University System News:
www.gwinnettdailyypost.com
Richard Tucker named Gwinnett Chamber’s Citizen of the Year
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/business/richard-tucker-named-gwinnett-chamber-s-citizen-of-the-year/article_c51c5fc6-6395-5084-8d6e-44b9260d0410.html
By Curt Yeomans
Richard Tucker came to Gwinnett County nearly 44 years ago, and has been involved with the Gwinnett Chamber for much of that time, giving him a chance to see nearly every person who has ever received its Citizen of the Year Award. …Tucker joined that list at the chamber’s Annual Dinner on Friday night at the Infinite Energy Center. While he was watching all of those previous winners receive their awards, though, he never gave it much thought that his name would someday be mentioned among that group. “It’s very humbling because there’s been some tremendous winners who have done a lot for this county and this community,” he said. “To be included among them is just a great honor.” …He has also served on the Board of Regents since 2005, having been first appointed by Gov. Sonny Perdue and then reappointed in 2012 by Gov. Nathan Deal. He was the board’s chairman in 2008 and 2009. … “His role on the university system Board of Regents, that’s had an impact on the state as a whole, not just in Gwinnett County, but it’s good to have a member of the Board of Regents (from the county) when we have a college here in the county that we’re trying to grow,” Nash said. “He played an important role in articulating the needs of Georgia Gwinnett College to the Board of Regents.”
www.myajc.com
Georgia legislators often exempt themselves in writing laws for others
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/georgia-legislators-often-exempt-themselves-in-wri/nqKYf/
By James Salzer – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The push to let Georgians carry guns on college campuses is seen by some as only the latest example of state lawmakers backing legislation that they may not want applied to themselves. The statehouse — which has metal detectors, limited entry points and armed guards — is one of the places Georgians with carry licenses can’t bring their guns. Local governments and state agencies have to abide by government transparency laws, but legislators long ago exempted themselves from the Open Records Act. …So it’s not surprising that some lawmakers consider it hypocritical for the General Assembly to consider allowing Georgians to carry guns on campuses — just as it has allowed guns in recent years in bars and churches — while continuing to exempt where they work.
www.getschooled.blog.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Enforcing immigration laws puts Georgia on right side of history and popular opinion
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2016/02/07/enforcing-immigration-laws-puts-georgia-on-the-right-of-history-and-popular-opinion/
In a response to a column on the blog this week condemning Georgia’s higher education policy toward illegal immigrants, D.A. King of Marietta wrote this rebuttal essay. A vocal advocate for enforcement of U.S. immigration and employment laws, King is president of the Dustin Inman Society. You can read the original column here.
By D.A. King
The now stereotypical and always offensive path taken by liberals advocating for special treatment for illegal aliens is to associate enforcement of American immigration laws with racial prejudice and to the civil rights struggles of American blacks in the 1960s. And to completely ignore the rights of real, legal immigrants. The recent joint effort featured here from associate professors Angela Stuesse and Shannon Speed did not disappoint. Because they did not, we note that “illegal” is not a race. The writers cite recent protests by victims of borders against Board of Regents admittance policy. But they omitted mentioning arrests of several screaming protesters for shoving American police officers. They did however include references to a 1960 North Carolina lunch counter sit-in during which “four Black students… integrated a whites-only Woolworth’s counter.” The authors race-baiting hope is to compare the Board of Regents current policy on instate tuition and limiting illegal aliens access to taxpayer-funded post secondary schools as ”segregation.”
USG Institutions:
www.times-herald.com
Online programs get top marks
http://times-herald.com/news/2016/02/online-programs-get-top-marks
By THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
U.S. News & World Report’s 2016 Online Rankings placed the University of West Georgia among the top in the nation. UWG has continually been among the highest performing in many of the assessed online areas.
‘We are delighted that UWG continues to be acknowledged and recognized by the U.S. News & World Report rankings for our progressive work in distant learning,’ UWG President Kyle Marrero said. ‘A pivotal part of the university’s strategic plan is providing flexible, affordable and quality online program options for our students, and this ranking proves that we are among the best in online education.’ The recently published list ranked a total of six UWG online programs, including UWG’s College of Science and Mathematics online Information Technology program, positioned at the 18th spot. UWG’s Tanner Health System School of Nursing’s graduate program ranked 31st in the nation.
www.daily-tribune.com
Success coaches encourage GHC freshmen to complete degrees
http://www.daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/4760-success-coaches-encourage-ghc-freshmen-to-complete-degrees
Georgia Highlands College instituted a program last fall that it hopes will help its retention rate keep rising. The Student Success Coach Initiative was designed to help maintain and increase retention rates at the college — which saw an increase last fall over the 2014 fall semester — by offering one-on-one support for new students that encourages them to complete their two-year degrees at GHC. All 2015 first-time, full-time students with no prior college credit had the opportunity to be paired with a faculty or staff member who would act as their success coach for the year.
www.chronicle.com
In Georgia, a Pioneer of Integration Guides the Merger of an HBCU and a 2-Year College
http://chronicle.com/article/In-Georgia-a-Pioneer-of/235203
Seeking Strength as One
“In our part of the country, under the old Jim Crow system,” says Arthur N. Dunning, “we had, from the late 1870s to 1964, systems that were separate by law.” So now, he says, he’s glad to report that the University System of Georgia’s in-progress merger of two institutions, across the remnants of that imposed color line, “hasn’t raised unexpected issues.” The system’s seventh merger in recent years has provoked some controversy, in part because it involves markedly different institutions: Albany State University, one of three historically black public colleges and universities in Georgia, and Darton State College, whose 5,470 students, about half of them white and half of them African-American, are enrolled in open-access, two-year programs.
www.northwestgeorgianews.com
Rome earning star-status when it comes to film locations
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/news/local/rome-earning-star-status-when-it-comes-to-film-locations/article_f00c112e-cd64-11e5-9f39-bb15c52f32b9.html
by Kristina Wilder
With Georgia becoming more and more popular with Hollywood for film sites, Rome has made headway as a beloved location, a trend that started in the 1980s. “It’s like a dance,” explained Lisa Smith, executive director of the Greater Rome Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We populate a site called Reel Scout with images from Rome, different angles, places that may be good locations. We are listed on a site called Camera Ready Communities, and we work with the Georgia film office.” Smith said the bureau works with the film office to get leads about what production companies are searching for. …Smith worked closely with the crew from “Need for Speed,” the 2014 action drama starring Aaron Paul and Dominic Cooper. The film crew challenged the bureau, Smith said. “They wanted different locations from the typical,” she said. “They used Myrtle Hill and our road to Cave Spring. It was a great chance to show off a different landscape.” The crew also staged themselves in the Georgia Highlands College parking lot and made themselves comfortable with the community, Smith added.
www.physical-therapy.advanceweb.com
Valdosta State University Opens Rehab Center
http://physical-therapy.advanceweb.com/News/Daily-News-Watch/Valdosta-State-University-Opens-Rehab-Center.aspx
Valdosta State University’s College of Nursing and Health Sciences announced Jan. 26 the opening of the Center for Exercise Medicine and Rehabilitation. “I am very proud to be a part of an institution and a college that is willing to explore innovations for the benefit of students, faculty, employees, and the community,” said Sheri Noviello, dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, and professor of nursing. “Providing opportunities for students to engage with faculty in our own practice setting will be synergistic. Endeavors such as the Center for Exercise Medicine and Rehabilitation will potentially change the face of Valdosta State University and of higher education in general.”
www.bisnow.com
NEW DORM TOPS OUT AT DALTON STATE COLLEGE IN GEORGIA
https://www.bisnow.com/national/news/student-housing/new-dorm-tops-out-at-dalton-state-college-in-georgia-55538
Winter Construction topped out the Mashburn Hall of Roadrunner Place 356-bed residence hall at Dalton State College in Dalton, GA. Set to open this year, the project is a public-private partnership between the University System of Georgia and Corvias Campus Living. The four-story, 92k SF facility with wood framing and suite-style rooms will consist of one-, two- and four-bedroom semi-suites, laundry areas, common spaces, game rooms, kitchen areas, and an outdoor entertainment space with a fire pit and covered veranda.
www.nique.net
Student Center renovation is costly
By Jonathan Gabbay
Between March 9–16, the Georgia Tech student body will vote on a referendum to approve a mandatory fee of up to $85 per semester to fund a $100 million expansion and renovation of the Student Center. Kate Curnow, the communication and marketing manager at the Georgia Tech Student Center, recently wrote an article on the school website urging students to vote “yes” on the referendum. She cited the current Student Center’s low square footage per student and degraded infrastructure as the primary reasons students should approve the new fee. The current Student Center, built in 1970, is by all accounts in dire need of refurbishment. However, it is highly questionable whether such an expensive renovation is necessary. Ms. Curnow correctly states in the article that there is a precedent for students paying at least part of the costs of new non-academic buildings. Whether this is a good precedent is controversial and should be further analyzed. … According to the project guiding principles, the $100 million renovated Student Center is to become a lighthouse, a “shelter from the Tech elements.” I wonder if a building could ever live up to such a mission statement.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Low Income, High Graduation Rate
Two new studies suggest many colleges may be too quick to write off low-income students and community college transfers. Money and extra support change the equation, at least for some.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/02/08/programs-have-success-helping-low-income-students-graduate?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=0318e2f92c-DNU20160208&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0318e2f92c-197515277
By Paul Fain
College completion rates have stagnated, and lower-income students in particular face long odds of getting to graduation. Two new studies, however, show that low-income students can graduate at high rates when they receive financial and academic supports from external groups. The research looked at success rates for students who were participants in the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society and, separately, in the Dell Scholars program. Graduation rates were substantially better for both groups than for their peers.
www.insidehighered.com
Obama Seeks Tax Credits for Hiring Community College Graduates
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/02/08/obama-seeks-tax-credits-hiring-community-college-graduates?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=0318e2f92c-DNU20160208&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-0318e2f92c-197515277
President Obama is looking to create new tax benefits for employers who hire the graduates of certain community college programs as an effort to boost collaboration between businesses and higher education.
The proposal, which the White House announced on Friday, will be part of Obama’s budget request to Congress this week. Under the plan, an employer that partners with a community college would be eligible for a one-time $5,000 tax credit for hiring a graduate of the college full time. The employer would be expected to help design curriculum, donate instructors and equipment, and create job-based learning opportunities.
www.chronicle.com
To Solve the Skills Gap in Hiring, Create Expectations in the Classroom
http://chronicle.com/article/To-Solve-the-Skills-Gap-in/235206?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=49375c6b14404eb4a306e84cac13dc75&elqCampaignId=2388&elqaid=7815&elqat=1&elqTrackId=db2715b7dbb0465482305bfa61c42ca5
By Charlotte Kent FEBRUARY 07, 2016
…Far more distressing was the fact that 49 percent of employers found a moderate or large gap between employee skill level and performance level: 26 percent identified a moderate gap (level 4 on a scale of 1 to 7), and 23 percent found a large gap (levels 5 to 7). The same study also concluded that the gap between the skill and performance levels of 51 percent of employees has an impact on company productivity, meaning that employees with performance issues are affecting the bottom line. No skills deficit was associated with specialized IT, management, administrative, or mechanical work. People know how to do jobs; they just don’t act like it. The skills that were not being met included personal accountability for work, self-motivation, strong work ethic, punctuality, time management, professionalism, and adaptability. Those are not skills that a business can expect to train and instill in its workers; hiring people who already have them is cheaper and easier.
www.chronicle.com
A Closer Look at 7 Common Requirements in Resolved Federal Sex-Assault Inquiries
http://chronicle.com/article/A-Closer-Look-at-7-Common/235220?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elq=49375c6b14404eb4a306e84cac13dc75&elqCampaignId=2388&elqaid=7815&elqat=1&elqTrackId=28f919c922c044e5aa281c119022c001
By Katherine Mangan
Say your campus likes to encourage students to resolve sexual-misconduct cases through mediated discussions. When a student confides in a professor that a guy took advantage of her while she was drunk and asks her not to tell anyone, the professor obliges. Clear and convincing evidence is the standard your disciplinary panel insists on before finding someone responsible for an assault. If you haven’t already heard from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, you may soon be in its cross hairs, because when it comes to the gender-equity law known as Title IX, you’re doing it all wrong.