ef45b1825a11bdb0aea068&elqCampaignId=62
High Court Weighs Michigan Ban on Affirmative Action
by Mark Sherman, Associated Press
WASHINGTON — After the Supreme Court ruled a decade ago that race could be a factor in college admissions in a Michigan case, affirmative action opponents persuaded the state’s voters to outlaw any consideration of race. Now, the high court is weighing whether that change to Michigan’s constitution is itself discriminatory.