University System News
CONSOLIDATION:
www.mdjonline.com
http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/23995225/article-SPSU-students-against-merger-with-KSU-file-petition–seek-meeting-with-Regents?instance=special%20_coverage_right_column
SPSU students against merger with KSU file petition, look to meet with Regents
by Nikki Wiley
MARIETTA — Southern Polytechnic State University students have asked for a shot at changing the minds of the University System of Georgia about a planned merger between their school and Kennesaw State University. A group of students opposed to the merger have filed an official petition with the Board of Regents, the appointed group that must approve the consolidation, seeking an audience with the board at its meeting scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday in Atlanta. Regents meetings are open to the public but have no public comment period, said John Millsaps, spokesman for the university system.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/11/07/fafsa-snafu-possibly-contributed-8-enrollment-drop
FAFSA Snafu Possibly Contributed to 8% Enrollment Drop
A paperwork snafu following the merger of two Georgia colleges may have contributed to an 8 percent enrollment decline, according to officials at Middle Georgia State College.
Middle Georgia State – the combination of Macon State College and Middle Georgia College – is the product of a round of mergers pushed by the University System of Georgia. When the first class of students to attend the merged college used the Free Application for Federal Student Aid this year, the online application presented them with these two choices: “Middle Georgia College, Cochran, GA” and “Middle Georgia State College, Macon Cam, Macon, GA.” Students who picked the first received their financial aid normally. Students who picked the second choice didn’t because the identifier was tied to an old school code.
USG NEWS:
www.macon.com
http://www.macon.com/2013/11/06/2758870/blake-named-president-of-middle.html
Next Middle Georgia State College president says he likes what he sees
By JENNA MINK
To Christopher Blake, what’s going on at Middle Georgia State College is unique. He was pleasantly intrigued by the recent merger of Macon State and Middle Georgia colleges to form the new institution. It’s an effort to meet the needs of students and the entire area — an effort that attracted the new president of Middle Georgia State to the position, he said. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents announced Wednesday that Blake, 53, most recently president of Mount Mercy University in Iowa, will replace interim President John Black as president at Middle Georgia State.
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-11-06/enrollment-50-percent-uga-engineering
Enrollment up 50 percent in UGA engineering
By LEE SHEARER
Undergraduate enrollment in the University of Georgia’s new College of Engineering grew by nearly 50 percent from last fall to this year, the college’s dean told an Athens audience Wednesday. Enrollment is just shy of 1,000 this fall, including about 920 undergraduates, said Donald Leo, the engineering college’s dean.
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-11-06/uga’s-african-studies-institute-present-annual-conference-africa-its-diaspora
UGA’s African Studies Institute to present annual conference on Africa, its diaspora
By UGA NEWS SERVICE
The African Studies Institute at the University of Georgia will present the Second Annual International Conference on Africa and its Diaspora, or AICAID 2013, Nov. 13-15 in the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. …The AICAID 2013 conference will build on the foundation laid during the first conference held in November 2012 as part of the 25th anniversary of African studies at UGA.
USG VALUE:
www.wtoc.com
http://www.wtoc.com/story/23897803/georgia-southern-offers-holiday-helpers-tree
Georgia Southern offers Holiday Helpers tree
By Dal Cannady
STATESBORO, GA (WTOC) -One of the first decorations for the holiday season went up at Georgia Southern. It’s a Christmas tree with hundreds of paper decorations inside the Russell Student Union. The 20th annual Holiday Helpers tree helps clients of 14 local charitable agencies. Each paper tag on the tree lists a person’s first name, age, and some simple items they would like but likely won’t get during the holidays. Anyone can select a tag from the tree, register it with student volunteers and buy and wrap the gifts listed. Organizers have seen the need and the response grown in two decades.
www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2013-11-06/salvation-army-brings-out-red-kettles-annual-fundraiser
Salvation Army brings out the red kettles for annual fundraiser
By Lisa Kaylor
Staff Writer
The Salvation Army of Greater Augusta kicked off its red kettle fundraising campaign Wednesday, with rings of the familiar hand bell letting everyone know the holiday season is close at hand. Salvation Army advisory board co-chairman Ben Watts ceremoniously dropped a $13 memoriam into a kettle outside the Kroger on Washington Road as the organization’s band played Christmas carols. “Thanksgiving is a week later (this year), and so we’re starting a little bit early because we need the bell-ringing funds,” said John Sebby, the director of development. Alumni from the University of Alabama, the University of Georgia, Georgia Southern University and Clemson University competed to raise the most money and be declared the winner of the fourth annual kickoff.
GOOD NEWS:
www.stripes.com
http://www.stripes.com/news/us/csu-to-cover-about-50-military-students-affected-by-gov-t-shutdown-1.251368
CSU to cover about 50 military students affected by gov’t shutdown
By Mark Rice
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Here’s another reason Columbus State University is considered a “Military Friendly School.” Thanks to private scholarship funds, CSU is covering more than $33,000 in tuition and fees for about 50 military students who were caught in last month’s partial shutdown of the federal government, the university announced Tuesday. Financial aid for military students was suspended during the shut down, but CSU officials encouraged them to register and attend classes as usual because they assumed those costs would be paid retroactively when the government returned to work. But after GoArmyEd was reinstated Oct. 17, that didn’t happen. CSU officials, however, found a way to not stick the military students with the bill.
Related article:
www.ledger-enquirer.com
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2013/11/06/2782223/columbus-state-university-to-cover.html
CSU will cover costs for military students caught in government shutdown
www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2013-11-06/army-will-not-close-grus-rotc-program?v=1383765646
Army will not close GRU’s ROTC program
By Tracey McManus
Staff Writer
The Georgia Regents University ROTC program will live to fight another day. The Army confirmed Wednesday it will postpone the closures of 13 underperforming units across the country. In October, the Army announced it was shutting down programs graduating 15 or fewer cadets per year to relocate the resources to larger growth markets.
According to a statement from Congressman John Barrow, GRU’s ROTC will remain on a two-year probation status and be re-evaluated after that. “The ROTC program at GRU was named the best program in the country, so shutting it down just doesn’t make any sense,” Barrow said in a statement.
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/nov/04/georgia-gwinnett-college-student-attends-secret/
Georgia Gwinnett College student attends Secret Service Leadership Academy
By Keith Farner
LAWRENCEVILLE — A criminal justice student at Georgia Gwinnett College was among a select group of students chosen to participate in a U.S. Secret Service Leadership Academy. Rose Fox, 20, was among 30 students selected for the seven-day course that focused this summer on effective law enforcement and the dynamics of motivating others.
RESEARCH:
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2013-11-06/uga-researchers-link-youths’-social-interactions-grades-self-efficacy
UGA researchers link youths’ social interactions with grades, self-efficacy
By UGA NEWS SERVICE
Positive social interactions with friends and family and involvement in youth programs can be protective factors against depression and poor performance in school, according to researchers within the University of Georgia College of Family and Consumer Sciences. Researchers analyzed a data set of more than 1,000 youths ages 11-18 who are part of U.S. military families at home and abroad. The study was designed to look at not just the difficulties—or vulnerabilities—youth face but also their level of resilience in adjusting to them.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2013/11/07/essay-when-good-rankings-lead-colleges-wrong-direction
When a Better Ranking Is a Bad Thing
By Robert J. Sternberg
When people want to know how “good” a university is, they often turn to published media ratings, such as the rankings of U.S. News & World Report. The assumption is that the better the ratings, the better the university is. But there may be cases in which a better rating is actually a bad thing. It all depends on the mission of the university. Consider, for example, the case of the land-grant mission.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/interest-fades-so-does-common-sense
As Interest Fades, So Does Common Sense
Barbara Fister
A friend Tweeted a link to a New York Times “death of the humanities” piece recently. You may have read it. The title is “As Interest Fades in the Humanities, Colleges Worry.” It triggered in me a kind of autocomplete fugue state. I tweeted back a string of inanities.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/are-you-working-learning-designer
Are you working with a learning designer?
By Joshua Kim
Have you consulted a learning design professional on your campus to help you think about: Leveraging learning technologies to assist you in meeting your teaching goals? Evolving your face-to-face course to a more blended teaching methodology, one in which some of year teaching is done on your campus learning management system (LMS)? Creating a fully (or mostly) online course? My hypothesis is that the ability to collaborate with a learning designer is the single most important determinant of faculty successfully integrating technology into their teaching.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/student-affairs-and-technology/mooc-exploring-student-affairs-profession
MOOC: Exploring the Student Affairs Profession
By Eric Stoller
Earlier this year, I asked whether or not Student Affairs needed a technology MOOC. The idea being that a technology MOOC for Student Affairs would be useful as a way to provide access to a baseline of technology-related content for Student Affairs practitioners (especially for folks who are in masters level higher education programs). It does seem like MOOCs would be useful platforms for those of us who work in (and study) higher education.
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2013/nov/06/georgia-schools-sinking-are-taxpayers-willing-thro/
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Georgia schools teetering, but are taxpayers willing to offer steadying hand?
As I have noted, the issue of dwindling school resources hit home for me this year when my twins entered high school and had 33 students in all their classes. Their older brother had 22 in most of his classes just five years ago. So, I was not surprised at the gloomy findings in a policy report released today by the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, “Cutting Class to Make Ends Meet.” The report looks at the consequence of the cuts in state funding described in the GBPI’s September report, “The Schoolhouse Squeeze.” That report examined the recent cuts in state funding and the diminished ability of local districts to compensate.
Education News
www.chattanoogan.com
http://www.chattanoogan.com/2013/11/6/262937/Dalton-Businessman-Joe-Yarbrough.aspx
Dalton Businessman Joe Yarbrough Elected Chairman Of The TCSG State Board
The members of the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia have voted to install Joe Yarbrough of Dalton as their new chairman for the next two years. He will replace the board’s current chair, Lynn Cornett of Sandy Springs, whose term expires on Dec. 31.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/open_access/local_news/HOPE-110713-hr-jh#
Scholarship change affects tech colleges
By SARAH LUNDGREN The Brunswick News
The acting president of Altamaha Technical College says she is just as surprised as anyone by the impact a change in Georgia’s HOPE scholarship has had on the student body. Thousands of technical school students across the state failed to qualify for the scholarship funded through lottery proceeds after the state raised the qualifying requirement from a 2.0 grade point average to 3.0. Among them were 211 students at the five campuses of Altamaha Technical College, including the one in Glynn County.
www.gpb.org
http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/11/06/adding-up-the-cost-of-low-literacy-among-adults
Adding Up The Cost Of Low Literacy Among Adults
By Kavitha Cardoza
Low literacy rates for adults can have wide-ranging effects on those around them. They may rely more heavily on government services; their children may not get that extra hand with schoolwork; their families may not get sufficient financial support. But for the millions of adults with low literacy, the ability to read, write and speak English might offer them the most important opportunity of all: a chance to emerge from the shadows and participate as equals in society.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Different-Model-for-Merit/142845/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
With New Micro-Scholarship Site, Colleges Aim to Shape Student Behavior
By Beckie Supiano
To students and their parents, merit scholarships are rewards for doing all the right things in high school. But not all students know what colleges value, or even believe college is within their reach. What if colleges could use merit aid not only to reward students for their behavior, but also to shape it? That’s the premise behind Raise, a new online service that will allow students to rack up “micro-scholarships” from participating colleges for completing specific tasks starting in ninth grade.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Overseas-Health-Programs-Let/142777/?cid=at
Some Health Programs Overseas Let Students Do Too Much, Too Soon
By Karin Fischer
…Over the past decade, the number of American students in health fields going abroad has nearly tripled, with many opting for programs that take them out of the classroom and into clinics and hospitals. But as participation has increased, so, too, have educators’ concerns. Far too often, experts say, students are providing patient care—conducting examinations, suturing wounds, even delivering babies—for which they have little or no training.
www.news.yahoo.com
http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-students-flock-u-exams-chase-college-dreams-091255217–business.html;_ylt=A2KJ3CSJdHtSJ1AAsAbQtDMD
Chinese students flock to U.S. exams to chase college dreams
By Grace Li
HONG KONG (Reuters) – Chinese students form the largest overseas group at U.S. universities and their numbers are rising as families spend a fortune in the quest for an American education to pry open the door to career and social success.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/57301/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=adb1912380e84be5b4f6fd99be6dffd3&elqCampaignId=62#
Campus Health Centers Expand Services
by Vikki Conwell
…Stress and related conditions are growing increasingly common among college students, according to the spring 2012 American College Health Association-National College Health Assessment. More than 44 percent of student respondents reported feeling hopeless within the last 12 months, 85 percent felt overwhelmed, and 29.5 percent felt so depressed it was hard to function. In the last 12 months, 12.1 percent had been diagnosed or treated for anxiety and 10.6 percent for depression. In an effort to be proactive and address the upsurge in students’ stress-induced ailments, colleges and universities are expanding their health care services to include wellness and health promotion, mental health and substance abuse.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/57297/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=adb1912380e84be5b4f6fd99be6dffd3&elqCampaignId=62#
Study Reveals University Endowments Bouncing Back from Recession
by Reginald Stuart
The stock market’s impressive performance in recent months has helped college endowments regain much of their growth that was lost since the economy began its nosedive in 2008, according to preliminary results released Wednesday of the most comprehensive study of higher education endowments. The preliminary study released by the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO)—Commonfund Study of Endowments revealed that Educational Endowments Earned Investment Returns averaged 11.7 percent in fiscal year 2013, compared to .03 percent in 2012.
Related articles:
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/11/07/endowment-returns-negative-2012-return-double-digits
Endowment Returns Up, For Now
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Endowments-Rebound/142847/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Colleges’ Endowments Rebound After a Flat Year, Preliminary Data Show
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2013/11/07/u-california-reports-its-crowd-funding-efforts
U. of California Reports on Its Crowd-Funding Efforts
The University of California System raised $400,000 in relatively small gifts (averaging about $75) through a crowd-funding campaign for scholarships, and officials said that the effort was successful not only in bringing in money but raising awareness about the need for scholarships, The Los Angles Times reported.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/u-at-albany-will-share-technology-services-with-community-college/48107?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
U. at Albany Will Share Technology Services With Community College
By Megan O’Neil
The State University of New York’s University at Albany and nearby Hudson Valley Community College have agreed to take the first steps in what officials envision as a long-term, multifaceted sharing of information-technology services and facilities. They are the first institutions in the 64-campus SUNY system to share information-technology resources, and the arrangement could become a model for other colleges, officials say.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/11/07/education-department-kicks-public-hearings-college-ratings-system
Public Hearing on College Ratings
By Michael Stratford
A federal college ratings system has the potential to curb access to higher education for disadvantaged minority and low-income students, several college leaders and student advocates told U.S. Education Department officials on Wednesday.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/57316/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=adb1912380e84be5b4f6fd99be6dffd3&elqCampaignId=62#
Ohio State Presidential Search Nearing $300,000
by Andrew Welsh-Huggins, Associated Press
COLUMBUS Ohio—The search for the next president of Ohio State University is on track to cost more than $300,000, about a third of which is expenses for a one-day forum on the state of the college presidency. …A decision is expected early next year. The university has paid its executive headhunting firm about $151,000 to date with a final payment of at least $67,000 due when the search is completed, records show.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2013/11/07/football-coach-salaries-10-percent-over-last-year-and-top-5-million
Coaches Make More Than You
By Allie Grasgreen
The University of Texas at Austin now pays its president $5.4 million per year, according to new figures released Wednesday. Just kidding! That’s actually the salary of the head football coach Mack Brown, whose total paycheck is even higher – $5,453,750 – when accounting for “other sources.” But anyone remotely familiar with the finances of higher education institutions and their athletic departments probably knew that already.