University System News:
www.businessinsavannah.com
Area universities pour millions into region’s economy
More than an educational asset
http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2016-05-14/area-universities-pour-millions-regions-economy
Mary Carr Mayle
Economic development officials and others looking to bring new business to Savannah often tout the region’s rich mix of universities and colleges as one of its best assets. But the economic benefits our institutions of higher learning bring to the areas they serve are more often discussed in broad, qualitative terms.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
College a major contributor to the local economy
By LINDSEY ADKISON
No matter the name or type of degrees being offered, College of Coastal Georgia has always had a major impact on Glynn County. But, since it transitioned to a four-year institution six years ago, it’s done even more, generating $86.2 million for the area.
The figure was released as part of an economic impact study by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business. The goal of the research was to determine how university system affiliates factored into the overall economic picture in their respective communities. And, Coastal’s economic contributions have been significant.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
Education news always a mixed bag
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/opinion/article77526512.html
THE EDITORIAL BOARD
With apologies for what is among the hoariest of cliches, recent headlines concerning education in Georgia are, as always, in the Good News/Bad News category. Or, maybe more accurately for now, we should put this in the Good News/We Really Don’t Know Yet What Kind Of News category. First things first (speaking of clichés): A report from the Terry College of Business at the University of Georgia estimates the in-state economic impact of the University System of Georgia over the last fiscal year at $15.5 billion. That’s an impressive number by itself, but it also represents a 9 percent increase over FY 2014. The report attributes much of the growth to student spending in communities around campuses. (The stimulus effect Columbus State University has had on this community’s economy is beyond self-evident.) The greatest single factor, of course, is direct spending on salaries, benefits and regular budgeted expenses, which accounted for $10.6 billion by University System institutions in FY 2015. That translated into more than 150,000 full- and part-time jobs. As impressive as those numbers are, and as encouraging as that growth is, this is of course only part of the “economic impact” of education, higher and otherwise.
www.ajc.com
KSU student suing Board of Regents over mandatory meal plan
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/ksu-student-suing-board-of-regents-over-mandatory-/nrMpd/
Raisa Habersham, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A college student is suing the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia after what he considers unfair charges appeared on his tuition bill. Ryan Nicholl filed a lawsuit after he discovered a charge for a meal plan he didn’t request, Channel 2 Action News reported. Nicholl attends Kennesaw State University and told Channel 2 he hasn’t had any meals there. “When registering, the only mention of the meal plans is students “may” be charged a meal plan,” Nicholl, 21, said to the news station. Nicholl was charged $475 and $160 for fall and spring semester meal plans, respectively, Channel 2 reported. But attorney Patrick McKee doesn’t think Nicholl has much of a case.
www.myajc.com
State’s college presidents in line for raises from 1.5 to 5 percent
By Janel Davis – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A year after Georgia saw its first million-dollar college presidents, the state’s Board of Regents approved raises for college leaders again this year. The increases are more modest, but still mean thousands of dollars in additional pay. All presidents at institutions in the University System of Georgia, except for those retiring, interim or not returning, will see an increase in their base pay for the fiscal year that begins July 1. The raises, between 1.5 percent and 5 percent, equal an annual increase between about $2,750 and $12,196. Raises for some presidents last year were as much as 10 percent, according to University System data. At that time system officials defended high payments, specifically to presidents at Georgia Tech and Georgia State universities, saying they needed to keep the high-performing presidents from being recruited away by other schools.
USG Institutions:
www.ajc.com
UGA crash survivor Agnes Kim receives degree
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The survivor of a car crash last month that killed four University of Georgia students received her degree Friday night as she remained in critical condition in a rehabilitation facility. Agnes Kim, a senior at UGA from Snellville, was awarded her marketing degree during the university’s undergraduate spring commencement ceremony at Sanford Stadium in Athens. “The individuals who make up the University of Georgia care deeply about this institution, and they care deeply about one another. We build meaningful connections here, and together we are a family,” President Jere Morehead said during the ceremony.
www.npr.org
After A 40-Year Detour, ‘Squidbillies’ Star Takes Home His Diploma
NPR STAFF
It’s a perennial story: An older student returns to the classroom education he’d long set aside, finally finishing his studies and graduating years later. Typically, that story includes detours like service in war or a family tragedy. Bobby Ellerbee’s story, however, is not exactly typical. He took four decades to get his undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Georgia — but it wasn’t an obstacle that caused the delay. Instead, it was a successful — and remarkably diverse — career, which began even before he stepped foot in a college classroom. “I started in radio when I was 16 years old, because my next-door neighbor owned a radio station,” he tells NPR’s Linda Wertheimer. “For 30 years, I did live shows every day.” He left the airwaves in the late ’80s to pursue another love, he says — writing and producing commercials. …He says he returned to Georgia to take care of his parents around 2006. And, as long as he was back, he figured he’d take advantage of a little perk in state law. “Not long ago, the state of Georgia passed a law that said if you’re over 62, you can go back to college free,” he says. So, he decided to take them up on it. …”You know, I’m 65 and my cohorts there at Georgia are in their early 20s,” Ellerbee says. “But as soon as we kind of start to laugh about some of the things we do on the show, we’re all 20, you know?”
www.times-herald.com
UWG students donate $2,000 to WGTC Foundation
http://times-herald.com/news/2016/05/uwg-students-donate-2-000-to-wgtc-foundation
By THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
Three University of West Georgia students recently donated $2,000 for student scholarships to the West Georgia Technical College Foundation. Jonathan Bell, Tiffany Ramroop, and Emily Phillippi are members of the Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program through the UWG Richards College of Business. One of the program’s tenants is giving back to the community. Bell, Ramroop, and Phillippi decided to give WGTC and raised the $2000 donation. …The Southwire Sustainable Business Honors Program is a select group of aspiring business leaders who attend UWG. Several high-achieving students from each graduating class are selected for the program, which allows students to earn a bachelor’s degree in business administration in economics, finance, management, marketing, or real estate, as well as a masters of business administration and a certificate of sustainability, in four years. The students also get to spend 30 hours per week working alongside Southwire employees, which gives them hands-on experience as they earn their degrees.
www.businessinsavannah.com
BIS in brief: Armstrong State University recognized for military support
Business in Savannah
Armstrong State University has been named to the inaugural list of the Top 100 Military Spouse Friendly Schools by Victory Media, the publisher of Military Spouse, G.I. Jobs and STEM Jobs. Victory Media analyzed universities around the country, based on various criteria, including graduation and employment outcomes, military support on campus and military spouse policies. “This is the sixth time Armstrong has been recognized with a military friendly related designation this academic year,” notes Armstrong’s Military Education Coordinator Phil Gore. “It’s a testament to the university’s efforts to provide a learning environment that offers the best opportunity for service members, veterans and their families to succeed.”
www.usnews.com
The 2016 STEM Solutions Conference: Join the Conversation
Follow the hashtag #STEMsolve for live tweets from the U.S. News STEM Solutions conference.
By U.S. News Staff
Tech and social media go hand in hand, especially when talking about STEM – science, technology, engineering and math. Follow the hashtag #STEMSolve for live tweets of the entire U.S. News STEM Solutions Conference (May 18-20), or use the handles for speakers, moderators and their organizations (below) to continue the conversation online … Retention Intervention: Staying the Course in College, panelists are Joan Ferrini-Mundy, National Science Foundation (@NSF, @jferrinimundy); Kelly Mack, Association of American Colleges and Universities (@aacu); Gary S. May, Georgia Institute of Technology (@GaTechEngineers); Anne McGrath, U.S. News & World Report (@usnews)
www.radioink.com
Talent Institute Returns To U Of Georgia Campus
https://radioink.com/2016/05/15/gab-radio-talent-institute-returns-u-georgia-campus/
By Radio Ink
College students have been accepted into the Institute from UGA, as well as other schools in the state, including: Piedmont College, Georgia Southern University, Clayton State University, Fort Valley State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia State University, and Kennesaw State University. Cox Media Group’s Executive Vice President and CMG Research, Bill Hendrich, does the opening session (“Now is the Time to Start Thinking like a Pro”). Bob Houghton, President of the Georgia Association of Broadcasters, commented, “We need this for radio, we need it for broadcasting…I knew we needed it, but even then didn’t realize how special it is until going through the experience of the Institute. Broadcasters from all over the state come and give their time and expertise. These students will be the leaders in our business 10, 20, 30 years from now; we have a great deal of pride in what we are accomplishing.” Students will be immersed in all things radio for the next 10 days, with 40 broadcasters leading the sessions, including on-air, programming, news, sports, digital/social media, production, promotions and sales, with each student becoming certified as a Radio Marketing Professional by the RAB.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Discord on Test Scores
ACT accuses College Board of jumping the gun in explaining how to compare scores on the new SAT. Many debate impact of seemingly higher SAT scores under new test.
By Scott Jaschik
For years, as applicants weighed whether their scores on the ACT or SAT were better (and which would make them more attractive to colleges), they used a “concordance table” that ACT and the College Board produced to show how to make such comparisons. So naturally many have been waiting to see how the table would change now that the College Board is using a new version of the SAT. The College Board this month released a new version of the table. But while there is a table, there is no concordance between the College Board and the ACT. And with SAT scores on the new test veering higher than has been the case in the past, admissions officials are also considering how people will view the numbers students submit. The discussions take place amid scrutiny for the College Board’s new SAT and intense fighting between the College Board and ACT for market share on college admissions tests.
www.diverseeducation.com
Nonprofit Colleges’ Discount Tuition Might Not Pay Off
by Jamaal Abdul-Alim
Even though private nonprofit colleges are discounting tuition at record rates, it remains to be seen if the strategy will pay off with higher amounts of enrollment. That’s one of the key takeaways from the 2015 NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study being released today by NACUBO, the acronym for the National Association of College and University Business Officers. The report found that 28 percent of chief business officers who responded for the study had implemented strategies of enrollment, recruitment, and / or retention. About 27 percent implemented financial aid strategies and 24 percent employed tuition pricing strategies, according to the study. “Unfortunately, enrollment data suggest that these strategies have not yet been successful,” the study concludes.
www.chronicle.com
How Do You Create a Diversity Agenda?
It takes more than just a plan on paper
By Beth McMurtrie
Colleges have been roiled in recent months by students demanding more diversity on campuses. Their concerns are far from new. Diversity has been a hot-button topic since federal desegregation efforts began more than 50 years ago. Yet efforts to increase the numbers of minority faculty, staff, and students on campuses, create inclusive communities, and infuse the curriculum with diverse perspectives have met with limited success. It’s not for lack of trying — on paper, at least. So how do colleges make sure they live up to their promises? In short, how do you create an effective diversity agenda? Scholars who study diversity in higher education say colleges keep making the same mistakes, even as they ramp up the rhetoric around diversity. From the civil-rights protests of the 1960s to the debates on affirmative action of the 1990s to the broadening of diversity to include sexual orientation and gender identity, colleges have often been reactive, not proactive, experts say. Planning is assigned to ad hoc committees, strategies are designed by small groups of people, and results are expected of those who often lack the authority and resources to produce them. Meanwhile, most people on campuses are left out of the conversation.
www.washingtonpost.com
Nine universities on one small campus? It’s real. It’s here. And it could be higher ed’s future.
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel May 14
It would be easy to mistake the Universities at Shady Grove as a flagship public school, with its red-brick buildings and its state-of-the-art labs, library and fitness center. But Shady Grove is a program unlike any other, with nine state universities converging at the Rockville, Md., campus, part of an effort that began 16 years ago to reduce college costs, produce an educated workforce and encourage college completion among populations that traditionally struggle to get their degrees. Public universities and colleges are grappling with how to serve a growing population of students with limited resources in the face of paltry state investment in higher education. Cooperative programs, such as the one at Shady Grove, draw on the strengths of regional colleges and respond to demands for workforce development. “It’s a very innovative model,” said Barmak Nassirian, director of federal relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. “You have a public institution responding to market conditions in a way that expands access.”