University System News:
www.wsbtv.com
Georgia officials propose Albany State, Darton State merger
http://www.wsbtv.com/ap/ap/georgia/georgia-officials-propose-albany-state-darton-stat/npHrB/
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Albany State University, a historically black university in southwest Georgia, would merge with Darton State College under a proposal by the University System of Georgia’s top official. Chancellor Hank Huckaby said in a statement on Friday that the Board of Regents will consider his recommendation on Tuesday. Huckaby says he is “committed to continuing to serve the (historically black colleges and universities) mission” at Albany State. The proposal would be the seventh consolidation since 2011, when there were 36 schools in the university system. The merged school would be named Albany State University if consolidation is approved.

www.insidehighered.com
Merging an HBCU
Georgia chancellor wants to combine historically black Albany State U with nearby Darton State, where most programs are at the associate-degree level.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/11/09/georgia-chancellor-wants-merge-historically-black-albany-state-darton-state
By Scott Jaschik
This fall has been a challenging one for Albany State University, a historically black institution in Georgia. In October, the university fired four financial aid officials after a state audit found misconduct involving federal funds dating back to 1985. Also in October, the university announced the “deactivation” of 15 academic programs, including the elimination of undergraduate majors in English, history, speech and theater, music, music education and science education. Then on Thursday, the University System of Georgia released data on this fall’s statewide enrollment (up 1.7 percent) and for individual institutions, and the college with the largest drop was Albany State, down 10.7 percent to 3,492. No other institution saw a decline larger than 3.2 percent. Then on Friday, the chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Hank Huckaby, announced a plan to merge Albany State with nearby Darton State College. He said the combined institution would be stronger, and would preserve Albany State’s mission as a historically black institution.

www.albanyherald.com
EDITORIAL: What does the merger of Albany State and Darton State mean to the community?
Details of planned merger will determine whether consolidation is a smart move
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2015/nov/07/editorial-what-does-the-merger-of-albany-state/
By The Albany Herald Editorial Board
Friday’s revelation that the chancellor of the University System of Georgia will recommend Tuesday that Albany State University and Darton State College consolidate into a single university should have been a surprise only in the timing. Still, when the story broke on albanyherald.com by our education writer, Terry Lewis, there were many in the community who were shocked. And the obvious question was on the lips — and fingertips — of many: What does this mean to the community and to Southwest Georgia? As we have said before, the devil always is in the details, and there weren’t many immediately available. Assuming that the Board of Regents accepts Chancellor Hank Huckaby’s recommendation, what we do know is this:

www.henryherald.com
Closing the college attainment gap, forum topic at Critical Issues Forum
http://www.henryherald.com/news/2015/nov/06/closing-the-college-attainment-gap-forum-topic-at/
By Johnny Jackson
ATLANTA — University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby voiced a dilemma that has long plagued higher education institutions and those seeking their services. “We were too expensive,” he said. “We weren’t relevant. Too much debt was being piled up.” Huckaby spoke to nods from a receptive audience of education leaders and business partners during Wednesday’s Critical Issues Forum hosted by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education. He was guest speaker for the forum, “Closing the Higher Education Attainment Gap.” He spoke about collaborative efforts among the state’s colleges and universities to provide support to prospective students who have obstacles getting into and completing higher education programs.

www.myajc.com
GA.’S GOAL: GET, KEEP, GRADUATE MORE COLLEGE STUDENTS
Ready or not
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/ready-or-not/npHkP/
By Maureen Downey – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Determined to raise enrollment, Savannah State University President Cheryl Dozier began visiting high schools in metro Atlanta, telling administrators, “Let me talk to the kids who didn’t get into the colleges they wanted to attend. I don’t mind taking the leftovers of other universities.” Once persuaded to enroll at Savannah State, students experience what Dozier calls “high touch.” She said if students are sleeping late and missing their first class, they can expect a knock on their door from a student affairs staff member telling them, “I heard you missed your 8 a.m. class for the last three days. Get up, get dressed and go to class.” … At a forum last week sponsored by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education, several public college presidents joined University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby in explaining how they are responding to that shortfall. Huckaby said he became the head of public colleges at a precarious time: “Higher ed was really being questioned from so many points of view. We were too expensive. We weren’t relevant. Too much debt was being piled on students. We weren’t producing the kind of workforce Georgia needs.” Now, Huckaby said, “The word of the day is ‘change.’ We have got to get more students admitted to our institutions, we have to do a better job of educating them, of advising them and helping them choose a path that is realistic for them, not only from an interest standpoint, but an aptitude standpoint.”

www.onlineathens.com
Georgia online encyclopedia gains national accolades
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2015-11-07/georgia-online-encyclopedia-gains-national-accolades
By MORRIS NEWS SERVICE
ATLANTA | An 11-year-old, online reference guide to Georgia history and culture is being recognized as one of the premier projects in the National Endowment for the Humanities’ 50th anniversary. The New Georgia Encyclopedia that the Georgia Humanities produced was the first state guide of its kind designed solely for the internet. A few states had printed their own, and the Handbook of Texas posted a digital version of its printed edition in 1999, but Georgia’s became the model for an online start-up funded by the NEH. … The material is collected by the University of Georgia Press, and most of the articles are written by scholars.

USG Institutions:
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Georgia Gwinnett College enrollment up 5.4 percent
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2015/nov/06/georgia-gwinnett-college-enrollment-up-54-percent/
By Keith Farner
Enrollment growth at Georgia Gwinnett College has slowed since last year, but the school is still among the leaders in the state for adding students. The University System of Georgia this week released fall semester enrollment numbers, and GGC counted 11,468 students, a 5.4 percent increase from last year. The growth ranked GGC only behind the University of North Georgia (8.1 percent), Georgia Highlands College (5.7) and Dalton State College (5.5). GGC’s enrollment last fall was 10,828, while 68 percent of its student are enrolled full-time.

www.chronicle.augusta.com
Augusta University enrollment down but tuition up
AU official wants undergrad increase
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/education/2015-11-08/augusta-university-enrollment-down-tuition
By Tom Corwin, Staff Writer
Enrollment has fallen at Augusta University, but tuition is $1 million ahead of budget this fall semester, thanks to more students taking 15 credit hours, a top official said. Still, the university gets less from tuition than most similar institutions and there is a need to increase its undergraduate population, Chief Business Officer Tony Wagner said. Despite perceptions that it is a largely taxpayer-supported institution, the university relies more on health care revenues and grants than state money, reflecting a nationwide trend in the past few decades.

www.wtvm.com
CSU ranked in top 10 best value colleges in Georgia
http://www.wtvm.com/story/30471649/csu-ranked-in-top-10-best-value-colleges-in-georgia
By WTVM Web Team
Columbus State University is earning a high grade on a recently published list for best value universities and colleges in the state of Georgia. According to the website Best Value Schools, CSU ranked in the top 10 of its list of 30 best value colleges and universities in Georgia for 2015. … Here is the top 10:
Georgia Tech
University of Georgia
Emory University
Clayton State University
Georgia State University
Albany State University
University of West Georgia
Toccoa Falls College
Columbus State University
Kennesaw State University

www.m.ajc.com
Clayton State University chosen as a top school for veterans
http://m.ajc.com/news/news/education/clayton-state-university-chosen-top-school-veteran/npJsG/
by Alicia Benjamin
When it comes to providing veterans quality education and best practices in military, Clayton State University has been selected as one of the most elite. Just last month, Military Advanced Education & Transition magazine announced that Clayton State has been chosen as a Top School in the 2016 MAE&T Guide to Colleges and Universities. The publication comes out next month, and institutions are evaluated on their military culture, financial aid, flexibility, on-campus support and online support services.

www.marinecorpstimes.com
Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 — our top 175 schools
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story/veterans/best-for-vets/2015/11/09/best-vets-colleges-2016-our-top-175-schools/75311832/
Best for Vets: Colleges 2016
4-Year Schools
7. Armstrong State University; 54. University of Georgia; 62. College of Coastal Georgia

Best for Vets: Colleges 2016
2-Year Schools
2. Georgia Perimeter College

www.macon.com
University status achieved, Middle Georgia State officials looking to the future
http://www.macon.com/news/local/education/article43600332.html
BY JEREMY TIMMERMAN
WARNER ROBINS — As Middle Georgia State moves through its first year since earning university status, school administrators are exploring the institution’s role in the community. To do that, the school is holding a series of sessions at its various campuses to inform community members — and get feedback. “We are responsible for the next generation,” Christopher Blake, the university’s president, said during a Wednesday forum on the Warner Robins campus. “We are stewards of that next generation.” Part of that stewardship is providing support for students to get through the university with degrees. While academic support is a part of that goal, Blake also said keeping costs low and offering degrees that lead to careers are crucial.

www.statesboroherald.com
New $70 million plant to create 100 jobs in Bulloch County
Aspen Aerogels makes thermal insulation used in oil refineries
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/71110/
By AL HACKLE
With slightly more than 100 jobs but more than $70 million in investment in the plant, Aspen Aerogels’ factory will be the largest new industry in Bulloch County since the 2012 completion of the Great Dane trailer plant, and larger in some ways. Great Dane brought about 400 jobs. But the initial capital investment was about $35 million, half of that expected from its newly announced future neighbor. …The city of Statesboro will extend water, sewer and natural gas mains, free of tap fees, to the 43-acre site, across the street from Great Dane in Gateway Industrial Park. The county also has a role in preparations to bring the plant here. But the local agencies left the announcement to Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal. …Statesboro and the surrounding region is served by a well-developed technical education system featuring Georgia Southern University, Ogeechee Technical College, and East Georgia State College.

www.ajc.com
Kudzu-chomping sheep back to take a bite out of Georgia Tech campus
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/kudzu-chomping-sheep-back-to-take-a-bite-out-of-ge/npJTJ/
Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Four-legged visitors have arrived on the Georgia Tech campus. And not one has an interest in becoming an engineer. Sheep have been brought to campus for their sophomore year of helping control pesky kudzu. “Typically, the approach to managing a particularly overgrown area, like we have here at Tech, requires several grazing sessions with the sheep,” said Jerry Young, landscape project manager. By grazing on the kudzu and any vegetation within their reach, the sheep eat away the root reserves. But the process has to be repeated within 24 months.

Higher Education News:
www.news.wfsu.org
Degree Production At Florida Universities Slows Amid Changing Economy
http://news.wfsu.org/post/degree-production-florida-universities-slows-amid-changing-economy
By LYNN HATTER
The number of degrees produced by the state’s 12 public universities is slowing and the data is sending mixed signals about the state of the economy and higher education in Florida. During the last economic recession, a large number of people turned to colleges and universities to get more training and change their job prospects. It served as a boost to the schools, and they were able to crank out more bachelor’s and advanced-level degree holders. Now the economy has gotten better, and the state is seeing a slowdown in production. The state is about 6,000 bachelor’s degrees off its estimates for production in 2018.

www.chronicle.com
Richer Data on College Applicants Help the Prospects of Low-Income Students
http://chronicle.com/article/Richer-Data-on-College/234109?elq=fefefe2e7ac949cf9cde610347fcbd5b&elqCampaignId=1786&elqaid=6816&elqat=1&elqTrackId=08217b167a604f428dca767a50d1742b
By Peter Schmidt
Systematically providing selective colleges with detailed information about applicants’ high-school backgrounds could significantly raise the admission rates of low-income students, a new study concludes. The authors of the study based it on an unusual experiment in which more than 300 admission officers at selective institutions passed judgment on hypothetical applicants from various socioeconomic backgrounds. Officers who had been provided with detailed information about applicants’ high schools were about 13 percentage points more likely to recommend the admission of a student of low socioeconomic status than were officers who had been given more basic information conveying a humble background.

www.chronicle.com
The Higher Education Act Just Turned 50. Has It Done What It Was Supposed To?
http://chronicle.com/article/The-Higher-Education-Act-Just/234110?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=fefefe2e7ac949cf9cde610347fcbd5b&elqCampaignId=1786&elqaid=6816&elqat=1&elqTrackId=adf314d025824cd697cfac7ef9444a84
By Kelly Field
Fifty years ago Sunday, in a ceremony at his alma mater, Southwest Texas State College, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Higher Education Act of 1965 into law. The signing was supposed to have taken place in front of Old Main, a building that the president had cleaned as an undergraduate janitor. But rain forced the event into a campus gymnasium. The conditions didn’t dampen Mr. Johnson’s enthusiasm that day. He told attendees they were “witnessing a historic moment” when higher education would become available to everyone, regardless of family income. “This legislation passed by this Congress will swing open a new door for the young people of America,” he said of the act, which expanded federal financial support to needy students and colleges. “It means that a high-school senior anywhere in this great land of ours can apply to any college or any university in any of the 50 states and not be turned away because his family is poor.” Five decades, billions of dollars, and several reauthorizations later, it’s clear that the Higher Education Act has helped democratize American higher education.

www.insidehighered.com
Size and Strength of Higher Education as Lobbying Force
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2015/11/09/size-and-strength-higher-education-lobbying-force?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=6bb53edc04-DNU20151109&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-6bb53edc04-197515277
An article in The Wall Street Journal explores higher education as a lobbying force and find colleges have large and effective representation in Washington. Based on data from the Center for Responsive Politics, the article finds that higher education had 1,020 lobbyists in 2014, third among industries (after pharmaceuticals and electronics).

www.wsj.com
Colleges Flex Lobbying Muscle
With campuses, jobs in every district, schools push Congress to sink new rules
http://www.wsj.com/articles/colleges-flex-lobbying-muscle-1447037474

www.chronicle.com
High Pay for Presidents Is Not Shown to Yield Any Fund-Raising Payoff
http://chronicle.com/article/High-Pay-for-Presidents-Is-Not/234079?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=fefefe2e7ac949cf9cde610347fcbd5b&elqCampaignId=1786&elqaid=6816&elqat=1&elqTrackId=d0498b5741114dea8f88a3c37d41b8ae
By Peter Schmidt
Public colleges should not assume that a generous salary will buy them a president who is adept at raising money, a new study concludes. After accounting for factors like institution size, the researchers, all at Florida State University, found no link between how much public colleges pay their presidents and how much money the institutions take in from private donors and state appropriations. “As presidential salaries have continued to increase, there is little to no discernible relationship between these increased salaries and revenue generation,” says a paper summarizing the study’s findings. It adds that, although many institutional leaders and boards suggest “you get what you pay for” when it comes to presidential compensation, “the argument that high presidential salaries drive private giving and state funding appears dubious.”