University System News:
www.thebrunswicknews.com
Bill allowing guns on college campuses clears House
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/state_news/bill-allowing-guns-on-college-campuses-clears-house/article_cb826fe1-17de-5fe6-9e48-480f761f9f12.html?_dc=138311537215.48618
Associated Press
ATLANTA — Anyone licensed to carry a gun in Georgia could carry concealed handguns on public college campuses under a bill passed Monday by the Georgia House. Athletic facilities and student housing, including sorority and fraternity houses, would be exempt. The state’s powerful Board of Regents, which governs the University System of Georgia, has long opposed changes to existing law that prevents weapons on its campuses. The House passed the bill, 113 to 59, despite that objection.
See also:
Georgia House passes ‘campus carry’ bill legalizing guns at colleges
http://www.arcamax.com/currentnews/newsheadlines/s-1802438
Bill allowing guns on college campuses clears Georgia House
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/politics/state/story/2016/feb/22/bill-allowing-guns-college-campuses-clears-georgia-house/351467/
www.live5news.com
Students react after Georgia House passes Bill allowing guns on college campuses
http://www.live5news.com/story/31286258/students-react-after-georgia-house-passes-bill-allowing-guns-on-college-campuses
By Katy Solt
AUGUSTA, GA (WFXG) – A controversial new bill is one step closer to becoming a law. Monday, the Georgia House of Representatives voted yes to the campus carry bill. This bill would allow college students to carry guns on campus.The final vote: 113 yay’s and 59 nay’s. Some Augusta University students said it’s a tough issue to tackle, and they’re worried peers having guns on campus would be more of a negative than a positive. “It kind of creates an atmosphere that might worry some students, and could inhibit their learning,” said Aaron DeLoach, a junior at Augusta University. If the Georgia Senate approves House Bill 859, students 21 and older would be allowed to carry a gun on campus. This means the people sitting next to you in class, could have a handgun in their bags. “It would be distracting to be honest,” said third year medical student Douglas Sloan. “I mean, even if no one has any intent of using their weapon towards anyone for the wrong reason, just seeing it there, can be a distraction.” Augusta University issued this statement about the current policy for guns on campus: “As a public university, we follow the lead of the University System of Georgia whose stance is to support current state law.”
www.11alive.com
College students have mixed reactions about ‘campus carry’ law
http://www.11alive.com/story/news/politics/2016/02/23/college-students-have-mixed-reactions-campus-carry-law/80788670/
Kaitlyn S Ross, WXIA
On Monday, the ‘Campus Carry’ bill sailed through the Georgia’s House with overwhelming support, paving the way for students to carry guns on campus. But as 11Alive’s Kaitlyn Ross found out, students are much more divided on the issue. The bill would allow students 21 and over with a concealed-carry permit or prior military experience to have a gun on campus. But Georgia State University student Veselin Simonov can’t imagine weapons on campus. I just don’t feel safe on a campus awash with guns,” Simonov said. “It’s something that makes me extremely nervous. It’s fear, it’s just genuine fear.” Veselin and his friend Blinn Combs say they have researched gun violence in America and both think the campus carry bill is scary.
www.wdef.com
GEORGIA LAWMAKERS MOVING FORWARD WITH BUDGET THAT IMPROVES EDUCATION SPENDING
http://www.wdef.com/2016/02/19/georgia-lawmakers-moving-forward-with-budget-that-improves-education-spending/
By: Collins Parker
ATLANTA — A $47.5 billion state budget approved by the Georgia House narrows a spending gap for public education, boosts salaries for state workers and gives state retirees a one-time bonus. The 167-1 vote on Friday sends the spending plan to the state Senate. Any changes made there have to be reconciled before the legislative session ends in late March.
www.ajc.com
Pooch fight: Senators want Uga’s breed as Georgia’s official state dog
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/pooch-fight-senators-want-ugas-breed-as-georgias-o/nqWGk/
James Salzer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Critics have long contended that the General Assembly is going to the dogs, and this session is proving them right. About a week ago the House voted overwhelmingly for House Bill 561, which made the “adoptable dog” the official state dog of Georgia. The author, Rep. Joe Wilkinson, R-Sandy Springs, didn’t want to have to pick a specific breed for the honor, and he wanted to recognize the thousands of dogs currently available for adoption in Georgia’s animal shelters, humane societies and private groups. A nice sentiment and all, but some senators thinks Wilkinson and his House colleagues are barking up the wrong tree. They have filed legislation to make the English Bulldog Georgia’s official state dog. You know, like Uga, the official mascot of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Senate Bill 410 is sponsored by Sen. Ellis Black, R-Valdosta, a UGA alum, and several other UGA grads in the Senate. The measure may run into opposition from all the Georgia Tech, Georgia State and Georgia Southern graduates in the General Assembly.
USG Institutions:
www.mdjonline.com
Thomas Currin named Georgia Engineer of the Year
http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/27095089/article-Thomas-Currin-named-Georgia-Engineer-of-the-Year
by MDJ staff
Thomas Currin, the dean of Kennesaw State University’s Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, was named Georgia Engineer of the Year — an honor bestowed annually on only one of the state’s 22,000 professional engineers by the Georgia Society of Professional Engineers. Currin, originally nominated for the Georgia Engineer of the Year in Education award, received the highest score of all nominations submitted for various categories, earning him the top Georgia Engineer of the Year award.
www.ajc.com
Tech skills put workers in control
http://www.ajc.com/news/business/tech-skills-put-workers-in-control/nqRrZ/
Michael Kanell, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The upside isn’t hard to figure out. High pay, flexible hours, a choice of jobs, the chance to work at the leading edge of your field, walk away when you get tired of it and walk back in when you want. And did we mention high pay? “There are not enough talented people to fill the jobs,” said Rob MacLane, president of Atlanta-based 3Ci, a staffing company that places hundreds of techies at jobs around the area each year. “If you have a skill that is in high demand, you have a lot of leverage.” In a job market notoriously heavy on the lower-end, lower-paying variety, positions for highly skilled tech workers stand out as the exception in metro Atlanta these days. …On the plus side, word of higher wages in an area can draw techies from elsewhere and make local jobs more attractive specialized grads from in-state universities such as Georgia Tech. Some of that is happening, but not enough yet, say the local tech experts. Why is demand for techies outpacing supply? Some of it is fueled by a trend toward dividing – and budgeting – work into discrete projects with a start and a finish, said Tino Mantella, president of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG).
www.citybizlist.com
TAG Hosts Annual High Tech Day at State Capitol
http://citybizlist.com/article/335829/tag-hosts-annual-high-tech-day-at-state-capitol
The Technology Association of Georgia will hold its annual Tech Day at the Georgia Capitol, 2:00 P.M Wednesday, Feb 24. The purpose of the event will be to seek support for a wide range of proposed legislation including a bill that would revise the state’s HOPE scholarship to reward Georgia college students for taking rigorous science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) courses. During the day-long TAG event, the organization will hold its board of directors meeting at the Capitol for the first time; then mount what is expected to the largest number of its members coming to the Capitol on Tech Day to meet with legislators.
www.mdjonline.com
Marietta High announces partnerships with four colleges
http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/27096681/article-Marietta-High-announces-partnerships-with-four-colleges
by Kimeko McCoy
Marietta High School on Monday announced its partnership with four colleges and universities that have agreed to offer college-level courses and possible apprenticeships to the high school students. Chattahoochee Technical College, Georgia Highlands College, Kennesaw State University and Life University all signed individual agreements with Marietta High during a college signing event at the high school. Emily Lembeck, superintendent of Marietta City Schools, called the agreement a “forward movement” in making a way for more of the high school’s students to graduate ready to take their next step in life. …“Today’s commitment with our surrounding higher learning institutes is monumental in that it reinforces the seamless educational opportunities for all students at MHS,” Taylor said. “By providing meaningful and engaging experiences with each of these institutions, we are creating boundless options towards developing college and career ready students.”
www.onlineathens.com
Georgia House sets aside $5 million for UGA’s Howell Hall
http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-02-19/georgia-house-sets-aside-5-million-ugas-howell-hall
By MORRIS NEWS SERVICE
ATLANTA | Howell Hall at the University of Georgia got funds for a $5 million makeover Friday in the version of the state budget passed by the House of Representatives. Gov. Nathan Deal had not included the design and construction of the 80-year-old building’s renovation among his budget recommendations to the legislature. So, the House added it.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA Large Animal Veterinary Teaching Hospital reopened
http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-02-19/uga-large-animal-veterinary-teaching-hospital-reopened
By UGA NEWS SERVICE
The Large Animal Hospital at the University of Georgia has reopened its emergency services and will resume seeing regular appointments again on Monday. UGA’s Large Animal Hospital has been temporarily closed since Feb. 2 due to a quarantine for equine herpesvirus.
www.nique.net
Library launches search engine amidst delay
By Tristen Allen
On Feb. 1, Tech announced their switch to PRIMO for its search and catalog system. This system replaces the former Voyager system and will eventually replace all of the library search systems within the University System of Georgia (USG), with Georgia Southern University and the University of Georgia scheduled to adopt the system next. The new system includes many features that were present with the Voyager system, but were third-party tools running alongside the system under Voyager.
www.thegeorgeanne.com
GSU employee shot at Aspen Heights
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/daily/article_ee7752c8-d986-11e5-b6ba-271b0bdd9be7.html
By Lauren Gorla
Update Feb. 22, 3:49 p.m.: Allison Fleet graduated from Georgia Southern University in May 2015 with a bachelor’s of business administration and management. Antonio Sanchez is not on any record as a GSU student, past or present, according to Jan Bond, Associate Vice President Office of Marketing & Communications. Details regarding the shooting are still limited due to the open investigation. According to Jake Futch, Bulloch County coroner, the two bodies were at the residence for about 8 to 10 hours before police arrived. …Fleet works as a processing counselor in the financial aid office at GSU, as confirmed by Jan Bond, Associate Vice President Office of Marketing & Communications.
www.mdjonline.com
Georgia Supreme Court to hear case involving DUI arrest by KSU police
http://mdjonline.com/view/full_story/27095101/article-Georgia-Supreme-Court-to-hear-case-involving-DUI-arrest-by-KSU-police
by MDJ staff
The Georgia Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Monday regarding a 2013 DUI charge being appealed by a Marietta man who said his arrest was invalid, according to a news release. Bajrodin Zilke, 51, was stopped, arrested and charged with DUI on Powder Springs Road by a police officer who was employed by Kennesaw State University in 2013, according to the release. In court, Zilke’s attorney asked the court to disregard the breath test administered by the officer at the time of the arrest. The attorney argued the officer lacked jurisdiction as the offense had occurred more than 500 yards off of Kennesaw State University’s campus. The trial court granted the attorney’s request, but the decision was reversed by the Court of Appeals.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Small Grants, Big Impact
Interest builds for microgrants aimed at students with money problems — sometimes awards as small as $300 — which can have a big impact in promoting graduation.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/22/spread-emergency-aid-and-microgrants-show-strong-results
By Paul Fain
A small amount of financial aid, even $300, can go a long way toward helping a student graduate. Emergency aid or microgrants from colleges can be used to cover a last tuition bill or even to help pay for a financial emergency, like fixing a car or visiting a sick relative. Microgrants aren’t new. But a growing number of colleges — both community colleges and four-year institutions — have data to prove that this form of institutional aid improves student retention and can even save a college money by preventing dropouts.
www.chronicle.com
2 Keys to Success for Underprivileged Students: When to Start College, and Where to Go
http://chronicle.com/article/2-Keys-to-Success-for/235377?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=f7a5194011dc4d498fbc1deba59c5149&elq=202e7a83ffc8431f908e6639b0e07fae&elqaid=8001&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2506
By Karin Fischer
In poor urban neighborhoods, getting not just to but through college can be a path to a brighter future. But where students enroll, and how soon after high-school graduation they start college, can markedly affect their chances of earning a degree. A study of former Philadelphia public-school students by researchers at Drexel University found that six years after their expected high-school graduation, only one in five had earned a college certificate or degree. But for those who started college within a semester of getting a high-school diploma, the success rate was far higher: 46 percent. Nationally about two-thirds of students who are age 20 or younger when they enter college earn a degree within six years, according to the National Student Clearinghouse.
www.chronicle.com
Video: ‘Inescapable’ Support for Remedial Students
http://chronicle.com/article/Video-Inescapable-/235180?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=84190994668948df968efffa4f049820&elq=202e7a83ffc8431f908e6639b0e07fae&elqaid=8001&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2506
By Sara Lipka
early nine in 10 students who enroll in community college believe they are prepared to succeed academically, but almost seven in 10 end up taking at least one remedial course. The Center for Community College Student Engagement examines that disparity, drawing on survey results from more than 70,000 students and 4,500 faculty members, in a report out on Tuesday, “Expectations Meet Reality: The Underprepared Student and Community Colleges.” How the institutions assess students’ readiness, place them in courses, and guide them through developmental education reveals some promising but not yet widespread innovations. “If we’re going to increase completion rates, we have to do things differently,” says Evelyn Waiwaiole, the center’s director. Corequisite models of remediation, in which students take a developmental and a college-level course concurrently, have shown positive results, but only 40 percent of students surveyed had done that in English, 31 percent in mathematics. Some institutions are now placing students in courses more effectively, she says, by considering multiple measures (like high-school grades), but 87 percent of students still take a placement test, which is often the sole determinant of whether they start in remedial or college-level courses.