University System News:
www.whitehouse.gov
Over 350 Campuses Join in the Healthy Campus Challenge
https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/11/18/over-350-campuses-join-healthy-campus-challenge
BY DENIS MCDONOUGH
Summary: Over 350 campuses have committed to making their campus, and their community, healthier by getting individuals enrolled in coverage before open enrollment ends.
November 1 marked the beginning of open enrollment, when people can obtain health care coverage for 2017 through the Health Insurance Marketplaces established by the Affordable Care Act. The Marketplaces allow individuals to shop for and compare plans to find one that’s right for them, and most HealthCare.gov consumers can find a plan for $75 or less per month, less than the cost of a cell phone bill. Already, we have seen strong interest: Over a million people selected plans through HealthCare.gov in the first 12 days of open enrollment. But HealthCare.gov is not the only place we have seen a great deal of interest. Recently, we launched the White House Healthy Campus Challenge, an effort to engage college and university campuses, and in particular community college campuses, across the country in enrollment efforts to help get more students and young people enrolled. …Healthy Campus Challenge Participants – …Perimeter College, Decatur, …Valdosta State University
www.ajc.com
Exclusive: 2 Ga. schools to consider immigrants without legal status
Jeremy Redmon The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two of Georgia’s most competitive schools — Georgia State and Augusta universities — will consider admitting immigrants living in the U.S. without legal status, starting in the spring of next year, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has learned. That will leave three top Georgia colleges and universities that do not admit such students under a controversial state rule: the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech and Georgia College & State University. Called policy 4.1.6, the rule has prompted a series disruptive demonstrations and a federal lawsuit. The Board of Regents announced the change in a prepared statement sent exclusively to the AJC this weekend, saying it is the result of a review officials began in connection with the court battle. Augusta and Georgia State universities are making the change under the policy based on their most recent admissions data, according to the board, “because they have admitted all academically qualified applicants through general admissions during the last two years.”
www.college.usatoday.com
The top 10 schools in the U.S. for an engineering degree
http://college.usatoday.com/2016/11/18/top-engineering-colleges/
By Carly Stockwell
Engineering is one of the highest paid degrees you can get — and it’s a popular choice for students who are interested in building and developing products, as well as for those who have a knack for math and science. The list below breaks down the top 10 places to get an engineering degree in the U.S. The list comes from College Factual and is a ranking of colleges based on their overall quality. Salary data is provided by Payscale. This is not a ranking for a specific engineering major, but an overview of how the school does overall for all the engineering degrees it offers. See this description of the methodology for more information.
- GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Georgia Tech is another public research university with high academic standards. The university is ranked as a best value school due to its reasonable tuition and high outcomes. This highly diverse university has a low student loan default rate, and its engineering grads report average starting salaries of $61,000.
www.onlineathens.com
Georgia Museum of Art wins national and regional awards
http://onlineathens.com/uga/2016-11-20/georgia-museum-art-wins-national-and-regional-awards
By UGA News Service
Since late July, the Georgia Museum of Art at the University of Georgia has received five national and regional awards for its exhibitions and publications. The museum’s quarterly newsletter, Facet, garnered a second-place award in the American Alliance of Museums’ annual publication design competition, the only national juried competition of its kind. Judges including graphic designers, museum professionals, and/or publishers choose winners for their overall design excellence, creativity and ability to express an institution’s personality, mission or special features. Facet is designed by The Adsmith, a firm in Athens run by graduates of UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. Facet also received a first-place award for design in the Southeastern Museums Conference’s publications design competition, presented during SEMC’s annual meeting in October. Facet has won a total of seven regional and national design awards since 2012.
www.savannahnow.com
Armstrong State signs research agreement with U.S. Army
http://savannahnow.com/news/2016-11-20/armstrong-state-signs-research-agreement-us-army
By Dash Coleman
Armstrong State University will soon be helping the U.S. Army research how to better prevent musculoskeletal injuries in soldiers and shorten the time it takes for those soldiers to return to duty. The Savannah university signed a three-year cooperative research and development agreement with the Army’s Research Institute of Environmental Medicine that will allow researchers with the school’s physical therapy doctoral program to work directly with local soldiers. The Army’s research institute, called USARIEM, already works with local soldiers on its own accord, but research agreement will allow soldiers to visit Armstrong’s campus for research and school researchers to visit local Army installations. Nancy Wofford, the Armstrong physical therapy professor who is leading the effort on the civilian side, says some details are still being hammered out. “There is a possibility that in the future some of our students may be able to be involved in this research,” Wofford said. The professor also said Savannah’s strong ties to the Army make it a “prime location” for the research. Armstrong is frequently noted for its work with the military, being named for the last three years by Military Times as a top school for veterans. Savannah, meanwhile, is home to Hunter Army Airfield and is close to the sprawling Fort Stewart, Hunter’s parent installation.
www.albanyherald.com
ABAC enrollment for fall 2016 increases again
Tifton ag school records 2.4 percent student increase from last year
From Staff Reports
TIFTON — Official statistics from the University System of Georgia show that enrollment at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has increased for the third time in the last four years. Recently released USG figures show that ABAC recorded an enrollment of 3,475 students this fall, representing a 2.4 percent increase from the 2015 number of 3,393. Fall 2016 enrollment in the 29 colleges and universities in the USG totaled 321,551 students, an increase of 1.1 percent over fall 2015. “It looks as if the enrollment from Florida, South Carolina and Alabama has pushed us past last year,” ABAC President David Bridges said. “ABAC is a destination college for most of those students since the majority of them are enrolled in bachelor’s degree programs in agriculture. I think our neighbor waivers certainly played a role in those students’ decisions to attend ABAC.”
www.daily-tribune.com
GHC Enrollment rises for 5th straight semester
http://www.daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/6722-ghc-enrollment-rises-for-5th-straight-semester
Written by Donna Harris
Students just keep flocking to Georgia Highlands College. For the fifth consecutive semester, the five-campus college has seen a jump in its enrollment figures, posting a fall semester increase of 4.6 percent over fall semester 2015. The increase follows a 9.9 percent increase in the summer, a 6.3 percent increase last spring, a 7.1 percent increase last fall and a “nominal increase” in summer 2015, according to Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Jones. “Georgia Highlands College has been working hard to increase marketing, recruitment and retention on all levels of the college’s operation, and GHC remains one of the most affordable and accessible University System [of Georgia] college degree options in northwest Georgia,” he said. “GHC strives to provide students with an affordable pathway to success that is both fiscally responsible and rewarding for them.” Part of this year’s growth also is “directly linked to increased retention rates and a significant increase in the number of students participating in the Move On When Ready program,” Jones said.
www.goldenisles.news
CCGA enrollment growth confirms success
College of Coastal Georgia continues to grow in enrollment — a real accomplishment that confirms how successful the college has become. Many colleges throughout the nation continue to grow in student population, new academic offerings, campus expansion and much more — a process that can take decades. Coastal’s achievements have mushroomed at an extraordinary rate since it became a four-year school in 2008. The college has become a big attraction of Brunswick and Glynn County and well beyond. A recent report by the U.S. News and World Report ranked CCGA seventh among public state and regional colleges in the 12 southern states and 42nd among 113 state and private colleges in the South.
www.bizjournals.com
Clayton State gets $1.6 million to increase childcare accessibility
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2016/11/18/clayton-state-gets-1-6-million-to-increase.html
Ellie Hensley
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Clayton State University will receive $1.6 million from Atlanta-based Quality Care for Children (QCC) to fund a pilot program to increase childcare accessibility for its students. The university is one of three in Georgia in QCC’s Boost program, which was established in 2015 to support low-income families. Boost will pay up to $125 a week for students’ childcare. Clayton State University Students can receive up to $16,250.
www.nytimes.com
There Is No Such Thing as ‘Nonconsensual Sex.’ It’s Violence.
Kelly Oliver
THE STONE
Well before the election of Donald J. Trump, the mainstreaming of misogyny during his campaign caused justified outrage and fear. Now, with the alarming reality of his coming presidency and his choices for a number of cabinet posts, that fear has been multiplied among the nation’s vulnerable, and those who stand to defend their most basic rights. Of course the problem of misogyny and violence against women existed long before this election cycle. But the immediate danger that comes with raising an unrepentant misogynist to the nation’s highest office is emboldenment; the implicit condoning of degrading or violent behavior against women, and the diminished fear of punishment from authorities. That danger is especially great on college campuses, where disturbing signs of degraded attitudes toward the safety and dignity of women have been increasing over the past several years. The list of reports of rape, sexual assault and other forms of abuse is long (a recent report counted nearly 100 campuses with more than 10 reports of rape in 2014) and studies suggest that as many as one in four women experience sexual assault at college. While rape is not new, the celebration of lack of consent at the heart of party rape is. Never before have we seen the public and open valorization of sexual assault and rape that we are seeing now. In 2014, a fraternity at Georgia Tech University was suspended for distributing an email with the subject line “Luring your rapebait,” which ended, “I want to see everyone succeed at the next couple parties.” The problem involves a toxic combination of lack of reporting by victims, the prevalence of rape myths that continue to blame victims, and the party culture on campus that spawns sexual assault even if it doesn’t cause it.
www.ajc.com
Suspensions over for Jalen Johnson, Christian Campbell
Ken Sugiura The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The suspensions for Georgia Tech football players Jalen Johnson and Christian Campbell have ended, according to Johnson’s high-school coach. Both players, who were suspended indefinitely Nov. 2 from playing in games, have been cleared to play in Saturday’s home game against Virginia at Bobby Dodd Stadium. A team spokesman confirmed the reinstatement. Both players were suspended Nov. 2 after being involved in an incident Oct. 30 at a Tech fraternity. Johnson was arrested by campus police and charged with simple battery. Campbell was not charged.
www.valdostadailytimes.com
VSU student robbed; suspects in custody
By Dean Poling
Three suspects are in custody after a reported robbery of a Valdosta State University student Sunday. Robbery warrants are expected to be filed early Monday on three suspects reportedly involved in taking money from a VSU student on the university campus along North Patterson Street, VSU Interim Police Chief Allen Rowe said.A few minutes after noon, Valdosta Police Department officers received a call regarding an armed robbery in Drexel Park; VSU officers arrived to assist the VPD. The student said he was walking when a group of males approached him, took his cash then the group fled on foot, Rowe said. On scene, authorities learned the case did not occur in Drexel Park but on the west side of Patterson Street, making it a VSU police case; VPD officers remained on scene to assist VSU, Rowe said. Authorities also determined a weapon was not involved in the incident, the VSU chief said. Within approximately seven to eight minutes of taking the report, authorities had two suspects in custody; a third suspect was arrested a short time later, Rowe said.
www.mdjonline.com
Military Salute
Staff reports
David Adler of Marietta is a member of the Georgia Southern University Army ROTC Eagle Battalion program team that won first place in the Task Force Georgia Ranger Challenge Competition on Oct. 21. Seven college Army ROTC programs across the state competed in the Ranger Challenge in Fort Gordon, including teams from Augusta University, Columbus State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University and University of Georgia. …Overall the Eagle Battalion earned top honors in the Army Physical Fitness Test, One-Rope Bridge, Written Exam and the 10K Ruck March. Several Eagle Battalion Cadets took top honors in the competition. Adler, who was the team captain and MS IV mechanical engineering major, scored highest with 95 push-ups.
www.daltondailycitizen.com
Stepping back to view DSC with fresh eyes
by Margaret Venable
Sometimes it takes a fresh perspective to remind us what an exceptional place this is. My friends and family who attended the Dalton State College’s inauguration event in October gushed about how beautiful our campus is, how friendly and professional the student ambassadors and employees were and how lovely the music provided by the Dalton/Whitfield Community Band and the Dalton State singers was. “Magical” was a word used by more than one person. Last weekend, the college hosted more than 200 prospective students and their families for Fall Preview Day to learn more about this institution and this community. It was my privilege to greet them on a crisp fall morning with the colorful display of autumn leaves on the mountain ridge behind our campus. I loved hearing their responses to the campus tour, and I was happy to tell them about our caring faculty and staff and our academic programs that are on par with the best in the nation. I was also proud for them to spend the night in the local hotels, to drive through the community and dine in our local restaurants. As most everyone knows by now, Dalton State’s new vision statement asserts that we aspire to become “a first-choice destination college.” What does that mean, and why is it important?
www.mdjonline.com
Litigation to bar Olens from KSU presidency tossed
Jon Gargis
A judge has tossed out a lawsuit aimed at ousting Kennesaw State University President Sam Olens from his position. Athens-based attorney Stephen Humphreys had filed on behalf of a group of KSU students, faculty members and alumni an injunction against Olens, the University System of Georgia, the Board of Regents and Gov. Nathan Deal. It sought to have the Regents revoke Olens’ presidency at KSU and for the university to hold a search for a new president. Olens, who took over as KSU president Nov. 1, was appointed by the Regents last month without such a search being conducted. But Fulton County Superior Court Judge Tom Campbell dismissed the suit, ruling that all state officials named in the filing were protected by sovereign immunity, or the concept in which states are immune from civil suits or criminal prosecution.
www.northwestgeorgianews.com
Floyd-Rome Retired Educators gather for retirement meeting
Rosemary Munton-Evans, president of the Floyd-Rome Retired Educators Association, greeted Michael Zarem, the communications manager from the Teacher Retirement System, during a meeting this week.
TRS administers the fund from which teachers in the state’s public schools receive retirement benefits. Many employees of the University System of Georgia and other designated employees in education-related work environments fall under TRS retirement benefits. Zarem let the educators know the retirement systems for educators are in excellent shape.
Higher Education News:
www.ajc.com
For once, Georgia can be proud of its educational system, group says
Ty Tagami The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia often ranks in the middle or near the bottom on national comparisons among the states, but in one new study it comes out on top. The new report by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute doesn’t measure student performance. Rather, it looks at the degree to which states give schools an incentive to hold their top students to a higher standard. Too many states focus primarily on serving their lowest-performing students, measuring mainly “proficiency” on standardized state tests, says the new report by the education research organization. But Georgia and three other states are credited with downgrading high schools that fail to deliver a rigorous education to high-performing students. …Georgia’s school report card, the College and Career Ready Performance Index, gives schools points for the number of their students achieving at an advanced level, for instance rating their success at helping students earn college credit via Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate or dual-enrollment programs.
www.insidehighered.com
In Defense of DACA
Amid uncertainty over Trump presidency, college leaders sign on to a statement calling for the continuation of a program that has benefited undocumented college students.
By Elizabeth Redden
More than 90 college and university presidents have signed a statement calling for the continuation and expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, under which more than 700,000 young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children have registered with the federal government in exchange for temporary relief from the possibility of deportation and a two-year renewable work permit. President-elect Donald J. Trump has said he would end the DACA program, which was authorized by President Obama by executive action. The statement from college presidents, organized by Pomona College President David Oxtoby, says that since the start of the DACA program in 2012, “we have seen the critical benefits of this program for our students, and the highly positive impacts on our institutions and communities. DACA beneficiaries on our campuses have been exemplary student scholars and student leaders, working across campus and in the community. With DACA, our students and alumni have been able to pursue opportunities in business, education, high tech and the nonprofit sector; they have gone to medical school, law school and graduate schools in numerous disciplines. They are actively contributing to their local communities and economies.”
www.diverseeducation.com
Hiring Its Own Graduates Could be Key to HBCUs’ Survival
by Megan Covington and Adriel A. Hilton
With headlines that read Howard University Alumna is ‘Live with Kelly’ Finalist, HBCU Grad Writes Children’s Book on Handling Police Brutality, or HBCU Alum Creates Business that Markets HBCUs, the media knowingly recognizes graduates of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) for their accomplishments and contributions to society. Headlines often identify the individuals as an HBCU alum before even mentioning his or her actual name. While society seemingly appreciates an HBCU education, its alums are rarely hired in the top influential positions—faculty or administration—at HBCUs.
www.insidehighered.com
A Final Push for Inclusivity
As the Obama administration winds down, Department of Education and college leaders call on institutions to better acknowledge history of racism and to offer more support to minority students.
By Jake New
WASHINGTON — In a Dear Colleague letter released Friday, John B. King Jr., U.S. secretary of education, urged institutions to go “beyond supporting diversity through admissions and enrollment alone” and to “ensure that campuses are safe, inclusive and supportive environments that encourage student success and college completion.” The letter — and an accompanying 89-page report — touted the Obama administration’s work on attempting to improve campus diversity over the past eight years, and included several recommendations for institutions going forward. The White House also hosted a summit here on Friday, with officials from the outgoing administration calling on colleges to continue the work in their absence. While the summit largely steered clear of directly referencing Donald Trump, anxiety over how the president-elect will approach diversity and inclusion was apparent throughout the event. Referring to “the elephant in the room,” Theodore Shaw, director of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Center for Civil Rights, said that “some tough times are coming.” Many speakers at the gathering also called on college leaders to not ignore the past when looking toward the future of campus diversity efforts.