USG NEWS:
www.ledger-enquirer.com
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2014/11/06/3399314_interim-president-for-columbus.html?sp=/99/100/&rh=1
Interim president for Columbus State announced
BY MARK RICE
Tom Hackett, the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Columbus State University, will be CSU’s interim president after Tim Mescon retires Dec. 31. … “Tom has clearly demonstrated his leadership capabilities and readiness to take on this responsibility,” Huckaby said in a news release. “Tom also brings the distinct and unique perspective as a graduate of Columbus State. Having a proven leader such as Tom ready to step in as interim president is a credit to the deep bench strength and professional development President Mescon fostered during his tenure at CSU.”
www.oconeeenterprise.com
http://www.oconeeenterprise.com/news/article_1e433a1c-650c-11e4-85b0-43eba7cc0cd9.html
OconeeFest emphasizes local scholarships to UNG
by Blake Giles
The cost of a sheepskin just keeps climbing.
College students now pay as much per credit hour for tuition as their grandparents paid for a whole semester’s worth of classes. The University of North Georgia hosted OconeeFest on the Oconee campus Thursday night, an al fresco dining event to promote scholarships for local students. Oconee County resident Hank Huckaby, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said that he hears over and over the difficulties students have in making ends meet. …Huckaby said that an emphasis of the Regents in the coming years would be to develop a more robust needs-based program for the state.
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2014/nov/05/georgia-gwinnett-college-students-frustrated-by/
Georgia Gwinnett College students frustrated by cancellation of Jimmy Carter visit
By Keith Farner
LAWRENCEVILLE — The cancellation of a scheduled visit last week to Georgia Gwinnett College from former President Jimmy Carter has drawn frustration from a pair of student groups looking for answers. Carter was scheduled to speak at GGC on Oct. 29, and the event was coordinated by the Organization of Latin American students. But the speech about education was canceled because the administration — while it said it would have gladly coordinated such a visit — said that two business days’ notice was not enough time to plan for the event.
GOOD NEWS:
www.savannahceo.com
http://savannahceo.com/news/2014/11/georgia-southern-awarded-two-leed-certifications-assistance-trident-sustainability-group/
Georgia Southern Awarded Two LEED Certifications With Assistance From Trident Sustainability Group
Press release from the issuing company
Statesboro campus goes “green” by incorporating sustainable design strategies and systems into new dining facilities. In order for Georgia Southern University to improve the sustainability and usability goals of their new Statesboro campus dining facilities, the architect for the project hired Trident Sustainability Group to develop and implement the sought sustainable requirements for LEED certification. With Trident Sustainability’s assistance, the new Lakeside and Landrum Dining Halls were able to successfully achieve LEED NC certifications (Silver and Certified respectively) for the two institutional infill and redevelopment sites. They are a prime example of how to properly manage two simultaneous LEED projects for a single client at the same location; one being a rehabilitation and addition to a previously existing dining facility and the second being a new construction project to improve on the expanding campus.
RESEARCH:
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/What-Georgia-Tech-s-Online/149857/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
What Georgia Tech’s Online Degree in Computer Science Means for Low-Cost Programs
By Steve Kolowich
Among all recent inventions that have to do with MOOCs, the Georgia Institute of Technology’s online master’s program in computer science may have the best chance of changing how much students pay for a traditional degree. The program, which started last winter, pairs MOOC-like course videos and assessments with a support system of course assistants who work directly with students.
www.georgiahealthnews.com
Saving soldiers’ limbs: UGA researchers see promise in ‘bone putty’
Saving soldiers’ limbs: UGA researchers see promise in “bone putty’
By: Ansley Stewart
War is hell on the bones of warriors. And when the long bones of the arms or legs are so badly broken that they can’t heal on their own, amputation is sometimes the only option.
But University of Georgia researchers and colleagues from other universities have developed a jelly-like substance that may help catastrophic breaks knit together. Stem cells are the key ingredient in what the scientists call “bone putty.”
www.usagnet.com
http://www.usagnet.com/state_headlines/state_story.php?tble=IL2014&ID=1131
Research: Birds in Large Groups Less Likely to Contract West Nile
Illinois Ag Connection
Although it would seem logical that large numbers of roosting birds would attract more mosquitoes that carry West Nile virus and contract the disease when bitten, recent research at the University of Illinois found the opposite to be true. That is, when large groups of birds roost together the chances that an individual bird will get bitten by mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus and subsequently contract the disease actually go down. …”Host group formation decreases exposure to vector-borne disease: a field experiment in a ‘hotspot’ of West Nile virus transmission” was written by Bethany L. Krebs, Marilyn O. Ruiz, and Jeffrey D. Brawn from the University of Illinois; Tavis K. Anderson from Georgia Southern University;
Education News
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/11/06/u-california-wants-resume-tuition-increases
U. of California Wants to Resume Tuition Increases
Leaders of the University of California System, for the first time in four years, are proposing tuition increases, The Los Angeles Times reported.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Short-Term-Certificates-Boom/149863/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Short-Term Certificates Boom, but Study Finds They Don’t Help Students Get Jobs
By Katherine Mangan
Short-term community-college certificates, which have been growing rapidly in popularity as a way to get students quickly and cheaply into jobs, do not, in fact, help most recipients land employment or earn more money, according to a study being released on Thursday. The study is based on data from Washington State, but it reflects similar findings in three other states, according to researchers at Columbia University’s Community College Research Center and the Career Ladders Project, an initiative of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/With-Republican-Gains/149859/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
With Republican Gains, Adjuncts May Struggle to Keep Foothold on Capitol Hill
By Peter Schmidt
Washington
A breakthrough political year for advocates for adjunct instructors appears to be ending on a down note, with only modest gains to show for their efforts and newly diminished prospects that Congress will act to improve adjuncts’ working conditions anytime soon. The results of this week’s elections, which will give Republicans control of the Senate and tighten their grip on the House of Representatives, are expected to leave Congress much less willing to support any federal intervention in colleges’ dealings with their employees, and much more hostile to the labor unions that provide nearly all of the political clout contingent faculty members have.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Harvard-Researchers-Used/149865/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Harvard Researchers Used Secret Cameras to Study Attendance. Was That Unethical?
By Rebecca Koenig and Steve Kolowich
A high-tech effort to study classroom attendance at Harvard University that used secret photo surveillance is raising questions about research ethics among the institution’s faculty members. The controversy heated up on Tuesday night, when a computer-science professor, Harry R. Lewis, questioned the study at a faculty meeting. During the study, which took place in the spring of 2013, cameras in 10 Harvard classrooms recorded one image per minute, and the photographs were scanned to determine which seats were filled.
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/When-a-Student-Confides-a/149855/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
When a Student Confides a Rape, Should a Professor Have to Report It?
By Robin Wilson
While a faculty member’s primary roles may be teaching and research, it isn’t unusual for students to use professors as a sounding board for personal problems, even serious ones like rape. New rules on many campuses, however, now mean that if students confide in faculty members about a sexual assault, the professors are required to report the information to college officials. That change in the way campuses are interpreting faculty responsibilities under the gender-equity law known as Title IX makes some professors uneasy.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/11/06/princeton-title-ix-agreement-higher-standard-proof-sexual-assault-cases-last-legs
The Wrong Standard
By Jake New
Princeton University reached an agreement with the Department of Education Wednesday to end a civil rights investigation into how the university handles cases of sexual assault on campus. Princeton was found to be in violation of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the department said, for “failing to promptly and equitably” respond to complaints of sexual violence and for using a higher standard of proof than what is permitted by the department. Princeton was the last Ivy League institution — and a rare prominent institution — to still use the “clear and convincing” standard instead of the “preponderance of evidence” standard in adjudicating sexual assault cases.
Related artricle:
www.diverseeducation.com
http://diverseeducation.com/article/67791/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=78661bfedd134b6c83b279b0a19e2854&elqCampaignId=415
Princeton University Makes Deal With U.S. on Sex Assault Cases
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/11/06/u-kansas-asks-court-reconsider-expulsion-ruling
The Right to Sanction
By Carl Straumsheim
The University of Kansas is pushing back against a court ruling that determined the institution incorrectly expelled a student for posting derogatory tweets about his ex-girlfriend. While the university said its legal obligation to keep students safe from harassment extends to social media, the court found the institution’s student conduct policy, as written, did not give it the authority to do so.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2014/11/06/medical-colleges-offer-help-us-ebola
Medical Colleges Offer to Help U.S. on Ebola
The Association of American Medical Colleges, along with 120 medical schools and teaching hospitals, has released a letter offering to work with state and federal officials to make sure that institutions and health-care professionals are trained to treat Ebola patients.
www.customwire.ap.org
http://customwire.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FL_FLORIDA_UNIVERSITY_PRESIDENTS_FLOL-?SITE=FLPET&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2014-11-06-09-38-58
New hires for UF, FSU up for confirmation
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s appointed board that oversees the state university system is deciding whether to confirm new presidents for the University of Florida and Florida State University. The Board of Governors is meeting Thursday in Boca Raton on the campus of Florida Atlantic University. FSU’s board picked powerful state Sen. John Thrasher as its next president. UF trustees selected Cornell University Provost W. Kent Fuchs.
www.insidehighered.com
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2014/11/06/trustees-told-they-need-step-their-game-or-risk-higher-educations-future
On Their Watch
By Ry Rivard
Inattentive college and university governing boards are putting American higher education at risk, according to a new set of guidelines for trustees issued today by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges. A special 26-member commission, led by former Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, concluded that changing conditions — including financial constraints and public perceptions – endanger the durability of the nation’s higher education system. That system, the commission concluded, is based on “the reputations of a relative handful of highly ranked U.S. universities, not the overall performance of the sector.”
www.chronicle.com
http://chronicle.com/article/Governing-Boards-Should-Focus/149861/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
Governing Boards Should Focus on Finances and Stay Out of Politics, Report Says
By Eric Kelderman
It’s not hard these days to find examples of colleges’ governing boards under fire for what critics regard as bad behavior. In recent years, boards of trustees have been accused of ignoring problems (Penn State), meddling in campus leadership (University of Virginia), and pursuing an ideological agenda (University of Texas). A commission formed to recommend changes in higher-education governance says actions like those jeopardize not only the institutions but also the public trust in higher education.