University System News:
www.statesboroherald.com
Ga. legislation session winds down
But key bills still on table
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/73499/
By RYAN PHILLIPS
Associated Press
ATLANTA — This year’s legislative session will come to an end next Thursday, and the future of several key pieces of legislation remains uncertain under the Gold Dome. Both chambers have already given the greenlight to send many hotly contested bills to the desk of Gov. Nathan Deal, including a measure allowing college students to carry concealed handguns on campus. Looking ahead into the final two days of the session, here are some of the issues that could still see movement in the legislature:
www.northwestgeorgianews.com
EDITORIAL: New University System policies provide due process for students
http://www.northwestgeorgianews.com/rome/opinion/editorials/editorial-new-university-system-policies-provide-due-process-for-students/article_15a43a1e-ed5f-11e5-967d-6f54ade7f54a.html
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents has finally taken steps to ensure that students accused of sexual offenses and other misconduct will have the right to due process, including an attorney and right of appeal in each of the state’s public colleges and universities. New policies spelling out these rights have been adopted by the regents and will be applied system-wide, effective July 1, replacing each institution’s own rules. The due process issue came under the spotlight recently when state Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, took offense at Georgia Tech’s handling of some cases involving complaints of sexual misconduct, in particular the expulsion of a student for an alleged misdeed, with reinstatement coming only after a lawsuit and an appeal to the Board of Regents. …The Board of Regents was already working on the issue but in the wake of Ehrhart’s concerns announced the changes. In addition to implementing a uniform policy at all institutions, due process procedures will be required, including the right of each party “to be heard fully at every stage of the investigation.” The new policy also mandates: (1) the accused must receive written notice of possible charges; (2) each party must be provided the opportunity to notify the investigator of relevant witnesses and evidence at the outset of the matter; and (3) each party has the right to respond to the investigator’s final report in writing.
www.wsbtv.com
STEM students get grade boost for HOPE scholarship
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/cobb-county/stem-students-get-grade-boost-for-hope-scholarship/168316735
COBB COUNTY, Ga. —Starting this fall, Georgia college students who take demanding courses in science, technology, engineering and math will get a boost in their final grade score. State lawmakers passed a new provision for Hope scholarship qualifications. The change will provide a half point increase in their grade point average. Currently, students must maintain a 3.0 average to qualify for the scholarship.The boost would apply to grades of B, C, and D. Several students majoring in math and science at Kennesaw State University told Channel 2’s Tom Regan they appreciated the extra hand when it comes to their grades. “It sounds awesome. I would be grateful to have some extra help. Some of the classes are very hard,” said math major Cayla Franzman… .The GPA boost isn’t just a HOPE lifeline. It’s a way to steer more student into taking challenging courses of study and pursuing careers that will help meet the soaring demand for tech industry workers in Georgia.
USG Institutions:
www.albanyherald.com
Town hall meeting focuses on the new Albany State University
Critics of the new ASU’s mission statement decry the omission of HBCU
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/colleges_universities/town-hall-meeting-focuses-on-the-new-albany-state-university/article_b0a42c65-e5dd-5a72-81d4-d785dabb1a4a.html
By Chauntel Powell
ALBANY — Concerns that a new Albany State University would be removed from its role as an Historically Black College and University were expressed by members of the community at a Thursday night meeting with ASU President Art Dunning at an Albany church. Students, faculty, alumni and members of the community met at Union Missionary Baptist to express their opinions and concerns following the release of the school’s new mission statement. That statement, released March 9, outlines the mission of the new university that will be formed with the merger of ASU and Darton State College, but does not refer to the new institution as an HBCU. Including that reference was suggested by ASU’s student government association during the drafting process, and many in the community were disappointed by its omission from the statement, including students who protested on campus March 11. After Thursday’s meeting, Dunning confirmed that the mission statement had been approved by the Georgia Board of Regents and that no changes would be made to it. Earlier Thursday, the university released the Consolidation Implementation Committee’s second of four core-value documents for the new ASU — Guiding Principles.
www.wmbfnews.com
CSU offering programs to help adults complete college degrees
http://www.wmbfnews.com/story/31515692/csu-offering-programs-to-help-adults-complete-college-degrees
By Irisha Jones, Reporter
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – It is projected that by 2020, more than 60 percent of jobs in Georgia will require a college certificate or degree, according to the University System of Georgia. That’s why Columbus State University is making it easier for hundreds of adults to go back to get their college degree. The adult re-entry program called Square One and the “Go Back and Move Ahead” campaign is to give students the necessary skills to excel once an adult decides they want to go back inside the college classroom. Hundreds of adults may be thinking of going back to college this year but feel it’s not possible. Square One, the adult re-entry program at Columbus State, is a continuing education course designed to help adults over 23 start on their undergraduate degree.
www.ajc.com
Georgia Gwinnett College building closed after ‘fire-related incident’
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/georgia-gwinnett-college-building-closed-after-fir/nqpsk/
Lauren Foreman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A building on the north side of Georgia Gwinnett College has been closed after a “fire-related incident” Monday morning, the school’s spokeswoman said. The campus’ “A” building, which houses classrooms and a food court, will remain closed until at least 1 p.m., Sloan Jones told Channel 2 Action News. Fire and explosive disposal units are on the scene, Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Collins Industrial Way/Collins Hill Road access to campus is closed until further notice.
www.ajc.com
Employee injured in explosion in Georgia Gwinnett College bathroom
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/georgia-gwinnett-college-building-closed-after-fir/nqpsk/
Lauren Foreman, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A food service employee was injured Monday morning in an explosion in a women’s bathroom on the north side of the Georgia Gwinnett College campus. All students are safe, Gwinnett County deputy fire Chief Charles Wells said. The campus’ “A” building, where the explosion occurred, will remain closed the rest of the day, school spokeswoman Sloan Jones told Channel 2 Action News. The facility houses classrooms and a food court, Jones said. Firefighters, responding to a call that a fire alarm had been pulled at about 7:40 a.m., came to the campus and didn’t initially find anything out of the ordinary. But as crews prepared to leave at about 8 a.m., they heard an explosion, Wells told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Fire and explosive disposal units are on the scene, Gwinnett police Cpl. Michele Pihera said.
www.onlineathens.com
Students learn their futures in medical campus ‘Match Day’ ceremony
http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-03-18/students-learn-their-futures-medical-campus-match-day-ceremony
By LEE SHEARER
Graduating students at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership learned where they’ll be spending the next few years of their lives Friday in the medical campus’ second “Match Day” ceremony. Some 300 people gathered to count down the minutes until noon, when the Athens group joined students across the country in opening envelopes to learn where they’ve been accepted for their medical residences.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
CCGA launches new milestone marker initiative
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/ccga-launches-new-milestone-marker-initiative/article_6a7e9ce4-9901-551f-a7d5-106c2902432a.html
By ANNA HALL The Brunswick News
Dedicating four to six years toward achieving a goal can be an overwhelming experience. Tracy Pellet knows that first hand, serving as dean of academic affairs for the College of Coastal Georgia. Every semester, he sees students speeding toward a traditional bachelor’s degree only to be derailed by life’s roadblocks. All too often, those hurdles can lead to students brushing off their dreams of obtaining a higher education. “We at the college want to encourage our students as much as we can, to help them succeed as far in their education as they can,” Pellet said. …New this semester is a program Pellet has put into play to encourage students to keep up their efforts toward education, even if it isn’t all at once. …The new Mariner Milestone Initiative, which Pellet has launched, works with students to signify important time periods in the life cycle of a student, particularly students who initially intend to complete a baccalaureate degree but are met with challenges.
www.southeastgreen.com
UGA students design solar power system for historic site along Georgia’s coast
http://www.southeastgreen.com/index.php/news/georgia/15258-uga-students-design-solar-power-system-for-historic-site-along-georgia-s-coast
A historic estate along the Georgia coast that traces its roots back more than three centuries may soon provide a look at solar energy’s potential to meet the world’s growing demand for power. A team of students from the University of Georgia College of Engineering is working to help the UGA Center for Research and Education at Wormsloe meet a portion of its energy needs through solar energy. In addition, the team’s work will serve as the foundation for a long-term solar research, education and outreach program on the island near Savannah.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA research will help policymakers plan for sea level rise
http://onlineathens.com/mobile/2016-03-15/uga-research-will-help-policymakers-plan-sea-level-rise
By UGA NEWS SERVICE
A new study by University of Georgia researchers could help protect more than 13 million American homes that will be threatened by rising sea levels by the end of the century. It is the first major study to assess the risk from rising seas using year 2100 population forecasts for all 319 coastal counties in the continental U.S. Previous impact assessments use current population figures to assess long-term effects of coastal flooding. The study is based on analyses by Mathew Hauer for his doctoral work with the UGA Franklin College of Arts and Sciences; Deepak Mishra of the UGA department of geography; and Jason Evans, a former UGA faculty member now with Stetson University.
www.onlineathens.com
Atlanta Humane Society, UGA College of Veterinary Medicine announce partnership
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2016-03-19/atlanta-humane-society-uga-college-veterinary-medicine-announce-shelter
STAFF REPORTS
The Atlanta Humane Society and the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine are partnering to provide veterinary students experiential learning opportunities in a shelter medicine setting. The agreement allows fourth-year UGA veterinary students an elective shelter medicine rotation at the AHS, during which the students may perform spays, neuters, other basic surgeries, and dental procedures, all under the supervision of the AHS veterinarian. The partnership, which represents the first formal agreement between the UGA CVM and the AHS, provides students with learning opportunities in a busy shelter environment. Shelter medicine was recently recognized as a veterinary specialty by the American Veterinary Medical Association.
www.times-herald.com
City to vote on change orders for capital project
http://times-herald.com/news/2016/03/city-to-vote-on-change-orders-for-capital-project
By CELIA SHORTT
Newnan City Council will vote on two change orders for its capital projects at its Tuesday meeting at 6:30 p.m. The first change order is to extend the Comprehensive Program Service’s current contract with the city to include the upcoming renovations and modifications to the municipal building at the Wadsworth Auditorium. CPS will be handling the Howard Warner project and previously handled the new public safety complex and the University of West Georgia Redevelopment Project. The contract is $75,600, and was less than other bids received.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Student Affairs Officers Not Influenced by Race
Inspired by findings of bias at the K-12 level, a study sought to see if higher ed officials would impose harsher penalties on hypothetical black students than on white ones.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/21/study-suggests-student-affairs-officials-not-influenced-race
By Doug Lederman
A series of well-publicized studies in recent years have offered evidence that minority students, especially African-American males, and particularly in the South, are disproportionately likely to be punished and expelled in elementary and secondary school disciplinary processes. The findings have led many observers to suggest that institutional racism is at play. No national data exist that might show whether minority students are equitably treated in college and university disciplinary processes. (A 2014 study did suggest that college faculty members were more inclined to offer help to prospective white male graduate students than to other students who reached out for guidance.) But a new paper by two researchers at North Carolina State University employs an experiment they believe can at least partially answer the question of whether officials who oversee college and university disciplinary proceedings are likely to be influenced by race in judging disciplinary cases. Their answer: the officials don’t appear to exhibit any racial bias.
www.bigstory.ap.org
To woo students, more colleges now hand-deliver acceptances
http://www.bigstory.ap.org/article/b457a2313b4b4355a67d88720579385d/woo-students-more-colleges-now-hand-deliver-acceptances
By COLLIN BINKLEY
FRANKLIN, Mass. (AP) — The visitors walking up her family’s driveway mystified Maya Wolf. Four wore blue jackets. One was in a lion mascot costume. Then, as it clicked, she reached to her mouth in surprise. “Congratulations on your acceptance,” said one of the men, who introduced himself as Grant Gosselin, the admissions dean for Wheaton College. He handed Wolf an oversize white envelope. “We’ve heard great things about you.” Instead of mailing an acceptance letter, Wheaton College had sent its president, admissions chief, the school mascot and others to surprise the 17-year-old Wolf on Tuesday. At the same time, nine other teams of employees from the Massachusetts school were scattered across New England delivering letters to a total of 75 students. …For the first time last year, the University of Maryland sent a bus of employees to surprise six students. A month later, the University at Albany in New York brought members of the marching band to one student’s home, while the president of Rowan University in New Jersey visited five students. The California Institute of Technology made its first personal delivery this year. In most cases, the unexpected visits ended up in flashy online videos produced by the schools. …Experts say the idea is spreading as schools face tougher competition for students. By adding a personal touch, colleges hope to boost the share of students who pick them, known as the yield.
www.insidehighered.com
Report on How Federal Aid Policies Affect Tuition
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/21/report-how-federal-aid-policies-affect-tuition?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=b486f59bc0-DNU20160321&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-b486f59bc0-197515277
When federal aid increases, the goal, of course, is to help students afford their tuition. But in reality, is that actually how the situation plays out? It’s a question that’s been part of the federal aid debate for decades, and it’s at the heart of a new paper by David Feldman and Richard Archibald, both professors at the College of William and Mary. They start with an idea called the Bennett Hypothesis: the argument is that increased federal aid leads to higher tuition, because colleges know that their students will get help from the government.
www.insidehighered.com
Talks Over Federal Debt Relief Rules End in Stalemate
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/21/talks-over-federal-debt-relief-rules-end-stalemate?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=b486f59bc0-DNU20160321&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-b486f59bc0-197515277
A U.S. Department of Education rule-making panel on Friday failed to reach agreement on new standards for when federal student loan borrowers can seek debt forgiveness on the grounds that they were misled or defrauded by their colleges. The committee’s failure to reach consensus on an entire slate of proposals — which also included restrictions on mandatory arbitration agreements at colleges as well as an expansion of the federal government’s ability to require troubled colleges to post letters of credit — means that the Education Department is now free to move ahead with its own plan.
www.washingtonpost.com
Lawyer: Yale basketball case shows the difficulty of campus sexual assault investigations
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/03/18/lawyer-yale-basketball-case-shows-the-difficulty-of-campus-sexual-assault-investigations/
By Shanlon Wu
At Yale University, a senior was expelled recently for sexual misconduct. Because the student, Jack Montague, was the captain of the men’s basketball team — which just won its first-round game in the NCAA tournament, the first time the team has been to the tournament in more than 50 years — the case has generated national attention. The team’s players publicly backed Montague, which prompted a swift backlash; posters appeared on campus that read, “Stop supporting a rapist.” Last week, Montague spoke out, through his lawyer, saying that the alleged sexual misconduct was, in fact, a consensual encounter. “We strongly believe that the decision to expel Jack Montague was wrong, unfairly determined, arbitrary, and excessive by any rational measure,” his attorney, Max Stern, wrote in a statement threatening a lawsuit. A university spokesman said he could not discuss the specifics of the case out of respect for the privacy of the students involved, but said that Yale’s procedures for responding to allegations of sexual misconduct are thorough and fair. … Montague’s case is particularly emotionally charged, given his very public role on campus and the team, but allegations of sexual misconduct are common at campuses across the country, with university officials facing the difficult task of determining the truth in often-complicated situations. Shanlon Wu, a former federal sex crimes prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice who is now in private practice with a focus on student defense, offers his opinion on the issue. Have Colleges and Universities Overcorrected in Response to Campus Sexual Assault Allegations?