University System News:
www.onlineathens.com
Georgia budget passes with local benefits
http://onlineathens.com/breaking-news/2016-03-23/georgia-budget-passes-local-benefits
By WALTER C. JONESMORRIS NEWS SERVICE
ATLANTA | The state budget approved by a conference committee Monday has money for local projects as well as pay raises for state workers and teachers. The committee capped days of negotiations Monday morning, and the House and Senate voted on the agreement in the evening on the 39th of the 40 days in the legislative session. Among the local projects getting funding in the fiscal year that begins July 1 are:
• $2 million for a renovation and expansion of the library at the College of Coastal Georgia,
• $5.9 million for furnishings for Phase II of the Business Learning Community at the University of Georgia in Athens,
• $2 million to equip the new science and technology building at Savannah State University,
• $3 million for the Barn Bio Lab renovation at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography,
• $117,000 in added spending for the Medical College of Georgia Sickle Cell Center at Augusta University,
• $2 million for renovation of the Greenblatt Library at AU
Beyond those local items, the budget has a 3-percent pay raise for teachers and all state employees.
www.wsfa.com
New Ga. budget could mean raises for state employees
http://www.wsfa.com/story/31542066/new-ga-budget-could-mean-raises-for-state-employees
By Ben Roberts, Anchor
ATLANTA, GA (WALB) – On Tuesday, Georgia lawmakers approved a $23.7 billion budget that gives raises to thousands of state employees and a one-time bonus for state retirees. Most state workers will get a 3 percent raise, more for state law enforcers and public health nurses. The plan also provides more money for schools, with the hope that local districts will give raises. The budget includes money for a couple of Albany projects, $2.1 million for equipment for the new Fine Arts center being built at Albany State University and $2 million for the expansion of the Northwest Library branch.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
Update: General Assembly yanks $8 million in Columbus State funding
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/article67723002.html
BY CHUCK WILLIAMS
Columbus State University lost nearly $8 million in capital funding Tuesday when the Georgia General Assembly approved a final budget and sent it to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature. The budget that went before a joint House and Senate conference committee to work out the differences between the two proposed budgets included the money Columbus State was seeking to furnish and equip new science labs and to renovate the existing main campus library. The $23.7 billion budget that emerged for the committee and overwhelmingly passed the House and Senate had stripped all of Columbus State’s capital funding. Columbus State President Chris Markwood said Wednesday morning the university was not given a reason, but had heard from some members of the Columbus delegation for a couple of weeks that the funding might be in trouble.
www.myajc.com
UGA parents to governor: Would you want guns around your grandkids?
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/uga-parents-to-governor-would-you-want-guns-around/nqq3P/
By Maureen Downey – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
One overlooked aspect of the campus carry bill passed by the House and Senate and now on the governor’s desk is that it also impacts some of the state’s youngest students — babies and toddlers. There are about 1,700 young children in university sanctioned childcare centers around the state. House Bill 859, as passed by the House and Senate, would allow guns in those childcare facilities. The legislation allows anyone 21 or older with a weapons license to carry a gun anywhere on a public college or university campus, except for limited locations — inside dormitories, fraternities and sorority houses, and at athletic events. Gov. Nathan Deal appears to be heeding concerns about the safety of babies and toddlers in campus facilities. The governor said he wants lawmakers to exempt on-campus child care centers from legislation. But that isn’t enough, according to parents at the University of Georgia.
www.getschooled.blog.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
UGA parents to Gov. Deal: Would you want guns in your grandchild’s school?
UGA parents to Gov. Deal: Would you want guns in your grandchild’s school?
This letter to Gov. Nathan Deal was signed by 66 parents whose children attend a child care facility on the University of Georgia campus. They beseech the governor to veto the campus carry bill, asking, “Would you want people carrying guns where your grandchildren go to school?” Dear Governor Deal: We write to you, not only as University of Georgia faculty, staff or students, but as parents of children who attend pre-school on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. Our children attend the renowned Child Development Lab (CDL) at the McPhaul Center, an on-campus pre-school and childcare center for children ranging in age from infants to 5 years old. As parents, we adamantly oppose HB 859 — the Campus Carry law — and in so doing we join the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, Hank Huckabee, UGA President, Jere Morehead, the UGA University Council, the UGA Student Government Association, the Faculty Senates of multiple colleges at UGA, campus police, and many individual faculty, staff, and students of UGA.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
UNG professor to speak against ‘campus carry’ bill at Capitol rally
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/115850/
By Ron Bridgeman
A University of North Georgia professor will be one of the speakers Thursday at a rally at the Capitol urging Gov. Nathan Deal to veto the “campus carry” bill. Mathew Boedy, assistant professor of rhetoric and composition, is expected to speak at the 10 a.m. rally. The organizers of the rally plan to deliver more than 20,000 signatures opposing the legislation. Groups involved are Everytown for Gun Safety, Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action, the Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus, GunSense, Georgia, Moveon.org and CREDO.
www.noodls.com
Go back to school, move career ahead – info session for adult learners set for April 19
http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/32730420/georgia-southwestern-state-university/go-back-to-school-move-career-ahead—info-session-for-adul
The Admissions Office of Georgia Southwestern State University will be holding an information session for interested adult learners on returning to college and the ‘Go Back. Move Ahead.’ initiative on Tuesday, April 19 at 6 p.m. in the Nursing Auditorium of the Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex. Topics will include: A description of the ‘Go Back. Move Ahead.’ initiative – partnership between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia that makes it easier for students to return to school by offering a simpler enrollment process, easier ways to transfer earned credits, more flexible course options and personal academic advisers.
USG Institutions:
www.ajc.com
Georgia Tech, Spelman students interning, studying in Brussels safe
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/georgia-tech-students-interning-in-brussels-safe/nqqhC/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two Georgia Tech students interning in Brussels, and a Spelman College student participating in a study abroad program there, were safe and accounted for, according to school officials Tuesday. The updates from the institutions came after a series of attacks at the city’s airport and subway killed at least 30 people and wounded hundreds more. …Those two institutions were the only colleges or universities to report any students in Brussels when contacted Tuesday. The University of Georgia and Georgia State University reported no students or faculty currently in Brussels. Kennesaw State University also had no students in the city. The state’s University System, which includes Georgia’s 29 public colleges and universities, does not plan to change study-abroad policies in light of the attacks, a system spokesman said.
www.ajc.com
Site of Georgia Gwinnett College explosion to be closed through Sunday
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/2nd-georgia-gwinnett-college-building-evacuated-a-/nqqSD/
Steve Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia Gwinnett College building that was damaged by an explosion Monday will be closed through Sunday and maybe weeks longer. The school announced the closure of Building A through Sunday in a Twitter post Tuesday. Also, GGC official Sloan Jones told Channel 2 Action News on Tuesday that structural and integrity engineers are checking out Building A after an explosion in a women’s restroom.
www.ajc.com
After shooting Georgia State seeks new police chief
http://www.ajc.com/ap/ap/georgia/after-shooting-georgia-state-seeks-new-police-chie/nqqyL/
ATLANTA — After two people were shot in a drug deal on the campus of Georgia State University, the school’s president says a search is beginning for a new police chief. Georgia State President Mark Becker made the announcement Tuesday, as the investigation continued into Monday’s shooting on the downtown Atlanta campus. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (http://on-ajc.com/22ES1aV ) reports that Becker wrote in a campus-wide email that Georgia State is looking for someone “whose sole focus will be on campus safety.”
www.albanyherald.com
DR. ART DUNNING: The greatest days are ahead for Albany State University
GUEST COLUMNIST: Combining ASU and Darton State College will better serve Southwest Georgians
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/colleges_universities/dr-art-dunning-the-greatest-days-are-ahead-for-albany/article_b35b22a0-7b27-5d4b-80cc-23c1dc3fe0d3.html
By Dr. Art Dunning
For many years, conventional wisdom held that the fortunes of Albany State University and Darton State College were mutually exclusive. Although located only minutes apart in Southwest Georgia, graduates from both institutions enjoyed success in various fields of endeavor such as law enforcement, education, government, health care and the military. In addition to thousands of proud alumni, both distinguished institutions could boast of rich heritages that provided valuable foundations for educating and fertile teaching, learning and research laboratories. So why consolidate? First of all, due to the significant benefits to students and graduates from both institutions. Secondly, for the expected benefits to be provided to the combined economies of Albany and Dougherty County. Thirdly, there will be benefits throughout higher education and society at large.
www.noodls.com
Clayton State Named Top Workplace for 5th Consecutive Year
http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/32742159/clayton-state-university/clayton-state-named-top-workplace-for-5th-consecutive-year
MORROW, Ga – For the fifth consecutive year, Clayton State University has been named to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s (AJC) ‘Top 150 Workplaces in Atlanta ‘. News of the ranking came Wednesday, March 23, and the University is listed at #15 of 25 in the large workplace category. It was the only institution of higher education to make that list.
www.news-daily.com
Clayton State nursing program ranked in Top 20 nationally
http://www.news-daily.com/news/clayton-state-nursing-program-ranked-in-top-nationally/article_ec090459-744d-58c3-976e-760b60efb41f.html
By Johnny Jackson
MORROW — Clayton State University’s graduate nursing program was recently named among the top 20 Best Graduate Nursing Schools in America for 2016. Officials said a ranking of the 50 Best Graduate Nursing Schools in America 2016, released by TopMastersInHealthcare.com, placed Clayton State’s program at No. 13 based on its flexibility, tuition rates and fees, and the percentage of faculty actively working in healthcare in addition to teaching. …The University of West Georgia was the only other institution in the state to make the top 20 at a close No. 12. Three other universities in the state were recognized among the top 50 — Georgia State University at No. 42, Kennessaw State University at No. 44, and Georgia Southwestern State University at No. 45.
www.finance.yahoo.com
Nation’s Top Universities Embrace a New Credentialing System with Launch of the University Learning Store
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/nation-top-universities-embrace-credentialing-110000869.html
Six of the nation’s top universities have come together to offer a new credentialing system that may become the standard in career-focused, skills-based training. Georgia Tech Professional Education, UCLA, University of California, Davis Extension, University of California Irvine Division of Continuing Education, University of Washington Professional and Continuing Education and University of Wisconsin-Extension today launched the University Learning Store, enabling job seekers and working professionals to earn industry-validated micro-credentials in a range of business and technical skills.
www.inverse.com
Georgia Tech Students Invent Firefighter Version of the Video Game Health Meter
They’ve brought an icon of video gaming into the real world.
https://www.inverse.com/article/12982-georgia-tech-students-invent-firefighter-version-of-the-video-game-health-meter
Nickolaus Hines
Two Georgia Tech students have brought an icon of video gaming — the all-important health bar — into the real world to help keep firefighters safe. With FireHUD, a real-time heads up display (HUD) system that monitors and displays biometric and environmental data to firefighters, engineering students Zachary Braun and Tyler Sisk have won the university’s 2016 InVenture Prize that comes with a $20,000 prize and a free patent filing through the university, which will help the process of taking their product from development and onto the heads of actual firefighters.
www.savannahtribune.com
SSU Professor And Student Receive U.S Patent Approval
http://www.savannahtribune.com/news/2016-03-23/Social_%28and%29_Community_News/SSU_Professor_And_Student_Receive_US_Patent_Approv.html
Savannah State University (SSU) has received a letter of approval from the US Patent Office for a process invented by Christopher Hintz, Ph.D., an associate professor of marine and environmental sciences, and Amber Wilkinson, graduate student. Under a federal research grant from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Hintz and Wilkinson discovered an alternate way to harvest algae material using a procedure viable for space travel and colonization.
www.news.wabe.org
Commentary: Ga. Tech Envisions Blueprint For Greener Future
http://news.wabe.org/post/commentary-ga-tech-envisions-blueprint-greener-future
By MARIA SAPORTA
Georgia Tech has just selected the architectural team of Lord Aeck Sargent and the Miller Hull Partnership to design what is expected to be the most environmentally-friendly building in the Southeast. Imagine a building that produces more energy and water than it uses. That is the challenge that Georgia Tech and architects face as they design a “net positive” building.
www.valdostadailytimes.com
VSU tackles thefts from library
http://www.valdostadailytimes.com/news/local_news/vsu-tackles-thefts-from-library/article_21965588-114a-555b-93f6-acf54b3f08f1.html
By Terry Richards
VALDOSTA — Some recent thefts from the main library at Valdosta State University has the school’s police chief urging students to be more careful. Within the last few days, there have been a pair of thefts from Odum Library, said Alan Rowe, VSU’s interim police chief. In both cases, textbooks were taken, and no violent incidents took place, he said. …The thefts from the library were unattended items, he said. University police have stepped up their presence in the library, Rowe said.
www.insideradvanage.com
A tale of two campuses
by Patrick Hickey
Georgia State and Emory University sit about five miles away from each other. A twenty minute ride, shorter if there’s no traffic, (a wishful thought, that). Both campuses are buzzing right now with controversy due to recent events, with students and parents infuriated by what has unfolded over the past 48 hours. That though, is where the similarities come to a screeching, grinding halt. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that crime occurs on and around an urban campus like Georgia State’s. The university of course has security measures and active police patrols, but you just can’t stop everything in the heart of a major city. When students start to fear for their safety in some of the parts of campus that should serve as sanctuaries though, the school has a big problem. …Five miles to the east, Emory’s campus is likewise metaphorically on fire. The controversial issue there though isn’t quite as poignant as the idea of students being shot at a place that should be a safe haven. No, what has students protesting and meeting with their president there are a series of ‘Trump 2016’ messages written in chalk on different parts of the campus. Rather than wait for a light drizzle to take care of the problem, incensed students took to the streets, protesting the nerve of whoever supports the leading GOP candidate for president. …Five miles back downtown, Georgia State President Mark Becker continues to deal with the fallout of another violent crime on his campus. Real injustice and real violence that gives credence to a state legislature that has pushed to allow students to carry weapons on campus for their own safety. Two schools, one city. Five miles has never seemed longer.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
‘Confidence Rating’ for On-Time Graduation
U of California at San Diego’s new early warning system aims to condense millions of data points into a simple metric showing whether students will graduate on time.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/23/u-california-san-diegos-early-warning-system-aims-boost-four-year-graduation-rate?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=e645fae13a-DNU20160323&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-e645fae13a-197515277
By Carl Straumsheim
Academic advisers at the University of California at San Diego will this fall be able to tell on a scale from zero to 10 if the student sitting in front of them is on track to graduate within four years.
The university is in the process of rolling out its Time to Degree Early Warning System, which uses predictive models to determine if students are in danger of taking longer than four years to graduate. By combining historical data with data gathered from students as they progress in their studies, the university says, the system could one day be able to automatically suggest helpful programs and services to students who show signs of veering from the path that led former students to graduate on time.
www.insidehighered.com
Graduation Gap Widens
Public colleges are increasing students’ overall graduation rates, but a study finds the gap between black and white students continues to widen.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/23/graduation-gap-between-black-white-students-public-colleges-widens-despite-overall?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=e645fae13a-DNU20160323&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-e645fae13a-197515277
By Jake New
Most public colleges have improved overall graduation rates during the last decade, a new study found. But gaps between the academic success of black students and that of white students continue to widen. Graduation rates improved between 2003 and 2013 at nearly 70 percent of the public, four-year institutions examined by Education Trust, a nonprofit group. At more than half of those colleges and universities, however, the gains among black students trailed those of white students. And at one-third of the colleges that improved overall graduation rates, the rates of black students actually fell or remained stagnant.
www.chronicle.com
Stop Blaming Colleges for Higher Education’s Unaffordability
http://chronicle.com/article/Stop-Blaming-Colleges-for/235799?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=3a992ef7c41d4729ac01eac6316c313a&elq=5be7f6ab30cb4365a49282cb3162ea14&elqaid=8377&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2731
By Donald J. Farish
Is college still affordable? More than half of the families considering higher education for their children use tuition price to eliminate a given college from further consideration. Students are borrowing increasingly more money, and total student-loan debt now exceeds $1.3 trillion. Politicians claim the national economy is being slowed because student debt is preventing young college graduates from buying homes or starting families — or even moving out of their parents’ homes. It’s little wonder that institutions of higher education have become targets of ridicule and scorn.