University System News:
www.hbcudigest.com
Georgia Can Take Historic Lead on Racial Equity Through Higher Education
http://hbcudigest.com/post/132883160766/georgia-hbcu-merger-national-racial-equity
By: Jarrett Carter Sr.
While board votes remain yet cast and the future for other HBCUs remains yet unknown, the University System of Georgia deserves a lot of credit for willfully doing what states and systems throughout the south have fought for generations – upholding the U.S. Constitution and dismantling segregated systems of higher education. Last week, USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced plans to propose the consolidation of Darton State College and Albany State University, which if approved, would mark just the second time in US history that public predominantly white and historically black colleges would merge to create a larger, standalone HBCU. The news peeled back layers of joy and concern for many in both campus communities. What happens to degree programs, jobs, culture and tradition when two schools get together like this?
www.ajc.com
Regents approve Albany State, Darton State merger
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/regents-approve-albany-state-darton-state-merger-r/npKWb/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The state’s Board of Regents on Tuesday approved the initial plan to merge Albany State University and Darton State College, two of the state’s 30 public colleges. The consolidation is the first in Georgia to combine a historically black college with a predominantly white institution. University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby has vowed to maintain Albany State’s HBCU (historically black college or university) mission. Both schools have faced enrollment declines in recent years. Albany State’s enrollment has dropped 25 percent in five years; Darton has seen a 14 percent enrollment decline since its peak in 2012. The new institution, with about 9,000 students, will be the largest college in southwest Georgia. Albany State’s current interim president, Arthur Dunning, will become the president of the merged institution, which will retain the Albany State University name.
www.getschooled.blog.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Albany State University and Darton State College to merge under Albany name
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2015/11/10/albany-state-university-and-darton-state-to-merge-under-albany-name/
In the continued trend to consolidation, the Georgia Board of Regents today announced:
Albany State University and Darton State College will consolidate to form one institution under a new dynamic vision for public higher education. Today, the Board of Regents approved a proposal from Chancellor Hank Huckaby to consolidate the two institutions to increase education attainment levels and transform how the University System impacts southwest Georgia. Today’s action marks the fourth round of consolidation within the University System. The new institution will be named Albany State University, and the Board named Albany State Interim President Art Dunning as the permanent president of the new institution to lead this bold new effort.
www.ajc.com
Historically black colleges challenged, some struggling to survive
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/historically-black-colleges-challenged-some-strugg/npKCm/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Black alumni of historically black colleges and universities are more likely to thrive in their lives after graduation than black graduates of predominantly white institutions, according to a Gallup study released last month. The study highlights all that’s right with HBCUs: the unique experiences and traditions, supportive atmosphere and family-like environments. But problems, including declining enrollments, leadership controversies and budget cuts, have left many HBCUs struggling to survive. Georgetown University professor Richard America estimates that at least half of the 107 federally recognized historically black colleges and universities in the country are in trouble. Those struggles extend to Georgia, where 10 HBCUs exist. Albany State University, one of Georgia’s three public HBCUs, has seen its enrollment decline 25 percent over the past five years. The drop has led state officials to recommend merging the school with another state college, and school officials to announce plans to deactivate 10 academic programs.
www.ajc.com
Immigrant students protest Georgia’s college enrollment policies
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/immigrant-students-protest-georgias-college-enroll/npKfB/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A day after student protests over the handling of complaints about racism on campus led to the resignation of the top administrators at the University of Missouri, a group of about 25 students in Atlanta held a silent protest against the state’s enrollment policies for some immigrant students. The University System of Georgia prevents students without lawful presence in the country from attending any institution that has not enrolled all of its academically qualified applicants for the previous two years. But immigrant students say the federal DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — program gives them that legal presence in the country, so they should be allowed to attend the state schools. The students, some enrolled at the five schools in the exclusionary policy and others enrolled at Emory and Freedom University, an underground classroom for illegal immigrants provided by volunteer teachers at an undisclosed location in Athens, protested during the monthly meeting of the state’s Board of Regents for the University System of Georgia, Tuesday at its offices in Atlanta.
www.diverseeducation.com
Controversy Surrounds Push for Albany, Darton Merger
http://diverseeducation.com/article/78809/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=48e2c657d7f94d8897d443012505e1c6&elqCampaignId=771&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqTrackId=e978cfdefc594b9c83e2cd936d579d1e
by Jamal Eric Watson
Georgia may currently be the state of many public colleges and universities, but that may soon change if the chancellor of the University System of Georgia has his way. Henry “Hank” M. Huckaby, who currently presides over 30 public colleges and universities across the state and oversees a $8.1 billion annual budget and more than 45,000 faculty and 312,936 students, is pushing a controversial plan to consolidate Darton State College with Albany State University, a historically Black college university located just a few miles away. This is not new terrain for the former Republican state legislator turned higher education administrator. He has been down this road several times before, leading some to wonder if he wants his legacy to be that of consolidation guru — one who merged public schools across the state in an effort to cut costs and save millions of dollars to taxpayers.
www.forwardflorida.com
Florida vs. Georgia: the Movie
POSTED BY JOEL BRANDENBERGER
Nothing personifies the Florida vs. Georgia rivalry like the annual football game between the states’ flagship universities. The so-called “World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” in Jacksonville is one of the great rivalries in college football and one in which the Gators generally have prevailed in recent years. But, the rivalry between the states that counts is on the economic development battleground, not the gridiron. Traditionally, the battles between the two states have been over traditional businesses and industries. …Now a new, and somewhat unexpected battleground has emerged: the film, television and digital industry and, for the time being, Georgia has roared out to an early lead. Florida’s film rebate program, designed to encourage filmmakers to produce movies, television shows and other video content in the state, has been unsuccessful with the Legislature declining to renew the program. In the meantime, Georgia is moving swiftly and decisively to expand its credits and position itself as the Hollywood of the South. The move is winning the state accolades in some prestigious economic development circles. Site Selection magazine, in its current edition, ranked Georgia as having the No. 1 business climate in the nation – for the third year in a row. …One major result is the creation of the Georgia Film Academy, a collaboration of the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. The academy aims to coordinate film industry training programs in the state and certify workers for the industry. That is a direct challenge to Florida, where the state has invested in film schools and programs at many state universities.
www.news4jax.com
Movie, TV industry bringing big bucks to Georgia
Nearly $6 billion brought to Peach State during the past fiscal year
http://www.news4jax.com/news/movie-tv-industry-bringing-big-bucks-to-georgia/36344442
Author: Scott Johnson, General assignment reporter
Jodi Mohrmann, Managing editor of special projects
BRUNSWICK, Ga. – Georgia’s film and television industry has been booming in the past five years. Officials with the state’s Film, Music and Entertainment Office said the state generated $244 million in revenue from the film industry in 2007. That dollar amount grew to around $6 billion in the past fiscal year. “It’s a combination of things. It’s a great tax incentive. But we also have a lot of infrastructure here. We’ve got a lot of crew here. We have diverse locations from the mountains to a major metropolitan to the coastline,” said Film, Music and Entertainment office deputy commissioner Lee Thomas. Thomas said all levels of government from Gov. Nathan Deal to local governments in small towns are on board with making the state attractive to movie producers. One issue the state is dealing with to accommodate the growth in the industry is a lack of qualified workers. Deal has passed education initiatives to speed up the training of the work force.
USG Institutions:
www.13wmaz.com
Fort Valley State sees increase in enrollment
http://www.13wmaz.com/story/news/2015/11/09/fvsu-enrollment-increase/75456172/
Sitarah A Coote, WMAZ
Fort Valley State is seeing growth in enrollment for the first time since 2011. That’s according to a report by the University System of Georgia. The land-grant university’s enrollment went up 3.9 percent from 2,594 in the 2014 Fall semester to 2,695 in the 2015 Fall semester.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
Enrollment of CCGA students increases, according to report
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/enrollment-of-ccga-students-increases-according-to-report/article_eb35bd63-9e17-59f2-8d6d-59ae29f5c647.html?_dc=175794001435.861
By Anna Hall
As far as the head of College of Coastal Georgia sees it, the Mariners are sailing in safe, steady and sure waters. “From where I sit, the stars are aligning and the North star is guiding us exactly in the direction we need to be,” said Greg Aloia, president of the college. A newly released report shows enrollment numbers at the college are climbing and programs offered by the Brunswick-based institution are on the rise. According to the University System of Georgia and its system wide fall 2015 enrollment report, the college has seen a 4.1 percent increase in enrollment numbers since 2014. The college’s enrollment this semester totals 3,131 students. That includes 1,105 new students brought to campus this fall, an increase of 15 percent over the previous fall semester.
www.wrgarome.com
Enrollment numbers up for Georgia Highlands College
http://www.wrgarome.com/common/page.php?feed=1&id=62901&is_corp=1
The enrollment numbers at Georgia Highlands College have been on a steady rise in 2015, when compared to 2014. Following an enrollment increase in the summer, fall semester enrollment rose 7.1 percent. GHC President Don Green attributes these increases to a number of efforts by all faculty and staff in the areas of recruitment, retention and increased marketing. …According to the “Fall 2015 Semester Enrollment Report,” GHC had the third highest enrollment increase in the state.
www.americustimesrecorder.com
GSW enrollment increases for Fall 2015
By Beth Alston
AMERICUS — Georgia Southwestern State University’s (GSW) Fall 2015 enrollment increased by 3.3 percent (89 students) from Fall 2014, as was reported by the University System of Georgia (USG) today. GSW’s total enrollment now stands at 2,755 students. This number includes both undergraduate and graduate students. “Growing the enrollment at Georgia Southwestern is crucial to the success of every program on campus,” said GSW Interim President Charles Patterson, Ph.D. “I am pleased to report that we have done precisely that in Fall 2015. As an important economic driver for the region, Georgia Southwestern will continue efforts to grow moving forward.”
www.forsythnews.com
Vietnam veterans eligible for honor from UNG
http://www.forsythnews.com/section/1/article/28571/
By Newsroom Staff
CUMMING — In recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, the University of North Georgia plans to honor Vietnam veterans in and around the Cumming, Dahlonega and Gainesville areas. According to a news release from UNG, the college serves as one of the commemorative partners of the Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemorative movement, a federal initiative to educate residents about the sacrifice and contributions of veterans and their families. In connection with the national initiative, the Georgia Department of Veteran Services and the governor’s office have initiated a Certificate of Honor program. The goal is to present a certificate to each of Georgia’s 234,000 Vietnam veterans. On Nov. 11, UNG will present certificates to all those Vietnam veterans who register to attend a presentation ceremony at noon and a military review on the Dahlonega campus at 4 p.m.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
CCGA says “thank you” to veterans who served, fell in battle
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/ccga-says-thank-you-to-veterans-who-served-fell-in/article_bb2bf8e8-5bce-5f5c-a6df-7f05a030788d.html
By ANNA HALL
Students and faculty at College of Coastal Georgia took time Monday to set aside their books and daily agendas and focus attention on the men and women from their institution who have fallen in the line of service for their country. During the third annual Veterans Day National Roll Call ceremony, members of the VALOR, or Veterans Academic Learning Opportunities and Resources organization, at the college stood before a small but visibly moved audience to pay tribute to soldiers who have died in the line of duty during Operation Enduring Freedom. Wednesday is Veterans Day.
www.oconeeenterprise.com
UNG celebrates close ties with Oconee County
http://www.oconeeenterprise.com/news/article_2fbd3b14-7da5-11e5-9cd6-a388fc155277.html
by Blake Giles
The second annual UNG Oconeefest had a little extra boost last week. Officials of the University of North Georgia celebrated the opening of expanded facilities with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. As if opening a new 14,000-square-foot addition was not enough, Oconee students Courtney Poole and Hannah Harden were on hand with the NCAA Division II championship trophy they won as members of the school’s fastpitch softball team.
www.news.blog.ajc.com
Georgia Tech launches cybersecurity institute
http://news.blog.ajc.com/2015/10/28/georgia-tech-launches-cybersecurity-institute/
Janel Davis
Georgia Tech is forming a new cybersecurity institute that will bring together about 200 researchers from four colleges. The new Institute for Information Security and Privacy, announced Wednesday, is designed to be a single, coordinated gateway to all cybersecurity efforts. The institute is designed to connect academic experts, as well as, industry and government experts to develop solution for national security and individual safety.
www.myajc.com
These students want everyone to know the value of black history
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/these-students-want-everyone-to-know-the-value-of-/npHZH/
By Molly Bloom – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Students at Atlanta’s Washington High School will produce a series of videos about the contributions of African-Americans to the school, Atlanta and the region, thanks to a grant from State Farm to Georgia State University’s African-American Male Initiative.
www.diverseeducation.com
Fort Valley State Students Back Ousted Swanier in Bid to Save Job
http://diverseeducation.com/article/78624/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=8c740ecb145b4f2498d2926b459de4a0&elqCampaignId=771&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqTrackId=874fb926b9ae4ef1a61b870fbc49fb68
by Jamal Watson
A group of current and former Fort Valley State University (FVSU) students are rallying behind a popular tenured associate professor of computer science who was notified earlier this year that her position is being eliminated due to efforts to cut costs at the financially strapped public Black institution. Students and alumni have recently petitioned Chancellor Hank M. Huckaby — who oversees the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia — asking him to rescind the one-year terminal contract that was issued to Dr. Cheryl A. Swanier, who has been employed at FVSU for the last eight years. They argue that, under Swanier’s guidance, students were afforded the opportunity to engage in rigorous undergraduate research, travel to national conferences and were encouraged to apply to top-tier graduate programs across the country.
www.myajc.com
One person shot at Clayton State University apartment building
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/crime-law/police-investigating-possible-shooting-on-clayton-/npKHc/
By Tyler Estep and David Markiewicz – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One person was seriously injured in a shooting Monday night at a Clayton State University student apartment building. The shooting at the Clayton Station Apartments happened shortly after 8 p.m. in the 3000 building of the Clayton Station Apartments, university spokeswoman Maritza E. Ferreira said in a statement.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
25 university students in temporary housing following fire
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/national_news/university-students-in-temporary-housing-following-fire/article_91c74cb2-6a53-5bd3-9473-0dfab51e1533.html?_dc=623621026985.3473
Associated Press |
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — Officials say 25 Columbus State University students who were displaced after a fire at their apartment complex now have temporary homes. The Columbus Ledger Enquirer reports (http://bit.ly/1Y1xlrn) the fire happened Sunday at the Courtyard II Apartments. The apartments provide student housing for students at the university. No injuries were reported. Columbus Fire Marshal Ricky Shores says the incident stemmed from food being left on a stove in an apartment. Officials say about 10 apartments were destroyed.
www.bizjournals.com
Georgia Tech’s Thad Starner to develop uses for wearable tech in the human ear
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/atlantech/2015/10/georgia-techs-thad-starner-to-develop-uses-for.html
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Thad Starner, a Georgia Tech professor who helped develop the Google Glass head-mounted wearable, has joined United Sciences as a product ambassador. Atlanta-based United Sciences develops and makes precision 3D hole scanning and imaging software. In his classes and research as a professor of computing at Georgia Tech, Starner will use United Science’s software to develop new uses for wearable computing technology within the human ear, according to a statement.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
U of California Plan Would Boost In-State Enrollment
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/11/10/u-california-plan-would-boost-state-enrollment?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=3dbb06ec55-DNU20151110&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-3dbb06ec55-197515277
The University of California is planning to increase by 10,000 the number of Californians enrolled in system campuses by 2018, The Los Angeles Times reported. System officials said more Californians will be enrolled at all UC campuses. …University officials said they plan to pay for the increased California enrollment by phasing out the use of state and university financial aid funds for low-income students from outside California.
www.insidehighered.com
The Future of The Future of Higher Education
https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/higher-ed-beta/future-future-higher-education?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=3dbb06ec55-DNU20151110&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-3dbb06ec55-197515277
Dan Butin
Another commission on the future of higher education has just been formed. I thus sometimes wonder whether we would all be better off and save everyone a lot of time and money and headaches if we instead embraced what should be the standard-issue for any academic administrator in this age of disruption: the Magic 8-Ball. Should I launch that new graduate program in a competency-based format for added-value? Will MOOCs undermine my traditional undergraduate enrollments? Do I truly need to understand what micro-credentialing really is? Just shake and you have an answer: “Without a doubt.” “Outlook not so good.” “Reply hazy, try again.” I am not being snide. Honestly. It’s just that my experience makes me doubtful that we actually know how to envision our real future in higher education. I sat on one such commission a few years back for AAC&U as it developed a vision for general education; I now sit on another commission for MIT that is analyzing the policy implications of online learning for higher education. In both cases there are really smart people doing really important work. In both cases, though, I am doubtful that we are talking about the future of higher education. Here’s the problem. Such “futuring” of higher education usually runs in one of two diametrically opposite ways. Neither of which really work.