University System News:
www.onlineathens.com
University System changes in health insurance worries retirees
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2015-02-28/university-system-changes-health-insurance-worries-retirees
By LEE SHEARER
A plan to move University System of Georgia retirees from a health insurance plan run by the university system to private coverage insurance companies could actually save money for retirees, but some of those retirees are not so sure. Retirees also wonder why no one told them about the plan, approved by the Board of Regents in November 2013, until details from a leaked memorandum about it appeared in Athens’ Flagpole Magazine last week. …Retirees won’t lose coverage and could even get comparable coverage at lower cost, Fedrick said in a memo circulated to senior university system administrators and again last week via telephone.
www.ajc.com
Senate leaders want more medical marijuana restrictions
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/senate-leaders-want-more-medical-marijuana-restric/nkKyF/
Kristina Torres
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A showdown over how to legalize medical marijuana in Georgia appears more likely than ever, after Senate leaders signaled Friday they want to restrict access to only a limited trial program for children with epilepsy.
It’s a dramatic counterpoint to a proposal passed overwhelmingly Wednesday by the state House, which would make it legal to possess limited quantities of medical marijuana with a doctor’s prescription for more than half a dozen disorders. Both plans involve legalizing cannabis oil — which is harvested from the marijuana plant but does not create the high that recreational use of marijuana produces — and no other form of the plant. The Senate plan, which will be introduced Monday at the Capitol as Senate Bill 185, would restrict the oil’s use to only a four-year research trial program conducted through the University System of Georgia.
USG Institutions:
www.columbian.com
Get in, get out: Colleges push full course loads
Book, tuition, discounts take aim at delayed graduations, high student loan debt
http://www.columbian.com/news/2015/mar/01/get-in-get-out-colleges-push-full-course-loads/
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, The Washington Post
Cleveland State University made a proposition to its students two years ago: Take a full course load of 30 credits a year and get $200 off tuition and a $200 book stipend. Only 32 percent of its undergraduates had finished a degree within six years, if at all. …Cleveland State took the approach of streamlining its course catalogue and offering more sections of the classes that were most in demand. Students can register for all three terms at the beginning of the academic year to make sure they get the classes they need to graduate. …Cleveland State is not alone. Barely half of college students in the United States earn degrees within six years, and that is pushing up the amount of outstanding student debt in this country, estimated to be $1 trillion. …To track students’ progress, Cleveland State began using software to alert counselors to who was struggling in class and to map out what courses students need at various points to obtain a degree. The strategy is similar to one employed at Georgia State University, which has gained national attention for its efforts to increase graduation rates. Two years ago, the school created a system using predictive analytics to flag students in danger of falling behind or dropping out. Georgia State President Mark Becker said students are six to seven times more likely to drop out because of financial reasons than academic. As a result, the school is quick to have students meet with advisers if they start taking courses that will bring them no closer to graduating but tack on more money to the cost of college.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
MCSD, CSU partnership expands STEM education
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2015/02/27/3588401_mcsd-csu-partnership-expands-stem.html?rh=1
BY MARK RICE
More than 17,000 Muscogee County School District students have received enhanced education this school year in the critical STEM subjects of science, technology, engineering and math, thanks to a partnership with Columbus State University. MCSD is paying $64,000 to expand the program that used to serve only sixth-graders at CSU’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center, said Mary Johnson, the center’s assistant director. Now, all 32 MCSD elementary schools also benefit from the program.
www.mdjonline.com
The Chronicle of Higher Education names KSU a top Fulbright school
http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26496975/article-The-Chronicle-of-Higher-Education-names-KSU-a-top-Fulbright-school
by MDJ staff
Kennesaw State University was recognized as one of the top producing institutions of Fulbright Scholars for the 2014-15 academic year by the Chronicle of Higher Education earlier this month. Among master’s institutions, KSU was among the top seven with three KSU faculty members earning Fulbright grants this year.
www.redandblack.com
UGA recognized as a top producer of Fulbright scholars for 2014-2015
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/uga-recognized-as-a-top-producer-of-fulbright-scholars-for/article_6cdf737a-bec1-11e4-a899-2b920aec48d6.html
Christina Kohler
The University of Georgia was recently named among the top research universities to produce scholars for the 2014-2015 Core Fulbright Program. According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, UGA has produced six scholars, making it tied for fifth place in the ranking of top producing universities. The top four schools to produce scholars are University of California at Berkeley, Harvard University, University of Florida, and the University of Washington.
www.walb.com
Changes could be headed to ASU if Senate approves funding
http://www.walb.com/story/28232145/changes-could-be-headed-to-asu-if-senate-approves-funding
By Aaryn Valenzuela
Representative Darrel Ealum talked about changes coming to Albany State and Darton College. Ealum talked about getting funding to build a fine arts building at Albany State University. He said the present building used by music students was flooded in 1994 and should have been torn down. A new building could give students more space to practice and their own place to hold concerts. …Funding for the new building has been passed through the house, but the Senate still must approve it.
www.myajc.com
D.C. Democrat investigates Ga. Tech professor who bucks climate trend
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/dc-democrat-investigates-ga-tech-professor-who-buc/nkK4C/#0aea152c.3566685.735659
By Daniel Malloy – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
WASHINGTON — Georgia Tech climate researcher Judith Curry does not deny that humans contribute to global warming. But the professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences has won praise from Republicans on Capitol Hill by questioning the prevailing verdict that humans are the primary cause of rising temperatures and doubting the need for drastic, economy-shifting action by policy-makers. Now one key Democrat is investigating whether Curry’s voice is being funded by interests that profit from the energy status quo, a notion Curry flatly rejects and suggests “intimidation and harassment” as a motivation for the inquiry. U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., sent letters to the employers of Curry and six other climate researchers who have testified on Capitol Hill, asking for their funding sources and other information.
www.georgiatrend.com
POLITICAL NOTES: MARCH 2015
http://www.georgiatrend.com/March-2015/Political-Notes-March-2015/
Susan Percy
4th article
Azziz Leaving GRU: Georgia Regents University’s Ricardo Azziz will step down as president in June, after five years at the Augusta institution. He came in 2010 to head the Medical College of Georgia, which changed its name to Georgia Health Sciences University, then changed it again to Georgia Regents University when the Board of Regents (BOR) consolidated the school with Augusta State University.
Higher Education:
www.chronicle.com
Education Dept. to Drop 5 Collection Agencies Over ‘Deceptive Practices’
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/education-dept-to-drop-5-collection-agencies-over-deceptive-practices/94859?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
by Andrew Mytelka
The U.S. Education Department is cutting ties with five private collection agencies that it says provided inaccurate information to student-loan borrowers. In an announcement late Friday, the department also said it would step up its monitoring and guidance of such collection agencies, which work under government contracts, to ensure that they give borrowers accurate data on their loans. The measures announced on Friday stem from the department’s review of the 22 private collection agencies it contracts with.
www.diverseeducation.com
Report Advocates ‘Active Bystanders’ as Curb to Sexual Assault
http://diverseeducation.com/article/70219/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=dde45d6a7c78457783d023eb6906d524&elqCampaignId=415&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqTrackId=7da91a51696246ea90380311e74326b2
by Jamaal Abdul-Alim
Although nearly 1 out of every 30 female freshmen experience sexual victimization during the first four to six weeks of college, the number could be reduced if more students were taught to assume an “active bystander” posture when they witness sexual abuse, harassment or assault. That is one of the key takeaways from a new survey released recently by EverFi, an education technology company that teaches “critical skills” to institutions of higher education and K-12 schools.
www.insidehighered.com
New Scams Targeting University Employees
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/03/02/new-scams-targeting-university-employees
Faculty and staff at Carnegie Mellon University who last weekend clicked on a link in an e-mail titled “Your salary raise information” were disappointed when they didn’t find a pay increase but an attempt to steal their personal information. The university has since warned the campus community against the phishing scam and locked down the compromised accounts, WPXI reported.