USG eclips for January 26, 2017

University System News:

www.myajc.com

UGA chief unveils plan for more scholarships based on financial need

http://www.myajc.com/news/local-education/uga-chief-unveils-plan-for-more-scholarships-based-financial-need/nvokfFIjzPGA2yLwbO3tEJ/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=c61cde2ec7-1_26_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-c61cde2ec7-86731974

By Will Robinson

University of Georgia President Jere Morehead outlined plans Wednesday for a needs-based scholarship initiative and an academic task force. The Georgia Commitment Scholarship Program will create 400 to 600 needs-based scholarships, some of which will begin in the 2017-18 school year. To fund this, the UGA Foundation will match any $50,000, $75,000 or $100,000 gift. The size of the scholarship award will increase over time as the endowment grows. “Scholarships are life-changing,” said Morehead in the annual state of the university address. “They remove barriers and open doors. They create for our students and their families pathways to futures that would otherwise be unreachable.” The scholarship program was kick-started by a $30 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, the largest single gift in the university’s history.

 

www.albanyherald.com

University of Georgia Extension Service helps with South Georgia storm relief

Sixteen Southwest and South Central Georgia counties are on state emergency list

http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/university-of-georgia-extension-service-helps-with-south-georgia-storm/article_92263648-6d7b-58ac-b24e-90fa9a5c6549.html?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=c61cde2ec7-1_26_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-c61cde2ec7-86731974

By Clint Thompson

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension is aiding in relief efforts in multiple Southwest Georgia communities that were impacted by a deadly weekend of inclement weather. Andrea Scarrow, UGA Extension Family and Consumer Sciences program development coordinator for the Southwest District, said that those displaced or coping with property damage can find disaster recovery tips and resources at www.fcs.uga.edu/extension/disasters. The link provides assistance to those who are trying to recover and rebuild after storm damage that resulted from tornadoes, hail, damaging winds and widespread flooding. “UGA Cooperative Extension has many resources to help those who have been stricken by the damaging storms in Southwest Georgia. With prolonged outages, consumers are often concerned about the safety of food stored in refrigerators and freezers. Whether the need is flood cleanup or financial considerations, extension offers valuable, research-based information to support a community recovering from disaster,” Scarrow said. “Southwest District Extension offices are ready to help their clients with questions related to the safety of food, water, home and family.”

 

www.bizjournals.com

New report outlines most educated states — see where Georgia lands

http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/01/25/new-report-outlines-most-educated-states-see-where.html

Michelle Caffrey

Reporter, Philadelphia Business Journal

Georgia is in the bottom half of of WalletHub’s annual ranking of the most educated states. See gallery for the full rankings of states based on WalletHub’s education analysis. The list is compiled by weighing 11 different metrics related to educational attainment, school quality, and achievement gaps between races and genders. …No. 35 – Georgia

 

www.mdjonline.com

Kennesaw State University’s online programs land on national list

http://www.mdjonline.com/news/kennesaw-state-university-s-online-programs-land-on-national-list/article_a5c9988e-e37a-11e6-af8e-a77ed23bbc73.html

Staff reports

Kennesaw State University has landed in a top 10 spot as one of the best online colleges in the country. BestColleges.com ranked KSU No. 9 in its annual list of America’s Best Online Colleges. To make the list, the college must offer at least 10 affordable undergraduate and three graduate degree programs online. More than 7,000 KSU students take online classes each semester, and the university offers 20 fully-online master’s degree programs, 12 bachelor’s degree programs, four specialist degree programs and two doctoral programs. KSU and another university in Cobb also landed on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Programs” for 2017. KSU’s graduate degree programs in business, engineering, computer information technology and nursing were ranked in the top 100. Master of Business Administration came in at No. 21 — the highest in Georgia — and KSU’s engineering masters programs made their debut on the list at No. 56. The Master of Science in Information Technology ranked 38th in the nation falling 10 spots after last year’s ranking of No. 28. The graduate nursing degree programs landed at No. 97.

 

www.businessinsavannah.com

BIS in brief: Parker’s donates, SSU students present project

SSU Presents at International Transportation Meeting

http://businessinsavannah.com/bis/2017-01-25/bis-brief-parker-s-donates-ssu-students-present-project

Roxana J. Javid, Ph.D., assistant professor of civil engineering at Savannah State University, presented a project aimed at enhancing traffic management with big data analytics at the annual Transportation Research Board meeting in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Javid was joined by SSU senior civil engineering technology students Sarah Dillard and Brandon Davis, both of Atlanta; Jamelle Jaudon of Rincon and Terrence Staten of Louisville, Ky. Suman Niranjan, Ph.D., SSU associate professor of business management, was also joined by business student Niegel Middleton, of Savannah. Dillard, Davis, Jaudon, Staten and Middleton are recipients of the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship, a program that competitively awards fellowships to qualified students in the field of transportation research in order to bring innovation and advance the scope of expertise of the transportation community in the United States. As a part of his award, Davis presented a research project at the meeting aimed at improving transportation infrastructure in coastal regions.

 

www.accesswdun.com

Farsi added to language program at the University of North Georgia

http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/1/494818/farsi-added-to-language-program-at-the-university-of-north-georgia

By AccessWDUN staff

The University of North Georgia has started teaching Farsi, an addition that raises the number of foreign languages currently offered at UNG to 11, with a 12th to start soon. The U.S. Army has identified Farsi, also called Persian, as an immediate need on its list of strategic languages, according to Maj. Steven Devitt, executive officer in UNG’s Department of Military Science. Persian is the official language of Iran, Afghanistan, and Tajikistan, according to the CIA World Factbook, and also is spoken in some neighboring areas. Much of the recent interest in Farsi has come from cadets enrolled in Arabic at UNG who see an advantage to learning both languages, according to Dr. Brian Mann, head of UNG’s Department of Modern & Classical Languages.

 

www.gainesvilletimes.com

UNG taking precautions after student diagnosed with tuberculosis

http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/121551/

By Hailey Van Parys

Students at the University of North Georgia were notified by email around 2 p.m. Wednesday about a fellow student at the school’s Gainesville campus with an active tuberculosis diagnosis. Jasmine Ward got the email and has experience being around someone with TB in high school. “It is kind of scary knowing that although the possibility is low, that there is still a chance,” Ward said. “All I can do is think positively about the situation and pray for the victim to have a healthy and speedy recovery.” A person, who was not named in the email, had contracted the disease and was enrolled at the school’s Gainesville campus. While contagiousness between persons who share classrooms with a person infected is not high, precautions are being taken. The email said the person was being treated off site and the university is working with the District 2 Office of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

 

www.accesswdun.com

UNG-Gainesville student diagnosed with TB, health department to offer free screenings

http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/1/494598/ung-gainesville-student-diagnosed-with-tb-health-department-to-offer-free-screenings

By Brian Stewart Reporter

A student at the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus has been diagnosed with tuberculosis, and university officials said some free health department screenings will be offered next week. The student is receiving medical treatment off campus, officials said. The screenings will be offered for students, faculty and staff that university officials know might have had contact with the infected student through mutual classes or activities. That affects approximately 250 people out of 7,000 students, faculty and staff, according to Kate Maine, University of North Georgia Associate Vice President of Communications. “Anyone who just had casual contact with the student would not be at risk,” said Maine in a phone interview. No other campuses at UNG are affected.

 

www.live5news.com

Savannah State band students protest university over alleged unfair stipend

http://www.live5news.com/story/34348359/savannah-state-band-students-protest-university-over-alleged-unfair-stipend-payments

By WTOC Staff

A group of Savannah State University band students protested against the university on Wednesday. Students tell WTOC they’re protesting unfair stipend payments. The band students say they’re owed the stipend and can’t pay some of their school fees without the money. If student musicians are talented enough to join the ranks, they receive a paycheck. The dollar amount on that check depends on their leadership role in the band and the experience they bring to the table, and that money can go toward anything from their meal plan to tuition. Each student signs contracts accepting their role with the band and accepting the school’s money. But access to those contracts is one of the issues students are bringing up.

 

www.augustaceo.com

Gov. Deal, Lt. Gov. Cagle Visit Fort Gordon, Cybersecurity Training Facility

http://augustaceo.com/features/2017/01/gov-deal-lt-gov-cagle-visit-fort-gordon-cybersecurity-training-facility/

Staff Report From Augusta CEO

Gov. Nathan Deal, along with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, visited the Cyber Center of Excellence, a training facility for cyberspace operations at Fort Gordon, and attended a mission briefing. The briefing was designed to provide state leaders with a greater understanding of the various cyber entities housed at Fort Gordon, how they work together and the tactical missions. During the visit, Deal and Cagle recognized military officials for their current work and reaffirmed the state’s commitment to the Georgia Cyber Training and Innovation Center. “The decision to establish the Georgia Cyber Training and Innovation Center in Augusta further solidifies Georgia’s reputation as the Silicon Valley of the South,” said Deal. “The Department of Defense recognizes Georgia’s assets and the vital role our state will play in the future of cybersecurity. …Georgia is already the No. 1 place in which to do business. Now, we’ll be the safest place for business as well.” The center will be a state-owned facility designed to promote modernization in cybersecurity technology for both private and public industries. In conjunction with the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency, this resource will serve to enhance American cybersecurity in the public and private arenas. This initiative will be housed within the Georgia Technology Authority and will, in part, serve as an incubator for startup companies. It will also focus on research and development, tapping into the assets of Georgia’s research institutions and partnering with Augusta University Cyber Institute. This collaboration will also include the Georgia National Guard, Technical College System of Georgia, University System of Georgia, the Department of Economic Development, Georgia Bureau of Investigation and numerous private sector entities.

 

www.myajc.com

Former Dome, Tech officials get key posts on Atlanta Super Bowl

http://www.myajc.com/sports/football/former-dome-tech-officials-get-key-posts-atlanta-super-bowl/iFytO8SKE7LjqCS3wh772K/

By Tim Tucker – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

A former general manager of the Georgia Dome and a deputy athletic director at Georgia Tech have been selected for key positions by the Atlanta organization preparing to host the 2019 Super Bowl. The Metro Atlanta Host Committee board of directors named former long-time Dome GM Carl Adkins as executive director, the top staff position in the organization. And it named former long-time Dallas Cowboys executive and recent Tech deputy AD Brett Daniels as chief operating officer. Daniels resigned at Tech this week to accept the new position, Adkins said.

 

 

Higher Education News:

www.publicnow.com

Georgia Department Of Education Launches Career Pipeline Tool

http://www.publicnow.com/view/CC7D88F0B3D779485C893087EAE7F0FF069B73F8

Georgia businesses need a skilled workforce, and every year, Georgia high schools are graduating talented students in need of meaningful career opportunities. In an effort to better connect those two groups, to the benefit of Georgia students and the overall economic health of the state, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and state partners are launching the Georgia Career Pipeline Tool, accessible at gacareerpipeline.gadoe.org. The Career Pipeline Tool, developed by the GaDOE in partnership with business, industry, education and state-agency partners, is a web application that allows students and business/industry leaders to compare the CTAE programs offered in each Georgia high school with the workforce needs of specific regions within the state. This will provide students with helpful information on areas of growth within their region (or a region where they’d like to live after high school), allowing them to match the career education they pursue with available opportunities. The tool will also allow businesses to see the availability of students with a specific skillset in any Georgia county, zip code, or Economic Development Region – helping them make important decisions concerning growth, development, and workforce needs. …Other GaDOE initiatives aimed at increasing collaboration between the education and business communities include a new Superintendent’s Business and Industry Advisory Council, the creation of an Economic Development Specialist position, and collaborative work with the Technical College System of Georgia, the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Department of Labor and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

 

www.chronicle.com

The New Financial-Aid Timeline: How Colleges Are Adjusting

http://www.chronicle.com/article/The-New-Financial-Aid/239005?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=c9c25caf387b458a80bb665c40ece78f&elq=14e1e42a01d2410599b0e61053eee100&elqaid=12300&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=4995

By Beckie Supiano and Eric Hoover

In 2015 the White House made an announcement that some enrollment experts predicted could transform the college-admissions process. Soon, students would be able to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid earlier and using older tax information. The move was widely seen as an improvement for students, most of whom must factor affordability into their college choice. Traditionally, bottom-line prices at specific colleges were not available until a few weeks before students had to make up their minds. But with an earlier financial-aid process, colleges could provide that information sooner. And that, experts agreed, would enable students to make more careful decisions, reducing the chances that they would borrow too much or drop out. The change, some argued, could have much larger implications for how colleges operate. “Those who have been clamoring for disruption in higher education,” one enrollment leader wrote in The Chronicle, “may not be aware that it has just arrived.”

 

www.diverseeducation.com

N.Y. Lawmakers Question Cost of Gov. Cuomo’s Free Tuition Plan

http://diverseeducation.com/article/91689/?utm_campaign=DIV1701%20DAILY%20NEWSLETTER%20JAN26&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua

by David Klepper, Associated Press

ALBANY, N.Y. — State lawmakers questioned the price tag of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to make college tuition free for middle class students Tuesday, suggesting the true cost of the proposal could be far higher. The proposal has won the Democratic governor national attention and applause from education advocates, but lawmakers said during a budget hearing they won’t support it before they can gauge its cost to taxpayers. Cuomo’s office has predicted the program would cost $163 million — a figure some lawmakers say seems far too low.

 

www.chronicle.com

Freeze on Federal Activities Gives Scientists a Chill

http://www.chronicle.com/article/Freeze-on-Federal-Activities/239006?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=478ef03f99f545af86ee68036bc6aad3&elq=14e1e42a01d2410599b0e61053eee100&elqaid=12300&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=4995

By Paul Basken

Shelly L. Miller’s next research project doesn’t seem overtly political. A professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Colorado at Boulder, she hopes to study ways of helping homeowners affected by mold and dampness.

But given the state of politics in Washington, Ms. Miller is hesitating on seeking a new grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to look into the matter. “Who knows,” she said. “They may not want to fund that type of research any more.” It’s a concern that arose after the election of President Trump last November, and now — less than a week into the administration — is being amplified by various reports of a freeze on grants, new regulations and even public discussions by government agencies and officials. There’s a lot that’s unknown about the new Trump administration’s policies, and some of them already appear to be shifting. Administration officials initially spoke of a freeze on research grants at several agencies, including the EPA and Department of Agriculture, along with a ban on tweets or other social-media comments by agency officials, and a halt in any regulatory changes, even those already approved.

 

www.insidehighered.com

Accreditor Questions Alabama Governance

The governor’s heavy involvement in public college and university boards gives Southern quality-assurance agency pause.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/01/26/accreditor-examines-alabamas-public-university-governance?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=f3537530e8-DNU20170126&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-f3537530e8-197515277&goal=0_1fcbc04421-f3537530e8-197515277&mc_cid=f3537530e8&mc_eid=8f1f949a06

By Rick Seltze

The agency that accredits Southern colleges and universities is scrutinizing the Governor Robert Bentley’s role at the head of Alabama university boards, pushing back on what it sees as powers that are too concentrated and potentially conflicted.

In doing so, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges sparked criticism that it is misguided and is straying away from its primary mission. It has also stoked conversation about accreditors taking a more active role in governance issues just months after the accreditor waded into a bitter dispute over the composition of the Board of Trustees at the University of Louisville in nearby Kentucky. The SACS college commission outlined its concerns in Alabama in a Jan. 10 letter. The accreditor had reviewed a new governance structure for Alabama’s community and technical colleges that was created after state legislators passed a bill in 2015 creating a new Alabama Community College System. The new law dictates that the governor will act as ex officio president of the community college system’s board and that he will appoint its other nine members. Outside of the community college system, the governor appoints most of the members of institutions’ governing boards, but he does not appoint all of them.

 

www.insidehighered.com

‘A Closing of America’

A draft of an executive order President Trump is reportedly considering would immediately impose a 30-day ban on entry of individuals from certain Muslim-majority countries, reform the visa process and suspend refugee admissions.

https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/01/26/draft-executive-order-would-call-banning-entry-individuals-some-countries?utm_source=Inside+Higher+Ed&utm_campaign=f3537530e8-DNU20170126&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_1fcbc04421-f3537530e8-197515277&goal=0_1fcbc04421-f3537530e8-197515277&mc_cid=f3537530e8&mc_eid=8f1f949a06

By Elizabeth Redden

A draft executive order that President Trump is reportedly considering signing would suspend and shrink refugee admissions and temporarily bar nationals of certain countries in the Middle East and Africa from entering the U.S. The draft order, published Wednesday by The Washington Post and The New York Times, can be read in light of Trump’s campaign promise to temporarily suspend visa processing from certain countries “that have a history of exporting terrorism” and put new, more “extreme” vetting procedures in place. …The draft order, if signed in its published form, would have immediate implications for higher education institutions bringing students and scholars from the Middle East and Africa. Figures from the Institute of International Education’s annual Open Doors survey show that Iran sent 12,269 students to the U.S. in the 2015-16 academic year, making it the 11th-leading country of origin for international students in the United States, right after Mexico. Iran also sent 1,891 visiting professors or researchers to the U.S. that year, according to Open Doors figures. …Robert Quinn, executive director of the Scholars at Risk Network, which assists threatened scholars and advocates for academic freedom globally, said via email that based on the provisions related to visas, universities “can at least expect rising delays in processing and very possibly an increase in denials.” “If these are excessive, we risk turning away students, scholars and other highly skilled individuals who have contributed so much to U.S. higher education, business/entrepreneurship and culture,” Quinn said. “They may simply go elsewhere. Similarly, the requirement of creating new questions aimed at exposing fraud and malicious, criminal or terrorist intent, while perhaps benign enough in intent, if implemented badly, could create an even greater bias in favor of denials as individuals may be asked to prove a negative (that is, that they do not have such intent).”