USG eClips – March 20, 2014

University System News

2014 GENERAL ASSEMBLY SESSION NEWS:
www.ajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/georgia-lawmakers-make-final-push/nfHHf/
Georgia lawmakers make final push
By Chris Joyner and Jeremy Redmon
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The last day of this year’s 40-day legislative session – a furious race against the clock known in Latin as sine die – has begun with the fate of several controversial measures up in the air. State lawmakers are scrambling today to resolve bills that would expand gun rights in Georgia, legalize a form of medical marijuana used to treat seizure disorders and privatize the state’s child welfare system. Any legislation that doesn’t pass today will die and must restart the process in 2015. House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, brought his chamber into session at around 9:45 a.m., saying, “It got here, didn’t it? Day 40. March 20, 2014.” The Senate convened at 10:05 a.m. to a largely empty chamber.

www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2014-03-20/georgia-lawmakers-face-busy-final-day-session
Georgia lawmakers face busy final day of session
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — Georgia lawmakers still have some tough issues to tackle on the final day of the 2014 legislative session. The state House and Senate will adjourn for the year Thursday night. Before their midnight deadline, lawmakers will have to decide whether to let Georgians with licenses carry guns into bars and churches, whether to allow some medical marijuana use by patients with cancer, glaucoma and some seizure disorders and how to overhaul the state’s child welfare system.

Related article:
www.washingtontimes.com
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2014/mar/19/georgia-lawmakers-get-ready-for-end-of-year-rush/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Georgia lawmakers get ready for end-of-year rush

www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/politics/lawmakers-abandon-effort-to-extend-gun-rights-on-college-campuses/article_f340ae5e-af9d-11e3-a42b-001a4bcf6878.html
Lawmakers abandon effort to extend gun rights on college campuses
Daniel Funke
Students at the University of Georgia will not be able to carry concealed firearms on campus per a recent decision by Republicans in the Georgia House of Representatives.
State Rep. Alan Powell (R-Hartwell) dropped the provision allowing guns to be carried on college campuses from the Safe Carry Protection Act March 11 in an effort to push the legislation through a reluctant Senate.

www.northfulton.com
http://www.northfulton.com/Articles-COLUMNISTS-c-2014-03-19-203038.114126-sub24320.114126-Common-Core-survives-legislative-attempts-at-revisions.html
Common Core survives legislative attempts at revisions
House Education Committee fails to send bill for full vote
by Candy Waylock
ATLANTA – Georgia lawmakers chose the safe route during the 2014 legislative session, paying considerable lip service to revising the Common Core educational standards, but opting to take no action – at least for this year.

USG NEWS:
www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2014-03-18/university-system-georgia-board-regents-bans-tobacco-use-beginning-oct-1
University System of Georgia Board of Regents bans tobacco use beginning Oct. 1
By Lee Shearer
Morris News Service
ATLANTA — Tobacco use will be banned on Georgia public college campuses beginning Oct. 1. Meeting as a committee of the whole Tuesday, the University System of Geor­gia’s Board of Regents voted unanimously for the ban with little discussion. …The ban will apply not only to faculty, staff and students, but also to visitors – including football fans, contractors and subcontractors, said Marion Fedrick, the system’s vice chancellor for human resources, who explained the reasons for the policy before the vote. The ban also will apply to buildings and spaces owned, leased or used by University System colleges and universities, including parking lots. “The University System of Georgia is committed to provide a healthful and comfortable workplace,” she said. “Our policy is really focused on stopping tobacco usage.”

Related articles:
www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2014/03/19/board-of-regents-bans-tobacco-at-public.html
Board of Regents bans tobacco at public universities

www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=272640
University System of Georgia approves tobacco ban

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/61293/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=a6b386a47dcf4aee8bc6a19dd03bf9e9&elqCampaignId=173
University System of Georgia Approves Tobacco Ban

www.gwinnettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/mar/19/board-of-regents-adopt-tobacco-smoke-free-campus/
Board of Regents adopt tobacco, smoke-free campus policy

www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/administration/smoking-ban-passes-all-tobacco-will-be-prohibited-on-campus/article_6ebf751e-af95-11e3-b224-0017a43b2370.html
Smoking ban passes, all tobacco will be prohibited on campus

www.myajc.com
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/report-details-financial-issues-at-southern-poly/nfGxk/?icmp=ajc_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_ajcstubtomyajcpremium
Report details financial issues at Southern Poly
BY JANEL DAVIS – THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION
Southern Polytechnic State University in Marietta reported a revenue surplus of just over $1 million last year, but a state audit found that the school actually had a $1.5 million deficit.
The finding was part of the University System of Georgia’s fiscal 2013 financial report, which was presented Wednesday during a state Board of Regents meeting. The discrepancy occurred when university finance officials incorrectly allocated summer school revenues. Instead of splitting the money over the two fiscal years that the summer session covered, they allocated the money to just fiscal 2013, which ran July 1, 2012, through June 30, 2013.

www.wsav.com
http://www.wsav.com/story/25020356/aasu-may-drop-atlantic-from-name
AASU May Drop “Atlantic” from Name
By Jamison Dowd, Assignment Editor
SAVANNAH, GA – A page on Armstrong Atlantic State University’s website shows that the school may be dropping part of its name. According to the site, a survey was given asking students, alumni, faculty and staff if “Atlantic” should be dropped from Armstrong’s title. The responses showed that many wanted the change so now school Officials are asking the Board of Regents to do so. Officials believe the change will help attract new students and clear up confusion when people associate or mistake “Atlantic” with Atlanta.

Related articles:
www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2014-03-18/armstrong-university-wants-drop-atlantic-name
Armstrong university wants to drop ‘Atlantic’ from name

www.m.wtoc.com
http://m.wtoc.com/#!/newsDetail/25022079?orgId=89
Armstrong looks to drop Atlantic from its university name

www.chronicle.augusta.com
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2014-03-19/azziz-candidate-texas-job?v=1395281305
Texas university reportedly looks at Azziz
President considered for leadership role
By Tom Corwin
Staff Writer
Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz is one of five candidates to become the inaugural president of a new university in south Texas that would include a new medical school, a Texas newspaper reported. The Monitor, of McAllen, said Azziz is one of the candidates for president of what will become The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley.
GRU issued a statement Wednesday, saying: “As a national thought leader, Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz is often approached about new leadership opportunities in academia and health care. He is honored to be considered for such leadership posts and remains committed to the success of GRU.” Spokeswoman Christen Carter said Azziz would not comment further on the position.

Related articles:
www.wrdw.com
http://www.wrdw.com/home/headlines/GRU-President-Dr-Ricardo-Azziz-could-be-heading-to-Texas-251068771.html
GRU President Dr. Ricardo Azziz could be heading to Texas

www.panamericanonline.com
http://www.panamericanonline.com/news/ut-rgv-president/
UT-RGV presidential contenders identified

www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/campus/return-to-the-arch-seminar-highlights-uga-s-programs/article_d855123a-aefb-11e3-810a-0017a43b2370.html
Return to the Arch Seminar highlights UGA’s programs
Helena Joseph
A three-day program at the University of Georgia will give the public a way to see what the UGA is all about. Meg Amstutz, the associate provost for academic programs, said the Return to the Arch: Alumni Seminar is an opportunity for alumni to engage with the institution through its academic offering. Mini courses with faculty and time at the Richard B. Russell Building Special Collections Libraries and the Georgia Museum of Art are a few of the activities the program will provide.

www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/views/beyond-coal-campaign-nears-victory-over-coal-boiler/article_f86d2b3a-af72-11e3-9556-001a4bcf6878.html
Beyond Coal campaign nears victory over coal boiler
Laura Toulme
In 2010, a few students came together with the hope of making the University of Georgia and Athens a cleaner place in which to live, work and study by organizing their peers and working with the UGA administration to retire the on-campus coal boiler. After four years of campaigning, more than 5,000 student petitions, 100 faculty endorsements and countless community and campus events, that goal is incredibly close to being realized. The efforts of the students and community members working on the UGA Beyond Coal campaign have hardly gone unnoticed. The campaign has been covered in The Red & Black, Athens Banner-Herald, Huffington Post, WUGA radio, Atlanta Journal Constitution, Flagpole magazine and USA Today College. This expansive media coverage shows that this is not purely an Athens issue.

USG VALUE:
www.forest-blade.com
http://www.forest-blade.com/news/education/article_e37ce05a-afa7-11e3-a8ad-001a4bcf887a.html
Headstart students visit EGSC to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday
What better way to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday than reading to a child? On the morning of Wednesday, March 12, East Georgia State College education students and staff participated in Read Across America program by inviting Swainsboro Headstart students, teachers, and parents to campus to celebrate Dr. Seuss’s birthday.

www.forest-blade.com
http://www.forest-blade.com/news/education/article_4a1398fe-afa8-11e3-99c9-001a4bcf887a.html
Dr. Stracher interviewed by ABC
Dr. Glenn Stracher, professor of geology and physics, at East Georgia State College was interviewed on live radio with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, on the morning of Wednesday, March 5. The program was aired around the world. East Georgia State College in Swainsboro, GA was mentioned several times during the broadcast. Dr. Stracher has become a leading expert on coal fires burning around the world. Dr. Stracher did a superb job of answering difficult questions concerning Australia’s recent Morwell coal-mine fire disaster in Victoria, as well as the international problem of coal fires.

GOOD NEWS:
www.forest-blade.com
http://www.forest-blade.com/news/education/article_ed96ac40-aba8-11e3-b1e8-001a4bcf887a.html
Dr. Cheek appointed Senior Fellow of National Public Policy Institute
East Georgia State College’s Dr. H. Lee Cheek Jr., chair of the Division of Social Sciences, has been appointed as a Senior Fellow of the Alexander Hamilton Center for the Study of Western Civilization (AHI) in Hamilton, N.Y. AHI promotes rigorous scholarship and vigorous debate in the study of freedom, democracy, and capitalism. Its creation was inspired by the contributions of Alexander Hamilton to the founding and survival of the American Republic. According to Dr. Robert Paquette, one of AHI’s founders, “Dr. Cheek will contribute mightily to AHI’s effort to offer a rich menu of scholarly activities?lectures, colloquia, conferences, fellowships, internships, and awards?to educational institutions in upstate New York and across the country in support of scrupulous research into American history, politics, Western culture, and of reasoned conversations about them.”

RESEARCH:
www.redandblack.com
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/campus/georgia-general-assembly-approves-funding-for-uga-science-learning-center/article_cadb2b3a-afa5-11e3-a1bd-0017a43b2370.html
Georgia General Assembly approves funding for UGA Science Learning Center
Nick Watson
The Science Learning Center at the University of Georgia now awaits Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature to make the top project on UGA’s wish list come true. The Georgia General Assembly approved the budget Tuesday including the $44.7 million needed to construct the Science Learning Center.

www.bizjouranls.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2014/03/19/tag-names-top-10-innovative-technology-companies.html
TAG names Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia
Staff
Atlanta Business Chronicle
TAG names Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia The Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) on Wednesday revealed its Top 10 Innovative Technology Companies in Georgia. …Each Top 10 company will present its innovation on-stage during the Georgia Technology Summit on March 26 at the Cobb Galleria Centre.

STATE NEEDS/ISSUES:
www.accessnorthga.com
http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=272671
Ga.’s Feb. unemployment rate declines to 7.1 percent
By Staff
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday morning that Georgia’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased to 7.1 percent in February, down two-tenths of a percentage point from 7.3 percent in January. The rate was 8.5 percent in February a year ago. “This is the eighth month in a row that Georgia’s unemployment rate has declined,” said State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler.

Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.politics.blog.ajc.com
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2014/03/20/legislative-tip-sheet-guns-medicinal-pot-and-sine-die/
Political Insider with Jim Galloway
Legislative tip sheet: Guns, medicinal pot and Sine Die
For the second year in a row, the effort to expand gun rights in Georgia will come down to the last day of the legislative session. So will the fate of several other hotly debated bills. …And, of course, they still face a decision on House Bill 60, a major expansion of gun rights in Georgia. …Much of the day will be spent deciding how to respond to bill changes made by the Senate, and conference committee reports.

wwwajc.com
http://www.ajc.com/weblogs/get-schooled/2014/mar/19/georgia-board-regents-bans-all-tobacco-products-it/
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Georgia Board of Regents bans all tobacco products from its campuses and facilities
From the Board of Regents:
Today, the Board of Regents voted to create a policy that will prohibit the use of all forms of tobacco products on property owned, leased, rented or in the possession of the University System of Georgia. The policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, subcontractors and visitors and is applicable 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, all events hosted by a USG-entity or on behalf of the USG shall be tobacco and smoke free, according to the policy.

www.forbes.com
http://www.forbes.com/sites/joshfreedman/2014/03/19/the-hidden-college-problem-when-universities-like-students-take-on-debt/
The Hidden College Problem: When Universities, Not Just Students, Take On Debt
Josh Freedman
Contributor
Last week, the University of California got downgraded. Not in the U.S. News or other college rankings, where six of its campuses rank in the top 15 public colleges in the United States; nor in College Prowler’s list of schools with the most attractive men on campus (where flagship UC-Berkeley clocks in at a measly number 1185). Rather, the UC system has been downgraded in the credit markets: ratings agency Moody’s lowered the UC system’s general revenue bonds from Aa1 to Aa2.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/higher-education-high-cost-even-community-college
Higher education, high cost, even for community college
The Baltimore Sun
The total per credit cost for in-county students at Harford Community College was increased last week to $124.80, which translates to $374.40 for a single three-credit class. It’s hardly a king’s ransom. College officials are also quick to point out that it is a bargain relative to the cost of attending even a Maryland college system facility as an in-state student.
Still, as has been noted before, the latest round of increases (to fees rather than tuition, a distinction that’s meaningful only to hair-splitters) follows several other increases in recent years.

www.sacbee.com
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/03/20/6251481/another-view-for-profit-colleges.html
Another View: For-profit colleges do a better job than state-funded schools
By Ada Gerard
Special to The Bee
In a March 15 editorial, “Tougher to rip-off for-profit students” The Sacramento Bee wrongly accused California career colleges of intentionally shortchanging students. The Bee disregarded clear, independent evidence that career colleges do a better job of helping students graduate and enter rewarding careers than traditional, state-funded schools.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/promise-10000-bachelor’s-degree
The promise of a $10,000 bachelor’s degree
The Seattle Times
Is it possible to create a bachelor’s degree that would cost students only $10,000? A few years ago, Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Gov. Rick Scott called on colleges to create a $10,000 bachelor’s degree. Critics argued that it was tantamount to the “Walmartization” of higher education. But those two states now offer a limited number of low-cost online degrees.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/hidden-problem-when-universities-not-just-students-take-debt
The hidden problem: when universities, not just students, take on debt
Forbes
Last week, the University of California got downgraded. Not in the U.S. News or other college rankings, where six of its campuses rank in the top 15 public colleges in the United States; nor in College Prowler’s list of schools with the most attractive men on campus (where flagship UC-Berkeley clocks in at a measly number 1185). Rather, the UC system has been downgraded in the credit markets: ratings agency Moody’s lowered the UC system’s general revenue bonds from Aa1 to Aa2.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/views/2014/03/20/we-need-new-student-data-system-right-kind-one-essay
A Qualified Yes on Unit Records
By Paul J. LeBlanc
The New America Foundation’s recent report on the Student Unit Record System (SURS) is fascinating reading. It is hard to argue with the writers’ contention that our current systems of data collection are broken, do not serve the public or policy makers very well, and are no better at protecting student privacy than their proposed SURS might be.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/gatekeeping-exclusionary-study-finds
Gatekeeping is Exclusionary, Study Finds
By Matt Reed
The Department of Obvious Studies has been working overtime. Last week, it issued a report showing that despite much of our political rhetoric, students are, in fact, different from each other. This week, it issued a report showing that students whose transfer credits are denied are less likely to finish a degree on time than students who don’t have to retake (and pay for) courses they’ve already taken. Apparently, when a college puts up high barriers to completion, completion rates drop. It’s almost as if barriers somehow get in the way.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/technology-and-learning/dr-doctorsteins-guest-post
Dr. Doctorstein’s Guest Post
By Joshua Kim
Who is Dr. Docorstein? He provided a bio that reads “Dr. Doctorstein teaches at a small, cash-starved state university where all the faculty are smart, all the administrators are good-looking, and all the IT staff are above average.” Dr. Docorstein asked if I’d be willing to publish a guest post in response to my blog post on The Ed-Tech Establishment. I thought this seemed like a fair request, particularly since Dr. Docorstein seems to have coined the term “ed-tech establishment”. Perhaps it should go without saying, but by publishing Dr. Docorstein’s guest post I in no way implies that I endorse his viewpoints. Nor do I find Dr. Docorstein’s logic particularly compelling, and I think he is largely uninformed about the roles, tasks, methods, and costs associated with educational technology.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/social-media-academia
Social Media in Academia
By Ana Dinescu
I belong in that category – maybe too superficial for some, maybe too optimistic for others – that strongly asserts the full rights of social media in the very sophisticated academic world. It not only creates connections and valuable networks, but also helps to advance discussions and reach a wider, very often international audience. …Here are some of the main reasons why I always advise intensive use of social media for academic purposes.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/how-influential-your-school
How influential is your school?
TIME
For the next three weeks, many American universities will be measured up exclusively by the strength of their basketball programs. But for those less impressed by “a group of pituitary cases trying to stuff a ball down a hoop,” as one Annie Hall player once put it, TIME has devised an alternate way to score schools: by the influence of their alumni.

www.washingtonpost.com
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/03/19/a-different-way-to-give-college-admissions-tests/?wpisrc=nl_cuzheads
The Answer Sheet By Valerie Strauss
A different way to give college admissions tests
Now that the announcement about big SAT changes is behind us, it’s time to look at what it all means. Not so much, apparently. To explain why, and suggest a better way to give a college admissions test is John Kaztman, founder of Princeton Review, a test prep and college admissions services company; 2u, which partners with top universities to provide online degree programs; and Noodle, a search and recommendation education engine.

Education News
www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/20/electronic-admission-decisions-cut-response-time-also-accuracy
You’re Admitted… Not
By Carl Straumsheim
Another admissions cycle; another batch of acceptance letters sent to rejected students. The shift away from physical admission decisions to electronic notifications has led to speedier notification of decisions to applicants, but it has also opened the door to more mistakes. “You could probably call this volume one, page one of things that keep admissions directors up at night,” said Jim Rawlins, director of admissions at the University of Oregon and a former president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. NACAC doesn’t have a “ ‘how not to mess this up’ brochure,” Rawlins said, and neither has the topic been discussed at any of the organization’s recent conferences.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/61276/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=a6b386a47dcf4aee8bc6a19dd03bf9e9&elqCampaignId=173
Many Institutions Continue to Struggle With Gender Imbalance
by Pearl Stewart
“Hey, where are all the college guys?” inquired USA Today in 2001; “Gender imbalance in college applications: Does it lead to a preference for men in the admissions process?” asked the Economics of Education Review journal in 2005; and Shirley Wilcher, executive director of the American Association for Affirmative Action, proposed in Diverse in 2010 that “Affirmative Action May be Needed — for Men.” Particularly, on historically Black campuses, the female-to-male ratio has been even greater. …The Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics reports that 57 percent of students in degree-granting institutions are women. At the nation’s 104 historically Black institutions, 61.5 percent are female.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/61283/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=a6b386a47dcf4aee8bc6a19dd03bf9e9&elqCampaignId=173
Food Pantries on the Rise at U.S. College Campuses
by Frank Eltman, Associated Press
STONY BROOK, N.Y. ― Days after biology major Gillian Carll arrived at Stony Brook University last fall, she encountered a young woman on a bench outside her dormitory who said she had nothing to eat. “I was just like, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ I didn’t know kids could afford to go here but couldn’t have mac and cheese or something like that,” said the Livonia, N.Y., freshman. “It was kind of unbelievable.” Carll got the student some food from her dorm room and later volunteered at Stony Brook’s new food pantry ― one of dozens cropping up at colleges across the country in recent years as educators acknowledge the struggles many students face as the cost of getting a higher education continues to soar.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/michigan-plan-would-allow-students-attend-college-free
Michigan plan would allow students to attend college ‘for free’
Newsmax
Students would be able to initially attend college for free under a new plan introduced recently in the Michigan Legislature, but they would have to pay for it down the road. The plan would require students to pay a fixed percentage of their income after college for a specified number of years to a special fund that would in turn pay tuition for other students, the Detroit Free Press reported. “The goal is to remove every financial barrier to high education,” Democratic state Rep. David Knezek of Dearborn Heights told the newspaper.

www.insidehighered.om
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/03/20/deeper-completion-data-state-state
Deeper Completion Data, State by State
The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center today released state-by-state data on the various pathways students take on their way to earning degrees and certificates. The data builds on a national report from 2012 that showed a more optimistic picture of college completion than other studies had found previously.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/free-tennessee-community-college-program-moves-senate
Free Tennessee community college program moves in Senate
Times Free Press
Gov. Bill Haslam’s “Tennessee Promise” plan offering a free community college program for all high school graduates cleared a major Senate panel today. Senate Education Committee members approved the measure, which Haslam has had to change in response to concerns from universities and others, on an 8-1 vote. Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, was among those voting yes.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/cdc-drexel-student-died-princeton-meningitis-outbreak-strain
CDC: Drexel student died from Princeton meningitis outbreak strain
Philly.com
A Drexel University student who died from meningitis last week contracted the same strain of the disease seen in an outbreak at Princeton University, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Princeton said in a statement today that the Drexel student had been in contact with Princeton students a week before becoming ill.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/emerson-northeastern-university-jump-tech-bandwagon
Emerson, Northeastern University jump on tech bandwagon
The Boston Globe
First came the musicians; now, here come the writers, dancers, and actors. Sorry, tech types: The arts and humanities keep crashing your innovation party. In just the last two months, Berklee College of Music, Northeastern University, and Emerson College all have unveiled initiatives that sound as if they belong in the computer science labs of Harvard University or the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/mexican-higher-ed-officials-visit-wnmu-explore-partnership
Mexican higher ed officials visit WNMU to explore partnership
The Grant County Beat
Several members of Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez (UACJ) visited Western New Mexico University to explore possibilities of creating partnerships for Mexican students to study at the main campus in Silver City. A number of programs are of interest to Dr. Ricardo Duarte Jaquez, President of UACJ, who visited Silver City with five of his colleagues to meet with President Shepard and other members of leadership. Jaquez and his team toured the School of Nursing, which was of particular interest to the group who hail from a university that offers many similar programs in the health sciences field. UACJ is a public institution boasting over 26,000 students across four campuses.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/legislature-approves-additional-money-utah-state-university
Legislature approves additional money for Utah State University
The Herald Journal
Just hours before the general session ended Thursday, the Legislature approved some additional money for Utah State University, including a compensation increase for employees and funding for buildings in Brigham City and Price. This boost comes from a more than 11 percent increase in higher education funding, to be spread across the state’s eight public colleges and universities, according to a news release from the Utah System of Higher Education.

www.universitybusiness.com
http://www.universitybusiness.com/news/‘metropolitan-university’-brand-promoted-after-usm-program-cuts-layoffs
‘Metropolitan university’ brand promoted after USM program cuts, layoffs
The Bangor Daily News
University of Maine System officials and University of Southern Maine President Theo Kalikow on Wednesday morning tried to put an upbeat spin on a dramatic restructuring of the school, couching talk of deep budget cuts in the context of a renewed vision of the institution’s identity as the state’s “metropolitan university.”

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/03/20/facebook-most-popular-social-media-tool-advancement
Facebook Most Popular Social Media Tool in Advancement
Facebook is the most used social media platform by school, college and university advancement officials, according to the latest version of an annual survey by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, mStoner and Huron Education.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/20/new-report-says-obama-ratings-proposal-will-lead-same-problems-rankings
Ratings or Rankings?
By Michael Stratford
Since the White House rolled out its plan to create a federal college ratings system last August, administration officials have repeatedly insisted that they are not interested in putting together a scheme that would rank institutions. As recently as Friday, for instance, Education Secretary Arne Duncan admonished a White House reporter’s suggestion that the administration is seeking to develop a system akin to the rankings compiled annually by U.S. News and World Report. “Very different from U.S. News,” Duncan clarified. “This is not a ranking system; this is a rating system.”

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/61286/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=a6b386a47dcf4aee8bc6a19dd03bf9e9&elqCampaignId=173
American Council on Education Wary of Obama Administration’s Plan to Rank Schools
by Jamal E. Mazyck
The American Council on Education (ACE) issued a brief Wednesday that addressed the potentially damaging impact ranking systems have on higher education institutions. The ACE Center for Policy, Research & Strategy’s Rankings, Institutional Behavior, and College and University Choice brief uses research-based data to frame the Obama administration’s plan to rank colleges and universities based on value and affordability.

www.insidehighered.com
http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/03/20/federal-judge-orders-ticas-supply-emails-probe-former-education-department-official
Judge Compels TICAS Emails
By Michael Stratford
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a college access advocacy group to turn over emails and other documents to government investigators, who are probing whether former Education Department official violated ethics laws during the Obama administration’s first push to more tightly regulate for-profit colleges.