University System News:
www.emanuelcountylive.com
EGSC serves students through MOWR
http://emanuelcountylive.com/2015/09/egsc-serves-students-through-mowr/
by HALEI LAMB
East Georgia State College has served 95 new students through the Move On When Ready program for the Fall semester. Sixteen of these students are in Glascock/Warren County, 12 at Metter High, and the remainder are from 16 various schools in EGSC’s service area, including two homeschooled students.
www.archinect.com
Kennesaw State University: New Name for Established Program
http://archinect.com/news/article/136346187/kennesaw-state-university-new-name-for-established-program
In those lines, from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Juliet declares that Romeo is not defined by his name but by who he is. Such was the case when in January of 2015, Southern Polytechnic State University was consolidated with Kennesaw State University to form the “New U,” making it the fourth such name change in SPSU’s 66-year history. Today, the University is named Kennesaw State University but still maintains the same academic programs offered at the institution for decades. “For the past 50 years, we have offered architecture, and that hasn’t changed with the consolidation of the two institutions,” said Tony Rizzuto, chair of the architecture department at Kennesaw State University near Atlanta. Currently, the University offers the five-year B.ARCH degree and the M.S.ARCH degree with two concentrations, in urbanism and sustainable design, with the intention of opening a program in interior design in the coming years.
www.myajc.com
School teaching, skills for work don’t always match up in Georgia
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/school-teaching-skills-for-work-dont-always-match-/nncFG/
By Janel Davis and Eric Stirgus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Southwire Company leaders noticed a looming problem in the early 2000s. With the economy expanding, the wire and cable maker in Carrollton was concerned that schools weren’t churning out enough adequately educated students to fill its employment pipeline. …The company created its own solution to a problem plaguing many Georgia companies: too many job applicants lack adequate education and skills. In some cases, that has caused companies to move jobs to other states, like Home Depot did in the past few years when it built tech centers in California and Texas. That is lost money that could be lining Georgians’ pockets and filling tax coffers to build schools and roads. Instead it goes elsewhere because of the gap between the skills that jobs require and the skills Georgians bring.
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Gwinnett Chamber launching Young Professionals program Tuesday
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/sep/11/gwinnett-chamber-launching-young-professionals/
By Curt Yeomans
Gwinnett County residents and business owners may have noticed photos of dinosaurs, babies, Buzz Lightyear, Willy Wonka and Boromir from the Lord of the Rings showing up a lot lately on the Gwinnett Chamber’s Facebook page. It wasn’t the result of hackers. The chamber was simply using Internet memes to reach millennials as a promotion for its new Gwinnett Young Professionals program. …The chamber said it looked at 25 young professionals programs run by chambers of commerce across the country for ideas on how to form and operate its own group. The idea behind the group, which is a partnership between the chamber and Georgia Gwinnett College, is to help young members of the workforce develop leadership skills, share common interests, learn about the local business community and exchange ideas.
USG Institutions:
www.albanyherald.com
Albany State University awarded $769,165 grant for AIDS/STD prevention programs
ASU project will serve at least 800 people in two-county area each academic year.
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2015/sep/13/albany-state-university-awarded-769165-grant-for/
By Terry Lewis
ALBANY — Albany State University officials announced late last week the college had received a grant of $769,165 from SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) to prevent the transmission of AIDS and STDs in Dougherty and Terrell counties. The three-year grant will enable the university to educate 18- to 24-year-olds at ASU and the community in how best to prevent the diseases from spreading in the region.
www.qz.com
The colleges that help you get paid, without making you go broke
http://qz.com/500902/the-colleges-that-help-you-get-paid-without-making-you-go-broke/
WRITTEN BY Deena Shanker
Good news: College can actually pay off.
The White House released its college scorecard this morning, rating the US’s colleges and universities by how well their students fare after graduation and at what price. In his weekly radio address, the President said that the scorecard “will help all of us see which schools do the best job of preparing Americans for success.” As the price tag for a college education continues to rise, and student debt tops $1 trillion, questions about what people are actually paying for their diplomas, and how much they’re getting in return, have been difficult to answer. The newly released scorecard offers more insight than was previously available. …Below are the schools with the highest median earnings 10-years after graduation and the lowest average net price for low-income students. Georgia Institute of Technology
www.washingtonmonthly.com
The College Data We Need
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/college_guide/blog/the_college_data_we_need.php
By Daniel Luzer
In 2013 President Barack Obama proposed a college rating system. The idea was that he would measure colleges based on things like graduation rates, student loan debt, graduate earnings, and the enrollment of poor students to provide potential students with a clear idea about college outcomes and encourage better behavior from schools. …Here at the Monthly we’ve long been supportive of a similar measurement tool. …The department has a similar category, its Engines of Opportunity schools. These are its top schools based on the earnings of Pell students, the completion rates of Pell students, and the net price paid by lower-income students. The top 4-year colleges on this list include Aurora University, Georgia Regents University,
www.ledger-enquirer.com
University of Georgia to honor Aflac’s Dan Amos with name on business school building
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/article34895823.html
TONY ADAMS
Aflac Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Dan Amos will have a building named after him at the University of Georgia, honoring the alumnus for his support of the school. The university said Friday a groundbreaking ceremony for Amos Hall and the second phase of the “Business Learning Community” will take place Sept. 18 in conjunction with a celebration of the completion of Correll Hall. Amos also will speak at the event. The Business Learning Community, a complex of buildings that will be home to UGA’s Terry College of Business, is being funded by a capital campaign that wrapped up in June, with Amos serving as its national chairman. He also is a former chairman of the University of Georgia Foundation and a member of the school’s board of trustees.
www.atlantaforward.blog.ajc.com
Georgia Tech: Fighting Cyber terrorism
http://atlantaforward.blog.ajc.com/2015/09/10/georgia-tech-fighting-cyber-terrorism/
Moderated by Rick Badie
Georgia Tech plays a critical role in efforts to combat cyber terrorism. A Tech cyber expert writes that the federal government recently awarded the institution grants of more than $5 million to develop methods and mechanisms that address security flaws and snare cyber invaders. The companion essay deals with consumer phone fraud — the kind that starts with a ring, your “hello” and a silent line.
www.washingtonpost.com
Meet the six female ‘underground astronauts’ who recovered our newest relative
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/09/10/meet-the-six-female-underground-astronauts-who-recovered-our-newest-relative/
By Rachel Feltman
You’ve probably heard that our family tree got a new member on Thursday. Homo naledi, a primitive, small-brained member of our genus, made itself known in a big way when cavers stumbled upon a mass grave left by the species. But the discovery of the new species, a cousin of our own, wouldn’t have been possible without six female scientists who are being called “underground astronauts”. …Elliot, who’s now doing postdoctoral research at the University of the Witwatersrand, was the first one down into the chamber. She was joined by Becca Peixotto, a PhD student at American University; K. Lindsay Hunter, a biological anthropologist who’s since moved on to more field research; Elen Feuerriegel, a PhD candidate at the Australian National University; Hannah Morris, a new PhD student at the University of Georgia; and Alia Gurtov, a University of Wisconsin – Madison PhD candidate.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
PFLAG, CCGA and community partners celebrate return of memorial quilt
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/pflag-ccga-and-community-partners-celebrate-return-of-memorial-quilt/article_600de1d0-3474-53df-9a40-18bb4b3f4949.html?_dc=865554106887.4299
by Anna Hall
The statistics are hard to ignore. Georgia, as a whole, and the Coastal Georgia region report some of the highest numbers of HIV and AIDS diagnosis in the nation. …This October, PFLAG members, officials from the College of Coastal Georgia, staff from the Coastal Health District, Southeast Georgia Health System, Sea Island, Hospice of Golden Isles and a slate of community partners and sponsors are again hosting sections from the internationally celebrated AIDS Memorial Quilt.
Higher Education News:
www.bizjournals.com
Emory president stepping down next summer
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2015/09/11/emory-president-stepping-down-next-summer.html
Emory University President James W. Wagner will step down in August 2016 after 12 years leading the institution. “The time is right, both for me personally and for Emory,” Wagner said, in a statement. “I have delighted in the good fortune of being part of this community during a period of tremendous growth in impact, depth, and richness –– all grounded in the special character of this place.”
www.myajc.com
Georgia once led, now lags in education innovation
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/georgia-once-led-now-lags-in-education-innovation/nncFZ/
By Janel Davis and Eric Stirgus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
John Campbell, principal of Gwinnett County’s new Discovery High School, had a question for his two adult children one day: “What could we have done in high school to better prepare you for your experience at (the University of) Georgia?” Neither had taken a single business class in high school, said Campbell. “No room in the schedule.” Many say Georgia schools have not focused on the life and work skills students need to join the middle class. Once a national leader in education initiatives, the state today is in the middle of the pack, or lower, in categories like graduation rates. And the educational requirements for good jobs continue to grow. In five years, more than 60 percent of the available jobs will require some type of education beyond high school, which most Georgians are not obtaining. …That wasn’t always characteristic of Georgia. It pioneered universal pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds regardless of family income, and its HOPE scholarship program for college students became a model that others copied. Now, five states and Washington, D.C. have a higher percentage of four-year-olds in pre-k. “It really hasn’t been augmented,” Steve Dolinger, president of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, said. “We’re not leading the pack anymore.”
www.nytimes.com
How to Measure a College’s Value
Frank Bruni
WE know all too well which colleges are the hardest to get into. The news media swoons over and trumpets this information, which is advertised as well by the most selective schools themselves. We know which colleges supposedly produce the highest earners, because there are lists and rankings devoted to that. But what do we know, in the end, about the relationship between a student’s college experience and his or her actual satisfaction with it down the road? And what do we know about college as a springboard not to bragging rights and riches but to the true pot of gold: fulfillment?
www.insidehighered.com
Salary Isn’t the Only Measure
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2015/09/14/essay-criticizes-obama-administrations-new-scorecard-colleges
By Christopher B. Nelson
Here’s the good news about the new College Scorecard: no rankings. In dropping its proposed plan, the Obama administration showed recognition of the difficulty — indeed, the impossibility — of providing students and their families with measurements that could determine which colleges offer “best value” and “worst value.” …This weekend, the Department of Education launched a new College Scoreboard website. After a preliminary review of the site and the roughly 80-page (with appendix) accompanying technical paper, “Using Federal Data to Measure and Improve the Performance of U.S. Institutions of Higher Education,” count me among the dissatisfied.
www.chronicle.com
Obama Takes Steps to Make Applying for Federal Student Aid Easier
http://chronicle.com/article/Obama-Takes-Steps-to-Make/233075/
By Kelly Field
The White House is taking new steps toward simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the much-maligned form that provides access to billions of dollars in federal grants and loans for postsecondary education. Starting in the fall of 2016, applicants will be able to file the form, known as the Fafsa, as early as October and prepopulate it using tax data from two years prior. Until now, only applicants who had filed their taxes for the previous year could do so.
www.nytimes.com
New Data Gives Clearer Picture of Student Debt
Susan Dynarski
An air of mystery has long surrounded student debt. We know the total number of borrowers and their combined debt — 40 million people owe $1.2 trillion — but beyond these headline numbers, the data has been frustratingly thin. Who borrows? Who defaults? Why are so many borrowers in distress? The answers have been unclear, leaving analysts and policy makers to prescribe remedies without an accurate diagnosis of the disease. But now the picture has become significantly sharper. On Thursday, two researchers — Adam Looney of the Treasury Department and Constantine Yannelis of Stanford University — released an analysis of a new database that offers much more detail. It matches records on federal student borrowing with the borrowers’ earnings from tax records (with identifying details removed, to preserve privacy). The data contains information about who borrows and how much; what college borrowers attended; their repayment and default; and their earnings both before and after college.
www.chronicle.com
Why College Is Not a Commodity
http://chronicle.com/article/Why-College-Is-Not-a-Commodity/233011/
By Gary Gutting
What is college for? We typically answer this question by citing a variety of purposes, of which liberal education is only one. Most other goals — marketable skills, moral and social development, learning how to learn — are tied to the demands of employers. Yes, young people need all of those qualities. But, apart from liberal education, our best colleges — say, the top 100 major research universities and the 50 best four-year colleges, which are our models of undergraduate education — aren’t an efficient way to provide them.
www.chronicle.com
Time Is Right for Colleges to Shift From Assembly-Line Education
http://chronicle.com/article/Time-Is-Right-for-Colleges-to/233057/?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en
Arthur Levine
Competency-based education, which focuses on the results of education — what students have learned — rather than the process of education — number of courses taken, credits earned, seat time served — is hot. Google it and you get hundreds of thousands of choices. The federal government is paying for it. Colleges and universities are adopting it, with 150 institutions enrolling some 200,000 students in such programs. Western Governors University, Southern New Hampshire University, and Alverno College, among other institutions, have built national reputations based on their work in this area. In June the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions outlined the criteria that accreditors will now use in defining and approving competency-based education programs.
www.chronicle.com
Facing Online Enrollment Challenges, Florida Rethinks Pearson Partnership
http://chronicle.com/article/Facing-Online-Enrollment/233021/?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
By Sarah Brown
The University of Florida is discussing changes in its partnership with Pearson Embanet for running the university’s online bachelor’s-degree-granting arm, UF Online, including possible termination of the contract. Pearson was brought on in the fall of 2013 to handle marketing, recruitment, and student support for UF Online, a $35-million effort spurred by the Florida Legislature. It was considered one of the most ambitious online-education projects to take shape in recent years. But because of low out-of-state enrollment, university administrators this summer began to evaluate the institution’s contract with Pearson — an 11-year agreement, with up to $186 million in revenue for the for-profit company.