USG Institutions:
www.mddjonline.com
Kennesaw State University audit reports turned over to Attorney General’s office
Anthony White
The Kennesaw State University audit report alleging financial improprieties by KSU Auxiliary Services Vice President Randy Shelton has been referred to the special prosecution division of the state Attorney General’s Office. According to a spokesperson for the University System of Georgia, two other audit reports alleging financial transgressions by KSU president Dan Papp and former dining services director Gary Coltek were also referred to the agency for “informational purposes.” The Attorney General’s Office has confirmed receipt of the reports but could not comment further because of the office’s investigation into the matter. The audit reports, obtained by the MDJ through an open records request, outline a number of alleged financial improprieties conducted by Shelton, Papp and Coltek dating back to 2012.
www.myajc.com
Incoming KSU chief replaces 3 administrators
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/incoming-ksu-chief-replaces-3-administrators/nrcgw/
By Janel Davis – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kennesaw State University’s incoming interim president announced leadership changes at the school this week following recent findings that several administrators, including outgoing president Dan Papp, had violated state policies. Houston Davis, who is set to replace Papp on July 1, announced three new interim chiefs responsible for key functions of the university. Davis announced the changes Tuesday in a letter to faculty and staff that was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The interim leaders will work directly with Davis during the presidential transition, he said in the letter.
www.ajc.com
Leadership changes made at Kennesaw State
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/leadership-changes-made-at-kennesaw-state/nrcTN/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kennesaw State University’s interim president is making changes to the school’s top leadership. Houston Davis, who is set to replace outgoing president Dan Papp on July 1, announced three new interim chiefs responsible for key functions of the university, including finances and human resources. Davis announced the changes Tuesday in a letter to faculty and staff that was obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
www.emanuelcountylive.com
EGSC’s economic impact over $70 million
http://emanuelcountylive.com/2016/06/egscs-economic-impact-over-70-million/
by HALEI LAMB
An annual study of the University System of Georgia’s (USG) economic impact shows that East Georgia State College (EGSC) had a $70,849,180 impact on the communities in its region during fiscal year 2015. EGSC, which has campuses in Swainsboro, Statesboro, and Augusta, also had a regional employment impact of 905 jobs in the same period. The employment impact includes on-campus positions and off-campus jobs that exist due to the institution.
www.middlegeorgiaceo.com
IT Grad Degree Continues a Middle Georgia State Legacy
Staff Report From Middle Georgia CEO
One of the first four-year degrees launched by what is now Middle Georgia State University was a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology. Nearly two decades later, IT makes history again as one of Middle Georgia State’s first graduate programs. “It’s a significant milestone,” said Dr. Alex Koohang, dean of the School of Information Technology. “It shows we have been innovative and flexible over the years and providing quality instruction to our students. Many of our graduates have been asking when we will get a master’s degree. That time has arrived.” Middle Georgia State, which officially became a University on July 1, 2015, launched graduate degrees in IT and Nursing this spring. The University expected an initial enrollment of 30 students between the two programs, both of which are online. But the number of applicants beat expectations and the University ended up admitting 47 students – 33 in IT and 14 in Nursing.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA summer school begins, record enrollment possible
By LEE SHEARER
University of Georgia summer school classes began Wednesday with what might be a record summer enrollment for UGA. Numbers are not yet final, but as of the end of last week, about 15,500 students signed up for summer classes, said UGA Vice President for Instruction Rahul Shrivastav. Summer enrollment at the university reached 15,731 in summer 2010, but then declined for four consecutive years to 13,549 in 2014 — the lowest levels since the 20th century. But enrollment numbers began climbing back last year. “I think we had about a 6 percent gain last year and we should outdo that this year,” Shrivastav said. The rising numbers are no accident — UGA administrators have been trying to boost summer enrollment for several years.
Higher Education News:
www.diverseeducation.com
Post-traditional Higher Ed Landscape Requires a New Three-Way Partnership
by Pete Wheelan
Spoiler alert: Traditional students are no longer the majority in higher education. Today’s student body is older and busier. Meeting their needs will require increased collaboration between often disparate departments.
According to recent figures, only one-quarter of college attendees are what we would call “traditional students.” Most students in higher education today have full-time jobs, families or other characteristics that make them part of the new “post-traditional” majority who attend school online or part time. While overall postsecondary enrollment drops, online enrollments continue to grow, as do enrollments by students over age 25 and those working full time. Along with the shifting demographics come shifting student support needs. In order to ensure the success of modern college students, three administrative groups in particular must join forces.
www.chronicle.com
Liberal-Arts Majors Have Plenty of Job Prospects, If They Have Some Specific Skills, Too
By Goldie Blumenstyk
The knock that liberal-arts graduates can have a tough time landing a first job is borne out by the data. Yet a new analysis of help-wanted postings for entry-level jobs suggests that those graduates can improve their job prospects markedly by acquiring a small level of proficiency in one of eight specific skill sets, such as social media or data analysis. In most cases, those skills increase salary prospects markedly, as well. The analysis can help diffuse the debate over the value of a liberals-arts education versus a career-focused one, says Matthew Sigelman, chief executive at the job-market-analytics company Burning Glass Technologies. The company undertook the analysis as part of its continuing study of the job market. “Employers really value soft skills that are the bedrock of a liberal-arts education,” he says. But many employers are also looking for applicants with additional, specific skills, such as knowledge of Java or other programming languages, or proficiency with graphic-design tools like InDesign or Adobe Suite. “It’s not a matter of shutting down the classics department and turning it into a business degree,” he says.
www.chronicle.com
How Colleges Train for Active Shooters on Campus
By Gabriel Sandoval
Shootings and other incidents of violence often raise alarm among students and faculty members about what they should do when a worst-case scenario becomes a reality. So more colleges are taking extra steps to prepare themselves for one of the most-feared situations in academe: an active shooter on the campus. Campuses are embracing active-shooter training as a way to keep fear at a minimum and raise confidence in moments when chaos might otherwise reign. How colleges go about that depends on an institution’s needs and how much they want to commit to the training. While some seek guidance from in-house safety experts, others hire companies to lead drills, demonstrations, and simulations. And some make it mandatory for students to watch active-shooter response videos and take e-training courses, while others do not.