University System News:
Coastal Georgia to break ground Monday for new 216-bed student housing building
Corvias Campus Housing will build facility as part of 65-year partnership with University System of Georgia
http://jacksonville.com/news/georgia/2015-04-29/story/coastal-georgia-break-ground-monday-new-216-bed-student-housing
By Terry Dickson
BRUNSWICK | College of Coastal Georgia will break ground Monday on its second student housing unit and its first under a new public-private partnership in which an outside company will build and own the building, officials said. The 216-bed Mariner Village Residence Hall will be built just south of the 350-bed Lakeside Village and will be open to students for the fall semester in 2016, college spokesman John Cornell said. Hank Huckaby, chancellor of University System of Georgia, legislative delegates and a representative of Corvias Campus Living will attend the 3 p.m. ceremonial ground-breaking at the corner of 4th Street and Mariners Way at the campus’ south entrance.

www.chronicle.augusta.com
Georgia Regents to play host to groundbreaking ceremony for new student dorm Friday
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2015-04-29/georgia-regents-play-host-groundbreaking-ceremony-new-student-dorm-Friday
By Sean Gruber
Staff Writer
Georgia Regents University officials, students, and representatives from developer Corvias Campus Living will play host to a groundbreaking ceremony for a new 724-bed student dormitory complex Friday, the opening move in GRU’s decade-long plan to integrate the university’s separate campuses and “enhance campus life.” The new dorm, which will be built on the Health Sciences campus and is funded by a $500 million partnership between the University Systems of Georgia and Corvias Campus Living, is planned to house both undergraduate and graduate students. Construction is set to begin in May, with the project set to be completed by fall 2016.

www.bizjournals.com
Gov. Deal signs dual enrollment measures
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/capitol_vision/2015/04/gov-deal-signs-dual-enrollment-measures.html
Dave Williams
Staff Writer- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Gov. Nathan Deal signed two bills Thursday aimed at bridging the gap between K-12 and post-secondary education in Georgia. Under Senate Bill 2, students who have completed the ninth and 10th grade coursework requirements will be able to enroll in one of the state’s public universities or technical colleges and work toward a degree or certificate while continuing to pursue a high-school diploma. The “Move On When Ready Act” – Senate Bill 132 – makes adjustments in the state’s current dual-enrollment program based on the recommendations of a task force created by the governor.

www.tigersroar.com
In-State Tuition for Out-of-State Residents
http://www.tigersroar.com/news/article_a4f76be2-efb2-11e4-b6fc-c3d226488954.html
Erica Relaford
The cost of tuition and fees has been the main barrier for many prospective students interested in attending Savannah State, however in the fall of 2015, the University will offer in-state tuition to residents of border states: Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. The plan, established by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents, is part of the Complete College Georgia initiative.

www-ledger-enquirer.com
61 high school students graduate from Collegiate 100 mentoring program
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2015/04/30/3696705_61-high-school-students-graduate.html?rh=1
By ALVA JAMES-JOHNSON
Marcus Foster noticed something different about the Columbus State University students who visited Jordan High School his junior year. The members of the Collegiate 100 always wore button-down shirts, nice jackets, sharp pants and clean shoes, he said. So on Thursday, Foster showed up at the African American Male Initiative 2015 Graduation Celebration wearing a gray vest, white shirt, black tie and shoes that were nicely polished. “Seeing them, the way they dressed and how they had character and showed respect and all that, it pretty much changed my life,” said the 17-year-old, now a senior at Jordan. “They inspired me to dress for success and now I want to mentor other people.” Foster was one of about 61 high school students to graduate from the African American Male Initiative program Thursday night, surrounded by proud parents, college administrators and college mentors. …Johniqua Williams, director of the African American Male Initiative, said the program is designed to improve the recruitment, retention and graduation rates among black males at universities. It is funded by the Georgia Board of Regents, which allocates funding to public institutions throughout the state for that purpose. CSU is one of 11 institutions funded and has received the grant for three years in a row, raising a total of $100,000 for the university’s black male retention programs.

USG Institutions:
www.macon.com
Emails provide details of Griffith’s exit from Fort Valley State
http://www.macon.com/2015/04/30/3722683_emails-provide-details-of-griffiths.html?rh=1
By DAVID SCHICK
Fort Valley State University President Ivelaw Griffith is scheduled to leave office in three weeks. In an April 14 email to University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby, Griffith wrote that he plans to “accelerate preparation for exit” after the college’s commencement on Saturday. “Thus, my intent is to make Friday, May 22 my last day in office,” he wrote. That email was one of about a dozen The Telegraph received in response to an Open Records Act request to the University System of Georgia. Griffith will stay on with the university system through the end of the 2015 calendar year, according to a statement from USG spokesman Charlie Sutlive. Griffith’s new role and title will be “special project coordinator” for the USG, and he will continue to receive his same salary of $260,000, including benefits.

www.jacksonville.com
Who’s the most awesome? Atlanta Business Chronicle seeks Atlanta’s most admired CEOs
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/04/30/whos-the-most-awesome-atlanta-businesschronicle.html
David Allison
Editor- Atlanta Business Chronicle
Is your CEO awesome? If so, tell the world! On Aug. 27, Atlanta Business Chronicle will recognize the Atlanta area’s Most Admired CEOs of 2015. We are looking for men and women who are established leaders with a strong record of innovation in their field, outstanding financial performance, a commitment to quality, a strong vision, a commitment to diversity in the workplace and contributions to the metro community. …You can read about last year’s winners below (click on the link for each person): …Mark Becker of Georgia State University

www.times-herald.com
UWG To Close On New Newnan Campus Thursday
http://www.times-herald.com/local/20150429-UWG-to-close-on-new-Newnan-campus-on-Thursday
by CELIA SHORTT
The opening of the new University of West Georgia (UWG) campus in Newnan is one step closer, as UWG will close on the property on Thursday. Dr. Robert Heaberlin, senior director and chief administrative officer of off-campus programs for UWG Newnan, made the announcement at the Newnan Kiwanis meeting on Tuesday. The new campus will be at the location of the old hospital on Jackson Street. Heaberlin also announced on Tuesday that the staff of the current UWG Newnan campus in Shenandoah Industrial Park will officially occupy the new facility on May 15 and summer school will start on June 6. The new campus will be open for the start of the school year in August.

www.onlineathens.com
UGA Arch slated for restoration work after commencement exercises
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2015-04-29/uga-arch-slated-restoration-work-after-commencement-exercises
By JIM THOMPSON
For the next week or so, the University of Georgia Arch will be a major focus of campus life as soon-to-be graduates of the state’s flagship institution of higher education line up to have their pictures made with family and friends in front of the iconic symbol of the school. What those students won’t know as they gather and walk through the entrance to North Campus is that as soon as this year’s round of commencement exercises is over — they begin May 8 and close out May 16 as the UGA School of Law holds its graduation — the Arch is scheduled for restoration work that could last through the summer.

www.nique.net
Tuition hike approved by Board of Regents
http://nique.net/news/2015/04/30/tuition-hike-approved-by-board-of-regents/
By David Raji
During discussion of the 2015-16 academic year at its meeting at Gwinnett College on April 14, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) approved 9 and 6 percent increases to tuition for in-state and out-of-state students, respectively. “We understand the financial challenge that a tuition adjustment has on our students and their families, and we are committed to continuing to provide the very best education possible to ensure the value of their Georgia Tech degrees, now and in the future,” said Matt Nagle, Tech’s Director of Media Relations & Issues Management. “Almost all of Georgia Tech’s degree programs focus on technology and are among the most expensive to deliver. As a top 10 public university, we are committed to continued excellence and preserving the value of the degrees that we award to our students.”

www.oconeeenterprise.com
UNG tuition on the rise
http://www.oconeeenterprise.com/news/article_b7cf8862-eac1-11e4-8fe2-33c30d5ec5e7.html
by Michael Prochaska
As the value of a college degree has increased, so too has the cost of higher education. Tuition at the University of North Georgia Oconee campus will increase 5 percent for those earning a bachelor’s degree and 2.5 percent for those earning an associate degree.

www.chronicle.augusta.com
Nurses upset over pay cuts at Georgia Regents Medical Center
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/health/2015-04-29/nurses-upset-over-pay-cuts-georgia-regents-medical-center
By Tom Corwin
Staff Writer
In two months veteran senior staff nurse Amie Powell will have her pay cut by Georgia Regents Medical Center and she is not happy about it. “It’s a real slap in the face,” she said after working at the hospital for 13 years. “I’m very disappointed.” At issue is a coming change to the way some nurses’ pay is being calculated. Nurses like Powell who work the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. shift get a night-pay differential increase beginning at 3 p.m. of an extra $3.25 an hour, said spokeswoman Christen Carter. Beginning July 1, that differential will no longer be paid to those working that shift and senior staff nurse Kristin Franklin, a 25-year veteran of the hospital, and others said that will be a cut of $2,000 a year or more. The move will affect about 280 of the hospital’s 1,200 nurses, said spokeswoman Denise Parrish.

www.wbtv.com
ASU wants more graduate students
http://www.wbtv.com/story/28936137/asu-wants-more-graduate-students
By Shannon Wiggins
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Albany State University is reaching out to attract more students going after advanced degrees. Wednesday night, the school hosted a graduate program information session at the Student Center. It highlighted their seven graduate programs certificate programs and endorsement programs in education, business administration, social work and criminal justice.

www.money.cnn.com
Colleges that boost your salary the most
http://money.cnn.com/2015/04/29/pf/college/college-biggest-salary-boost/index.html
Where you go to school can have a huge effect on your salary. Grads of California Institute of Technology increased their earnings by 49%, on average, just by attending that school, according to a new study from the Brookings Institution. The average alumni made $126,200 a year at mid-career, compared with a projected salary of $77,129 if they had gone to another comparable institution. Colgate took the number two spot, followed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology. 20. Georgia Institute of Technology: $79,195 predicted salary. $111,700 actual salary. 34% salary boost

www.onlineathens.com
Job opportunities delayed for college graduates
http://www.redandblack.com/uganews/job-opportunities-delayed-for-college-graduates/article_a758642e-ed3f-11e4-bf26-3fe8c6936a14.html
Nicolle Sartain
The University of Georgia graduates of 2015 will soon walk under the Arch and possibly into their first jobs. But about two-thirds of organizations have yet to start hiring for graduates. “Many soon to be college graduates are still reporting difficulty in landing jobs or are settling for jobs that are merely part-time,” said Kevin Jones, account executive for Strategic Vision LLC. Jennifer Schramm, manager of the Workplace Trends and Forecasting program at the Society for Human Resource Management, said this difficulty comes when businesses delay hiring recent college graduates.

www.savannahnow.com
Savannah State University police investigate armed robbery in student housing
http://dining.savannahnow.com/crime/2015-04-30/savannah-state-university-police-investigate-armed-robbery-student-housing
By Savannah Morning News
Police at Savannah State University are investigating reports of an armed robbery in Building No. 9 of University Commons, which is student housing at the school. The robbery reportedly took place inside an apartment in the building. No injuries were reported, said university spokeswoman Loretta Heyward. Three students reported their cellphones and a Playstation 4 were stolen during the incident, which took place between 4 and 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, according to a university news release.

www.georgianewsday.com
Family of Valdosta State University protester hires lawyer
http://www.georgianewsday.com/news/atlanta/330723-family-of-valdosta-state-university-protester-hires-lawyer.html
STAFF WRITER
DECATUR, Ga. – The family of the Valdosta State University student activist wanted on possessing a gun on campus has retained a lawyer for him. Lawyers at the Davis Bozeman Law Firm say they will hold a press conference Thursday afternoon in Decatur to urge Eric ‘EJ’ Sheppard to surrender peacefully.

www.ajc.com
Lawsuit filed in crash that killed 5 Georgia Southern students
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/lawsuit-filed-in-crash-that-killed-5-georgia-south/nk6cj/
Alexis Stevens
One week after five Georgia Southern University students were killed in a multi-vehicle crash near Savannah, a lawsuit has been filed against the trucking company of the driver who allegedly set off the deadly pileup. Kim Deloach McQuaig, mother of Abbie Deloach, filed the wrongful death civil suit Wednesday against Total Transportation and its insurers, claiming they are responsible for the fatal crash.

www.statesboroherald.com
Second lawsuit filed in deadly crash
Trucking company sued in Bryan County court
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/67456/
From staff and wire reports
Mary Helen Mehaffrey, the mother of Morgan Bass, also retained an attorney, who said he has sued the trucking company before. Joseph A. Fried, of Fried, Rogers, Goldberg LLC of Atlanta, is representing Mehaffrey. He said in a statement released last week that he is “quite familiar with the safety history of Total Transportation of Mississippi,” which owns the tractor-trailer that was driven by John Wayne Johnson, 55, of Shreveport, Louisiana, that may have caused the crash.

www.wsav.com
Georgia Southern “Blue Out” in Memory of 5 Nursing Students
http://www.wsav.com/story/28936051/georgia-southern-blue-out-in-memory-of-5-nursing-students
By Ian Margol
STATESBORO, GA – Just one week ago, Georgia Southern University was shocked to lose five nursing students in an accident on I-16.So on Wednesday, people across the Coastal Empire and the country wore blue to support the school and remember those young women. It all started with a Facebook post that has now gotten more than 3,500 shares.

www.walb.com
Albany Tech nursing students remember GSU nursing students
http://www.walb.com/story/28924978/albany-tech-nursing-students-remember-gsu-nursing-students
By Shannon Wiggins
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Those nursing graduates also held a moment of silence Tuesday night for the five Georgia Southern University nursing students killed in a car crash last week.

www.myfoxatlanta.com
Mom wants safety guidelines after freak accident
http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/story/28913217/mom-wants-safety-guidelines-after-freak-accident
By Denise Dillon, FOX 5 Reporter
Clark Jacobs has spent the past four months in Shepherd Center, learning to walk and use his arms again. The Georgia Tech student fell seven feet from his loft bed at his fraternity and fractured his skull. As Clark recovers, his mother, Mariellen Jacobs, is launching a campaign called “Rail Against the Danger”. She wants all bunk beds and lofts on college campuses to have railings. “We’re putting our kids at risk when they don’t need to be, it’s a simple solution,” says Jacobs … Clark’s fraternity, Kappa Sigma, immediately added rails to all the beds after the accident. We’re told other fraternities have done the same. (w/video)

Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
Republicans Agree on Spending Plan That Could Cut Student-Aid Money
http://chronicle.com/article/Republicans-Agree-on-Spending/229863/
By Kelly Field
Washington
Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate have reached agreement on a spending blueprint for the 2016 fiscal year that could lead to deep cuts in education spending and a reduction in benefits for student-loan borrowers. The plan, which will guide appropriators as they draft spending bills for the fiscal year that begins in October, assumes that lawmakers will eliminate mandatory Pell Grant money, subjecting the program’s entire budget to the annual appropriations process. That’s how the program was financed until recently, but some advocates worry that a shift back to 100-percent discretionary funding would make Pell Grants vulnerable to budget cuts.

www.chronicle.com
Students’ College Choices Aren’t Totally Rational (and That’s OK)
http://chronicle.com/article/Students-College-Choices/229857/
By Beckie Supiano
The way it’s discussed in policy circles, choosing a college can sound clinical. Would-be students weigh data points on graduation rates, student-loan debt, and salaries, then base their decisions on such metrics. Or they would, if only they were better informed. The current obsession with return on investment is understandable. College is expensive, debt is commonplace, and the job market for new graduates leaves something to be desired. Getting a degree does pay off, on average. Still, going to college is taking a risk.

www.diverseeducation.com
Diverse Conversations: The Sources of HBCUs’ Pain
http://diverseeducation.com/article/72199/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=43d1dfd475874993bac154964e7950b3&elqCampaignId=415&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqTrackId=51a283322751433fb277aacdeccf66b5
by Matthew Lynch
There’s no denying that historically Black colleges and universities have had a tremendous impact on the education levels of the Black community. Since their founding, these campuses have served underdog students—first-generation, minority and other at-risk college attendees. The question of HBCU relevance is constantly floated in education circles but lately I’ve been pondering an even more poignant query: Is there a conspiracy to destroy HBCUs? Of course the word “conspiracy” makes it sound like a top-secret, well-orchestrated attempt to eliminate these colleges from the higher education landscape. I don’t believe that is particularly the case, but there are certainly some factors that seem to harm HBCUs more than PWIs.

www.chronicle.com
What Is Being Learned From MOOCs? New Report Takes Stock
http://chronicle.com/blogs/wiredcampus/what-is-being-learned-from-moocs-new-report-takes-stock/56487?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
by Casey Fabris
The hype around the free online courses called MOOCs has drawn millions of students, who are all essentially part of a teaching experiment of unprecedented scale. These days, researchers are increasingly checking in on that experiment. A new report, released on Thursday, seeks to answer the question “Where is research on massive open online courses headed?” The report is the work of the MOOC Research Initiative, funded with more than $800,000 in grant support by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The group put out a call for research submissions and used much of the grant money to fund 28 of them, which were then analyzed for the report.

www.insidehighered.com
Parents Are Saving Less for College
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/04/29/parents-are-saving-less-college
Parents who are saving money for their children to attend college said they are earmarking 10 percent of their total savings for that purpose, according to a new report from Sallie Mae, the student lender. But the average amount parents said they have set aside for college has declined by 25 percent since last year, to $10,040 from $13,408.

www.chronicle.com
State Aid Should Change to Meet Needs of Students, Report Says
http://chronicle.com/article/State-Aid-Should-Change-to/229747/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
By Eric Kelderman
The “who” and “how” of going to college are changing rapidly, but state financial-aid programs are stuck in the past, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Education Commission of the States. The report calls on state officials to change their aid programs to focus more on the needs of students rather than institutions and to allow state aid to be used for a greater variety of postsecondary programs.

www.insidehighered.com
Grants for Today’s Student
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/30/report-calls-states-adapt-grant-programs-modern-student
By Kellie Woodhouse
WASHINGTON — Get a group of higher education wonks in the same room talking about public funding and they’re bound to discuss how flattening and declining state investment is hurting students and colleges alike. But while a group of experts acknowledged this fact during a forum at the National Press Club on Wednesday, the main discussion centered around not only a lack of money but a lack of vision in the implementation of state-awarded grant programs. Experts and authors of a report, “Redesigning State Financial Aid,” released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Education Commission of the States (ECS), contend state grant programs should better meet the needs of modern students, who have access to a growing number of pathways to higher education.

www.jbhe.com
Among Recent High School Graduates, Blacks Are More Likely Than Whites to Enroll in College
http://www.jbhe.com/2015/04/among-recent-high-school-graduates-blacks-are-more-likely-than-whites-to-enroll-in-college/
A new report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that of the 2.9 million students who graduated from high school in 2014, about 2.0 million, or 68.4 percent, were enrolled in college in October 2014. This includes both full-time and part-time enrollments. Among 2014 high school graduates, African Americans were more likely to enroll in college by October than their White peers. Nearly 71 percent of 2014 Black high school graduates had enrolled in college by October compared to 67.3 percent of Whites.

www.insidehighered.com
Wider-Ranging Rankings
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/04/29/new-ranking-system-links-colleges-and-students-characteristics-graduate-economic
By Doug Lederman
The world may or may not need another college rankings system; on that question, commentators and pundits are divided. The creators of a new entry acknowledge the limitations of the genre, but argue that their version — imperfect as it may be — improves on the competition by analyzing thousands of colleges of all types (instead of hundreds of mostly selective ones) and assessing them based on how much the institutions themselves contribute to the economic success of their graduates. In a report (with associated data set) published today, called “Beyond College Rankings: A Value-Added Approach to Assessing Two- and Four-Year Schools,” two Brookings Institution researchers offer a complicated tool designed to help consumers and policy makers gauge how thousands of two- and four-year institutions prepare students for the workforce.

www.chronicle.com
With Fraternities Under Scrutiny, Greek Lobbyists Take to Capitol Hill
http://chronicle.com/article/With-Fraternities-Under/229749/
By Beth McMurtrie
Student fraternity and sorority leaders will fan out across Capitol Hill on Wednesday with a challenging mission: to repair the image of campus Greek life. That image has taken a beating in recent months, thanks to a slew of incidents at campus chapters — including racist chants and the sharing of photos of naked, incapacitated women — that have stirred widespread debate about the role of fraternities. But these students, who have been preparing to meet members of Congress, say the current conversation on frats doesn’t present a fair picture. “As a whole we do so much good, but that rarely gets represented,” said Brooke Knudtson, a junior at the University of Texas at Dallas and a former student-government president.