University System News:
www.wtoc.com
$3M renovation plan for Skidaway Institute of Oceanography awaits governor’s signature
http://www.wtoc.com/story/31583088/renovation-plans-for-skidaway-institute-of-oceanography-included-in-state-budget
By Yana Jones, Reporter
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – Georgia Governor Nathan Deal said he would veto the religious exemption bill, but the House and Senate-approved state budget remains on his desk. …Included the budget is $3 million to be used to upgrade an existing building at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. “We’ve been talking about re-purposing this for some time.” An unassuming, white, rounded building sits nestled in the trees at Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. To a passerby, it may look like a barn, and that’s because it once was. “The building that’s behind me was built in the mid 1940’s by the Roebling family as a place to house prized cattle,” said James Sanders, Executive Director, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. It wasn’t until the late 1960’s that the Skidaway Institute was established. That’s when they re-purposed the cattle stalls into laboratory space. …In 2016, the building could use an overhaul. …If Governor Deal approves the budget, the $3 million will cover the cost of renovation. After that, the teaching and research done in the building will help pay for its maintenance. “We hope, of course, that he’ll pass the entire budget, including this structure with it,” Sanders said. It’s a unique way to preserve history while hopefully paving the way for future scientific discoveries.
www.daltondailycitizen.com
Local colleges included in state budget
http://www.daltondailycitizen.com/news/local-colleges-included-in-state-budget/article_be851510-f55f-11e5-90c6-e35b3d88e5ed.html
By Charles Oliver
Dalton State College (DSC) and Georgia Northwestern Technical College (GNTC) both would get millions of dollars in funding for new construction under the fiscal year 2017 state budget approved last week by the Legislature. The budget must still be signed by Gov. Deal. The budget provides $5 million for renovation and expansion of DSC’s business building. DSC President Margaret Venable said a private donor, who can’t be identified at this time, has offered to match up to $5 million for its building project, allowing for $10 million in total construction. “The School of Business is currently housed in Memorial Hall. We aren’t going to move it, but we are going to renovate and expand that building,” she said. Venable said she did not yet know how large that expansion would be but said it would be “significant.”
USG Institutions:
www.valdostatoday.com
VSU Once Again Ranked for Exceptional Online Education in Georgia
VSU Once Again Ranked for Exceptional Online Education in Georgia
VALDOSTA — Valdosta State University is one of the Best Online Colleges in Georgia for 2015-2016, according to TheBestSchools.org and AffordableCollegesOnline.org. To determine its Top 10 Best Online Colleges in Georgia rankings, TheBestSchools.org analyzed data from colleges and universities across the Peach State with online degrees at the undergraduate and/or graduate level. VSU came in at No. 5, based on the quality of its programs, the types of courses and degrees offered, the strength of its faculty, as well as its awards, rankings, and reputation. AffordableCollegesOnline.org’s goal centered on determining which colleges and universities in Georgia offer the most notable balances of academic rigor, student support, and affordability for online learning. VSU came in at No. 15 on its list of the Top 22 Best Online Colleges in Georgia.
www.myajc.com
University of Georgia hit by cyberattack
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/university-of-georgia-hit-by-cyberattack/nqtN9/
By Janel Davis – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The University of Georgia was the victim of a cyberattack Sunday night which blocked all Internet access for everyone on campus using the school’s network. The DDOS — distributed denial of service — attack came from outside UGA’s network, and began about 6:10 p.m., according to an email sent Monday by Timothy Chester, UGA’s vice president for information technology. A DDOS attack floods a target’s computer network with traffic, leaving the victim’s use of its websites and computer systems unavailable. During the incident, the university’s entire 20 gigabytes per second of Internet capacity was saturated with outside network traffic, which blocked access campus users. UGA purchases its Internet connectivity through a nonprofit consortium, called Southern Crossroads, which is operated by Georgia Tech.
www.forsythnews.com
Collaboration drives UNG
http://www.forsythnews.com/section/423/article/29760/
By Newsroom Staff
Located in Forsyth County, a hub for global commerce and international trade, University of North Georgia’s Cumming campus produces leaders able to compete in a global economy. Students have easy access to the wide range of amenities that living close to a big city provides, while studying in a smaller campus environment. This campus is particularly convenient for students interested in dual-enrollment, as well as for adult-learners looking to begin a new degree program. The dual enrollment program for high school students at UNG’s Cumming campus, known as Move on When Ready, has tripled in size since the campus opened in 2012. It topped more than 150 students this fall. “Our Cumming campus is a tremendous example of collaboration between the University System of Georgia, government officials and community leaders to expand opportunities for higher education in this region,” said UNG President Bonita C. Jacobs.
www.wvva.com
Suntrust Foundation Awards $2 Million For Student Financial Management Center
http://www.wvva.com/story/31580965/suntrust-foundation-awards-2-million-for-student-financial-management-center
ATLANTA, March 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — The SunTrust Foundation has awarded Georgia State University a $2 million grant to create the SunTrust Student Financial Management Center, a first-of-its kind program to help students address financial issues that can be obstacles to earning their degrees. The SunTrust Student Financial Management Center will build on Georgia State’s nationally recognized efforts in providing students with proactive academic advising to help them achieve academic success. Financial problems remain the No. 1 reason most students drop out of a college or university.
www.douglascountysentinel.com
UWG testing new student safety technology
http://www.douglascountysentinel.com/regional_news/uwg-testing-new-student-safety-technology/article_e4e676e2-6eda-5902-88d5-debf8b0b66b5.html
By DONNY KARR THE TIMES-GEORGIAN
The University of West Georgia is testing new technology that is designed to give students the ability to alert police with the push of a button. The device, called the POM Panic Button, is designed by POMCO, the Peace of Mind Company. “Essentially, we’re looking for any opportunity to increase student safety and provide our students and their parents with peace of mind,” said Scot Lingrell, vice president for Student Affairs and Enrollment. “If the testing goes well, then we’ll look at some ways that we can provide these devices for our students.” Lingrell led the pilot testing after learning of the capabilities of the device, which is made to fit on a user’s keychain.
Higher Education News:
www.ajc.com
How Atlanta students can get up to $20,000 for college
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/how-atlanta-students-can-get-up-to-20000-for-colle/nqtjh/
Molly Bloom, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta high school students can get college scholarships worth up to $20,000 starting this year. The scholarships are from a nonprofit called Achieve Atlanta, whose goal is to increase the number of low-income Atlanta students who earn a degree or other credential after high school. Atlanta Public Schools Class of 2016 graduates are eligible for the scholarships if they’ve been enrolled in an Atlanta high school since at least junior year and meet academic requirements: A weighted grade point average of at least 75 for technical schools or associate degree programs or at least 80 for 4-year schools. Students also must demonstrate financial need by qualifying for a full or partial Pell Grant.
www.insidehighered.com
Obama Administration Names Key Higher Ed Official
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/29/obama-administration-names-key-higher-ed-official?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=609747461c-DNU20160329&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-609747461c-197515277
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday that Kim Hunter Reed (right), a former Louisiana higher education official, has joined the Obama administration as a deputy under secretary of education. Reed will be part of the senior leadership of the team overseeing higher education issues at the department. She replaces Jamienne Studley, who stepped down late last year.
www.insidehighered.com
Grade Inflation, Higher and Higher
The most common grade is A — at all kinds of colleges. But while grade point averages are increasing at four-year institutions, that’s not the case at community colleges.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/03/29/survey-finds-grade-inflation-continues-rise-four-year-colleges-not-community-college?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=609747461c-DNU20160329&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-609747461c-197515277
By Scott Jaschik
The first major update in seven years of a database on grade inflation has found that grades continue to rise and that A is the most common grade earned at all kinds of colleges. Since the last significant release of the survey, faculty members at Princeton University and Wellesley College, among other institutions, have debated ways to limit grade inflation, despite criticism from some students who welcome the high averages. But the new study says these efforts have not been typical. The new data, by Stuart Rojstaczer, a former Duke University professor, and Christopher Healy, a Furman University professor, will appear today on the website GradeInflation.com, which will also have data for some of the individual colleges participating in the study.
www.insidehighered.com
‘Wide’ Mental Health Support Leads Students to Seek Help
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/03/29/wide-mental-health-support-leads-students-seek-help?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=609747461c-DNU20160329&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-609747461c-197515277
Students on college campuses where there is “wide support for mental health issues” are more than 20 percent more likely to receive mental health services and 60 percent more likely to receive that help on campus, according to a new study from the RAND Corporation.