University System News:
www.myajc.com
Georgia governor proposes record budget
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/georgia-governor-proposes-record-budget/np5TQ/
By James Salzer – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Nathan Deal proposed a record $23.7 billion spending plan Thursday that suggests that the after-effects of the Great Recession are now firmly behind state government. Chris Riley, the governor’s chief of staff, told reporters that under Deal’s budget plan, the state would spend — on a per-capita basis — about what it did in 1998. But Georgia’s population, and the state budget, has grown tremendously since then. And Deal’s proposal — with decent pay raises for teachers and about $1.6 billion worth of road, school and other construction projects — more closely resembles what state budgets used to look like before the recession. Including federal money and other revenue, the state would spend $47.5 billion in fiscal 2017, which begins July 1. A decade ago it was closer to $35 billion.
www.bizjournals.com
Gov. Deal unveils $23.7 billion fiscal ’17 state budget
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/blog/capitol_vision/2016/01/gov-deal-unveils-23-7b-fiscal-17-state-budget.html
Dave Williams
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Gov. Nathan Deal Thursday proposed a record $23.7 billion state budget for the fiscal year starting July 1, a spending plan flush with $825 million for transportation projects and $300 million for public schools.
The fiscal 2017 budget, nearly $2 billion more than this year’s original spending plan the General Assembly adopted last spring, includes a healthy shot of new revenue from the $900 million transportation funding bill lawmakers passed last year. …The budget also includes 3 percent raises for state employees, with increases beyond that level earmarked for workers in four agencies experiencing high turnover rates: Corrections, Juvenile Justice, Behavioral Health and Public Health. …Bonds also would finance $224 million in school construction projects, $154 million for projects on college and university campuses and $118 million for building work at technical colleges.
www.savannahnow.com
Deal budget includes seawall but leaves out Armstrong, Skidaway
http://savannahnow.com/news/2016-01-14/deal-budget-includes-seawall-leaves-out-armstrong-skidaway
By Walter C. Jones | Morris News Service
ATLANTA — The seawall on Hutchinson Island will move ahead but requested projects at Armstrong State University and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography are not included in the governor’s budget proposal released Thursday. And the prolonged shortage in education funding gets smaller but doesn’t disappear in a spending blueprint Gov. Nathan Deal is recommending to the General Assembly. His proposed budget addition for the current fiscal year includes $3.5 million for the seawall near the site of the state-owned Savannah International Trade & Convention Center. Deal vetoed the project last year when lawmakers added it to the budget they passed. At the time, he said the state couldn’t spend money on land it didn’t own. His proposal for this year also includes $1 million to design a new crime lab in Savannah and $2 million to equip a science classroom building just constructed at Savannah State University.
www.onlineathens.com
Governor Deal’s budget equips UGA biz building, narrows school ‘austerity cuts’
http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-01-14/deal-s-budget-equips-uga-biz-building-narrows-school-austerity-cuts
By WALTER C. JONESMORRIS NEWS SERVICE
ATLANTA | Equipment for a new, University of Georgia business building gets funded, and the prolonged shortage in education funding gets smaller but doesn’t disappear under a spending blueprint Gov. Nathan Deal recommended Thursday to the General Assembly. The $5.9 million would go toward furnishings for Phase II of the Business Learning Community, which includes classrooms and faculty offices. The Board of Regents gave the green light last week for construction of the $42 million third phase of the complex.
www.ajc.com
Ga. lawmaker pushing for stun guns on college campuses
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/ga-lawmaker-pushing-for-stun-guns-on-college-campu/np5MG/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A Georgia lawmaker wants to allow the state’s college students to legally carry Taser and other stun guns to protect themselves. Rep. Buzz Brockway sees the nonlethal weapons as a “middle ground” in the most recent debate about guns on campuses. The Lawrenceville Republican plans to file a bill next week that would let students at least 18 years old at the state’s public colleges to carry the weapons. The University System of Georgia declined to comment on pending legislation. Brockway says his bill is separate from legislation pending at the Capitol that would allow anyone to carry guns on Georgia’s public colleges and universities. That bill, House Bill 544, sponsored by Rep. Heath Clark, R-Warner Robins, was introduced in 2015, but has not received a committee hearing.
USG Institutions:
www.valdostadailytimes.com
VSU task force focuses on diversity
http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/vsu-task-force-focuses-on-diversity/article_f1d80063-ca2a-52d3-b12f-dadac8237edc.html
VALDOSTA — Dr. Cecil P. Staton, interim president, announces the formation of a new Presidential Task Force on Diversity, an effort to engage faculty, staff, and students in ensuring that Valdosta State University “remains a learning environment based on trust and mutual respect, a place where open dialogue, vigorous debate, and the free exchange of ideas are welcome,” according to the university. “As our Blazer Creed reminds us, a university campus is a place where diversity is welcome and ideas can be discussed with civility and integrity,” Staton said. “At Valdosta State, our faculty, staff, and students value the patchwork of voices that are heard across our campus, and we celebrate and respect our differences as well as the unique perspectives each of us brings to our community. This task force is being charged with a careful review of how VSU addresses, values, and celebrates our diversity.
www.wfmj.com
University of North Georgia BSN program off to a strong start
http://www.wfmj.com/story/30970735/university-of-north-georgia-bsn-program-off-to-a-strong-start
This semester marks the beginning of the Bachelor of Science in nursing (BSN) program on the University of North Georgia’s (UNG) Gainesville Campus and the debut of a new classroom and simulation lab, each with cutting-edge learning technology. “It’s exciting that this program will help us better meet the healthcare needs of Hall County and its surrounding communities,” said Dr. Kim Hudson-Gallogly, head of UNG’s Department of Nursing. “We can also attract students from the north Atlanta and Athens areas to be part of our program. Initially, we will accept 60 students a year on this campus. Our inaugural class is a very excited and diverse group with high GPAs and impressive academic records. We know they will make very successful healthcare professionals.” Also new to the Gainesville Campus is the Technology-Enabled Active Learning (TEAL) classroom. TEAL is a teaching methodology that merges lectures, simulations, case studies, and problem-based learning activities to create a rich collaborative learning experience.
www.wsfa.com
State OKs Commodore Conyers Academy
http://www.wsfa.com/story/30966584/state-oks-commodore-conyers-academy
By Dave Miller
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – The state board of education approved the charter for the Commodore Conyers College and Career Academy Thursday. Conyers was a longtime Albany educator and former Dougherty High School Principal, who died last year, at age 84. The college and career academy will serve as a regional workforce development engine for Southwest Georgia; allowing students from Dougherty, Baker, Calhoun and Terrell Counties the opportunity to connect on-site with Albany Tech, Albany State University and Darton State College for credit and coursework.
www.ajc.com
Are we educating teens for disappearing jobs?
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/are-we-educating-teens-for-disappearing-jobs/np46p/
Maureen Downey, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Students graduating high school today will be part of a technological revolution that is vanquishing industries over night. Uber is replacing taxi drivers; Airbnb is decimating hotel reservations; Drones may soon deliver your packages. As President Obama noted in his State of the Union address this week: “Today, technology doesn’t just replace jobs on the assembly line, but any job where work can be automated.” Have high schools responded to these seismic shifts? Are schools turning out kids capable of thriving in a take-no-prisoners economy where any job in which you just follow instructions will eventually be taken over by a computer?… Georgia Tech is studying the use of robots in various settings, including as domestic aids or caretakers for the elderly.
www.ajc.com
Georgia city semifinalist in America’s Best Communities competition
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/georgia-city-semifinalist-americas-best-communitie/np5Fz/
Lauren Colley, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The city of Statesboro has advanced to the semifinals of the America’s Best Communities competition, Frontier Communications announced Wednesday. Statesboro is home to Georgia Southern University and is one of just 15 communities nationwide to advance to this stage. The three-year competition is sponsored by Frontier Communications, DISH, CoBank and The Weather Channel, and was launched to encourage revitalization in small towns and cities. As a semifinalist, Statesboro could potentially win major funding to implement its proposed revitalization plan that focuses on the “Blue Mile”— the corridor that connects Georgia Southern University to the city’s downtown.
www.bizjournals.com
Georgia Tech takes aim at music technology
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/print-edition/2016/01/15/georgia-tech-takes-aim-at-music-technology.html
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Tech will launch a four-year bachelor’s of science program to develop the next generation of designers, developers, and entrepreneurs in music technology. The program will be one of only two such degrees in the Southeast. “For us, music technology is not just about learning how to use music technology, audio engineering, and recording and production,” said Jason Freeman, who helped craft the proposal, which was approved by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents Jan. 6. “It’s about making the next generation of software and hardware production and services that can transform the music industry,” Freeman said.
www.myajc.com
Georgia Tech researchers to test effectiveness of senior services
http://www.myajc.com/news/lifestyles/health/georgia-tech-researchers-to-test-effectiveness-of-/npymT/
By Laura Berrios – For the AJC
The National Aging in Place Council is looking to Atlanta to help change the way people think about growing old. First of all, members want to put some weight behind the buzz phrase: aging in place. It’s used often when speaking of the elderly, but it is rarely understood, council leaders say. “People say, ‘What is it?’ Well, to us, it’s more than a cliche. It’s a system,” says National Aging in Place Council Executive Director Marty Bell. Proving this system is where Atlanta comes in. The national council, based in Washington, D.C., is partnering with Georgia Tech Research Institute’s HomeLab for a pilot program here that will track outcomes from older adults who use services and information available to help them remain independent as they age. These seniors will be compared with those who choose not to access services.
www.fox5atlanta.com
“Robotarium” Lab on Georgia Tech Campus
http://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/74445863-story
Tech this out! Georgia Institute of Technology is working on a first-of-its-kind lab for its campus. Think all things robotic. And it’s appropriately named “Robotarium”. Roboticists, researchers, and students of all ages will have the opportunity to experiment, test, teach, and program their way to the future. An existing classroom is being transformed into the lab and will be large enough to house up to 100 ground and aerial robots. Helping to fund this project is The National Science Foundation, with two grants totaling $2.5 million. Using another award, Georgia Tech will be creating a safe and secure open-access system.
www.ajc.com
Here’s a list of Georgia colleges that have banned hoverboards
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/heres-every-georgia-school-has-banned-hoverboards/np5RZ/
Stephanie Toone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Levitating boards popularized by the likes of Lil Wayne and Justin Bieber have become the ire of Georgia college officials, leading to several Georgia schools banning the hoverboards. The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced in mid-December that its field investigators would be examining what had caused hoverboard-related fires across the country. The commission also cited the fall risk as a safety concern. …In light of those safety concerns, four metro Atlanta higher education institutions have opted to ban hoverboards on campus:
www.ajc.com
Georgia Gwinnett College bans storage and use of hoverboards
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/georgia-gwinnett-college-bans-storage-and-use-hove/np5Mz/
Stephanie Toone, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Gwinnett College has joined the burgeoning list of Georgia higher education instutitutions that have banned hoverboards. GGC Police Chief Terry Schneider sent out an email to faculty, staff and students Friday stating that the college, which serves about 11,000 students, would prohibit “use, possession or storage of Hoverboards, Swagways or similar devices in all GGC buildings.” Although not prohibited, Schneider also cautioned against storing the popular levitating boards in vehicles parked on campus. GGC officials decided to place the ban on campus before the first hoverboard ever arrived to campus, said GGC spokeswoman Sally Ramey.
www.wtvm.com
Student representatives react to hoverboard ban at CSU
http://www.wtvm.com/story/30972354/student-representatives-react-to-hoverboard-ban-at-csu
By Irisha Jones
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – It’s a gift that many children, teens and even adults received for Christmas, self-balancing scooters, better known as Hoverboards. But with reports of malfunctioning even some fires, Columbus State University is the latest school to ban the devices from their campus. A few of the devices have been seen on and around CSU, but the administration has now asked students, faculty and staff who own one to remove it from campus immediately. Columbus State University senior Tyler Davidson is the voice of almost 8,000 students as President of the Student Government Association. The news came Tuesday by email to students that Hoverboards are no longer allowed on both CSU campuses, same for student dorms. “There’s probably a few students that are upset they can’t ride them on campus anymore. But with the overarching issue of safety, it’s not the biggest tragedy,” said SGA President Tyler Davidson. …The university’s press release states the school may reconsider the ban based on the recommendations from national consumer safety investigations or the University System of Georgia.
www.myajc.com
Cops: GSU student robbed at gunpoint
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/cops-gsu-student-robbed-at-gunpoint/np5K5/
By Ellen Eldridge – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia State University police are seeking a man who they say robbed a student at gunpoint Thursday morning. The student’s cellphone and MacBook computer were taken, police said in a press release. No injuries were reported. The suspect is a bearded man who is 6 feet tall and weighs about 180 pounds, police said. He is described as having a “low style haircut,” and he was wearing khaki pants, a dark blue jacket and white shoes. Georgia State police said they enhanced library patrols with specialized units on Jan. 12 and will continue patrols in the libraries, police said. This is the second robbery in a month at GSU.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
How 46 Title IX Cases Were Resolved
http://chronicle.com/article/How-46-Title-IX-Cases-Were/234912?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=aade80943707438c91240b92bcfa1d2a&elqCampaignId=2233&elqaid=7549&elqat=1&elqTrackId=55fe8a2c43ab413e9321cb10e0e93e09
By Sara Lipka
Since the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights signaled stricter enforcement of Title IX in April 2011, it has resolved 46 investigations of colleges for possible violations of the gender-equity law involving alleged sexual violence. You can explore all investigations in this wave of enforcement and learn more with The Chronicle’s Title IX investigation tracker. Here we break down those 46 cases to see how they were resolved.
www.insidehighered.com
Board Candidates Want Harvard to Be Free
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/01/15/board-candidates-want-harvard-be-free?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=4a9a248980-DNU20160115&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-4a9a248980-197515277
A slate of candidates for Harvard University’s Board of Overseers is running a campaign in the alumni election on the platform of making the university free, The New York Times reported. The slate also wants Harvard to reveal more information about how it make admissions decisions.
www.nytimes.com
How Some Would Level the Playing Field: Free Harvard Degrees
By STEPHANIE SAUL
Should Harvard be free? That is the provocative question posed by a slate of candidates running for the Board of Overseers at Harvard, which helps set strategy for the university. They say Harvard makes so much money from its $37.6 billion endowment that it should stop charging tuition to undergraduates. But they have tied the notion to another, equally provocative question: Does Harvard shortchange Asian-Americans in admissions? Their argument is that if Harvard were free, more highly qualified students from all backgrounds would apply, and the university would no longer have trouble balancing its class for racial or ethnic diversity — making sure, they say, that Asian-Americans do not lose out.
www.diverseeducation.com
Arizona Legislators Introduce Bill Allowing Firearms on Campus
http://diverseeducation.com/article/80238/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elq=056e859cb9524f0e838e6dd8f5890a06&elqCampaignId=771&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqTrackId=c6f057905b804e6aaa055605479d25cc
by By Ryan Van Velzer, Associated Press
PHOENIX ― A House Republican concerned about active shooter situations has introduced a measure allowing holders of concealed weapons permits to carry firearms on college campuses. Bill sponsor Rep. Sonny Borrelli, R-Lake Havasu City, said Wednesday that recent school shootings in Oregon at Umpqua Community College and Northern Arizona University highlight the Legislature’s need to examine the issue. “We have to have a responsible conversation about firearms on campus,” Borrelli said. House Bill 2072 bars universities and their governing boards from adopting any rule that stops a faculty member or student from carrying a firearm on campus. The bill says they can carry their weapons as long as they have concealed carry permits and abide by guidelines established by either colleges and universities or the Arizona Board of Regents.
www.insidehighered.com
20 Private Colleges Opt Out of Texas ‘Campus Carry’ Law
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/01/15/20-private-colleges-opt-out-texas-campus-carry-law?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=4a9a248980-DNU20160115&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-4a9a248980-197515277
Trinity University in Texas on Thursday announced that it would opt out of the state’s new campus carry law, becoming the 20th private college there to do so, according to the Texas Tribune. The law, which will take effect this year, allows guns into public college classrooms and dormitories, to the consternation of many academics in Texas and elsewhere. While the law obligates public institutions, it allows private nonprofit colleges to opt out, and many of them are choosing to do so.