University System News:
www.dailyreportonline.com
Civil Rights Lawyer Lee Parks: High Court’s Tip for Foreign-Born Students Won’t Work
http://www.dailyreportonline.com/home/id=1202748841857/Civil-Rights-Lawyer-Lee-Parks-High-Courts-Tip-for-ForeignBorn-Students-Wont-Work?mcode=1202617074542&curindex=4&slreturn=20160105141603
Katheryn Hayes Tucker, Daily Report
In denying an appeal of foreign-born, Georgia-resident college students seeking in-state tuition, the Georgia Supreme Court dropped a hint at the end of its opinion that the students might try another approach. But it’s not likely to work, according to a veteran civil rights lawyer. “You have this very interesting comment by the Supreme Court,” A. Lee Parks Jr. of Parks, Chesin & Walbert said Wednesday. “But I wish there had been another sentence. Tell me how you do it. Because I don’t see it. And I do this law everyday.” The high court ruled Monday that the University System of Georgia and the Board of Regents are protected by sovereign immunity like other state agencies, but that the students could seek relief by suing the 19 regents individually to demand that they change the policy of denying the students in-state tuition, which is significantly less expensive than out-of-state tuition. …Mandamus would be the way to proceed, agreed Parks, who has represented hundreds of individual and corporate clients in discrimination, civil rights, constitutional law, education and other litigation. But he added that a successful mandamus action requires that the right be clearly established by the Constitution.
USG Institutions:
www.tucson.com
The Best Large Colleges
http://tucson.com/news/data/the-best-large-colleges/article_115a6486-1dbc-5cc9-b4ad-47bd6bb1b694.html
Nick Selbe
For those who have their sights set on larger schools, StartClass ranked the top large colleges in the country. We considered any college with at least 15,000 undergraduate students as a large college. Schools are ranked according to their Smart Rating, which is a comprehensive score designed to evaluate a college’s overall effectiveness. The Smart Rating is based on five main factors — financial affordability, career readiness, admissions selectivity, expert opinion and academic excellence. We used the most recent data from the National Center for Education Statistics and rounded the Smart Rating to the nearest whole number for each slide on this list. #17 University of Georgia
www.tucson.com
The Best Historically Black Colleges
http://tucson.com/news/data/the-best-historically-black-colleges/article_ac780cf9-6222-532e-8406-c7d3017565a4.html
Nick Selbe
The history of historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) dates back to the 19th century. The Higher Education Act of 1965 defines an HBCU as “any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principle mission was, and is, the education of black Americans.” Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, founded in 1837, was the nation’s first HBCU, and most of the colleges were founded after the American Civil War. Today, there are 100 HBCUs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, each with its own rich and unique history. In honor of Black History Month, StartClass ranked the top 25 HBCUs in the country. #13 Albany State University; #24 Fort Valley State University
www.wfxg.com
VSU addresses graduation concerns
http://www.wfxg.com/story/31144339/vsu-addresses-graduation-concerns
By Caitlyn Chastain
Students at Valdosta State University expressed concerns over changes to the school’s graduation ceremony. A petition on change.org has over 1,400 signatures asking the administration to change the ceremonies back. Previously the school had multiple graduation ceremonies over two days. The new schedule calls for convocations during the day for each college followed by one commencement later that evening. VSU Interim President Dr. Cecil Staton says many of the concerns students have comes from a lack of information.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
More than 500 express interest in Hall’s Early College program
UNG, Lanier Tech offering courses at Jones campus beginning in August
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/114974/
By Ron Bridgeman
Plans for Hall County’s Early College @ Jones are moving quickly. More than 530 high school students expressed an interest in the program, and formal applications are due today. The program will start in August when school begins. The Early College, which will be in the former Sylvester Jones Elementary School, will provide academic courses through the University of North Georgia, academic and certificate programs through Lanier Technical College or a combination. College professors will teach the courses at the Jones campus.
www.vsuspectator.com
Georgia governor signs in new law
http://www.vsuspectator.com/2016/02/05/michaels-law-passed-in-georgia/
Written by Jyrell Wynn, Correspondent
Michael’s Law passed in Georgia
It’s Friday night and time to party with friends, but don’t forget to bring your parents. This will be the reality for many underage college students as Georgia passed Michael’s Law in July. Michael’s Law is also referred to as House Bill 152. This new law will require minors to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian when attending a bar. It will also require bartenders and bouncers to be 21 or older to work in the bar. Michael’s law came from the death of Georgia Southern University freshman, Michael Gatto, who was killed by a bar bouncer in a bar altercation. Gatto died from the assault at Rude Rudy’s. Rude Rudy’s was closed in September of 2014 after Gatto’s death in August. This new law brings big changes for collegiate bar goers under the age of 21. With the law coming to Valdosta, many Valdosta State students have weighed in on the law and what that means for the bar scene here, particularly in Remerton.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
College Readiness of Low-Income Students Stagnates
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/02/05/college-readiness-low-income-students-stagnates?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=1f601dff17-DNU20160205&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-1f601dff17-197515277
Roughly one in four of the 1.9 million high school students who graduated in 2015 and took the ACT are from low-income backgrounds, meaning their annual family incomes are less than $36,000. This group continues to lag in college readiness, according to the latest version of an annual report from the testing organization and the National Council for Community and Education Partnerships.
www.chronicle.com
An Administrator’s Rape Allegation Shakes Student-Conduct Group
http://chronicle.com/article/An-Administrator-s-Rape/235195?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=fc7fd2b4dba14e18b157b5eff19c8a5a&elqCampaignId=2375&elqaid=7792&elqat=1&elqTrackId=717d951b94e74352b2e31435f47b2f3f
By Katherine Mangan
A former officer of the Association for Student Conduct Administration denied on Thursday that he had sexually assaulted the association’s president-elect, whose public accusations against him rocked the association’s annual meeting in Florida this week. The controversy erupted when Jill L. Creighton, who had been elected to lead the association for 2017-18, posted an open letter Wednesday on Twitter saying her predecessor, Jason Casares, “took advantage” of her during a convention in December. The accusation probably sounded familiar to the attendees, whose jobs largely involve sorting through charges of sexual assault and other misconduct. Their jobs usually revolve around student complaints, not the charges and denials of two of their colleagues.