University System News
www.mdjonline.com
Chatterbox: Papp to have twice the work, with same pay
http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26336181/article-Chatterbox–Papp-to-have-twice-the-work–with-same-pay
by MDJ staff
The consolidation of Kennesaw State University and Southern Polytechnic University was officially approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia at its meeting Tuesday, but USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby said the merger isn’t all good news for KSU President Dan Papp. After thanking Papp for his leadership during the consolidation, he joked that his thanks would be all Papp would be getting.
www.it-beta.slashdot.org
The Luxury of a Bottomless Bucket of Bandwidth For Georgia Schools
http://it-beta.slashdot.org/story/15/01/07/1651228/the-luxury-of-a-bottomless-bucket-of-bandwidth-for-georgia-schools
The IT departments at all the University System of Georgia institutions have a luxury that most CIOs could only dream of — access to about 2,800 miles of free fiber and a private cloud that they an always count on. The private cloud configuration allows the perk of not focusing on bandwith. “Our local CIOs even take some pleasure in telling telecom company representatives, ‘If you can beat free, then I’m willing to listen.’ That tends to shut down most conversations,”writes USG CIO Curt Carver, who explains how the technology is now becoming an educational equalizer across the state.
www.onlineathens.com
St. Mary’s physician residency program will get underway in July
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2015-01-07/st-marys-physician-residency-program-will-get-underway-july
By WALTER C. JONESMORRIS NEWS SERVICE
St. Mary’s Health System physician residency program will get underway in July as the Athens hospital admits its first ten medical residents. “Since 2010, the hospital has been hosting students from Athens’ Georgia Regents University-University of Georgia Medical Partnership, but taking on postgraduate residents is a major new step,” says the report.
www.savannahtribune.com
ASU And Liberty College & Career Academy To Announce New Partnership
http://www.savannahtribune.com/news/2015-01-07/Social_%28and%29_Community_News/ASU_And_Liberty_College__Career_Academy_To_Announc.html
On Friday, Jan. 9, 2015, 11 a.m. at Liberty College & Career Academy, 245 Dorsey Rd.., Armstrong State University and the Liberty College and Career Academy in Hinesville, Ga. will announce a special partnership that will enable Liberty County high school students to get college credit Liberty County Superintendent for the Engineering Pathway of Schools Valya Lee, program and the Teaching as Armstrong President Linda a Profession Pathway program. M. Bleicken, Armstrong
www.wcjl.com
Armstrong launches new nursing programs in response to Ga. shortage
http://wjcl.com/2014/12/19/armstrong-launches-new-nursing-programs-in-response-to-ga-shortage/
By Staff report
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WJCL) — In response to a growing demand for nursing professionals, the College of Health Professions at Armstrong State University has launched two new nursing programs that will help remedy the projected shortage of nurses statewide.
www.macon.com
FVSU Head Start could get millions for child development program
http://www.macon.com/2015/01/05/3513845_fvsu-head-start-could-get-millions.html?rh=1
BY JEREMY TIMMERMAN
Fort Valley State University’s Head Start program is in line for a huge grant to bolster child development efforts at an even earlier age. The program is one of more than 200 selected for a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services nationwide and one of just eight in Georgia. The preliminary award — $5.6 million — ranks seventh in the country, behind those from such metropolitan areas as Chicago and Brooklyn but ahead of others in Atlanta and Seattle.
www.redandblack.com
Researchers to assess quality of gifted programs
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/researchers-to-assess-quality-of-gifted-programs/article_d5da2f32-95f9-11e4-9deb-6f3a302e2a38.html
Lindsey Conway
A team of University of Georgia College of Education researchers received a $360,000 cooperative agreement to evaluate gifted education programs around the world in U.S. Department of Defense schools, which provide education to children of military families. The researchers will work to assess the different gifted education strategies and programs in the U.S. and analyze the procedures used to determine if students are qualified for gifted education.
www.occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com
Georgia State Launches MSOT Program
http://occupational-therapy.advanceweb.com/News/Daily-News-Watch/Georgia-State-Launches-MSOT-Program.aspx
ATLANTA — Georgia State University announced Dec. 9 that it has received Board of Regents approval to offer the master of occupational therapy degree, the entry-level degree required for occupational therapy. Beginning fall 2015, Georgia State’s Byrdine F. Lewis School of Nursing and Health Professions will accept applications for the two-year, full-time program. Students are expected to enroll beginning fall 2016.
www.newswise.com
Researchers Make New Discoveries In Key Pathway For Neurological Diseases
http://www.newswise.com/articles/researchers-make-new-discoveries-in-key-pathway-for-neurological-diseases
Newswise — ATLANTA—A new intermediate step and unexpected enzymatic activity in a metabolic pathway in the body, which could lead to new drug design for psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases, has been discovered by researchers at Georgia State University.
www.blogs.naturalnews.com
Does Change in the Weather Cause Pain in the Body?
http://blogs.naturalnews.com/change-weather-cause-pain-body/
By Helen Thomas
With most of the United States experiencing rapidly changing weather patterns it makes sense to ask the question “Does change in the weather cause pain in the body?” Medical researchers dating back to 1960’s have expressed interest in determining if weather changes can cause pain in the body. …How Weather Affects Asthma Sufferers
In addition to migraines, asthma may able be triggered by an incoming storm. According to scientists at the University of Georgia and Emory University asthma symptoms actually increased after a thunderstorm.
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Family offers $10K reward in search for missing GGC student
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/jan/07/family-offers-10k-reward-in-search-for-missing/
By Tyler Estep
Kelly Nash has not been seen since early Monday morning and, with temperatures outside steadily growing more frigid, the concerns of his family are deepening. …Nash, a 25-year-old senior at Georgia Gwinnett College, was last seen at about 4 a.m. Monday when his girlfriend asked him to turn the video games off and get some sleep. Waking up around 7 a.m., the girlfriend found that he was no longer inside their home near the Buford intersection of Jimmy Dodd and Buford Dam roads. The garage door was “slightly ajar” and there were no signs of foul play. Nash’s keys, wallet, phone and car were all still at the house. Two days after his disappearance, the family has made public a $10,000 reward for information leading to Nash’s return.
www.walb.com
Darton State College in Cordele opens its doors
http://www.walb.com/story/27788537/darton-state-college-in-cordele-opens-its-doors
By LC Chandler
CORDELE, GA (WALB) – It was a ceremonious first day of school for students at Darton State College: Cordele Center. The 60,000 square foot state of the art facility is 3 stories tall and in the heart of Downtown. “This facility will help them keep Darton State. And now it looks like it’s becoming a regional facility. So it will provide classes conjunctive with Albany State, Georgia Southwestern, as well as Darton State,” said Project Manager Mike Parker. Interim president of Darton State College, Dr. Paul Jones said the new campus is everything the school had hoped for.
www.redandblack.com
UGA ranks No. 6 for best campus food
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-ranks-no-for-best-campus-food/article_e363b378-95fc-11e4-ab82-4723fc2ae7d6.html
Nicolle Sartain
University of Georgia Food Services serves more than 30,000 meals each day, and it was recently recognized for its ability to provide quality at scale. Niche.com ranked UGA sixth out of 1,175 colleges for Best Campus Food based on quality, price and accessibility and the opinions of students.
www.clinical-innovation.com
Company contributes to Ga. Tech’s interoperability lab
http://www.clinical-innovation.com/topics/interoperability/company-contributes-ga-tech-s-interoperability-lab
Beth Walsh
A national technology company has made a $40,000 donation toward Georgia Institute of Technology’s Interoperability & Integration Innovation Lab (I3L), a virtual and physical laboratory for health IT. The donation made by Reston, Va.-based Leidos will help Georgia Tech develop a pilot demonstration at I3L to improve the quality and efficiency of healthcare. The pilot demonstration includes collaboration with the Georgia Department of Public Health and University of Georgia Public Health Department.
www.healthcanal.com
Too much gas, too little food appear major factors in Injury, disease-related memory loss
http://www.healthcanal.com/brain-nerves/58900-too-much-gas-too-little-food-appear-major-factors-in-injury-disease-related-memory-loss.html
Inflammation plays a role in learning and memory loss that can result from brain Injury or disease, and researchers now have evidence that neurons may be suffering from too much gas and too little food. They’ve found that the immune cell interleukin 1β, or IL-1β, prompts production of the short-lived gas hydrogen sulfide, impacting the brain cells’ ability to use food and glucose, and ultimately resulting in the destruction of synapses, where the cells connect so information can be stored and memories made. “So just think about this. If this protein is being chewed up, then neuron-to-neuron communication is disrupted,” says Dr. Nilkantha Sen, neuroscientist at the Medical College of Georgia at Georgia Regents University. “If it continues to happen in your brain or in my brain, our memory will be shut down.” Sen, corresponding author of the study in the journal Molecular Cell, is referencing damage to the protein PSD95, which is essential to the framework of the synapses that connect brain cells and which gets modified by the gas hydrogen sulfide.
www.insurancenewsnet.com
Researchers from Georgia Regents University Report Recent Findings in Community Health (The Proof’s in the Partnerships: Are Affordable Care Act and…
NewsRx
http://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/2015/01/07/researchers-from-georgia-regents-university-report-recent-findings-in-community–a-583227.html#.VK61kSh90eU
By a News Reporter-Staff News Editor at Insurance Weekly News — Current study results on Community Health have been published. According to news reporting originating from Augusta, Georgia, by VerticalNews correspondents, research stated, “The strengthened requirement for nonprofit hospitals to complete a community health needs assessment and implementation plan in the Affordable Care Act, concurrent with a new voluntary accreditation process for local health departments that requires collaborative community health assessments and community health improvement plans, have led to a resurgence of interest in assessment and improvement planning.”
www.middlegeorgiaceo.com
Southeast Manufacturing Reverses Two-Month Climb, Ends 2014 in Decline
http://middlegeorgiaceo.com/news/2015/01/southeast-manufacturing-reverses-two-month-climb-ends-2014-decline/
Southeast manufacturing activity slowed in December primarily due to decreases in new orders and production, according to the Southeast’s Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) report released today by Kennesaw State University’s Econometric Center in the Michael J. Coles College of Business.
www.wabe.org
Georgia’s 2015 Economic Outlook Looks Promising
http://wabe.org/post/georgias-2015-economic-outlook-looks-promising
By JOHN LORINC
No cause for concern. That’s the message from economics analysts from Kennesaw State University, despite the fact that Georgia’s Purchasing Managers Index fell below the Mendoza line of 50 last month. The PMI is a survey of purchasing managers throughout the state. In layman’s terms, it gives insight into economic issues like employment and production. The Peach State’s PMI in December was 49.4.
www.seattlepi.com
Pfizer Grants Georgia State $850k To Combat Smoking In China
http://www.seattlepi.com/business/press-releases/article/Pfizer-Grants-Georgia-State-850k-To-Combat-5994766.php
Pfizer Inc. has granted nearly $850,000 to Georgia State University’s School of Public Health to partner with Chinese health officials to expand tobacco control efforts to major cities in China. The grant will support work with officials to develop policies and programs to protect non-smokers from second-hand smoke, encourage smokers to quit and prevent women, children and young adults from starting smoking.
Editorials/Columns/Opinions:
www.theledger.com
Views Divided: Students Need Help With Debt
http://www.theledger.com/article/20150107/EDIT01/150109541/-1/news300
One aspect of higher education is be- ing debated beyond the rising influence of for-profit colleges, whether football coaches should be the highest-paid “teachers” on campus, or if the University of Florida or Florida State should rank higher on various lists of best party schools. Student loan debt is a growing concern for lawmakers, education experts and Wall Street gurus — except, of course, when some people from those realms think it’s not. Still, folks in Polk County, a community with at least seven colleges, should pay attention.
www.insidehighered.com
Schrödinger’s Library
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/schrödinger’s-library
Barbara Fister
The other day, I bumped into an article in which some pundit was solving the problems of higher education. Unfortunately, I can’t link to it because it was one of those “nothing to see here, move along” moments. But one phrase from the article stuck like a burr. The pundit seemed to assume that “content delivery” was to a large extent the purpose of courses and majors, and that the problem we need to solve is delivering content more effectively and efficiently, which seems to me completely wrong.
www.insidehighered.com
Course Development and MOOCs (Part 1): The Emergence of a Role
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-beta/course-development-and-moocs-part-1-emergence-role
By Ellen Brandenberger
As MOOCs, or Massive Online Open Courseware, emerged over the last several years, the shaping of the industry has been widely influenced by a few large actors, such as edX, Coursera and Udacity, as well as the institutions whose content they distribute and repurpose–Harvard, MIT, and Rice among many. The emergence of this evolving form of courseware, however, has been at least partially dependent on the rise of a new role in higher education, often dubbed the “course developer.”
www.insidehighered.com
Bridging the Divide Between Faculty and Administration
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/university-venus/bridging-divide-between-faculty-and-administration
By Yves Salomon-Fernandez
Last month, at the request of those on the campus that I oversee, we established a monthly evening social for the faculty and staff. The idea came up as an effort to better integrate adjunct faculty as part of the campus and help develop a sense of community among full-time, day and evening faculty, and staff.
Education:
www.thecitizennews.com
Fayette’s legislators detail their priorities for Jan. 12 session
http://www.thecitizennews.com/articles/01-07-2015/fayette’s-legislators-detail-their-priorities-jan-12-session
The 2015 session of the Georgia General Assembly is set to begin on Jan. 12. The Citizen asked the members of the Fayette legislative delegation two general questions: what they see as the statewide priorities for the upcoming session and what they see as the local (Fayette County) priorities for the 2015 session. …Harbin in his comments said those potential topics include: — Education and youth
Common Core: In 2011, Georgia joined 46 other states and the District of Columbia in adopting the Common Core Standards in the fall of 2012. These standards define the knowledge and skills students should gain throughout their K-12 education in order to graduate high school prepared to succeed in entry-level careers, introductory academic college courses and workforce training programs. Some states, such as Alaska, Texas and Virginia never adopted the standards. As of now, three states have passed legislation to withdraw their states out of Common Core Standards. We may see legislation regarding the status of Common Core in our state.
www.insidehighered.com
Elusive Data on Education and Workforce
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/08/gao-report-finds-state-education-and-workforce-databases-lacking
By Paul Fain
After eight years of work and $640 million in federal spending, state data systems that seek to link education and the workforce remain riddled with holes. That was the conclusion of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a report released in November. The GAO looked at two federal grant programs to support states’ development of “longitudinal” data systems that try to follow students as they move from early education to K-12, college and employment.
www.chronicle.com
Obama Puts Tennessee’s Free-College Plan on a National Stage
http://chronicle.com/article/Obama-Puts-Tennessee-s/151081/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
By Eric Kelderman
A couple of years ago, the idea of free college for all students might have sounded like a pipe dream. On Friday that idea is going to gain a lot more attention and legitimacy as President Obama highlights a statewide program in Tennessee that will cover community-college tuition for all of the state’s graduating high-school seniors.
www.insidehighered.com
Analyzing Application Essays
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/08/new-study-links-certain-application-essays-and-college-success
By Scott Jaschik
Admissions essays are thought of by many as less scientific than other parts of the college application process — a chance to share a personal story, to inject personality into the process, to become more than just a grade-point average or test score. But it may be that statistical analysis can be applied to application essays — and that some words and some topics correlate with better performance in college. That’s the conclusion of a new study published in PLOS One that analyzes the words used in application essays with grades earned once enrolled.
www.insidehighered.com
Campus Debit Cards and Tobacco Purchases
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/01/08/campus-debit-cards-and-tobacco-purchases
A new study by researchers at the University of Colorado Cancer Center finds that some colleges let debit cards be used by students to pay for tobacco products that their parents may be subsidizing without knowledge.
www.insidehighered.com
A ‘Chilly Climate’ on Campus
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/08/report-details-microaggressions-campuses-students-color-and-women
By Jake New
Women and students of color continue to encounter psychologically damaging racism and sexism on college campuses, creating a climate where students struggle to graduate and are unsure who to turn to for help.
www.jbhe.com
Alcorn State University Offers In-State Tuition Rates for All Students
Alcorn State University Offers In-State Tuition Rates for All Students
In an effort to boost enrollments, Alcorn State University in Mississippi has abolished its dual tuition schedule. Now all students who enroll at the historically Black university will pay the same price, regardless of their state of residence. The new tuition rates schedule will begin in the fall of 2015. Out-of-state students who are already enrolled at the university will also be eligible for the lower rate.
www.jbhe.com
Ranking the HBCUs on the Debt Levels of Their Graduates
The Institute for College Access & Success has released its ninth annual report, Student Debt and the Class of 2013. The study found that student debt levels continue to rise with about 7 of every 10 college graduates accumulating some debt. The average debt level was $28,400.
PERCENTAGE OF GRADUATEA WITH DEBT AND AVERAGE DEBT OF THOSE WITH LOANS, BY STATE …Georgia Class of 2013 Average Debt $24,517, Rank 37
LOW-DEBT COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (ALPHABETICAL BY NAME) : Fort Valley State University
www.chronicle.com
Seeking to Strengthen Sex-Assault Policies, Colleges Draw Fire From All Sides
http://chronicle.com/article/Seeking-to-Strengthen/151083/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
By Katherine Mangan
Depending on whom you talk to these days, Harvard University’s policies to prevent sexual assault either are woefully inadequate or risk trampling on the rights of men following tipsy, consensual hookups. Similar sentiments swirl in discussions at Ohio State University, another institution caught in a tug of war as it struggles to revise sexual-misconduct policies in ways that are fair to both the accusers and the accused. Both campuses have been faulted by the federal government for failing to adequately protect victims, while simultaneously being lambasted by those who say the institutions are overcorrecting and being unfair to the accused.
www.diverseeducation.com
University of Virginia Proposes New Rules for Greek Organizations
http://diverseeducation.com/article/68739/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=14a65e2a83ef45a3946c3814a84ec328&elqCampaignId=415
by Brock Vergakis, Associated Press
NORFOLK, Va. — Kegs of beer and pre-made mixes of liquor and punch will be banned from fraternity parties at the University of Virginia under proposed new rules aimed at stamping out sexual assault on campus. Greek organizations have until Jan. 16 to sign the agreement as a condition to lifting a temporary ban on social activities by fraternities and sororities at the Charlottesville campus.
www.chronicle.com
Could You Plan a Fraternity Party Under UVa’s New Rules?
http://chronicle.com/article/Could-You-Plan-a-Fraternity/151073/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
It came as no shock on Tuesday that the University of Virginia lifted its temporary suspension of fraternities and sororities. An article in Rolling Stone magazine that had provided the impetus for the crackdown—graphically chronicling the alleged gang rape of a UVa student at a fraternity house—has been widely discredited. But with the go-ahead came new safety regulations that will touch every fraternity house in Charlottesville. Among other things, they establish a kind of road map for how to host a party. Though mandating “sober brothers” is not uncommon at colleges, the new rules require that they be stationed at specific locations throughout the event. Could you plan an acceptable UVa fraternity party (defined by the college as a function running past 9 p.m. and involving more than half of the chapter’s membership, among other things)?
www.insidehighered.com
Redefining Full-Time Adjunct Work
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/01/08/new-congress-seeks-redefine-full-time-work-health-law-which-colleges-support
By Michael Stratford
WASHINGTON — As Republicans formally take control of a new Congress this week, one of the party’s top priorities is pushing through a change to President Obama’s health care law that many colleges are cheering but that adjunct faculty have criticized.