USG NEWS:
www.wsav.com
http://www.wsav.com/story/27467674/armstrong-state-university-releases-economic-growth-report
Armstrong State University releases economic growth report
By Jamison Dowd, Assignment Editor
SAVANNAH, GA – Armstrong State University released its annual economic report on Monday. It shows continued growth for the third quarter of 2014. The report analyzes data and identifies trends affecting the regional economy and shows growth in many key areas.

www.wctv.tv
http://www.wctv.tv/home/headlines/Referendum-1-Should-Georgias-Student-Housing-Be-Privatized-And-If-So-Should-That-Company-Be-Tax-Exempt-281372451.html
Student Housing On Georgia’s Public Colleges And Universities To Be Run By Private Company
By: Winnie Wright
Valdosta, GA – Soon, all student housing at public colleges and universities in Georgia will be run by a private company. Last month, Georgia voters said ‘yes’ to House Bill 788, which allows student housing owned by the University System of Georgia, but operated by a private company to be exempt from taxes; like a university would. Recently, Corvais Campus Living won that contract, meaning they won’t own, but will operate all student housing in Georgia. The Board of Regents says they chose Corvais because they have previous experience in multi-family and student housing.

www.wrcbtv.com
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/27475208/uga-breaking-ground-on-new-annex
UGA breaking ground on new annex
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) – University of Georgia and state officials will break ground next week on a new building for the School of Public and International Affairs. The ceremony is planned for Dec. 2. UGA officials say the addition to Baldwin Hall will provide more classrooms, space for graduate teaching assistants to hold office hours and common areas for academic presentations and events. The main building will be renovated to provide modern updates and more access for individuals with disabilities.

www.usnews.com
Accelerate the Path to a Graduate Degree With a BBA-MBA Program
Students in many BBA-MBA programs can get both degrees in five years.
By Delece Smith-Barrow
Jacob Guise has long had an interest in business and wanted to get his MBA. When the Loyola University Chicago​​​ student found out that he could get his MBA without having to work for a few years after college – as is the requirement of many MBA programs – he jumped at the chance. “There are a lot of perks to it,” says Guise, who is a junior studying finance and accounting information systems. Undergrads like Guise in​ Loyola’s Quinlan School of Business can be admitted into the accelerated BBA-MBA degree track, which could save them ​a year or more in tuition and fees.​ And in Guise’s case, there are other benefits. …Quinlan is one of a number of schools that offer undergraduates who are studying business an accelerated path for getting an MBA, though schools that have this option tend to be less competitive. University of West Georgia’s Richards College of Business ​is in the second year of a BBA-MBA program, and Mercer University’s Stetson School of Business and Economics, also in Georgia, has had its program in place for years. These programs tend to graduate MBAs who are much younger than other business school graduates, which some business school experts​ believe can be a plus.

www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/blotter/2014-11-24/dui-charged-after-pedestrian-struck-downtown-athens
DUI charged after pedestrian struck in downtown Athens
A 19-year-old University of Georgia student was injured early Sunday morning when he was struck by a car while crossing North Thomas Street in downtown Athens, Athens-Clarke County police said. The student, taken to the hospital with undisclosed injuries, was walking within a marked crosswalk in front of the Classic Center at about 1:35 a.m. when he was struck by Mackenzie Jeorge Bui, 24, of Barrington Place in Athens.

www.ecnmag.com
http://www.ecnmag.com/news/2014/11/sexual-violence-resources-support-continue-grow
Sexual Violence Resources, Support Continue to Grow
By Georgia Institute of Technology
As sexual assault on college campuses continues to be in the national spotlight, Georgia Tech is working to enhance survivor support programs, campus resources, and prevention initiatives to make Tech a safer place for all students. VOICE, an initiative of the Women’s Resource Center and Office of Health Promotion, spearheads Tech’s advocacy, support, and prevention services.

www.theblaze.com
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/11/24/atheists-accuse-creationist-history-professor-who-rejects-evolution-of-trying-to-convert-students-and-now-hes-being-investigated/
Creationist History Professor Who Rejects Evolution Under Fire as Atheists Accuse Him of ‘Crossing Ethical and Constitutional Lines’
Billy Hallowell
A public university professor is being investigated following claims by atheist activists that he proselytizes and pushes his Christian and creationist views on students. Dr. Tom McMullen, a history professor at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, is being accused by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science of First Amendment violations, according to the Statesboro Herald. The atheist groups wrote a joint letter to university president Dr. Brooks Keel in October, alleging that McMullen “uses class time to proselytize students and advance his personal religion, Christianity.” In a joint announcement atheists asked the public university to investigate McMullen for reportedly “promoting creationism” and “crossing ethical and constitutional lines.”

Related article:
www.cnmnewz.com
http://cnmnewz.com/atheists-accuse-creationist-history-professor-who-rejects-evolution-of-trying-to-convert-students-and-now-hes-being-investigated/
Atheists Accuse Creationist History Professor Who Rejects Evolution of Trying to Convert Students — and Now He’s Being Investigated

www.coosavalleynews.com
http://www.coosavalleynews.com/np109411.htm
Fmr. Kennesaw St. Head Pleads Guilty to Kickbacks
CVN News
Former Kennesaw State University employee Gerald Donaldson and his associates Joseph Eto, Ramon Morgan, Don Thomas and Lionel Elder have pleaded guilty in Cobb County Superior Court to offenses relating to their fraudulent billing of KSU for over $686,000. Between August 2002 and October 2012, Donaldson was employed as the Director of the Environmental Health and Safety department at KSU. In this capacity, he had the authority to pay vendors without a bidding process and without additional KSU approval for amounts less than $5,000. Through his position at KSU, Donaldson funneled money to himself and others by directing KSU to pay vendors at an extreme mark-up or for work that was never done by the vendor. The vendor would then kickback payments to Donaldson through his company Shane Environmental (Shane). KSU paid Shane more than $354,000 for work purportedly done at KSU over the ten year period.

www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/u-of-georgia-moves-to-fire-lecturer-over-his-relationship-with-student/90237
U. of Georgia Moves to Fire Lecturer Over His Relationship With Student
by Nick DeSantis
The University of Georgia is moving to fire a lecturer in its psychology department after the administration found him to have violated a policy barring professors from dating students under their supervision, the Athens Banner-Herald reported. The lecturer, Rich Suplita, admitted to violating the university’s policy in 2012, when he dated an undergraduate he had met in one of his classes. The student filed a harassment complaint against him, and he received a reprimand. He began dating a graduate teaching assistant in his summer class this year.

GOOD NEWS:
www.noodls.com
http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/25986060/valdosta-state-university/vsu8217s-bachelor-in-business-administration-recognized-b
VSU’s Bachelor in Business Administration Recognized by Human Resources MBA
VALDOSTA–Human Resources MBA has named Valdosta State University’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) with a minor in human resources as one of the top programs in the country. Human Resources MBA offers a comprehensive collection of recommendations for human resources education. The site ranks top degree programs, including online human resources degrees, along with featured articles and resources for success in the human resources profession.

www.bizjournals.com
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/capitol_vision/2014/11/gov-deal-shuffles-state-agency-chiefs.html
Gov. Deal shuffles state agency chiefs
Dave Williams
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Gov. Nathan Deal Monday announced a post-election shakeup of his administration that amounted to a game of musical chairs. …Current DCA Commissioner Gretchen Corbin will become commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, succeeding the retiring Ron Jackson, pending approval by the system’s board. …Toby Carr, director of planning for the state Department of Transportation, is moving to the University of Georgia to become the school’s associate vice president for government relations. He will succeed Tricia Chastain, nominated by Deal to take over as president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

www.northwestgeorgianews.com
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/business/gov-nominates-gretchen-corbin-as-commissioner-of-the-technical-college/article_93f632c0-7428-11e4-83d1-f7c00ff9a9a6.html
Gov. nominates Gretchen Corbin as commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia
From staff reports
Rome’s Gretchen Corbin has been nominated by Gov. Nathan Deal to serve as the commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia, the governor announced Monday.
The nomination is pending TCSG board approval. Corbin is currently commissioner for the state Department of Community Affairs. TCSG Commissioner Ron Jackson is retiring in January. …Deal also nominated Tricia Chastain, current associate vice-president for government relations for the University of Georgia, pending board approval, as president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Chastain will replace Tracy Ireland, who has taken a position with the University System of Georgia as vice-chancellor of student enrollment services effective in January. Toby Carr, current planning director of the Georgia Department of Transportation, will replace Chastain with the University System of Georgia as the associate vice-president for government relations and director of state government relations.

USG VALUE:
www.albanyherald.com
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2014/nov/24/darton-state-college-students-share-their-culture/
Darton State College students share their culture with Montessori School students
College students interact with dances, stories, a writing activity, a plantain snack, and the breaking of a piñata
Staff Reports
ALBANY — The International Program at Darton State College visited Far Horizons Montessori School in Albany as part of International Education Week, which celebrates and promotes international education and exchange worldwide. …Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal recently signed the International Education Week Proclamation, affirming the commitment to recognize the importance of international education in the classroom and the community. More than 175 international students from 45 different countries study at Darton State College.

www.armytimes.com
http://www.armytimes.com/story/military/careers/army/enlisted/2014/11/24/army-college-credits/19324827/
Army PME now gives you more college credits
By Michelle Tan, Staff writer
Soldiers can now earn up to two years’ worth of college credits toward their bachelor’s degrees — just by attending Army professional military education courses. The American Council on Education recently completed its latest assessment of noncommissioned officer education system courses, resulting in increased credit recommendations, said Command Sgt. Maj. Dennis Defreese, the commandant of the Army Sergeants Major Academy. …More than 2,400 institutions are part of that program, including Kansas State University, Austin Peay State University, Texas A&M University, University of Maryland University College, Troy University, University of Louisville — College of Education and Human Development, Virginia State University, Columbus State University, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. The Army has partnered with many of these colleges and universities for a long time, said Command Sgt. Maj. Tedd Pritchard, the deputy commandant of the Sergeants Major Academy.

CAMPUS CONSOLIDATIONS:
www.ksusentinel.com
http://www.ksusentinel.com/2014/11/24/spsuksu-consolidation-suggestion-box/
SPSU/KSU Consolidation Suggestion Box
Only if you’ve been residing under a rock might you not know that Southern Polytechnic State University and Kennesaw State are in the process of consolidating. The first day of classes for the “New U” is this coming August 17, 2015.
More info on the SPSU/KSU consolidation
Consolidation FAQs
Approved recommendations
Students and staff involved in The Sentinel, SPSU’s The Sting, and other campus publications and stations from both institutions have been meeting for several months now, and have submitted a list of mutually agreed upon recommendations to the Consolidation Committee, President’s Cabinet and Georgia Board of Regents. However, the merger of student-led media from SPSU and KSU will be an ongoing, fluid and open process. …Your comments, concerns, ideas and suggestions are welcome and will assist us in continuously improving this newspaper, magazines, broadcasts and websites. Please send us your comments at the link below. Submissions are 100% anonymous:

RESEARCH:
www.sfgate.com
http://www.sfgate.com/business/press-releases/article/Healthy-Gut-Microbiota-Can-Prevent-Metabolic-5914577.php
Healthy Gut Microbiota Can Prevent Metabolic Syndrome, Researchers Say
Atlanta, Georgia (PRWEB)
Promoting healthy gut microbiota, the bacteria that live in the intestine, can help treat or prevent metabolic syndrome, a combination of risk factors that increases a person’s risk for heart disease, diabetes and stroke, according to researchers at Georgia State University and Cornell University. The study, a follow-up to the research team’s previous paper in Science, uses an improved technical approach, making the results more significant. The research team includes Dr. Andrew Gewirtz, a professor in the Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State; Dr. Benoit Chassaing, a post doctoral fellow at Georgia State; and Dr. Ruth Ley of the departments of Microbiology and Molecular Biology at Cornell.

www.healthcanal.com
http://www.healthcanal.com/infections/hiv-and-aids/57742-masking-hiv-target-cells-prevents-viral-transmission-in-animal-model.html
Masking HIV target cells prevents viral transmission in animal model
T cells that are important early targets of HIV infection reside in gut-associated lymphoid tissue, shown here courtesy of Wikimedia. An antibody that “masks” these cells, targeting alpha-4-beta-7 integrin, can reduce the risk of viral transmission in a non-human primate model. …The findings suggest that drugs that are already in clinical trials for inflammatory bowel diseases might be effective in the treatment or prevention of HIV infection. The results were published Monday in Nature Medicine. “We were surprised by the effects that we observed,” says senior author Aftab Ansari, PhD, professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine and Yerkes National Primate Research Center. …Collaborators included Janet McNicholl, MD and Ellen Kersh, PhD, at the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and James Arthos, PhD, Claudia Cicala, PhD, and Anthony Fauci, MD, in the Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health. Other collaborators at Emory University, the University of Massachusetts, the German Primate Center in Gottingen, the CDC and Georgia Institute of Technology played key roles.

www.fondriest.com

New satellite mapping tools measure carbon capture in coastal marshes

New satellite mapping tools measure carbon capture in coastal marshes
By Daniel Kelly
A researcher at the University of Georgia has developed instruments and technology to use satellite measurements in modeling carbon capture in coastal salt marshes, according to a release. The tools were developed with support from NASA.

www.berksmontnews.com
http://www.berksmontnews.com/general-news/20141124/new-research-from-albright-faculty-member-suggests-monkeys-can-understand-their-own-actions
New research from Albright faculty member suggests monkeys can understand their own actions
New research from Albright College’s Justin Couchman, Ph.D., shows that rhesus monkeys appear to have a sense of self-agency, or the ability to understand that they caused something to happen. This finding sheds light on the evolution of self-recognition and self-awareness in humans. In earlier research, Couchman, assistant professor of psychology at Albright, showed that rhesus monkeys, a species which usually fail an important test of self-awareness – the ability to recognize themselves in a mirror – were able to recognize their own actions in some situations. He accomplished this by having them move a computer cursor with a joystick and identify actions they had caused. …In the experiment, humans and six rhesus macaques housed at the Language Research Center at Georgia State University used a joystick to move a cursor. They saw their own self-caused actions on a computer screen, as well as the movements of several other objects. The other objects could partially match their movements, or move exactly opposite their actions, or move around randomly.

www.onlineathens.com
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2014-11-24/beware-deer-time-year-theyre-move
Beware of deer at this time of year; they’re on the move
By LEE SHEARER
Driving may be a little more dangerous than usual at this time of year, and not just because of the increased traffic on the road to grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner. This is also the time you’re most likely to have a collision with a deer, explained Charlie Killmaster, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ state deer biologist. Georgia’s deer population is substantially less than it was a decade ago, when the DNR adopted a management plan with a goal of reducing deer numbers from an estimated 1.2 million to about 1 million. But while there are fewer deer, there are a lot more cars on the road these days to collide with them. …The risk of collisions is highest in fall and early winter. For deer, it’s mating season, or rut, which lasts from October through December. For those three months, deer are on the move as at no other time of the year, researchers at the University of Georgia have shown.

www.savannahnow.com
http://savannahnow.com/exchange/2014-11-24/savannah-metro-area-continues-add-jobs
Savannah metro area continues to add jobs
By Bill Dawers
The latest estimates from the Georgia Department of Labor show continued strong job growth in the Savannah metro area. …The report, which is overseen by Michael Toma at the Armstrong State University Center for Regional Analysis, noted that the number of new home construction permits “represents the strongest signal of activity in the residential housing market since the fall of 2007.” The Coastal Empire Economic Monitor’s indices suggest continued growth at least through the middle of 2015. Georgia State University’s Economic Forecasting Center is also predicting good news for the Savannah area economy in 2015. Savannah is expected to lead the state’s metro areas with a 2.8 percent job growth rate.

www.phys.org
http://phys.org/news/2014-11-companies-black-friday-bottom-line.html
Research shows how companies can keep Black Friday deals from breaking their bottom line
by Matt Weeks
(Phys.org) —Websites like Slickdeals and FatWallet host deal forums where millions of promotions are posted online and carefully scrutinized by price sensitive consumers to find the very lowest prices. While this can be good for bargain hunters, it’s often frustrating to firms when deals targeted at a small group of profitable customers are posted online. This can lead to the “Slickdeals Effect” where firms are hit with an unexpected avalanche of orders from untargeted, and often unprofitable, consumers. Now, new research from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science reveals how firms can craft targeted promotions to ward off the “Slickdeals Effect.”

Editorials/Columns/Opinions
www.getschooled.blog.ajc.com
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2014/11/23/fraternities-under-fire-is-it-time-to-end-greek-life-on-campus/
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Fraternities under fire: Is it time to ban Greek life on campus?
In the last few weeks, fraternities have come under fire for hazing, alcohol abuse and sexual assaults, raising questions about their continued presence on college campuses. Ten days ago, West Virginia University suspended all Greek activities on campus after a freshman found unconscious at a fraternity house died two days later. Police are still investigating what happened to 18-year-old Nolan Michael Burch. The most recent campus to sanction its frats is the University of Virginia. On Saturday, UVA suspended all fraternities until January.

www.jacksonprogress-argus.com
http://www.jacksonprogress-argus.com/news/2014/nov/24/costley-change-in-the-air-in-butts-county/
COSTLEY: Change in the air in Butts County
By Robert Costley
Robert “Buddy” Costley is the superintendent of the Butts County School System.
…I am also thankful to notice some additional change that we have seen recently in our community, specifically with the progress that the Butts County School System is making in its aim to be the school system you are proud to support. When you have a talented student body like ours and a hard-working staff of 500 men and women standing behind them, it is a wonderful thing to see positive change as a fruit to enjoy. …When you consider that our Board of Education has allowed us to expand student access to dual enrollment in Southern Crescent Technical College and Gordon State College, it is exciting to see that our future graduates will not only receive their high school diploma, but will also graduate with one or two years of college credit — free to their parents. I still run into parents that don’t yet realize that they can enroll their qualifying sons or daughters in state colleges with free tuition if they are dually enrolled in high school. If you are the parent of a freshman or sophomore at JHS, I would encourage you to contact Mrs. Melissa Griffin at JHS to learn more about how they can enroll as a junior. We will even bus them to the college for you.

Education News
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68100/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=2b36946423474f21bcb3ba19e2eaabee&elqCampaignId=415
Higher Ed Racing to Fill Underserved Communities’ Nursing Shortage
by Lois Elfman
The Affordable Care Act and America’s aging population have created a growing need for primary care providers, which is virtually impossible to meet without nurse practitioners. In mid-July, the Association of American Medical Colleges reported that a shortage of 45,000 primary care physicians is projected by the year 2020. Stepping in to fill that void — particularly in urban and rural communities — are nurse practitioners (NPs).

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68097/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=2b36946423474f21bcb3ba19e2eaabee&elqCampaignId=415
ASHE: Hispanic-Serving Institutions Could Face Rough Road Ahead
by Catherine Morris
Neatly summarizing the 2014 Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) conference is a no easy task. Academics from across the nation met at the Hilton in Washington, D.C., from Wednesday to Saturday last week to discuss solutions and findings relevant to almost every imaginable topic relating to the world of higher education. When it comes to questions of minority-serving institutions, ASHE does not miss that mark. At a panel focusing on Hispanic-serving institutions, panelists looked to the past and future of the institutions that are predominantly serving one of the fastest growing demographics in the nation.

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68107/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=2b36946423474f21bcb3ba19e2eaabee&elqCampaignId=415
Kean University Buys $219K Chinese Conference Table
by Associated Press
UNION, N.J. ― A New Jersey lawmaker is calling for a review of a state university’s purchase of a $219,000 custom-built, multimedia conference table from a company in China, where it has a campus it hopes to expand. Kean University did not put the project out to bid and picked a company in Shanghai, The Record newspaper reported. The northern New Jersey school recently opened a branch campus in China that university President Dawood Farahi hopes to expand. “Whether or not this is legal, it’s certainly not ethical and it’s a waste of taxpayer money,” Assemblyman Joe Cryan said in a statement. “The time to reform higher education in New Jersey is long past. I don’t need a study to know a university shouldn’t be spending up to $219,000 for a conference table. I already know it’s wrong. So do the students and families struggling to afford a higher education.”

www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68091/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=2b36946423474f21bcb3ba19e2eaabee&elqCampaignId=415
Lincoln University President Robert Jennings Resigns
by Jamal Eric Watson
Despite a public apology and a pledge that he would be more sensitive, Dr. Robert R. Jennings was unable to hold onto his presidency. After his comments on sexual assault to a group of female students at Lincoln University went viral and drew national outrage last month, Jennings was forced to resign Monday. It was the final chapter for the 63-year-old college president who had faced a turbulent college presidency almost from the time he landed in January 2012 at the small, historically Back college located about an hour outside of Philadelphia. Shortly after his arrival, the alumni and the faculty gave him votes of “no-confidence” but it was not until a YouTube video surfaced of Jennings counseling a group of female students not to “put yourself in a situation” where they might have to report rape, that it was clear that he would not escape the brewing controversy.