University System News:
www.savannahnow.com
Savannah transformed into the 1920s for Amazon TV series with Christina Ricci
http://savannahnow.com/news/2016-06-16/savannah-transformed-1920s-amazon-tv-series-christina-ricci
By Eric Curl and Kelly Quimby
Savannah’s growing attraction as a filming destination was again evident on Thursday as local efforts to accommodate that increased demand continue. Throughout the day, a section of West Jones Street from Tattnall Street to Whitaker Street was closed for the filming of an Amazon television series, “Z: The Beginning of Everything.” …In addition, more training opportunities are being made available to ensure the city has the workforce to accommodate the increased business. …Savannah Technical College recently developed and received approval at the local and state board level for film and television production certificate programs, while the Georgia Film Academy is working with Savannah Tech to bring their programs to Savannah this summer, according to officials with the Savannah Economic Development Authority.
USG Institutions:
www.ajc.com
West Georgia holds vigil for Orlando victims
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local-education/west-georgia-holds-vigil-for-orlando-victims/nrgtF/
Janel Davis, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The University of West Georgia held a vigil Wednesday to reflect on the tragedy in Orlando. The vigil was organized by Lambda, an LGBT organization at the university. In lieu of lighting candles, the group was invited to respond with the Spanish word “presente” and a symbolic lifting of the light after each name of the 49 victims was spoken.
www.wjbf.com
First signs up at Augusta University, more on the way
http://wjbf.com/2016/06/16/first-signs-up-at-augusta-university-more-on-the-way/
By Mike Miller
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF) — Augusta University finally has its first new signs up since the name change. The new signs can be seen on the Annex Building at 15th Street and Walton Way. It’s been nine months since the Georgia Board of Regents made the decision to change the school’s name from Georgia Regents University to the community-backed name, Augusta University. “We’re thrilled with these. I came down last night and looked at it lit up. It’s beautiful,” VP for Communications and Marketing Jack Evans said. University officials chose the Annex Building first as a case study to get the signs right.
www.albanyceo.com
Georgia Southwestern Ranked 6th Most Affordable Online College in the Nation
Staff Report From Albany CEO
Georgia Southwestern State University has been ranked 6th among the nation’s most affordable online colleges in 2016 according to a new report by rankings.com. GSW received the Editor’s Award for Best Tuition. From over 3,000 colleges and universities across the nation that offer full online undergraduate programs, GSW made the list of only 20 universities that exemplify the best in affordability and quality. GSW was the only school in Georgia to make the list. “Focused attention from faculty and flexible class scheduling are hallmarks for online programs at Georgia Southwestern,” said GSW Interim President Charles Patterson, Ph.D. “Combine this with the affordability of a state-supported institution, and it’s no surprise that Georgia Southwestern’s online program is ranked 6th nationally for its value.”
www.mdjonline.com
North Georgia incubator solidifies Marietta headquarters
Staff reports
IgniteHQ has officially signed a lease to take over the property at 57 Waddell St. in Marietta for its permanent headquarters. The property will be officially leased by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia on behalf of Kennesaw State University. The overall management and maintenance of the property will be the collaborative effort of KSU, Cobb County and IgniteHQ.
www.ajc.com
Kennesaw State investigating softball coach
http://www.ajc.com/news/sports/college/kennesaw-state-investigating-softball-coach/nrhW9/
Doug Roberson, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Kennesaw State is investigating allegations against its softball coach for alleged interactions with team members. An anonymous letter writer made the charges. The letter was mailed to Rod Bossert, assistant vice president for human resources at Kennesaw State, and Marion Fedrick, vice chancellor for human resources for the University System of Georgia. Both offices confirmed that they received the letter.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
Columbus State’s provost moving to different position
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/local/education/article84195232.html
BY MARK RICE
Columbus State University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs is moving to a different position at CSU and will lead a new initiative. Tom Hackett announced in a campus-wide email he is returning to the doctoral and leadership programs in CSU’s College of Education and Health Professions. He said he has accepted CSU President Chris Markwood’s request to “create a more robust partnership” between the university and the Muscogee County School District. “This initiative will involve not only Teacher Education and Counselor and Leader preparation programs but programs throughout the university in collaborative efforts with the K-12 schools that will create a true K-20 partnership for this region,” Hackett wrote. “As many of you know, my roots are in the public schools, and I am looking forward to this work.”
www.gpb.org
UGA Skidaway Institute Gives Teachers A Hands-On STEM Experience
By Margaret Blackwell
On June 13, the UGA Skidaway Institute’s ocean-going research vessel, the R/V Savannah, hosted two half-day research cruises for K-12 teachers. The teachers are participants in Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education (i²STEMe) Summer Development Program. Because of a surplus capacity, UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography was able to open up this opportunity to K-12 teachers as part of a multi-day professional development program organized by Georgia Southern University’s Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education.
www.statnews.com
Stem cell factory opens door for trials of personalized diabetes treatment
https://www.statnews.com/2016/06/16/stem-cell-diabetes-treatment/
In a step that could lead to a new diabetes treatment, several Boston-area hospitals have teamed up with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute and biotech Semma Therapeutics to make personalized cell-based therapies and organize clinical trials. It is one of several initiatives around the country aimed at manufacturing cell-derived treatments, as the hope for such therapies creates a demand for the production of the cells. The National Cell Manufacturing Consortium, for example, on Monday announced its own plan for manufacturing a variety of cells for treatments, including iPS cells. The consortium is an initiative led by the Georgia Research Alliance and Georgia Institute of Technology and includes academic institutions, companies, and government agencies.
www.ajc.com
Smyrna to consider SunTrust Park District study
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/local/smyrna-to-consider-suntrust-park-district-study/nrhcJ/
Carolyn Cunningham, For the AJC
The Smyrna City Council will discuss paying $70,000 to the Georgia Tech Research Corp. for a market analysis, land use and urban design study of the SunTrust Park District/Spring Road Corridor 7 p.m. Monday in the Council Chambers, Smyrna City Hall, 2800 King St. The guide will be used to assist city officials in deciding development around the new Braves baseball stadium. This study will look at existing plans and research conducted for the city and examine growth about real estate market demand, land use, zoning and economic impacts to the city as a result of the new stadium.
www.bizjournals.com
Brainly banks on OpenStudy to improve education tech
Anthony Noto
Reporter, New York Business Journal
On the heels of closing a $15 million Series B round, New York-based Brainly is merging with one of its rivals to create a more advanced tool for students to use by the time school is in session this fall. Peer-to-peer study help platform OpenStudy, based in Atlanta, has agreed to a deal with Brainly. The combined entity is expected to offer students more advanced learning tools for both in and and out of the classroom… OpenStudy, started by professors from Emory University and Georgia Tech, will share resources with Brainly as part of a single global community of students engaging in “digital conversations.”
www.news.wabe.org
Silicon Valley Data Security Investing Firm Expands To Atlanta
http://news.wabe.org/post/silicon-valley-data-security-investing-firm-expands-atlanta
By TASNIM SHAMMA
There’s a common complaint in Atlanta among tech startups about access to capital. It’s why some startups leave. But one venture capital firm focused on data security ─ Centerview Capital Technology ─ is coming to Atlanta to help with funding and opening its first office outside of Silicon Valley in Atlanta… “What was happening is you’d get all of these startups coming out of Georgia Tech and Georgia State and these incubators,” Hadley said. “And then they would leave. They would go out to Silicon Valley, Research Triangle in North Carolina, they’d go up to Boston.”
www.nanowerk.com
Tiny mirror improves microscope resolution for studying cells
http://www.nanowerk.com/nanotechnology-news/newsid=43708.php
(Nanowerk News) A tiny mirror could make a huge difference for scientists trying to understand what’s happening in the micron-scale structures of living cells. By growing cells on the mirrors and imaging them using super-resolution microscopy, a group of scientists from universities in the United States, China and Australia have addressed a problem that has long challenged scientists: Seeing the structures of three dimensional cells with comparable resolution in each dimension. Cells are normally grown on transparent glass slides for microscopy examination. …Microscope resolution in the X and Y axes is typically superior to resolution in the Z axis, regardless of the microscopy technique. The mirror approach works with super-resolution microscopy as well as with other technologies. Reported in the Nature journal Light: Science & Applications (“Mirror-enhanced, axial narrowing, super-resolution microscopy”), the technique was developed by scientists at Peking University, the Georgia Institute of Technology, and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS).
www.crossroadsnews.com
New social studies standards for 2017-2018
http://crossroadsnews.com/news/2016/jun/17/new-social-studies-standards-2017-18/
The State Board of Education has approved new social studies standards. The first Georgia Standards of Excellence for social studies will be implemented during the 2017-2018 school year after a full year of teacher training. The new standards, approved on June 9, were developed based on public feedback from teachers, parents and families, students, post-secondary institutions, business and industry representatives, and community members, who shared their input through survey opportunities and committee participation. As part of the process of review that produced the new standards, social studies teachers across the state were asked to provide feedback for every standard and element in their grade level or high school course. The surveys drew more than 9,000 teachers, with participation from every school district. Regional Education Service Agencies assisted in development of the survey, and the University System of Georgia provided a third-party analysis of the survey results. Students, parents and families, business and industry, and community members also were invited to provide feedback on the existing standards through an additional survey. SEDL, an affiliate of American Institutes for Research, assisted in management of the survey, and Georgia State University provided a third-party analysis of the results.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
What Are College Governing Boards Getting From Their Search Firms?
By Eric Kelderman
WASHINGTON
Hiring an executive-search firm to find a new college president or provost has become pretty standard across higher education. Governing boards that hire such companies justify the price, often in the six-figure range, by saying they provide expertise and add professionalism. But a new study being presented on Friday raises questions about the role of those companies in the process at public colleges and whether taxpayers are getting their money’s worth. By hiring a search firm, “governing boards are outsourcing their most important responsibilities,” said James H. Finkelstein, a professor of public policy at George Mason University and the lead author of a report on the study. “Is it reasonable to hire a third party that is solely interested in making a profit?” said Mr. Finkelstein, who will present the study here at the annual meeting of the American Association of University Professors. …Using open-records requests, the researchers acquired the contracts and related materials from 61 high-level searches, conducted by 21 different search firms, for public two- and four-year colleges during the 2015-16 academic year. Those searches represented a little more than half of the 112 searches that the researchers identified as taking place during that period (Over all, three-quarters of the 112 searches used search firms.) About 70 percent of the resulting contracts were from four-year colleges. And 70 percent of the agreements were for presidential searches, while the remaining 30 percent of searches were for provosts.
www.insidehighered.com
New Guidelines on Campus Sexual Violence
The American College Health Association on Thursday released new guidelines on how colleges should address sexual and relationship violence. The new guidelines recommend that colleges provide an anonymous reporting option for victims, ensure access to 24-hour crisis response and conduct climate surveys on a regular basis.
www.insidehighered.com
Blaming the Victim
Saying victims are to blame, at least in part, for their sexual assaults is a legal tactic used by many colleges accused of negligence.
By Jake New
Worcester Polytechnic Institute continues to face criticism after lawyers representing the university alleged that a student who was sexually assaulted during a study abroad program in Puerto Rico is partly responsible for her rape. The argument was made in response to a lawsuit filed by the victim against the university. Experts on rape and advocates for those who have been attacked say that it is unethical and shameful to focus on the decisions of rape victims rather on the actions of rapists. And while victims’ advocates warn colleges against making such an argument when accused of negligence by assault victims, legal experts said it’s common for lawyers to take a “hard line that would be inappropriate outside of litigation.”
www.insidehighered.com
More State Funds, on One Condition
To receive portions of the money allocated to them in the new state budget, California’s public universities will need to admit more in-state students.
By Ellen Wexler
California universities will see funding increases next year — but only if they enroll more in-state students. With a midnight deadline approaching, California lawmakers approved a $122.5 billion state budget Wednesday. All three of the state’s public higher education systems will receive more funding. But for the University of California and California State University systems, parts of those increases come with a few conditions. Over all, the UC system, which will get $3.3 billion from the state, will receive a $125.4 million increase. But to receive an additional $18.5 million, it will need to enroll 2,500 more California residents and place a cap on out-of-state enrollment. And while Cal State will receive a $148.3 million increase, it will need to enroll 5,194 more California residents to receive an additional $12.5 million.
www.diverseeducation.com
South Carolina State University Off Accreditation Probation
by Reginald Stuart
South Carolina State University, one of several of the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) beset by enrollment declines and financial troubles, won a significant vote of confidence Thursday when the powerful Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SASCOC) removed the institution from probation, ending nearly a decade of troubles with the college peer accrediting group. As staff, alumni and other supporters cheered the news late Thursday, the scene was more somber in Georgia, where tiny Paine College lost its bid to remain accredited, despite last-minute efforts by its supporters to demonstrate financial backing for the institution. It was founded more than a century ago by leaders of the Christian Methodist Episcopal (CME) Church. Indications were Paine would appeal the SACS decision, staving off the lifeblood of most HBCUs — federal student aid for higher education. Thursday’s SACSCOC decisions on South Carolina State and Paine were among the most noted of nearly 200 declarations made this week by the panel at its summer meeting in Memphis.
www.diverseeducation.com
Ivory Toldson Leaving White House Initiative on HBCUs Post
by Jamal Eric Watson
Dr. Ivory A. Toldson is leaving his post as executive director of the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities at the end of the month to become head of The Quality Education for Minorities (QEM), a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the education of African-Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Mexican Americans, and Puerto Ricans. …During his tenure at the Initiative, Toldson is credited with helping to devise strategies to sustain and expand federal support to HBCUs. A visible presence on HBCU campuses, he directed efforts to strengthen the pipeline of students from secondary education to HBCUs and worked with advocacy groups like the United Negro College Fund, Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education to access resources from the federal governments.