University System News:
www.accesswdun.com
Deal OKs giving college athletics more time on open records
http://accesswdun.com/article/2016/4/386793
By The Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) — College athletic departments in Georgia will now have 90 days — instead of three — to respond to almost all open-records requests under a new state law. Gov. Nathan Deal signed the bill on Monday. It takes effect July 1. Supporters of the new law insist that the changes will help Georgia’s colleges and universities compete with the wide range of other schools that court prospects in Georgia. But government-transparency advocates called the change unprecedented, saying that no other state sets different standards for college athletic departments’ records.
www.business.blog.myajc.com
Secrecy law shields Georgia athletic departments and economic development
http://business.blog.myajc.com/2016/04/11/secrecy-law-shields-georgia-athletic-departments-and-economic-development/
By J. Scott Trubey
Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill into law Monday that would give state college athletic associations three months to respond to virtually all requests for public records. The unprecedented exemption for college athletic departments is likely to get most of the attention, as the new law would extend from three days to 90 days the amount of time athletic departments at public colleges such as the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech have to respond to records requests. But Senate Bill 323 started as a measure sought by Deal to help shield economic development negotiations until the ink was dry on major jobs deals. Though that part of the law will probably not capture the same headlines as the part that deals with college athletic associations, it’s a big change, too.
www.ajc.com
Coke to give new dads paid time off
http://www.ajc.com/news/business/coke-to-give-new-dads-paid-time-off/nq35Y/
Leon Stafford, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coca-Cola on Tuesday became one of a small but growing number of companies offering paid leave for new fathers as well as mothers — a step advocates say brings modernity to benefits packages stuck in the “Mad Men” era. The Atlanta beverage giant said beginning next year it will offer six weeks paid leave to all U.S. employees of either sex who have new children, including adoptive parents and those planning to be foster parents. Coke said one motivation is to help it recruit and retain millennials. …Cost can be a factor. The University System of Georgia turned down a 2014 proposal that would have provided eight weeks of paid leave for both mothers and fathers after the birth or adoption of a baby. The system rejected the proposal, presented by faculty at the University of Georgia, saying it would be too expensive. Coke said Monday its younger employees championed the idea as a smart strategy, particularly for attracting talented people their age. Coke estimates that millennials, ages 18 to 34, will make up more than half its global workforce by 2020.
USG Institutions:
www.athensceo.com
UGA to Create One-stop Advising Center, Offer More Personalized Advising
http://athensceo.com/news/2016/04/uga-create-one-stop-advising-center-offer-more-personalized-advising/
Staff Report From Athens CEO
The University of Georgia is giving students an unrivaled level of advising support to ensure that they receive personalized guidance that is tailored to their aspirations from the moment they step onto campus. The university has hired 35 new advisors over the past two years, is investing in the latest digital tools and—in fall 2016—will open a facility at the heart of campus to support students who are undecided about their major. “We’re stepping up the quality of advising at UGA because—to put it simply—better advising results in greater success for our students,” said Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Pamela Whitten. “Advisors play a central role in helping keep students on track for graduation and ensuring that their learning experiences are aligned with their career aspirations.” When it launches in fall 2016 on the first floor of the Tate Student Center, UGA’s Exploratory Center will house advising support for undecided students as well as for pre-business and pre-journalism and mass communication students. Future plans call for the Exploratory Center to house advising services for pre-med, pre-law and transfer students.
www.ajc.com
Two Georgia football players granted bond, following weapons arrest
http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/college/two-georgia-football-players-arrested-charged-felo/nq4Fc/
Seth Emerson and Chip Towers
ATHENS — Georgia freshman football players Julian Rochester and Chad Clay were jailed Tuesday morning, each accused of two felonies, on charges related to shooting and possessing a BB gun. Rochester and Clay were each charged with having a weapon in a school zone, and criminal damage in the second degree, according to the online booking site for Athens-Clarke County.
Higher Education News:
www.diverseeducation.com
Expert: Student Data Underutilized in Promoting Success
http://diverseeducation.com/article/83230/?utm_campaign=Diverse%20Newsletter%203&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua&elqTrackId=a48fec23e94e417f98a407f0fce8af25&elq=0cfa15be4d07425f903e112fd343c7e6&elqaid=88&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=771
by Jamaal Abdul-Alim
WASHINGTON — Colleges and universities must make better use of the vast amount of student data that is available in order to bring about more timely graduations for all students, a data mining expert exhorted his colleagues Monday at an annual gathering of education researchers. “Equal access should also focus not only on enrollment but completion,” said Huzefa Rangwala, an associate professor in the Department of Computer Science And Engineering at George Mason University. Rangwala is principal investigator for a $766,000 “big data” project funded by the National Science Foundation to use data analytics to find “actionable insights” to boost college success. Rangwala shared lessons from the project Monday during a panel about using “big data on campus” at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association.
www.insidehighered.com
Survey: Many 2-Year Grads Want to Get Bachelor’s Degrees but Don’t
https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2016/04/12/survey-many-2-year-grads-want-get-bachelors-degrees-dont?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=848b02dfd5-DNU20160412&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-848b02dfd5-197515277
A new report from Gallup and USA Funds found that 72 percent of associate degree graduates have considered enrolling in four-year programs, but 64 percent don’t because of family obligations, cost or job commitments. The report also found that associate degree graduates are as likely as their counterparts with four-year degrees to strongly agree that their educations were worth the cost.
www.chronicle.com
Community Colleges Face Special Challenges in Complying With Title IX
http://chronicle.com/article/Community-Colleges-Face/236077?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=924df78947074e6f9e8fe6587289ae87&elq=0cc4cddcdced459c97e36a3e9f5f2505&elqaid=8627&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=2891
By Katherine Mangan
Community colleges face special challenges in complying with federal law on how to handle sexual assaults. Still, the government’s advice on their responsibilities under Title IX should be treated “not as guidelines, but gospel.” That’s the message that attendees at the American Association of Community Colleges’ annual meeting heard on Monday from Gregory A. Haile, general counsel and vice president for public policy and government affairs at Broward College. He was one of three speakers who urged leaders of two-year colleges to take their responsibilities for handling sexual-violence complaints seriously, even though the national focus on campus assaults has mostly been on four-year colleges. Because most two-year colleges lack the dormitories and fraternities where many rapes occur, it’s easy to conclude that sexual assault is less of a problem for them. But colleges are required to act on assaults that happen off campus, where most community-college students live and socialize.