University System News
www.ajc.com
Georgia Regents University president gives resignation
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/georgia-regents-university-president-gives-resigna/njpj4/
Janel Davis
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz is resigning from the university effective June 30. Azziz turned in his resignation letter to system Chancellor Hank Huckaby on Wednesday, but had discussed leaving the university with Huckaby since last week, Huckaby said. The state’s Board of Regents accepted Azziz’s resignation on Thursday.

www.bizjournals.com
Georgia Regents University president steps down
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/01/15/georgia-regents-university-president-steps-down.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_national+%28Bizjournals+National+Feed%29
Jacques Couret
Senior Online Editor and Social Engagement Manager- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz will step down June 30. GRU did not give a reason for the resignation. Board of Regents Chairman Neil Pruitt and Chancellor Hank Huckaby will soon name a presidential search committee.

www.therepublic.com
Georgia Regents University president resigns,
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/4350231822b74ac4a5236d4ab1172c45/GA–Georgia-Regents-University-President
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUGUSTA, Georgia — University System of Georgia officials say the president of Georgia Regents University is resigning from his position. Officials said in a statement Thursday that the resignation of Ricardo Azziz will be effective June 30. University System Chancellor Hank Huckaby told the Augusta Chronicle that the president’s decision to leave was voluntary. Huckaby said a search for a new leader will begin immediately, with a goal of having someone in place by July.

Related article:
www.wdef.com
Chancellor: Georgia Regents University president to resign
http://www.wdef.com/news/state/story/Chancellor-Georgia-Regents-University-president/zk8wi_F8C0SK5tO9gxrLtw.cspx

www.wtvm.com
GRU President Ricardo Azziz turns in resignation letter
http://www.wtvm.com/story/27859105/gru-president-ricardo-azziz-turns-in-resignation-letter

www.chronicle.augusta.comRegents statement praises Azziz
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2015-01-15/regents-statement-praises-azziz
Staff
The regents of the University System of Georgia released this statement Thursday afternoon about the resignation of GRU President Ricardo Azziz:

www.chronicle.augusta.com
Azziz ‘positive’ about resignation
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2015-01-15/azziz-positive-about-resignation
By Tom Corwin
Staff Writer
Saying he has finished “a very specific mission,” Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz resigned Thursday after nearly five years at the university. “I came with a very specific mission,” Azziz said. “I was brought in to do some fairly difficult work and serve as that kind of change agent, if you would. And five years into it, we’ve achieved it, we’ve achieved lots of goals.” Perhaps the biggest and one of the more controversial has been the consolidation of then Georgia Health Sciences and Augusta State universities into GRU, which Azziz characterized as now having crossed a river safe to the other side and is “a great institution marching into the future. “And truly, to be fair, it is time for another leader to take that baton if you would and move it forward,” he said.

www.wjbf.com
DEVELOPING ON 6: Georgia Board Of Regents Announces Dr. Ricardo Azziz Is Stepping Down At GRU
http://www.wjbf.com/story/27859041/breaking-on-6-sources-confirm-dr-ricardo-azziz-leaving-georgia-regents-university
By Damon Putzier, WJBF Executive Producer
WJBF News Channel 6’s Mike Miller will have more on the announcement from the University System of Georgia Board of Regents that Dr. Ricardo Azziz is stepping down as president of Georgia Regents University during our WJBF News Channel 6 at 6 newscast Thursday evening.

www.wjbf.com
Dr. Ricardo Azziz Talks To News Channel 6
http://www.wjbf.com/story/27864140/dr-ricardo-azziz-talks-to-news-channel-6
By Mike Miller, WJBF Weekend Anchor and Investigative Reporter
Augusta – GRU President Dr. Ricardo Azziz will step down on June 30th, 2015. “I’ve been here for 5 years. I came in with a mission. I was given a mission to accomplish and we’ve achieved a lot during those 5 years. I’d like to say that we’ve done 20 years of work in 5 years,” Dr. Azziz told News Channel 6 on Thursday. Dr. Azziz says it’s important for leaders to know when to transition away. The GRU president says now is the perfect time because what better way to go out than on top.

www.metrospirit.com
Azziz: “It’s the right time” to move on
http://metrospirit.com/azziz-right-time-move/#.VLk0iih90eU
Stacey Eidson
Just a few short hours after Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz submitted his letter of resignation to officials with the state’s board of regents, he felt a great sense of accomplishment regarding his time in Augusta. But Azziz said he is also ready for the next chapter in his life. “It is the right time,” Azziz said, adding that he wanted to give the board of regents a six-month notice in order to allow for GRU to have a smooth transition. “Five years as the change agent is plenty. We’ve done 20 years of work in five years and, so really, my family and I felt this was the right decision.”

www.chronicle.augusta.com
Chancellor discusses Azziz
http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2015-01-15/chancellor-discusses-decision
By Walter C. Jones
Morris News Service
Here is a question-and-answer exchange Thursday with Hank Huckaby, the Georgia university system chancellor on the future of GRU President Ricardo Azziz.

www.nbc26.tv
GRU students and alumni weigh in on Dr. Azziz stepping down as president
http://www.nbc26.tv/story/27863332/gru-students-and-alumni-weigh-in-on-dr-azziz-stepping-down-as-president
Written by Nickelle Smith, Anchor / ReporterCONNECT
AUGUSTA, Ga. – “If you want to make enemies you have to make some changes.” Those are the words of Dr. Ricardo Azziz less than two years ago. He is making a pretty big change at Georgia Regents University, announcing his resignation Thursday. GRU Alumni Association President Adam Williams said he didn’t see this decision coming. “Surprised I guess is the initial reaction. I guess part of me always wondered if this may happen at some point, just a matter of when.” Surprised was the consensus among students still attending GRU as well.

www.wfxg.com
ASU looks at Hazing Complaint
http://www.wfxg.com/story/27862200/asu-looks-at-hazing-complaint
By Jim Wallace
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Albany Police are investigating a hazing complaint made by an Albany State University student. The 18-year-old reported that leaders of a University endorsed mentoring organization forced new members to drink alcohol, smoke marijuana, and do extreme physical activities. Tuesday night, Charles Durrah reported leaders of ASU’s “Collegiate 100” hazed students at an off-campus apartment. He called the actions “demoralizing.”

www.bizjournals.com
Tech-focused company eyes Midtown Atlanta for 100K square feet
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2015/01/tech-focussed-company-eyes-midtown-atlanta-for.html
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Midtown Atlanta, which recently landed the headquarters of fintech giant NCR Corp., is drawing looks from another large technology-focused enterprise. An unidentified company has expressed interest in taking up to 100,000 square feet to co-anchor a more than 600,000 square foot mixed-used development planned in the heart of Georgia Tech. The development, which will include a high performance computing data center and retail complex, is part of the expansion of Georgia Tech’s Technology Square — an eight-block development bustling with startups, corporate innovation centers, technology incubators and venture capital firms. The new site is expected to replicate the 650,000 square foot Centergy office building that anchors Tech Square, and is nearly at capacity. Based on its choice of location, the undisclosed corporate user is no doubt seeking access to Georgia Tech’s research and a pool of technology savvy, young workers.

www.bizjournals.com
Long-awaited Invest Georgia off and running
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2015/01/16/long-awaited-invest-georgia-off-and-running.html
Dave Williams
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
The state-run venture capital fund the General Assembly created two years ago but didn’t fund until the current fiscal year is finally making headway. Invest Georgia’s newly appointed board of directors held its first meeting last month and is looking for an executive director… The state created a VC fund to try to stem the loss to other states of tech startups hatched in Georgia from the high quality academic research at Georgia Tech and other institutions. Invest Georgia supporters cite the state’s reputation as a haven for startups but less friendly ground for businesses in the next stages of growth that need access to venture capital to flourish. “There’s lots of new companies here,” said Tino Mantella, president and CEO of the Technology Association of Georgia. “But if they don’t get funding here, they’re going to move to another state.”

www.wabe.org
Georgia Tech Visits Antarctica In Search For Extraterrestrial Life
http://wabe.org/post/georgia-tech-visits-antarctica-search-extraterrestrial-life
By MOLLY SAMUEL
A scientist at Georgia Tech is looking for the possibility of life on Europa, one of Jupiter’s moons. It’s covered in a freezing ocean. So astrobiologist Britney Schmidt decided to use Antarctica as a testing ground. Schmidt took a team of Tech students down to Antarctica for two months to study the relationship between ice and the ocean and to test her self-driving underwater vehicle, Icefin… This is data that’s tough to collect, says Schmidt. “No one’s been able to get under the ice and see what’s going on,” she says. “Very few robotic vehicles have been able to do that.”

www.usatoday.com
News organizations partner for drone research
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/01/15/news-media-drone-research-partnership/21802707/
Roger Yu
Ten news media companies, including Gannett, The New York Times Co. and the Associated Press, are partnering with Virginia Tech to test small unmanned drones to be used in news gathering. In the partnership announced Thursday, the media companies and Virginia Tech — whose formal name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — will conduct safety testing of a series of real-life scenarios in which drones will be flown in collecting photos and videos at remote sites. Other companies participating in the program are Advance Publications, A. H. Belo, Getty Images (U.S.), NBCUniversal, E.W. Scripps, Sinclair Broadcast Group and The Washington Post. Their announcement comes three days after CNN said it’s expanding its drone-reporter research with Georgia Tech by working with the Federal Aviation Administration to speed up the work needed to commercialize the technology.

www.redandblack.com
Use or Abuse: Researchers study drug monitoring programs
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/use-or-abuse-researchers-study-drug-monitoring-programs/article_a66d6230-9c54-11e4-b6a5-8baa4ffc2a5d.html
Lindsey Conway
A team of researchers in the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs are evaluating whether prescription drug monitoring programs prevent patients from obtaining the medicine they need.

Editorials/Columns/Opinions:
www.chronicle.augusta.com
The doctor is out
Ricardo Azziz’s clouded, tumultuous presidency ends June 30
http://chronicle.augusta.com/opinion/editorials/2015-01-15/doctor-out
By Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff
Seldom does one part on good terms, French novelist Marcel Proust said, because “if one were on good terms, one would not part.” That statement certainly applies to the less-than-wistful departure of Georgia Regents University President Ricardo Azziz, arguably Augusta’s most divisive public figure in recent memory. He’s leaving, and nobody is trying to stop him.

www.getschooled.blog.ajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2015/01/13/new-georgia-school-chief-on-math-standards-and-testing/
New Georgia school chief on math, standards and testing
Richard Woods, a 22-year public school educator and former small business owner, is Georgia’s new state school superintendent. He officially assumed the title Monday. In this piece, he outlines his general plans for DOE.

www.getschooled.blog.ajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2015/01/15/state-school-chief-georgia-ought-to-offer-both-integrated-and-discrete-math/
State school chief: Georgia ought to offer both integrated and discrete math
From the state Department of Education
State School Superintendent Richard Woods today recommended that the State Board of Education post, for a 30-day public comment period, new math courses that offer a traditional/discrete course option to Georgia high schools, in addition to the integrated course option already available. If approved, high schools would be able to offer either integrated or traditional/discrete courses to students.

www.getschooled.blog.ajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2015/01/15/todays-state-board-tweaks-to-common-core-will-they-end-criticisms/
Today’s state board tweaks to Common Core. Will they end criticisms?
In an effort to preserve the Common Core State Standards in Georgia and appease critics, the state Board of Education approved changes today that reflect input gathered at a series of public hearings around the state over the last few months. Minor changes were made to the language arts and math standards, the only Common Core Standards in place in Georgia Most of the revisions are in math and clarify language and sequence.

www.insidehighered.com
When Free Tuition Meets the Next Recession
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/confessions-community-college-dean/when-free-tuition-meets-next-recession
By Matt Reed
In reflecting some more on the free community college plan that President Obama has announced, I’m concerned about its when the next recession hits. It’s structurally fragile.

Higher Education:
www.ajc.com
State may offer new math courses using old-school approach
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/state-may-offer-new-math-courses-using-old-school-/njpTJ/
Jaime Sarrio
Georgia school districts may soon have a choice on how teach high school math, following a vote today by the state board of education. The board, which sets education policy, took the first steps toward approving “traditional” courses in algebra and geometry, a signal they will allow districts to pick which approach to high school math they will use.

www.northwestgeorgianews.com
Ga. Board of Education approves revisions to common core standards in English language arts and math
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/news/education/ga-board-of-education-approves-revisions-to-common-core-standards/article_be61605c-9cdc-11e4-bb70-eb5d6563a961.html
The State Board of Education has approved revisions to the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS) in English language arts and math. Those standards were posted for a 60-day public comment period on November 12, 2014. We have taken care to hear the concerns of educators, parents, and other stakeholders, and to make changes on the basis of that feedback. State Board Chair Helen Rice said. These revisions ensure that our standards are responsive to the needs of Georgia students and educators.

www.bizjournals.com
Florida college students leave $170.3 million on the table
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/blog/morning-edition/2015/01/florida-college-students-leave-170-3-million-on.html
Jo-Lynn Brown
Digital Producer- Tampa Bay Business Journal
Thirty percent of Florida students eligible for Pell grants did not fill out applications for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the 2013-2014 year. The lack of applications resulted in $170.3 million in forfeited grant money, according to a study by NerdWallet, a financial literacy website.

www.diverseeducation.com
Va. Senate Panel Votes to Override AG on In-state Tuition
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68885/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=80a80870e798418fb62d3c3c2f761494&elqCampaignId=415
by Associated PressRICHMOND, Va. — Legislation is advancing in the Virginia Senate to bar some immigrants from attending state colleges at in-state tuition rates. On an 8-7 party-line vote Thursday, the Republican-controlled Education and Health Committee sent to the Senate floor a measure that would override a ruling last year by Democratic Attorney General Mark Herring. The ruling says some immigrants who were brought to the United States illegally as children can qualify for in-state tuition.

www.diverseeducation.com
NC Public Universities Eye Tuition Hikes After 1-year Hiatus
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68887/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=80a80870e798418fb62d3c3c2f761494&elqCampaignId=415
by Associated Press
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — North Carolina public universities want to raise tuition and fees by an average of 4 percent next year and 3.5 percent the following year for undergraduate state residents. The governing board of the 16-campus University of North Carolina system on Thursday began discussing proposals by each school to raise the two basic costs of attendance. The UNC Board of Governors is expected to approve any increases next month.

www.insidehighered.com
Lowering the Bar
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/16/law-schools-compete-students-many-may-not-have-admitted-past
By Ry Rivard
As the number of students going to law school drops dramatically, law schools are increasingly competing for students with lower undergraduate grades and LSAT scores.

www.insidehighered.com
Deep Cuts in Louisiana Could Force Campus Closures
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/01/16/deep-cuts-louisiana-could-force-campus-closures
Likely budget cuts to public higher education in Louisiana could be so deep that they would force the closures of some college campuses, The Times-Picayune reported.

www.nytimes.com
The Least Economically Diverse Top College, Seeking to Change

David Leonhardt
The leaders of Washington University in St. Louis have decided that it has a distinction they no longer want: the nation’s least economically diverse top college. Only 6 percent of undergraduates at Wash. U., as it’s known, receive federal Pell grants, which typically go to students in the bottom 40 percent of the income distribution. The university rejects dozens of qualified low- and middle-income students every year rather than giving them the financial aid they would need.

www.insidehighered.com
Mississippi Meddling
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/16/mississippi-governor-said-interfere-search-community-college-system-leader
By Ry Rivard
Mississippi’s governor is meddling in the search for the head of the state’s community college system and risks embarrassing the state, according to current and former higher education officials in and outside Mississippi. Governor Phil Bryant, a Republican, is urging members of the state’s community college board to drop the requirement that the system’s executive director have a Ph.D and five years of education experience. Instead, Bryant wants the board to change the job requirement and expand its search to include people with workforce training experience.

www.ajc.com
Atlanta ranks third in STEM employment growth
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/atlanta-ranks-third-stem-employment-growth/njnyQ/
Nancy Clanton
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If technological innovation is a sign of progress, then Atlanta is progressing nicely. According to an analysis by WalletHub, the Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell area ranks 27 on a top 100 list of best markets for STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — professionals. Although that’s nothing to get excited about, Atlanta does come in third for STEM employment growth.

www.touch.orlandosentinel.com
Florida and Orlando rank low in WalletHub STEM jobs list
http://touch.orlandosentinel.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-82533154/
Paul Brinkmann
Orlando didn’t rank well (83 out of 100) on a new list of cities where tech or STEM jobs are available and pay well, according to financial information website WalletHub. The survey looked at data on STEM jobs (science, technology, engineering and math), an area that has a higher-than-average wage — $79,640 in 2013, compared to national average of $46,440. According to breakout information, Orlando did particularly poorly in the category of high schools that focus on STEM training.

www.chronicle.com
Disciplines That Expect ‘Brilliance’ Tend to Punish Women, Study Finds
http://chronicle.com/article/Disciplines-That-Expect/151217/
By Madeline Will
Here’s a downside to our cultural obsession with genius: It might be a reason for the gender gap in certain academic fields. New research has found that women tend to be underrepresented in disciplines whose practitioners think innate talent or “brilliance” is required to succeed. According to the findings, that’s true across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, the STEM fields; humanities; and the social sciences.

www.chronicle.com
Hackers Descend on a Campus Near You
http://chronicle.com/article/Hackers-Descend-on-a-Campus/151239/
By Casey Fabris
College hackathons are growing in number—and getting more organized—but they’re not quite what you think they are.
Nick Quinlan’s parents didn’t quite understand the concept of a hackathon. No, he told them, being a hacker doesn’t mean breaking into things. It means building them. In the early days of computing, Mr. Quinlan said, hackers were people who built things “elegantly.” But the word eventually took on the negative connotation we know today.

www.chronicle.com
When Does Unwanted Sex Become Rape?
http://chronicle.com/article/When-Does-Unwanted-Sex-Become/151245/
In ambiguous encounters, students and colleges try to find the line
By Robin Wilson
Sexual interest and consent are often expressed through innuendo and nonverbal signals, researchers say. That can make it difficult to determine what qualifies as assault.

www.diverseeducation.com
Study: College Performance Incentives Aren’t Big Success
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68877/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=80a80870e798418fb62d3c3c2f761494&elqCampaignId=415
by Donna Gordon Blankinship, Associated Press
SEATTLE — A business-inspired approach for rewarding community colleges for student outcomes has not led many more students to stay in school and earn associate’s degrees in Washington state, a new study has found. The study published Wednesday in the journal Education Evaluation and Policy Analysis may disappoint more than a dozen states that reward colleges for performance and the others currently considering such a program.