University System News:
www.myajc.com
How major bills fared in the 2016 legislative session
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/how-major-bills-fared-in-the-2016-legislative-sess/nqsQx/
By Aaron Gould Sheinin and Kristina Torres – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Georgia General Assembly finished its work early Friday morning and then adjourned for the year, not to return to Atlanta until January. Here’s a look at the fate of some of the top bills of the 2016 legislative session.
HOUSE BILLS AND RESOLUTIONS
HB 6 — Would allow weighted grade-point averages of greater than 4.0 for international baccalaureate, advanced placement and dual-credit courses in science, technology, engineering and math for HOPE scholarships for incoming college freshmen. Did it pass? No
HB 22 — Would restore funding for HOPE grants for technical college students that was cut in 2011. Did it pass? No
HB 750 — The supplemental state budget for this fiscal year. Did it pass? Yes.
HB 751 — The fiscal 2017 budget that takes effect July 1, the one bill lawmakers must pass. Did it pass? Yes.
HB 792 —Would allow anyone over the age of 18 or enrolled in classes to carry a Taser or stun gun on public college and university campuses. Did it pass? Yes.
HB 801 — Would give extra credit toward HOPE scholarship to students taking tougher courses. Did it pass? Yes.
HB 859 — Would allow anyone 21 or older with a concealed weapons license to carry a gun anywhere on a public college or university campus, except for inside dormitories, fraternities and sorority houses, or at athletic events. Did it pass? Yes
SB 312 — Would set a minimum award amount for HOPE, which would provide full tuition for students eligible for HOPE scholarships and grants at all 22 technical colleges and 14 of 29 schools in the University System of Georgia. Did it pass? No.
SB 322 — Would force colleges to report all accusations of sexual assault to a law enforcement agency outside of campus police. Did it pass? No.
www.ajc.com
If Nathan Deal vetoes ‘campus carry’ bill, it will be because of this
If Nathan Deal vetoes ‘campus carry’ bill, it will be because of this
Greg Bluestein
The most strained legislative session since Gov. Nathan Deal was elected to the state’s top job ended Thursday with the distinct possibility that he could veto the two highest-profile bills that emerged from 40 frenzied days of lawmaking. Legislators ignored his last-minute pleas to make changes to legislation that would lift the weapons ban on college campuses. And they passed a sweeping “religious liberty” bill maligned by corporate leaders and gay rights groups after he warned he would reject any legislation that legalized discrimination. In his public comments, Deal’s office only offered vague recommendations on how lawmakers should overhaul the “campus carry” legislation. But documents obtained through an open records request show the governor’s hand-written request to Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston outlining the specific changes he wanted. …Deal hasn’t said whether he will veto the legislation after lawmakers defied his call. But if he does, you can bet he’ll point to these concerns:
www.getschooled.blog.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
UGA professor: Violence at Trump rallies shows dangers of ‘good guys’ with guns on campus
UGA professor: Violence at Trump rallies shows dangers of ‘good guys’ with guns on campus
With students and faculty waiting to see if Gov. Nathan Deal will veto the legalization of guns on public college campuses, University of Georgia professor Peter Smagorinsky explains why campus carry is a bad idea. He raises an issue brought up by female lawmakers during the debate over House Bill 859 — the risks to young women from armed men on campus. (The argument from women legislators that legalizing guns would increase violence against women was ignored.) Smagorinsky also cites the violence at Trump rallies as evidence we are now living in incendiary times that heighten the threat level from guns on campus.
www.arkansasonline.com
2 colleges looking at UA System possibilities
http://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2016/mar/27/2-colleges-looking-at-ua-system-possibi/
By Aziza Musa
Colleges and universities nationwide are looking more and more at mergers as their state funding has declined, said Tom Harnisch, director of state relations and policy analysis at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, headquartered in Washington, D.C. All mergers look different, he said, but for most the motivation behind them is the same: to save money. “This is being driven by state budget scarcity — very limited state budgets — as well as demographics,” he said. “In some places, there’s a smaller pool of high school graduates coming up. As lawmakers struggle with state budgets, they’re asking why institutions in close proximity have duplicative structures and programs.” The idea is that mergers free up money by reducing administrative costs, and redirect it to student support services and academic programs, he said. That’s been true in Georgia, the state leading all others in higher-education-institution mergers. Georgia’s higher-education setup is different from what’s in Arkansas. All universities and colleges there are under one umbrella, known as the University System of Georgia. In the fall of 2011, the system’s chancellor, Hank Huckaby, started several initiatives and looked anew at consolidating institutions to better serve students now and in the future, according to its website. The system is working on its seventh consolidation — a historically black college and a predominantly white school. In 2012, the system combined a liberal arts university and a health sciences one.
USG Institutions:
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
GGC library to be named for Dan Kaufman
http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/education/ggc-library-to-be-named-for-dan-kaufman/article_f61e353a-5ce2-54c9-ae31-e072f4161144.html
By Keith Farner
Three years after Dan Kaufman left Georgia Gwinnett College, the school has received approval to name its library after him. The founding president of the Lawrenceville school — who is now president of the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce — will be honored with a dedication at a ceremony later this year, spokeswoman Sally Ramey said on Friday. GGC received a green light for the naming from the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents. The building will be called The Daniel J. Kaufman Library and Learning Center. …Kaufman was named president of the then-unnamed college in 2005, and worked to open the institution a year later. In August of 2006, 118 students enrolled at GGC. Enrollment this year is nearly 12,000. The library houses 37 study rooms for group and project work, along with a tutoring program and the Center for Teaching Excellence which is available for faculty. President Stas Preczewski said in a statement that the campus community is delighted with this news.
www.chronicle.augusta.com
Augusta University looks to expand brand statewide
http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2016-03-27/augusta-university-looks-expand-brand-statewide
By Travis Highfield
Staff Writer
Students from Columbia and Richmond counties are well represented in the undergraduate ranks at Augusta University, but officials want to tap into other population centers in Georgia and South Carolina as the school continues to grow. The recent rebranding might be what it needs to reach prospective students in Atlanta, Savannah and Greenville, S.C., said David Barron, AU’s associate vice president for enrollment services.
As of the fall semester, students from Columbia and Richmond counties make up nearly half (3,325) of the 6,701 undergraduates, far outpacing students from the Atlanta-area counties of Fulton, Gwinnett, Cobb and DeKalb combined (1,171).
www.ajc.com
Site of Georgia Gwinnett College explosion deemed safe, will reopen
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/site-georgia-gwinnett-college-explosion-deemed-saf/nqsNf/
Tyler Estep, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The site of an explosion on Georgia Gwinnett College’s campus has been deemed safe and will reopen next week, the school’s president said Friday. A food service worker was seriously injured in the Monday morning explosion inside a bathroom at the school’s Building A, which was evacuated and ultimately closed for the remainder of the week. A precise cause has not been determined, but officials have theorized that some kind of spark may have ignited a buildup of methane gas. The affected bathroom will remain closed, but the building – which houses classrooms and a food court — will reopen after the weekend.
www.mdjonline.com
KSU surveying and mapping team places third in national competition
http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/27139361/article-KSU-surveying-and–mapping-team-places-third-in-national–competition
by MDJ staff
Kennesaw State University’s surveying and mapping student competition team recently took third place during the National Society of Professional Surveyors annual student competition in Washington, D.C. As the only student chapter for the Surveying and Mapping Society of Georgia, the KSU team is composed of surveying and mapping, and civil engineering students in the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. Six members of the 26-member team traveled to the nation’s capital for the presentation to industry experts. The team was tasked to create and present large-scale boundary and topographical surveys for an 8- to 12-acre property. Through surveying work, the team created a large format plat and a binder of their fieldwork, reports and photography. “We are a new team — none of us have been involved in the competition before – so not knowing what to expect was difficult,” said Craig Baines, president of KSU’s student SAMSOG chapter. “But going to this competition allowed us to present on an international stage, connect with the surveying community nationally and talk with leaders who are creating the future of surveying.” In the past five years, the university’s student team has done well at the national competition, earning first place in 2014 and second place in 2013.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
CCGA nursing students take on in drama-filled training
http://www.thebrunswicknews.com/news/local_news/ccga-nursing-students-take-on-in-drama-filled-training/article_5315b3fe-2781-529b-97cb-ae8ab0cc19f4.html
By ANNA HALL The Brunswick News
Megan Broughton exited the vehicle, dark bruises circling both of her eyes. Behind her, the car was totaled, the front end smashed and leaning to one side. A drunk driver had slammed into the vehicle she was driving. People around her were hysterical and the scene itself was sheer chaos. She felt lucky to be alive. In truth, the dramatic scene was an act, a practice round for how the nursing student at College of Coastal Georgia would handle a similar situation in real life after she graduates this year and enters the real world of nursing. “This was a great exercise to show us how to deal with these sort of situations, which in all likelihood, I’ll have to do as a nurse,” Broughton said. Across the college’s Brunswick campus Friday, areas were roped off, each staging a mini disaster. Students played the parts of victims, of passersby and of medical professionals.
www.noodls.com
Dozens of undergrads to represent UNG at national research conference
http://www.noodls.com/viewNoodl/32785484/university-of-north-georgia/dozens-of-undergrads-to-represent-ung-at-national-research-c
Twenty-five undergraduates from the University of North Georgia (UNG) will step on the national stage in April to share their research with hundreds of peers from across the nation. The National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), an annual event held by the Council on Undergraduate Research, helps students do more than just hone their presentation skills. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the conference; the event will be held in Asheville, North Carolina from April 7 to April 9. ‘Presenting original research on a national level is a valuable experience by itself, but this unique opportunity also gives our students personal access to networking and feedback from peers in many disciplines,’ said Dr. Andy Novobilski, UNG’s associate provost for research and engagement. ‘These experiences change lives, forging partnerships and creativity, and in the future many students will likely view this event as a catalyst for their success.’ Disciplines covered by UNG’s representatives span from literature and music to biology and psychology, and include both oral and poster presentations.
www.onlineathens.com
Loran Smith: UGA is world leader in humanities programs
http://onlineathens.com/opinion/2016-03-26/loran-smith-uga-world-leader-humanities-programs
By LORAN SMITH
When your alma mater succeeds in any field, you become a proud alumnus — even if the extent of your knowledge about certain programs is limited, making you realize you may be brushed with a coating of provincialism. The University of Georgia has one of the leading humanities and arts programs in higher education. The humanities are concerned with human culture with an emphasis on literature, history, art, music and philosophy. The more we expose the youth of every nation to such programs, the more learned and compatible our societies should become. How the UGA Willson Center for the Humanities and Arts came to be is a reminder of how outreach programs and faculty and alumni leadership can play a role in connecting with those who place a high value on campus functions and who are willing to lend financial support.
www.americantowns.com
CSU Student, Professor Discover Five New Asteroid Orbits
http://www.americantowns.com/ga/columbus/news/csu-student-professor-discover-five-new-asteroid-orbits-25686950
Using the Skynet robotic telescope network, professor of astrophysics Andy Puckett and planetary geology major Austin Caughey of Columbus State University’s Department of Earth and Space Sciences, have identified the initial orbits of five new asteroids
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
UC Berkeley investigates 26 more cases of sexual misconduct amid scandal
A wave of dismissals prompted complaints of a ‘cover-up’ from faculty who are criticizing administrators for failing to take swift, meaningful disciplinary action
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/mar/15/uc-berkeley-sexual-violence-harassment-cases-scandal
The University of California, Berkeley, is investigating 26 cases of sexual harassment and sexual violence after a week in which three prominent faculty and staff members either resigned or were fired over sexual harassment charges. The slew of cases at the prestigious university has prompted mounting complaints from faculty who are criticizing administrators for failing to take swift and meaningful disciplinary action. …Berkeley’s spokesperson Janet Gilmore said senior campus leaders met with experts on sexual harassment to discuss strategies for reform on Monday. Gilmore also provided the figure for ongoing investigations at the university, 17 of which involve sexual harassment and nine of which involve sexual violence. “The university is absolutely committed to doing all that we can to combat sexual harassment and sexual violence on this campus. Regarding student-on-student cases, we have made a number of significant improvements … and we know there is more to do,” Gilmore said. “On the faculty and staff front, we know that we must do better and we will do better.”
www.insidehighered.com
What You Teach Is What You Earn
Survey finds 2.2 percent median salary increase for tenure-track faculty members at four-year colleges and universities in 2015-16, but wide variation by discipline.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/28/study-finds-continued-large-gaps-faculty-salaries-based-discipline?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=8c5e2a2c7d-DNU20160328&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-8c5e2a2c7d-197515277
By Scott Jaschik
A new assistant professor of computer science at a public four-year college or university in 2015-16 earns, on average, a little more than $85,000. A full professor of history — likely with 20-plus more years of teaching experience — earns on average a little less than $90,000, and will likely have her salary passed by the new computer science professor in a few years. That sort of disciplinary gap is highlighted each year in the annual faculty salary report by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. This year’s was released today. The study by CUPA-HR found an overall median salary increase across disciplines of 2.2 percent for tenure track or tenured faculty members.