University System News:
www.acccesswdun.com
Georgia governor questions campus guns bill to NRA backlash
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/3/377640/georgia-governor-questions-campus-guns-bill-to-nra-backlash
By The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) Georgia’s governor stopped short of a veto threat against a bill lifting a weapons ban on the state’s public college campuses on Tuesday. But the Republican’s call for fixes to the bill awaiting his signature prompted pushback from the National Rifle Association and Georgia lawmakers still supportive of the original proposal. The state Senate on Friday sent a bill to Republican Gov. Nathan Deal allowing licensed gun owners who are 21 and older to carry concealed weapons on public college campuses. The bill, which easily passed both the House and Senate controlled by Republicans, exempts student housing, including fraternity and sorority houses, and athletic facilities. Deal, first on Monday and again on Tuesday, said he’s concerned about day care facilities on public college campuses and K-12 students who take classes at universities or technical colleges through programs aimed at high-achievers. Deal also said he wants school administrators to have rule-making ability regarding weapons so they could decide on exemptions for faculty or administrator offices and during disciplinary hearings. Deal refused to say whether he would veto the so-called “campus carry” bill if lawmakers don’t respond.
www.wsbtv.com
Gov. Deal tells lawmakers to fix campus carry bill
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/georgia/gov-deal-tells-lawmakers-to-fix-campus-carry-bill/163113906
ATLANTA — A showdown is brewing at the state Capitol between Republicans battling over the controversial plan to allow guns on college campuses. Channel 2 political reporter Lori Geary learned Tuesday that the governor wants changes but the House speaker says he’s satisfied with the bill. House Speaker David Ralston told Geary the campus carry bill has been thoroughly vetted for several hours in both the House and Senate. Gov. Nathan Deal said there’s enough time to make changes, but Ralston points out there are only three more days left in the session. “We’re running out of time here to make changes,” Ralston told Geary on Tuesday. In an exclusive interview, Ralston made it clear to Geary that Gov. Deal had not reached out to him about any concerns over the campus carry bill.
www.myajc.com
Kennesaw State students speak out against campus carry
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/kennesaw-state-students-speak-out-against-campus-c/nqk7R/
By Janel Davis – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A day after Gov. Nathan Deal called for changes to “campus carry” legislation already approved by state lawmakers, faculty and students gathered at Kennesaw State University to discuss the bill and its impact. Tuesday’s forum attracted mostly those opposed to the bill, which would allow students and others properly licensed and older than 21 to carry guns most places on college grounds. Faculty and staff questioned the need for guns outside those already carried by campus police, and students passed around petitions asking Deal to veto the legislation. The questions from students were plentiful: Where would guns be stored (the legislation disallows them in dorms)? Would guns be allowed at controversial gatherings, such as pro-life rallies? And, who will take responsibility if the new campus carry provision results in a tragedy? Last week KSU professor Amy Donahue was arrested protesting the bill at the state capitol. One of her students, Jonathan Dufner, attended Tuesday’s forum and said he’s willing to be jailed in efforts to oppose the bill.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA march and rally against campus carry set for today
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2016-03-16/uga-march-and-rally-against-campus-carry-set-today
By STAFF REPORTS
A march and rally is planned for later today on the University of Georgia campus to protest a recent bill Georgia lawmakers approved lifting a weapons ban on the state’s public college campuses. The march against House Bill 859, commonly known as campus carry, begins at 6:30 p.m. today at Tate Plaza. According to a Facebook invite, a rally at the plaza will be followed with a march to the UGA Arch. Some signs will be provided, but organizers invite marchers to bring their own. “UGA students and professors do not believe that having guns in the classroom will make our campus safer,” the invite reads.
www.theatlantic.com
The Folly of Under-Educating the Undocumented
State economies will improve if undocumented immigrants have access to a college education. But three states still ban them from pursuing one.
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/03/the-folly-of-under-educating-the-undocumented/473877/
MATT VASILOGAMBROS
Ashley Rivas-Triano is 22 years old and faces an uncertain future. Her high-school diploma is not good enough to compete in the current U.S. job market, and she can’t go to college in her state because she is undocumented. Last month, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld a Board of Regents rule that all students be “lawfully present” to attend schools in the University System of Georgia and that those seeking in-state tuition be “legally in this state.” All of which means that when each one of her friends, with whom she attended kindergarten through high school in Georgia, graduated and went to college, Rivas-Triano was left behind. … So why doesn’t Georgia want to help Rivas-Triano go to college? In three states—Alabama, South Carolina, and Georgia—undocumented immigrants are denied access to public colleges. Georgia approved its ban in 2010, when the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia passed two policies effectively prohibiting undocumented immigrants from public colleges in the state. The Board of Regents found that undocumented immigrants could both take seats away from qualified citizens and be a burden on state taxpayers. And so, the Board passed one measure to bar undocumented immigrants from attending any of the top five public universities in the state and another measure to bar them from paying in-state tuition at all other Georgia public universities. But this isn’t the norm: Over the last decade, the national trend has gone in the other direction, with states introducing and passing legislation that allows undocumented immigrants to attend public colleges and even to be eligible for in-state tuition.
www.gwinnettforum.com
FOCUS: 16 years after dropping out, Loganville resident completes college
FOCUS: 16 years after dropping out, Loganville resident completes college
By Cody Nichelson
“Amazing and exhausting.” Those are two words that Ruth Colquitt of Loganville uses to describe her journey back to college. Some 16 years after dropping out, she wanted to gain a steady career in an increasingly competitive environment. …In 2007, she enrolled at Georgia Perimeter College, receiving financial assistance through the federal Pell Grant. She was able to transfer earned credits from her initial years in school. Working a full-time job, Ruth attended night classes, and in 2009, she obtained an associate degree in psychology. Then Ruth enrolled at Georgia Gwinnett College, working toward bachelor’s degree in psychology. “The resources available today for students who are struggling in any or all areas are incredibly beneficial and easily obtained,” Ruth says. Those resources were created as part of the state’s “Go Back. Move Ahead” initiative, a collaborative effort from the University System, Technical College System and Georgia Student Finance Commission, that makes it easier for adults to return to college.
www.ajc.com
Which Georgia grad schools ranked among best in the nation?
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/which-georgia-grad-schools-ranked-among-best-in-th/nqmRk/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech’s graduate engineering school ranked seventh in the nation, and a joint biomedicial engineering PhD program with Tech and Emory University ranked 2nd nationally for the 10th consecutive year. Georgia’s graduate schools and programs were well represented in the latest national rankings released Wednesday by U.S. News and World Report. The 2017 Best Graduate Schools rankings are designed to help prospective students research programs across six disciplines: business, law, education, engineering, medicine and nursing, along with specialty rankings within each graduate school discipline. …The University of Georgia’s education program ranked 34th, received Georgia’s highest ranking among those graduate programs.
www.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Why does Georgia Tech take fewer Georgia students than University of Georgia?
http://getschooled.blog.myajc.com/2016/03/16/why-does-georgia-tech-take-fewer-georgia-students-than-university-of-georgia/
I didn’t enjoy the college application process with my older kids and don’t expect it’s going to be any more fun with my twins next year. I claim no expertise in the alchemy of college admissions. I’m often flummoxed by why one student wins admission and an equally gifted peer does not. Some Georgia parents are experiencing similar confusion in the wake of Georgia Tech’s regular admission decisions announced over the weekend. On an earlier blog, Tech reports this year’s admitted students had an average SAT of 1445 (out of 1600), with 10 college-level courses completed. Tech applications reached a high of 30,520, a 12 percent increase over last year. One in four applicants was offered admission.
USG Institutions:
www.walb.com
Editorial: ASU and Darton merger moving forward
http://www.walb.com/story/31479188/editorial-asu-and-darton-merger-moving-forward
The entire community is talking about the consolidation of Albany State and Darton, so we would like to hear your opinions. We are huge supporters of consolidation and that’s why we have lobbied for years to consolidate the governments of Albany and Dougherty County. We know we are much stronger if we act together as one body, and speak with one united voice. We were all surprised to suddenly hear about the consolidation of ASU and Darton. Any city would love to have a large local university like Valdosta State or Columbus State. It means thousands of young people living and spending in our local economy, and when they graduate, hopefully staying to live and work here as local citizens and taxpayers. The main negative we hear most is, if this is a consolidation of the two schools, why the name Albany State University? If it had a new name like South Georgia University, the first impression in the community would not have been that Darton was being taken over by Albany State.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
CSU speaker to offer taste of Hollywood, discuss film and TV careers in Georgia
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/article66163087.html
BY TONY ADAMS
It will be a Hollywood moment next Tuesday with Columbus State University bringing television and film veteran Jeffrey Stepakoff, a writer and producer, here to talk about the industry and its burgeoning presence in Georgia. …It comes with CSU, in partnership with the Springer Opera House, recently starting a two-course training program designed for those looking to earn a living in the film and TV production field. “This is our fourth program in the (speaker) series, and the topic is especially timely with the launch of our new film certification program in January,” Danna Gibson, CSU Department of Communication chair, said in a statement. CSU said 48 students are now taking the certificate courses, which include training on equipment and time spent on a professional production set. The Georgia Film Academy, of which Stepakoff is the executive director, lists on its website various jobs needed. …Stepakoff, who lives in the Atlanta area, is expected to discuss the academy’s role in the current growth, his own career, the potential impact of the industry on Columbus and how the new training program can help meet the demand of skilled workers. The academy also is partnering with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia.
www.sixmilepostonline.com
GHC’s campus safety wants students to be prepared
http://sixmilepostonline.com/?p=3854
BY KAYLA JAMESON
College officials are making it a priority to make sure students stay safe on campus. Silent Witness is a form on GHC’s campus safety webpage that can be used to report a crime or something suspicious on campus. Faculty, staff and students may use it if they don’t feel comfortable going into the campus safety office. When a form is filled out, it will be sent to Georgia Highlands College’s Chief of Police David Horace’s email account. The form may be found by going to the Highlands home page, searching for “silent witness” and clicking the first link. The person making the report has the option of leaving or omitting his or her name. “Plan, Prepare, React” is a video about how to react to an active shooter situation that was recently released through the University System of Georgia. A link to the video was emailed to all students, faculty and staff.
www.bovinevetonline.com
Georgia veterinarian, Corrie Brown, named University Professor
http://www.bovinevetonline.com/news/industry/georgia-veterinarian-corrie-brown-named-university-professor
Corrie Brown, DVM, PhD, DACVP, Meigs Professor of Pathology in the College of Veterinary Medicine, has been named University Professor, an honor bestowed on faculty members who have made a significant impact on the University of Georgia beyond their normal academic responsibilities. Brown, who was named a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in 2004, has built international partnerships to advance animal and human health. In her 20 years at UGA, her research, instruction and outreach have shaped global initiatives and transformed lives.
www.saportareport.com
Architectural team selected for Georgia Tech’s ‘Living Building Challenge’
Architectural team selected for Georgia Tech’s ‘Living Building Challenge’
By Maria Saporta
The architectural team of Lord Aeck Sargent and the Miller Hull Partnership has been selected by Georgia Tech to design the Living Building Challenge 3.0 project – expected to be the most sustainable building in the Southeast. The final team was selected from three teams that had participated in an “ideas” competition to explore all the possibilities and challenges of designing what has been called a “net zero” building, set to be constructed on the Georgia Tech campus beginning in 2017.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Using Pell to Boost Merit Aid
The number of Pell recipients a college enrolls doesn’t tell the whole story, a report says. Institutional aid and how much low-income students end up paying also matters.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/16/why-colleges-use-financial-aid-attract-wealthier-students?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=04cbd77bf1-DNU20160316&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-04cbd77bf1-197515277
By Ellen Wexler
The Pell Grant program, which the federal government spent $34 billion on in 2014, has become a way to measure how well colleges serve the underprivileged. The more Pell Grant recipients a college enrolls, the story goes, the more they’re helping to increase college access. But using Pell to measure access for low-income students can do more harm than good, according to a new report. While it matters how many Pell students colleges enroll, it also matters how much those students pay. The report, published by New America and written by senior policy analyst Stephen Burd, examined colleges’ average net price for students whose families make less than $30,000. It found that, between 2013 and 2014, hundreds of colleges charged disadvantaged students more than half of their families’ yearly earnings.
www.chronicle.com
‘We Need Many More College Graduates,’ Says Obama’s Departing Higher-Ed Adviser
http://chronicle.com/article/We-Need-Many-More-College/235712?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=3ae04c5452d9428789611b27b4dcfd1f&elq=7e4de1492eaa42289cf77efd7126394e&elqaid=8279&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2680
By Kelly Field
James Kvaal, President Obama’s top higher-education adviser, left the White House last week for a residency at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. In an interview on Tuesday with The Chronicle, he reflected on his biggest accomplishments, his biggest battles, and what lies ahead — for him and his former boss.
www.diverseeducation.com
Board Upholds Firing of Missouri Professor who Protested
http://diverseeducation.com/article/82422/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elqTrackId=e8948364ef4d4a51883fa5e89e5d8c06&elq=453aee7621114745ad86526cd9fc175d&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=771
by Heather Hollingsworth, Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. ― The University of Missouri’s Board of Curators upheld its decision to fire an assistant professor whose run-ins with student journalists and the police during race-related protests last fall drew widespread attention, the university system said Tuesday. The board found that Melissa Click’s appeal “brought no new relevant information,” the university system said in a statement. The curators unanimously reached the decision Monday during a closed session. A spokesman for the curators, John Fougere, said Click stopped being paid Tuesday. “We consider this matter now closed and are moving forward as a university and as a community,” the statement said, adding that it believes that Click was “treated fairly throughout this matter.”