University System News:
www.myajc.com
One of Olens’ goals for KSU: Restore trust
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local-education/one-of-olens-goals-for-ksu-restore-trust/nss7P/
By Eric Stirgus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Saying politics is now in his rearview mirror, outgoing Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said Wednesday he will work as the incoming president of Kennesaw State University to restore trust in the school’s administration amid ongoing investigations of former university leaders. “That’s not a short-term project,” Olens, who takes over on Nov. 1, said in his first interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution since being appointed last week to lead KSU by the state Board of Regents. “There are pending investigations,” he continued, by the university and other agencies. “I will be looking for the results. There will be further change.” Olens’ predecessor, Dan Papp, retired in June after KSU auditors said he received more than $577,000 in retirement pay from the university’s foundation before he left the school. Four other administrators were fired after auditors said they discovered, among other things, unauthorized expenses and exploiting school services for personal use. Olens did not offer his specific plans, saying he plans to meet with school officials and determine the best steps forward. He added that he may bring one or two people with him to KSU, but he’s not bringing “a bus” of people to work with him.
www.ajc.com
Sam Olens lays out his qualifications to lead Kennesaw State
Eric Stirgus The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Sam Olens, the outgoing state Attorney General and incoming president of Kennesaw State University, met with an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Wednesday afternoon to discuss his transition from politics to academia. Click here to read more. Here are some excerpts:
Q: How did this all come about with you coming to KSU?
A: “Shortly after it was announced that there was an opening, several business leaders and said ‘Hey, have you thought about it. We think you seriously need to look at this.’ And I didn’t make any public statements because first I needed to internalize the potential and, more importantly, I needed to talk to my wife. We’re married 31 years and those decisions aren’t made in a vacuum. So it think it will be fair to say it took about a month for me to consider it, continually getting calls from leadership in the community and then at that point, I expressed an interest in the position.”
Q: There are people who thought politics were at play here in you getting the position at KSU. Can you talk about that?
www.ajc.com
Sam Olens on LGBTQ criticism: “I represented the state”
Eric Stirgus The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many students and faculty have opposed Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens becoming president of Kennesaw State University for a number of reasons. Olens sat down with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday and discussed their concerns. Here are excerpts:
Q: There are a number of students who are concerned or said ‘We don’t want you here.’ Can you talk about how you build that trust with students and faculty?
A: “I’ve already met with the Student Government Association president, a very sharp lady. And I’ve already asked her to set up a bunch of meetings, so we have meetings on my calendar with a bunch of different groups. I expect to set up shortly meetings with leading faculty, with groups of faculty. You have to have meetings with people, talking with people, getting them to know you.”
Q: The LGBTQ community has been concerned with your positions defending the same-sex marriage amendment …
A: “So they weren’t my positions, they were the state’s positions. I took an oath of office to defend the laws of the state and that’s what I did … So it’s not a personal issue. It was my legal responsibility. I have a meeting set with leading members of the LGBTQ community at Kennesaw already.”
Q: Some people may say I understand that to a certain degree, but you look at Thurbert Baker when he was attorney general, he had his disagreements with Gov. Perdue …
www.thegeorgeanne.com
Jean Bartels plans to retire next summer
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_d631b4ff-f5f6-5b54-b213-4a033c4ae2c1.html
Blakeley Bartee The George-Anne staff
Jean Bartels, provost and vice president of academic affairs, plans to retire next summer after serving Georgia Southern University for over 17 years. Bartels will retire on June 30, 2017, according to a message to the university community by President Jaimie Hebert. …Bartels began her career at GS as a professor of nursing and the chair of the School of Nursing from 1990-2010. Later, she became the Dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences, and finally the provost and vice president of academic affairs. In 2015, Bartels served as the interim president, making history at GS as the first female president at the University. Throughout her career, Bartels served on a number of national nursing boards, conducted research in several nursing practice and higher education areas and held workshops and presentations on the local, state, national and international levels.
www.daltondailycitizen.com
The right leadership for Dalton State
Often a business or an organization becomes strong and remains so because of able and stable leadership. Good captains can keep a ship sailing through calm and troubled waters. That is what has happened at Dalton State College, which is kicking off its 50th anniversary this week and today will officially inaugurate a new president — only the fifth in half a century of operating. Margaret Venable, who has been the interim president of DSC since September 2015, will be invested as president at a ceremony at 2 p.m. at the Burran Bell Tower Quadrangle by Hank Huckaby, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. She will be following in the footsteps of the four previous presidents, Arthur Gignilliat, Derrell Roberts, Jim Burran and John Schwenn, all of whose service to the college have led up to the successes the college enjoys today. Venerable is overseeing a college that is much different today than when it opened in 1967 with just over 500 students. The college now boasts more than 5,000 students, several new buildings, on-site student housing, a resurrected athletics program and four-year as well as two-year degrees. The college also has been declared one of the most affordable in the state and its academic standing has gained prestige as well.
www.statesboroherald.com
Hebert streamlining Georgia Southern staff
Plans to assign more duties to university’s next provost
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/76877/
BY Al Hackle
In his first semester as president of Georgia Southern University, Dr. Jaimie Hebert has streamlined the university’s top administration, not refilling vacancies and thus reducing the number of vice presidents from seven to four by 2017. Whether there will be a fifth VP in his cabinet remains under consideration. He explained his reorganization efforts during a “100 Days” town hall meeting Monday afternoon. In the Nessmith-Lane Conference Center ballroom, Hebert, who took office July 1 as Georgia Southern’s 13th president, reported on results of a survey returned by more than 600 people, plus listening he has done in many encounters with students, professors, staff, alumni and others.
www.growinggeorgia.com
Regents Approve B.S. Degree in Ag Education for ABAC
On the first day of his 11th year as the president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College back on July 1, Dr. David Bridges said his number one goal for the year was to add agricultural education to the lineup of bachelor’s degrees on the ABAC campus. Mission accomplished. The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recently gave its approval for ABAC to offer a Bachelor of Science degree with a major in agricultural education at its regular monthly meeting in Atlanta.
www.ndjonline.com
Growing pool of local talent key to keeping Hollywood in the South
Brent Barron
As Georgia’s film and TV industry continues to grow, those working in the field are looking for ways to make it sustainable, partly through growing and training local talent. Fiscal year 2016 was the state’s biggest year yet, seeing 245 film and TV projects filmed which generated $7 billion in economic activity, according to Craig Dominey, program manager for the film office of the Georgia Department of Economic Development. By comparison, 2015 saw $6 billion and just several years back in 2007, only $242 million was generated by the industry. …Dominey spoke at a Dunwoody Perimeter Chamber event along with Georgia Film Academy Executive Director Jeffrey Stepakoff and Dan Rosenfeld, general manager at the recently opened Third Rail Studios on Doraville’s Assembly site. For Stepakoff, the answer to making the industry in Georgia permanent like those in New York and L.A. is to train content creators like writers, directors and actors and to keep them here. “Right now, Georgia is essentially not a film and TV industry, but a film and TV production industry,” he said. “The seeds have been planted for a sustainable industry […] and we are at a tipping point.” As a former writer for multiple TV shows, including “The Wonder Years,” Stepakoff moved from Georgia to L.A. in order to pursue his career. While there are hundreds of projects in Georgia now, he said there remain zero writer’s rooms.
www.middlegeorgiaceo.com
Hub Magazine Releases Georgia’s Media Game Changers
http://middlegeorgiaceo.com/news/2016/10/hub-magazine-releases-georgias-media-game-changers/
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
The Technology Association of Georgia, one of the nation’s largest state trade organizations dedicated to technology and innovation, recently released its Georgia Game Changers: Who’s Who in Digital Media & Entertainment Tech list in the latest issue of the organization’s Hub Magazine. The list identifies key players from the state’s Media Technology companies and organizations who are leading the way in leveraging technology in the industry. Media Tech executives included on the list were: …· Jeffery Stepakoff, Georgia Film Academy
www.gwinnettcitizen.com
Ribbon cutting of Georgia Gwinnett College’s academic Building C
Georgia Gwinnett College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony recently to celebrate the completion of the 54,300-sq. ft. third phase of its academic Building C. The project doubled the size of the existing building, and includes classrooms, faculty offices, a technology help desk and an expanded Academic Enhancement Center, which provides a variety of tutoring services to students. The building addition was needed to serve the college’s expanding enrollment of about 12,000.
www.pv-tech.org
Radiance Solar completes solar research facility at University of Georgia
By Conor Ryan
Radiance Solar announced that it has completed a grid-tied, 1.25MW solar research project designed for studying solar panel performance at the University of Georgia. The installation was developed on a four-hectare site leased to project owner Georgia Power by the University of Georgia. The renewable energy credits generated from the operation of the facility will be owned by the University of Georgia. As the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor, Radiance Solar designed and engineered the installation — which showcases optimal orientation and tracking technology that fits in with Georgia’s climate and energy demand. Project partners Southern Company, the Electric Power Reliability Institute (EPRI) and the University of Georgia will study performance and reliability factors in order to get a better grasp on regional integration of solar on the grid.
www.daltondailycitizen.com
DSC’s School of Business named for donor, alumnus
Dalton State College alumnus and local philanthropist C. Lamar Wright, class of ’69, and his wife, Ann, have made the largest personal gift in the college’s history. “The Wrights have pledged $5 million in support of expanding and renovating Dalton State’s School of Business,” Dalton State President Margaret Venable said. “We have leveraged this unprecedented gift to secure an additional $5 million from the state of Georgia in order to proceed with a $10 million project that will bring our School of Business facilities into the modern era.” The project to renovate and significantly expand the current Gignilliat Memorial Hall to house the School of Business is expected to begin next year. “In honor and recognition of the Wrights’ wonderful gift, we recently petitioned the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to allow us to name our business school the C. Lamar and Ann Wright School of Business,” Venable added. “We are thrilled that the board approved the new name (last) week.” College officials worked with the local legislative delegation and the Board of Regents during the 2016 legislative session of the Georgia General Assembly to include the expansion and renovation project in the state’s fiscal year 2017 budget. Gov. Deal signed that budget into law last spring.
www.bizjournals.com
VC investment in Georgia not keeping up with opportunities
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/10/21/vc-investment-in-georgia-not-keeping-up-with.html
Dave Williams and Urvaksh Karkaria, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia has the assets to attract venture capital, yet lags far behind leading technology states including California in attracting attention from VC investors. That was the message delivered this month to members of a state Senate study committee looking for ways to increase venture capital investment in Georgia… The state must continue to commercialize intellectual property developed at its universities, such as Georgia Tech, Emory University and The University of Georgia. Georgia must also do more to support serial entrepreneurs — who have a track record of building sustainable businesses — in launching new ventures
www.bizjournals.com
$110 million Midtown project could spur reopening of 3rd St. tunnel (SLIDESHOW)
Douglas Sams
Commercial Real Estate Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
A $110 million student housing project is spurring momentum to reopen a key link between Georgia Tech’s campus and the southern end of Midtown — the Third Street Tunnel. The 15-story tower at Spring, Williams, Third and Fourth streets features 257 apartments with 765 beds. The project got underway in August and is being developed by Athens-based Landmark Properties and Atlanta real estate company Selig Enterprises.
www.bizjournals.com
Emory gets record $574.6 million in research funding in fiscal 2016
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/10/19/emory-gets-record-574-6-million-in-research.html
Ellie Hensley
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Emory University researchers received a record $574.6 million in external research funding in fiscal 2016. This is the seventh year in a row the university’s funding has surpassed $500 million… $8.3 million from the NIH to Rollins School of Public Health, along with the Georgia Institute of Technology, to establish a National Exposure Assessment Laboratory. The laboratory will join a network of laboratories that will measure the impact of environmental chemicals on children’s health, building on the existing HERCULES Health and Exposome Research Center.
www.myajc.com
Clayton State wins $5 M grant to help African-American students
By Molly Bloom – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton State University has received a $4.8 million, 5-year federal grant to help more African-American students stay in school and graduate. The school’s 6-year graduation rate is currently 29 percent, below the national average. Clayton State will use the money to develop a program that will include scholarships, an expanded summer program for at-risk students, tutoring, mentoring, financial counseling, online courses, faculty training and other elements.
www.wtvm.com
ASU & DSC holds go back, move ahead open house
http://www.wtvm.com/story/33431451/asu-dsc-holds-go-back-move-ahead-open-house
By Re-Essa Buckels, Reporter
ALBANY, GA (WALB) – Albany State University is encouraging adults to finish college. ASU and Darton State College held a Go Back Move Ahead open house on Wednesday afternoon. The program is part of the complete college Georgia initiative. It aims to make going to college easier for people who started but never earned a degree and adults who want to attend college for the first time.
www.oconeeenterprise.com
Chairman recommends road redesign to appease UGA
by Blake Giles
The county could spend about $20,000 to redesign the intersection of Government Station Road and Experiment Station Road related to widening. BOC Chairman Melvin Davis told University of Georgia officials that he had instructed Moreland Altobelli to redesign the intersection to address concerns by UGA. The Georgia Department of Transportation must still approve those plans, however. The new plans will affect construction costs and right-of-way costs. UGA objected to plans to realign Government Station Road. The original plans shifted its intersection with Experiment Station Road to line up across from Bishop Farms Parkway. UGA feared that it would increase traffic on Government Station Road, particularly by University of North Georgia commuters.
www.11alive.com
Ga. Tech grad blasts into space to command ISS
http://www.11alive.com/news/ga-tech-grad-blasts-into-space-to-command-iss/338158846
Jaye Watson, WXIA
On Friday, Shane Kimbrough will set foot in the International Space Station. It’s a long way from this Smyrna native’s home, but is the realization of a lifelong dream. The West Point and Georgia Tech grad launched from Kazakhstan early Wednesday morning and will arrive at the space station on Friday. Kimbrough will be aboard the spacecraft with two Russian cosmonauts. During the four month mission he will conduct science experiments and will do two space walks. …Georgia Tech has produced 14 astronauts, tied for second-most among public universities
www.floyd.allongeorgia.com
GHC Teacher of the Year to be honored by Cobb County Chamber
http://floyd.allongeorgia.com/ghc-teacher-of-the-year-to-be-honored-by-cobb-county-chamber/
It’s a Sunday afternoon at the local Starbucks. GHC students have taken over the place. They’re working on their chemistry homework. And right in the center of it all is Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Tesar helping them. “I guess I just try to be as involved as I can, as they let me,” she said. “Chemistry is usually one of the most intimidating subjects and classes for college students. I try to be a mentor for students, and provide support and help where I can. I remember being a freshman in college and sometimes feeling like I had no idea what I was doing.” She admits she can’t help but aid her students when they need it most—even if it’s over the weekend or by text. It’s reasons like these that Tesar will be honored as a 2016 Cobb County Chamber of Commerce teacher of the year for Georgia Highlands College in October.
www.suwanneedemocrat.com
Poverty simulation an eye-opening experience for ABAC students
By Eve Guevara
TIFTON, Ga. – Students in Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Rural Studies program took part in a poverty simulation conducted by the University of Georgia Extension Service on Oct. 11. The students were from the Introduction to Rural Studies class taught by Dr. Sandra Giles and Wendy Harrison. “Most of our students are interested in service, and this is a good way to introduce them to community issues they might face in their future careers,” said Harrison, when asked what she hoped the students would take away from this experience.
www.smithsonianmag.com
Big Data Just Got Bigger as IBM’s Watson Meets the Encyclopedia of Life
An NSF grant marries one of the world’s largest online biological archives with IBM’s cognitive computing and Georgia Tech’s moduling and simulation
By Jackson Landers
After 2,000 years, the ultimate encyclopedia of life is at the cusp of a new data-driven era. A grant from the National Science Foundation has been awarded to The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL), IBM and Georgia Institute of Technology. The grant will enable massive amounts of data to be processed and cross-indexed in ways that will allow groundbreaking science to be done. In the year 77 AD, Pliny the Elder began writing the world’s first encyclopedia, Natural History. It included everything from astronomy to botany to zoology to anthropology and more. Pliny attempted to put everything he could personally gather about the natural world into a single written work. For the last 2,000 years, a long succession of scientists inspired by Pliny have pursued the same vision.
www.11alive.com
Atlanta Tech Edge: Jay Ferro, ATL FinTech heads to Money 20/20, GA Tech Cybersecurity Report
Georgia Tech recently released a report on emerging cyber threats, trends and technologies. And the forecast is not good, saying “privacy and technology are on a collision course with no clear solution.” The report looked at vulnerabilities in the e-voting system, smart devices and cities, the rise of ransomware and the political motivations behind “information censoring, gathering and manipulation” among a host of other security and privacy concerns.
www.goldenisles.news
CCGA to host Cyber Education Day
By LAUREN MCDONALD
College of Coastal Georgia will be hosting a day-long symposium on cyber education on Friday at its Campus Center. The Cyber Education Day will feature former U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss as the keynote speaker. Throughout the day, several speakers will discuss various topics regarding cyber security. “Essentially, our goal on Friday is to bring awareness to the growing threats posed to our nation, our state and our communities due to the frequency, scale and sophistication of cyber threats,” said Cynthia Atwood, criminal justice instructor at CCGA. Congressman Buddy Carter, R-1, will give a talk on the role of Congress in supporting cyber education. Connie Patrick, the director of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers, will speak on 21st century training to fight against cyber crimes. In the afternoon, there will be a panel discussion on the importance of cyber education.
www.fox28media.com
Armstrong State University police work to solve cyber crimes
http://fox28media.com/news/local/armstrong-state-university-police-work-to-solve-cyber-crimes
BY ROBERT CATANESE
Since 2010, Armstrong State University’s Police Department has been investigating cyber crimes. The Cyber Forensic Division is broken up into two departments, the Digital Forensic Division and the Social Media Analytics Division. This 16-officer unit has been consulted by the likes of the FBI, the DEA and the Secret Service–not to mention the local, state and other federal agencies–all in an effort to fight crime. Stuart Glasby, Police Inspector at the university, said it’s about gathering evidence and providing it to investigators. “We get virtually everything off of computers and most, if not all, information off cell phones and we use specialized software to process that information and generate reports,” said Glasby. Autumn Taylor, a cyber specialist, said it is similar to a puzzle in gathering evidence.
www.georgiastatesignal.com
Georgia State student jumps to his death from 26th floor of administrative building
http://georgiastatesignal.com/georgia-state-student-jumps-death-26th-floor-administrative-building/
By: Sean Keenan | Senior Reporter
A Georgia State student killed himself Thursday afternoon by jumping from the 26th floor of 25 Park Place, a skyscraper which houses Georgia State’s advising center and offices for the college of arts and sciences. The tragic incident rattled the Downtown student body and is now being probed by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “Some members of our community witnessed this terrible tragedy in front of 25 Park Place, at the heart of our campus,” said University President Mark Becker in an email to students and staff. He encouraged anyone affected by the traumatic happening to reach out to the university’s counseling offices. No motive has been publicized, but Georgia State University Police Chief Carlton Mullis said cops will be checking out all potential leads, including possible camera footage and other evidence from the event, which took place in a deserted floor of the administrative building.
www.oconeeenterprise.com
Watkinsville man arrested on child porn charges
http://www.oconeeenterprise.com/news/article_d416220e-96d4-11e6-8c27-e35d2e7f6d05.html
by Blake Giles
Michael Duke Gwinn, 24, of 1121 Katie Lane in Watkinsville was arrested Wednesday by the GBI and Watkinsville police on child porn charges. New Jersey law enforcement officials contacted the GBI concerning online sexual exploitation of a 13-year-old girl in that state. The investigation traced the computer to Watkinsville. Gwinn has been charged with sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography. Computers and cell phones were seized in connection with the arrest. …Based on online posts, Gwinn is a graphics arts student at Georgia Gwinnett College.
www.ajc.com
Cops: Georgia State student a suspect in multiple off-campus rapes
Joshua Sharpe
DeKalb police say they are investigating a 30-year-old student from Georgia State University’s Atlanta campus as a suspect in four rape cases in the county. The location of each alleged rape hasn’t been released, but two are believed to have happened at a DeKalb park after the women were kidnapped, according to warrants released to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Dominic Lawton, a 30-year-old reported U.S. Air Force vet and martial arts “expert,” was arrested last week on charges of rape and kidnapping in one case. Police spokeswoman Shiera Campbell said Wednesday the agency couldn’t comment on the other three cases, which are under investigation, but charges haven’t been filed. …Lawton has attended the GSU Atlanta campus since this summer and went to GSU’s Perimeter College for two years before that, the university told The AJC.
www.wsbtv.com
Police investigate carjacking near Georgia Tech campus
Police are investigating a carjacking early Thursday morning. According to a Georgia Tech safety alert, the victim had just made a purchase at the Marathon gas station at 10th Street and Northside Drive about 1 a.m. He was walking toward his car and saw two vehicles enter the parking lot. A man got out of one of the cars, approached him, showed him a gun in his waistband and demanded the victim’s vehicle, authorities said. A second man got out of the other vehicle, pointed a gun at the victim and stole his car, according to police. All three cars were last seen heading south on Northside Drive past Marietta Street. The victim is not affiliated with Georgia Tech, the alert says.
www.valdostatoday.com
VALDOSTA POLICE INVESTIGATE HOMICIDE NEAR VSU CAMPUS
http://valdostatoday.com/2016/10/valdosta-police-investigate-homicide-near-vsu-campus/
VALDOSTA – Valdosta police are investigating a homicide north of downtown Valdosta, near the Valdosta State University campus. According to VPD, officers received a call from concerned family members of Jalon Jackson, 20, around 6 p.m. Wednesday, telling police they had not heard from him. Police say they found Jackson dead at a home in the 1100 block of North Toombs Street. The death was a result of foul play and is being investigated as a homicide, according to VPD. Investigators are currently analyzing evidence and speaking with witnesses.
www.wsav.com
One dead, Statesboro PD investigating Campus Crossings shooting
http://wsav.com/2016/10/19/one-dead-statesboro-pd-investigating-campus-crossing-shooting/
By Shanay J. Campbell
STATESBORO, GA (WSAV) – An alert was sent to Georgia Southern University students in the early morning of Wednesday, Oct. 19 about a shooting at an off-campus apartment complex. Statesboro PD confirmed with NEWS 3 that one person was shot and killed in Campus Crossings apartment complex located on Lanier Drive, near Southern’s campus. According to officials, at 12:28 a.m. officers were patrolling the area of Lanier Drive when they heard and responded to the sounds of gunshots in the area of Campus Crossings. Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Georgia Southern University Police Department also responded to the scene. …As of right now, officials haven’t said if the person who died was a student. The investigation is still in preliminary stages.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Quality and Competency
Group of colleges releases voluntarily standards for competency-based education, which Education Department official says could help prevent the rise of bad actors.
By Paul Fain
PHOENIX — A group of colleges that offer competency-based education programs this week released a draft set of voluntary quality standards for the emerging form of higher education. Competency-based education is growing rapidly, with as many as 600 colleges seeking to create new programs. The standards, which the Competency-Based Education Network released at a meeting here, seek to influence the newcomers while also holding established programs accountable. “Our goal is to provide standards to the field that institutions can draw on to inform the design or scaling of high-quality programs,” Charla Long, the group’s executive director, said in a written statement. C-BEN is a recently created membership group of more than 30 colleges. Competency-based education typically offers flexible schedules for students, who can master the required learning objectives at differing speeds, sometimes testing out of work by passing assessments. The programs often include online, automated material. And faculty roles are different, with coaches and mentors as well as subject matter experts.
www.diverseeducatio.com
Education Secretary John King Says College Students Need More Prep for Civic Life
by Jamaal Abdul-Alim
WASHINGTON — Despite the increased emphasis that has been placed on preparing students to compete in the job market, the nation’s schools and colleges must be “bold and creative” when it comes to educating students for participation in civic life, U.S. Secretary of Education John B. King Jr., said Wednesday. “Make preparing your students for their civic duties just as much a priority as preparing them to succeed in college and in their careers,” King said in a speech at the National Press Club. King recalled how the Truman Commission on Higher Education recommended back in 1947 that education for civic life should be a paramount goal for higher education. “That is just as true today,” King said. “But this goal too often has been forgotten at times, and at times education policymakers, educators, students and families have approached college as if its only worthwhile goal is as a means of success in the competitive job market.” “But it has to be about more than that,” King continued. “Whether it’s K-12 education or higher education, we have to see it as preparing students, yes, for college and careers, and, yes, for civic participation, for citizenship, for caring about the common good and contributing to the common good.”
www.jbhe.com
Education Department Makes It Easier for Low-Income Students to Take AP Tests
In 2015, nearly 2.5 million high school students took nearly 4.5 million Advanced Placement tests. While African American student participation in the AP program has increased in recent years, the overall percentage of AP students who are African Americans is about one half of what would be the case if racial parity were to prevail. College admissions officers are impressed with the records of students who make the extra effort and take the grading risk in AP courses. Presented with a transcript that shows a student has faced up to these rigorous programs of study, admissions officers often confer a deserved advantage in the admissions process to students of all races who enroll in AP programs. Some, higher education institutions give college credit for students who successfully complete AP courses. But the number of colleges offering credit for high achieving students in AP courses has dwindled in recent years. Yet the advantages of AP courses in preparing students for college-level work cannot be overlooked. The U.S. Department of Education recently issued grants totalling $28.4 million to 41 states and the District of Columbia so that low-income students in these states could take AP examinations.
www.chronicle.com
Admissions Offices Scramble to Comply With New Overtime Rule
http://www.chronicle.com/article/Admissions-Offices-Scramble-to/238140?cid=cp58
By Eric Hoover
An appetite for long hours, a stomach for low pay. Those are unofficial requirements to enter the college-admissions field, where 12-hour days are common and starting salaries meager. But a new federal rule is changing the landscape. A recent update of the Fair Labor Standards Act makes more full-time salaried workers eligible for overtime pay. Starting in December, campus employees who earn less than $47,476 a year and work more than 40 hours a week must be compensated for overtime. To follow the law, colleges must give raises to those below the threshold, pay them overtime, or scale back their hours. Those are especially difficult — and potentially expensive — options for admissions offices. The field has long relied on cheap labor to execute time-intensive recruitment campaigns, and many staff members’ salaries are well below the new mark. Context matters here. For years the demands on admissions staffs have grown as colleges’ ambitions have soared. Amid escalating competition for applicants, admissions officers are expected to visit four or five high schools a day and college fairs at night, while scheduling one-on-one interviews at Starbucks, meeting with community-based organizations, texting answers to applicants’ questions, hosting campus events, returning emails from inquisitive parents, and reading a record number of applications. The new law forces colleges to reckon with the value of all that labor.
www.jbhe.com
Study Finds Low Black Student Enrollments at Top-Tier Public Universities
A new study from the Center for American Progress finds that Black students have low enrollment levels at top-tier public universities and are overrepresented at lower-tier state schools. The study found that just 9 percent of all Black students enrolled in higher education nationwide attended high-ranking, state-operated research universities. For Whites the figure was 19 percent. For Asian Americans, 31 percent attended these top public research universities. The authors write that “disparities in college enrollment matter, as the type of school a student attends plays a substantial role in their likelihood of successful completion. The most elite public colleges conduct high levels of academic research, have selective admissions, and produce strong outcomes. At these colleges, the average graduation rate is nearly double those at less-selective public colleges.”
www.orlandosentinel.com
Florida student loan debt falls, bucking national trend, report says
By Leslie Postal
Student-loan debt decreased in Florida in 2015, even as the national debt load for new college graduates increased, according to a new national report released today. Florida, dubbed a “low-debt” state, was ranked 46th based on how much its class of 2015 owed at graduation. The average amount owed, $23,379, was down from the $24,947 owed, on average, by the class of 2014, the report found. That year Florida was ranked 39th based on average debt. In 2015, 53 percent of Florida graduates owed money for college loans, compared to 54 percent in the prior year.
www.chronicle.com
Education Dept. Opens Title IX Investigation at Baylor
http://www.chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/education-dept-opens-title-ix-investigation-at-baylor/115176
by Nick DeSantis
After months of controversy surrounding Baylor University’s handling of sexual-violence cases, the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights said on Wednesday that it had opened a Title IX investigation there. Dorie Nolt, a department spokeswoman, said in a statement emailed to reporters that the office, known as OCR, had opened the investigation “after receiving a complaint from the former Baylor Title IX coordinator.” The coordinator, Patty Crawford, went on national television this month and accused Baylor administrators of sidelining her in efforts to bring about reforms and of retaliating against her. At the time, Baylor said that it was surprised by Ms. Crawford’s statements, given what it said was her past praise for the university’s Title IX efforts.
www.insidehighered.com
Senate Higher Ed Post Up for Grabs
As Election Day nears, it’s uncertain who would lead the Senate committee that would handle key higher education legislation — including a “free college” proposal if Hillary Clinton is elected — in the next Congress.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
At a campaign rally last month at the University of New Hampshire, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont appeared with Hillary Clinton and promised to make sure the Democratic presidential nominee’s debt-free college plan is enacted as quickly as possible (assuming she’s elected, of course). While Sanders sits on the Senate committee where any major higher education bills would originate, the role he might play in advancing any legislation on free college remains a question mark at this stage. Fellow Democrat Patty Murray of Washington, currently the most senior Democrat on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, will have the chance to move up to a senior leadership position in the Democratic caucus or run for chair or ranking member of the hugely important Senate Appropriations Committee. Sanders has expressed interest in running for leadership of the HELP panel, should the position open up, since the summer. He could also become chairman of the budget committee, where he is currently ranking member — a possibility GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan warned of last week. On the health and education committee, Sanders could lead the charge for a free college plan that he campaigned on aggressively during the Democratic primary.