University System News
GOOD NEWS:
www.ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/georgia-online-grad-programs-rank-high-on-us-news-/ncfhD/
Georgia online grad programs rank high on U.S. News list
By Janel Davis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Online graduate programs at Georgia colleges and universities ranked high on lists compiled by U.S. News & World Report and released Wednesday. … Among the online graduate programs, the University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business — ranked 4th and tied with the University of Texas at Dallas — received the highest ranking among national public and private colleges for its business program. Marietta’s Southern Polytechnic State University, ranked eighth, was the highest-ranked Georgia institution for its computer information technology program. The University of Georgia’s education program received the highest state ranking at 22nd. The University of West Georgia also received Georgia’s highest ranking, at 48th, for its nursing program.
Related article:
www.usnews.com
http://www.usnews.com/education/online-education/articles/2014/01/08/us-news-releases-2014-best-online-programs-rankings
U.S. News Releases 2014 Best Online Programs Rankings
Learn which programs placed No. 1 in this year’s rankings of online bachelor’s and master’s programs.
USG NEWS:
www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/campus-carry-still-key-as-georgia-considers-broade/ncfYm/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstub1
‘Campus carry’ still key as Georgia considers broader gun access
BY AARON GOULD SHEININ AND KRISTINA TORRES – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Gun rights advocates are eager to use their majority in the General Assembly to burnish Georgia’s reputation as one of the friendliest states to gun owners, with passage all but certain of a sweeping gun bill this year that will notably loosen firearms restrictions in the state. Final details are expected to be hammered out over the first few weeks of this year’s legislative session, which starts Monday. Broad points were agreed to last year, although proponents must still bridge a rift over whether to allow students to carry concealed weapons on the more than 50 campuses of the state’s university and technical college systems — a prospect staunchly opposed by the state’s powerful Board of Regents and other higher education leaders.
www.gpb.org
http://www.gpb.org/news/2014/01/07/new-middle-georgia-state-college-president-its-time-to-become-a-university
New Middle Georgia State College President: It’s Time To Become A University
By Adam Ragusea
MACON, Ga. — The new president of Middle Georgia State College has arrived and is in the midst of his first full week on the job. Christopher Blake is the first permanent head of the newly consolidated institution that combines the former Middle George College with Macon State College. The next step for the institution of more than 8,000 undergraduates is to add graduate programs and become a university, he said. The Georgia Board of Regents approved MGSC’s path toward university status in 2012.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2014/01/07/wellstar-to-operate-ksu-student-health.html
WellStar to operate KSU student health clinics
Jacques Couret
Senior Online Editor and Social Engagement Manager-
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Kennesaw State University hired Marietta, Ga.-based WellStar Medical Group to run its Student Health Services. Financial terms were not disclosed. The clinics will be completely under WellStar’s management by the end of March. KSU’s three health care facilities provide students with the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, mental health support, disease prevention and health promotion.
www.barnesville.com
http://www.barnesville.com/archives/6833-Gordon-to-break-ground-on-SRC-Jan.-16.html
Gordon to break ground on SRC Jan. 16
Posted by Walter Geiger in Headlines
Gordon State College will host groundbreaking ceremonies for the new Student Recreation Center on Thursday, Jan. 16 at 2 p.m.
www.gwinettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/dec/28/peachtree-corners-siblings-make-ga-tech-band-a/
Peachtree Corners siblings make Ga. Tech band a family affair
By Keith Farner
PEACHTREE CORNERS — When the entire family goes to the same college, the youngest members of the family begin to face questions. Were you pressured to go? Are you only going because your siblings and parents went? Did you even consider another college? Georgia Tech freshman Christa Peet, the youngest in the family, faced plenty of those re-Peeted questions as she came closer to her college decision.
RESEARCH:
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/morning_call/2014/01/uga-studying-beige-fat-cells-to.html
UGA studying “beige” fat cells to fight bulge
Carla Caldwell, Morning Edition Editor
White cells store globs of fat. Brown cells burn fat and keep mice slim. In between, researchers now say, is a type of fat called “beige.” Beige may be a key to fighting the bulge – and its the focus of researchers at the University of Georgia, Georgia Health News reports.
www.techland.time.com
Outlet Schmoutlet: Ford’s Electric Hybrid Concept Car Recharges via Built-in Solar Panels
Outlet Schmoutlet: Ford’s Electric Hybrid Concept Car Recharges via Built-in Solar Panels
By Doug Aamoth
Finally, a use for the sun that doesn’t involve making you squint or turning your pale, pale skin all splotchy and red. Here at the 2014 CES gadget show in Las Vegas, Ford is showing off its C-MAX Solar Energi Concept car. Developed by Ford and researchers at Georgia Tech, it’s like an electric-gasoline hybrid, except that the roof of the car is covered in solar panels, which can in turn juice up the vehicle’s electric battery.
www.gadailynews.com
http://www.gadailynews.com/news/regional/203736-new-solar-powered-ford-can-recharge-its-batteries-without-being-plugged-in.html
New solar-powered Ford can recharge its batteries WITHOUT being plugged in
By Staff Writer
Ford has unveiled a new hybrid car with a roof covered in solar panels. Scientists from the Georgia Institute of Technology came up with the idea that the car could be parked under a canopy fitted with Fresnel lens, in an open-ended garage for example.
www.huffingtonpost.com
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/06/amazon-web-structures-spiders_n_4548547.html
Weird Amazon ‘Web’ Structures Built By Spiders, Scientists Discover (VIDEO)
LiveScience | By Tia Ghose
About six months ago, a graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology first spotted a mysterious web unlike anything scientists had seen before: Each one of the weird webs was a tiny sphere surrounded by a circular fence less than an inch (2 centimeters) in diameter.
www.dvice.com
http://www.dvice.com/2014-1-6/scientists-create-backpack-charges-devices-while-you-walk
Scientists create backpack that charges devices while you walk
Robin Burks
Keeping devices charged while traveling, camping, hiking or participating in other outdoor activities is always a challenge. Although a solar charger is a good investment for such things, what happens if you find yourself somewhere without sunlight for a long length of time? Like, you know, the Arctic? Scientists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have what might be a better solution: a backpack that charges your devices using the energy you produce while walking.
www.gcn.com
http://gcn.com/articles/2014/01/07/georgia-tech-high-performance-wifi.aspx
University deploys high-density antennas to deliver Wi-Fi for 40,000-plus devices
By Toni Fuhrman
The increasing number of mobile devices on university and agency campuses is creating a dramatic acceleration in data traffic and pushing networks to their limits — especially where there are large concentrations of simultaneous users. One way to ensure connectivity is to use high-density, narrow-beamwidth antennas that reduce channel-to-channel interference, increase capacity and enable stronger and more reliable Wi-Fi signals, according to a report in Campus Technology. Students at Georgia Institute of Technology were experiencing poor mobile performance, especially in several large auditoriums across campus, where there were too many client devices on too few wireless access points.
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2014/01/att-launches-connected-car.html?page=all
AT&T launches “connected car” innovation center in Midtown (Video)
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer-Atlanta Business Chronicle
AT&T is not content with infiltrating your pocket. It now wants to be in your car. The Atlanta-based wireless carrier will open a 5,000 square foot innovation center in Midtown, focused on developing technologies to make your wheels into a rolling mobile device. Last year, AT&T opened its fourth Foundry innovation center at Georgia Tech to work on connected car technologies and applications. In 2012, Verizon acquired Hughes Telematics, an Atlanta-based OnStar competitor for $612 million. Georgia Tech spinoff NextInput Inc. has developed a force-sensitive touch surface technology that it says outperforms costlier and more power hungry capacitive touch products.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/59934/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=5feaa28d722c41cf95214f2b99f28bb5&elqCampaignId=173
Let’s Not Underestimate Undermatch
by Awilda Rodriguez
In November, the White House titillated the higher education community by announcing first lady Michelle Obama would be more involved in higher education initiatives, particularly for low-income students. The first lady spoke about her journey to college from a Washington, D.C., high school, pointing to the self-determination and grit that allowed her to overcome the challenges of a busy guidance counselor, discouraging teachers and limited financial resources in her college choice process. Her hard work paid off as she escaped undermatch ― or the phenomenon where students do not attend a college or university that they could have gained admission to, based on their academic abilities. The Obama White House has made higher education a policy priority by focusing on quality and now access ― and as the Obama administration prepares for its next meeting, here are three small details of undermatch that have big implications for higher education reform.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/open-letter-gates-foundation
An Open Letter to the Gates Foundation
By Matt Reed
Dear Gates Foundation,
On behalf of community college folks everywhere, thanks for noticing the importance of community colleges. Your strong public focus on us has made waves that we weren’t always able to make on our own. On my own campus, the Gateway program — one of yours — has done some wonderful work with at-risk high school students, bringing people whose paths weren’t leading anywhere good to new possibilities. The presence of the program triggered some difficult, but eventually healthy, campus discussions; a relatively small cohort of students had a much larger impact than they probably even suspected.
Education News
www.tampabay.com
http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/common-core-foes-keep-pressure-up-in-florida/2159957
Common Core foes keep pressure up in Florida
Jeffrey S. Solochek, Times Staff Writer
Opponents of Florida’s move to full implementation of the Common Core state standards continue to fight against the initiative, as state lawmakers renew their conversation about education accountability leading to their 2014 session. The Florida Stop Common Core Coalition has been using its website and Twitter feed to bolster state Rep. Debbie Mayfield’s HB 25, in hopes that it will gain traction despite many leaders’ comments that the measure won’t move. Stop Common Core Florida, another organization, meanwhile is airing ads opposing the standards in a few Florida markets, the Orlando Sentinel reports.
www.douglascountysentinel.com
http://www.douglascountysentinel.com/news/local/article_4f4d0618-77de-11e3-a11d-001a4bcf6878.html
Gravley expects short session; says he’ll push for E-911, campus carry bills
By Ron Daniel
District 67 Rep. Micah Gravley (R-Douglasville) has a wish list of things he hopes to get done when the Georgia General Assembly reconvenes on Jan. 13. But the first-term legislator said with it being an election year and primaries expected to be moved up to May, “it will likely be a very short session” and that a lot of bills will probably have to wait until next year. …Hightower said he believes House Bill 512, which was passed in the House last year before stalling in the Senate, will be reworked and put forward again this year. House Bill 512 would have allowed gun carry license holders to take weapons into churches, bars, college campuses, airports and many public buildings. It would have also permitted school districts to arm school administrators. Gravley said a campus carry bill “has a very good chance of passing” and that he is “very much in support” of it.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/59950/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=5feaa28d722c41cf95214f2b99f28bb5&elqCampaignId=173
University of South Florida: Guns Can Be Kept in Cars on Campus
by Associated Press
TAMPA, Fla. ― The University of South Florida will allow guns to be kept in cars on campus under a policy change prompted by a recent appeals court ruling. The Tampa school previously prohibited guns anywhere on its property. Monday officials announced lifting of the prohibition on keeping a gun in a car. Guns still cannot be carried onto the campus under state law.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/08/new-report-asks-policy-makers-impose-tighter-standards-parent-plus-loans
Getting Tough on Parent PLUS
By Michael Stratford
As the Education Department prepares to begin negotiations next month on changes to the eligibility requirements to Parent PLUS Loans, a report released Wednesday says that the government needs to tighten the standards for those loans. The controversial changes that the Education Department made in October 2011 to the Parent PLUS Loan program — which led to loan denials for roughly 40,000 families — were poorly executed but also too modest, according to the report by the New American Foundation.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/59930/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=5feaa28d722c41cf95214f2b99f28bb5&elqCampaignId=173
Christie Hails N.J. Version of Dream Act as Equalizer
By Jamal Watson
UNION CITY, N.J. — In a move lauded by some and denounced by others, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie publicly signed legislation that now allows the children of immigrants who came to this country illegally, to pay in-state tuition at the state’s colleges and universities. The bill, which Christie privately signed into law back in late December so it would go into effect in time for the Spring 2014 semester, will grant in-state college tuition rates to undocumented high school graduates who attended a New Jersey high school for at least three years.
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/07/marylands-ambitious-college-completion-law-gets-rolling
Comprehensive on Completion
By Paul Fain
Maryland’s public colleges are six months into complying with one of the nation’s most ambitious college completion bills. The state-mandated push puts Maryland in a class with Tennessee, Indiana and Georgia. …A few educators said they were uneasy about the state’s Legislature getting so deep in the weeds with legislation that touches on everything from dual enrollment to remediation and completion plans for each student. (See below for more details about the measure.)
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/01/07/get-women-conference-panels-they-must-be-panels-invite-speakers-study-finds
How to Get Women on Panels
Scott Jaschik
Even as women make up a larger share of the professoriate in just about every discipline, many have noted that their numbers aren’t always reflected in the senior ranks, or in visibility that comes with speaking engagements at scholarly meetings. When organizing committees say that they can’t find the right women for certain talks, many academics scoff. In some fields, scholars have even talked about whether they should boycott conferences without any female speakers in prominent roles.
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/59943/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=5feaa28d722c41cf95214f2b99f28bb5&elqCampaignId=173
Community Colleges Explore Creative Approaches to Counter Budget Cuts
By Dorine Bethea
…After years of deep cuts in state funding, the recession and its slow recovery, only to be followed by sequestration and a government shutdown, community college leaders across the country are beginning to use unprecedented measures to help make ends meet. Fundraising — a long-standing activity at four-year institutions — is becoming a necessity, rather than an option, for community colleges struggling to continue the mission. Schools are also turning to foundations, relying on scholarships and partnering more with business and industry for support and opportunities to enhance student success and graduation rates.