University System News:
www.ajc.com
Proposed Georgia Budget shows increase in education spending
Christopher Quinn
Gov. Nathan Deal’s says he has targeted education as a priority for 2017, and his proposed 2017 amended budget shows some of his intentions. The state budget totals $24.345 billion and shows $606.2 million in amendments. The state budget is based on a projected tax revenue growth rate of 3.2% over collections last year. The education additions to the admended budget that focus on education include: …• $2.3 million is for new Georgia Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College and State University for teacher training , • $16.7 million is for increased funding to meet student demand for Move On When Ready college enrollment program for high school students, which allows high school students to enroll and get credit for college classes.
www.statesboroherald.com
Much about GS-Armstrong merger yet to be decided
Current athletes to keep scholarships, Savannah likely to keep nursing
BY Al Hackle
After its consolidation with Armstrong State University, the expanded Georgia Southern University will honor the scholarships of Armstrong student athletes, the two universities’ presidents said Thursday. Also, Armstrong’s nursing program has important support for remaining in Savannah. But whether Georgia Southern’s nursing classes could move there as well has yet to be considered. Indeed, just about everything remains to be decided by a Consolidation Implementation Committee and 60 to 80 working groups in the process the presidents and two University System of Georgia officials outlined in town hall meetings on the Statesboro and Savannah campuses.
www.fox28media.com
Georgia Southern community gets answers to merger questions at first town hall meeting
http://fox28media.com/news/local/georgia-southern-community
BY JOSIE GREGORY
Statesboro, GA (WTGS FOX28) — Georgia Southern University faculty and students got the opportunity to have some of their merger questions answered by President Jaimie Herbert and Armstrong President Dr. Linda Bleicken as well as members from the University System of Georgia at the first merger town hall meeting Thursday afternoon. It was a packed house at GSU’s Performing Arts Center as the four-person panel answered merger questions. The number one answer was fairly simple: “We don’t know yet.” …”If there are designated scholarships for students on particular campuses, this will not change that,” Shelley Nickels, executive vice chancellor for Strategy and Fiscal Affairs with the University System of Georgia, said when addressing scholarship concerns. Crosby said GSU and Armstrong market themselves as “small-community-feel schools,” and fears GSU expansion into Hinesville and Savannah may dilute that message for future students. With the three spread out campuses, the one question that kept coming up is, what programs will be at each campus? The panel said all of the details still have to be worked out and, over the next 18 months, groups consisting of students, staff, and members of the university system will evaluate things like admission and degree requirements and how to combine athletic teams.
www.myinforms.com
HIGHLIGHTS OF GS-ARMSTRONG CONSOLIDATION TOWN HALL MEETING
http://myinforms.com/en-us/a/45778867-highlights-of-gs-armstrong-consolidation-town-hall-meeting/
Georgia Southern University hosted a town hall meeting to discuss the details of the GS-ASU consolidation today. President Hebert co-hosted the event along with Armstrong’s president, Linda Bleicken. University System of Georgia representatives John Fuchko III and Shelley Nickel were also in attendance to help answer questions regarding the details of the consolidation. Some of the points brought up by the moderator of the event, Todd Deal, included athletic scholarship information, tuition changes, and faculty and staff cuts that may take place. Following is a list of answers to these, and other, questions.
www.wbtv.com
ABAC hosts town hall meeting on merger
http://www.wbtv.com/story/34298359/abac-hosts-town-hall-meeting-on-merger
By Dave Miller, Digital Exec. Prod.
TIFT CO., GA (WALB) – After an announcement by the Board of Regents that Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College would merge with Bainbridge State College, a listening session is planed for public input. It is set for Monday, January 23, 2017, and 11:00AM, at Howard Auditorium, on the ABAC campus. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College President David Bridges and Bainbridge State College Interim President Stuart Rayfield are hosting the meeting. It provides an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and community members to discuss the consolidation of both colleges. Representatives from the University System of Georgia will also be in attendance.
www.goldenisles.news
CCGA names interim president
By The News
Margaret A. Amstutz, who currently serves as the associate provost for academic programs at the University of Georgia, will assume her position at Coastal on July 1, replacing Greg Aloia, who recently announced his plans for retirement. “Meg brings a great depth of experience in both academics and administration in public higher education that will serve the students, faculty, and staff of the College of Coastal Georgia extremely well,” said Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “We appreciate Meg’s commitment to the University System of Georgia, and we thank the Brunswick community for its generous support of the College of Coastal Georgia.”
www.goldenisle.news
CCGA ranked among best online degree programs
By LAUREN MCDONALD By LAUREN MCDONALD
College of Coastal Georgia has been ranked among the best online bachelor’s degree programs in the country. In its 2017 Best Online Bachelor’s Programs rankings, released Jan. 10, U.S. News and World Report placed CCGA in the top 10 low-cost online baccalaureate programs for out-of-state students. Coastal placed second among 133 ranked public schools, ahead of Georgia Southern University and Georgia College & State University.
www.goldenisle.news
Conference to promote STEM to girls
By LAUREN MCDONALD
Young women interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics will have an opportunity to explore these subjects at the Expanding Your Horizons conference on Jan. 28. The conference, organized through the Glynn County School System, will take place at College of Coastal Georgia from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event will bring together local educators, business leaders and local nonprofit organizations with the aim of highlighting STEM opportunities for middle school-aged girls.
www.jbhe.com
Fort Valley State University Sets New Study Abroad Opportunities for Veterinary Students
Fort Valley State University, the historically Black educational institution in Georgia, has established new study abroad opportunities for students in the veterinary sciences at the Botswana University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (BUAN). Currently, the plan is to send students to BUAN in Gaborone, Botswana in the summer of 2017 for three weeks. Students will also visit a veterinary clinic near a wildlife game park in South Africa for one week and visit the University of Pretoria in South Africa for one week.
www.bryancountynews.com
Armstrong opens Student Success Center
http://www.bryancountynews.com/section/4/article/47642/
Special to the News
SAVANNAH — Armstrong State University hosted a ribbon cutting last Thursday for the new Student Success Center on the main campus, between the Pirate Athletic Center and Alumni Arena. “The purpose of this building is to provide critical services for the support of our students’ success,” said Armstrong Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Robert Smith. “That is something that we’re very serious about at Armstrong.” In development since 2014, the Student Success Center, which features two classrooms, tables, lounge chairs, smaller study rooms and a patio, serves as a central location for academic advisement. The venue also houses the First-Year Experience Program, which helps first-year students successfully navigate the transition from high school to college. “This project is not just a space,” Armstrong President Linda M. Bleicken said. “It is a symbol of Armstrong’s commitment to student success.”
www.businessinsavannah.com
Savannah State professor awarded patent for chemical compound
By: Katie Nussbaum
A Savannah State University professor is poised to potentially help millions with her recently discovered chemical compound that could help combat the effects of neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Lou Gehrig’s or ALS. Associate professor of chemistry and forensic science Karla-Sue Marriott recently was approved for a patent on benzofuran, the result of work funded through a grant from the National Institute of Health. She joined the SSU team in 2006, before that she worked as postdoctoral fellow at Clemson University for four years, She also serves as the program coordinator for SSU’s forensic science program.
www.sg.style.yahoo.com
Pinewood Atlanta, Georgia Film Academy To Host Sundance Event For Indie Talent
https://sg.style.yahoo.com/pinewood-atlanta-georgia-film-academy-090449035.html
Nancy Tartaglione
Pinewood Atlanta has recently played host to such major studio titles as Passengers, Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 and Spider-Man: Homecoming. But the facility is also looking to attract indie filmmakers. This afternoon (January 20), and in partnership with the Georgia Film Academy, it will host an event aimed at indie filmmaking talent at the Sundance Film Festival. Frank Patterson, who recently took up the role of President Pinewood Atlanta Studios, will chair the presentation and networking event in partnership with the GFA’s Jeffrey Stepakoff.
www.times-herald.com
West Georgia’s Hall resigns
http://times-herald.com/news/2017/01/west-georgias-hall-resigns
By THE NEWNAN TIMES-HERALD
University of West Georgia head football coach Will Hall has resigned to accept the offensive coordinator position at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, UWG Athletic Director Daryl Dickey announced Wednesday morning. Dickey also announced that Sam Gregg, who has been the offensive coordinator at West Georgia for the past three years, will be the interim head coach. The university will start a national search for its next head coach immediately.
Higher Education News:
www.jbhe.com
New Report From The College Board Examines the Racial Gap in Educational Attainment and Earnings
The latest report in the Education Pays series released every three years by The College Board offers a wealth of information on educational attainment, earnings and employment of college graduates, and other statistics on health, well-being, voting behavior, and a host of other socioeconomic factors broken down by educational level. Some of the data is broken down by racial and ethnic groups. The report shows a major decrease in the racial gap for high school completions and for college enrollment rates of recent high school graduates. Yet, there remains a significant racial gap in college completion rates for young Blacks and Whites.
www.ledger-enquirer.com
Assessing Georgia’s education future
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/opinion/article127750649.html
BY DUSTY NIX
The fewer people who can afford postsecondary education, the less will be their earning potential. Which means still fewer people will be able to afford postsecondary education. And so on. The pattern doesn’t make for encouraging trend lines, for the people directly affected or for the population at large. That’s hardly a dynamic limited to Georgia. But it’s one of the topics addressed at a recent Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education symposium in Atlanta, as reported by staff writer Mark Rice. GPEE policy and research director Dana Rickman, who led the symposium, alluded to a “talent gap” in Georgia, where employer job postings have outpaced the national growth rate. Not so, unfortunately, with the skills needed to fill those jobs: While 60 percent of the postings require an associate’s degree or higher, only 38 percent of adult Georgians meet that requirement. “Kids are falling out of that pipeline at an accelerated rate,” Rickman said. “We’re one of the few states that do not have a statewide, need-based aid program, so it’s time we look at that again.” The HOPE Scholarship, of course, is a strictly merit-based program. Meanwhile, tuition rates at University System of Georgia schools have increased by an inflation-adjusted average of 99 percent over the last decade; in the Technical College System of Georgia the increase was 147 percent from 2009-2015. Obviously the “accelerated rate” Rickman alludes to is no exaggeration, and it demands action to make postsecondary education more accessible to more Georgians — for the sake of the whole state’s economic health.
www.insidehighered.com
U.S. Politics and International Education
Long-term data provide clear evidence that a Republican-led administration will play a significant — and perhaps somewhat surprising — role in influencing foreign student enrollments and study abroad, writes Bradley A. Feuling.
By Bradley A. Feuling
Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2016, will be long remembered by those who cast a ballot for the 45th president of the United States. Donald Trump’s election has raised uncertainty and doubts about a reversal of globalization, as well as concerns about a continued commitment to diversity. With a conservative administration about to take office, it would appear that values counter to the international education field have prevailed. And yet a look at historic Open Doors and other data from the Institute of International Education indicates that the prospects for international education should, in fact, look hopeful for some, while others will need to double down on their efforts. It’s worth analyzing the data to see what they say about the prospects for international education, specifically study abroad and international student enrollment.