University System News:
www.savannahbusinessjournal.com
June 11 – Consolidation Committee meets to continue march forward on the GSU/ASU merger
https://www.savannahbusinessjournal.com/news-categories/education-career-development/6750-june-11-consolidation-committee-meets-to-continue-march-forward-on-the-gsu-asu-merger.html
By Lou Phelps, Savannah Business Journal
The committee that is tackling the myriad of decisions and issues created by the consolidation of Georgia Southern University and Armstrong State University met this past week, tackling issues that touched on almost every department and administrative function of both institutions. Consolidation Implementation Committee (CIC) is a 41-member committee that consists of 20 representatives each from Armstrong State, 20 from Georgia Southern, and one representative from Savannah State University (see list below.) The CIC is meeting regularly, and all agendas and decisions are published online, providing regular updates to the campus communities. Scheduled to completed by mid-June is an announcement of the complete faculty foster, including a description of those faculty members’ academic qualifications and other experiences relevant to the courses to be taught in the program in question, course load and teaching policies, according to the timeline that the CIC developed earlier this year. A draft is still in process, according to the CIC’s website.
www.myajc.com
Atlanta among top 10 US cities hiring new grads — and these companies are hiring the most
http://www.myajc.com/news/local/atlanta-among-top-cities-hiring-new-grads-and-these-companies-are-hiring-the-most/Xo1DIanivYIgWkofSZ13eL/
By Fiza Pirani – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New grads seeking job opportunities might want to consider starting their careers right here in Atlanta, one of the nation’s top 10 cities hiring the most recent graduates, according to a recent report from LinkedIn. Analysts at the business and employment network examined thousands of profiles of members who graduated between 2015 and 2017 for the report, which includes the top 10 U.S. cities hiring the most recent college graduates, the top industries and companies gaining new grads and the highest-paying job titles for recent graduates… The top three industry fields of new hires included information technology and services, marketing and advertising and financial services. Of the metro’s many large companies, Georgia Institute of Technology, The Home Depot, Georgia State University, AT&T and Deloitte hired the most recent graduates in 2016.
www.bizjournals.com
Where did Georgia universities rank in top 100 worldwide for patent portfolios?
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/06/08/where-did-georgia-universities-rank-in-top-100.html?ana=RSS%26s%3Darticle_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_atlanta+%28Atlanta+Business+Chronicle%29
Jessica Saunders
Managing Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Leading Georgia universities were among the top 100 worldwide to receive U.S. utility patents in 2016.
The National Academy of Inventors (NAI) and the Intellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) announced the Top 100 Worldwide Universities Granted U.S. Utility Patents in 2016 Tuesday. The report is based on data is obtained from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The ranking is intended to highlight the vital role patents play in university research and innovation. The report collects the rankings by calculating the number of utility patents granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office which list a university as the first assignee on the printed patent… Georgia Tech Research Corp. ranked 32 with 63 patents.
www.americustimesrecorder.com
SGTC named Best Community College in state — again
…The Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) topped the list for the four-year colleges and universities. Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus was listed at 28th in the four-year category. The state of Georgia is home to more than 60 colleges and universities, including 30 schools under the University System of Georgia (USG), and 22 schools within the state’s technical college system.
www.accesswdun.com
Former student leaves $4M ‘transformational’ gift to UNG
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/6/546186/lamb-leaves-transformational-gift-to-ung
By AccessWDUN staff
John Lamb attended the University of North Georgia for one year in 1946. Nearly 60 years later, he shared with UNG advancement staff Fred Link and Bruce Howerton, retired vice president for advancement, that that year was the “happiest time of his life.” Lamb died in December 2016 and left his entire estate, appraised at $4 million, to the UNG Foundation. The estate included 87 acres of land, a farm, more than 40 cattle, two donkeys, and two rabbits. In his Will, Lamb appointed the UNG Foundation as the executor of his estate and left all of his property to the university to be used for capital improvements, including construction of new buildings, or acquisition and/or renovation of existing buildings.
www.growinggeorgia.com
Partnership between UGA and Georgia Research Alliance Brings New Peanut Genetics Expert to Georgia
http://growinggeorgia.com/news/2017/06/partnership-between-uga-and-georgia-research-alliance-brings-new-peanut-genetics-expert-georgia/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=9ea9f8c12b-eGaMorning-6_9_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-9ea9f8c12b-86731974&mc_cid=9ea9f8c12b&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
David Bertioli, a world-class expert in the genetics and genomics of peanut species, will join the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences as a professor and the university’s first Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Distinguished Investigator.
www.accesswdun.com
Former Gainesville State College president to receive this year’s Quality of Life Award
http://accesswdun.com/article/2017/6/545971/former-gainesville-state-college-president-to-receive-this-years-quality-of-life-award
By AccessWDUN staff
The Gainesville-Hall County Community Council on Aging will honor Martha Nesbitt with its 3rd Annual Quality of Life Award later this year. Nesbitt was chosen because of her commitment to improving the quality of life for residents throughout Gainesville and Hall County, according to a City of Gainesville press release. In 1997 Nesbitt became president of Gainesville College, now known as the University of North Georgia Gainesville. She had already distinguished herself in higher education through her work in the University System of Georgia, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and while serving as president of the Georgia Association of Women in Education and the American Association for Women in Community Colleges. As the collage president, she presided over significant growth such as the opening of a second campus in Oconee County and the transition of the two year college to a state college offering select baccalaureate degrees. One of her proudest achievements was the fact that the college became the first in Georgia and one of the first in the country to become tobacco-free.
www.savannahnow.com
National Latina organization selects Armstrong as first college chapter in U.S.
http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-06-09/national-latina-organization-selects-armstrong-first-college-chapter-us
On June 1, Armstrong State University was designated as the first college campus in the country to have a collegiate chapter of the National Latina Organization MANA, which represents the interests of Latina women, youth and families in the areas of education, health and well-being, financial literacy, equal and civil rights and immigration reform. The campus affiliation is named MANA de Savannah at Armstrong. “This is an exciting development for student life on our campus,” Armstrong Director of Multicultural Affairs Nashia Whittenburg said in a news release distributed Friday. “With MANA, we will be able to provide community support to our Hispanic/ Latina students on their journey to actualizing their goals and dreams. We know initiatives such as this one have a positive impact on retention, progression and graduation, and we expect nothing less from MANA.” Founded in 1974, MANA is a national grassroots membership organization with chapters, individual members and affiliates across the country. MANA de Savannah at Armstrong joins the national MANA mission to empower Latinas through leadership development, community service and advocacy.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
UNG, Lanier Tech prepare for campus carry
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/123956/
By Norm Cannada
With Georgia’s campus carry law set to take effect July 1, officials at the University of North Georgia and Lanier Technical College are working to inform students, faculty, staff and school visitors about the new law. House Bill 280 makes it legal for those with a Georgia weapons carry license to have a concealed weapon in some campus areas previously prohibited. But the law continues to make it illegal to carry a concealed weapon in many areas, including: sites of athletic events; student housing; any preschool or child care space; any space used for classes related to a college and career academy or other specialized school; any space used for classes where high school students are enrolled, faculty, staff or administration offices and any rooms where disciplinary proceedings are conducted. A person must be 21 years old to apply for the license. Campus police at both schools said they don’t believe the new law will lead to a lot of changes for their officers. “I don’t think it will affect my job at all simply because our job right now is to enforce the law anyway, albeit the law has changed,” said UNG Police Chief Justin Gaines. “The law has changed, but we will enforce the law, so it really doesn’t change a lot for us.” The university has set up a webpage (https://ung.edu/police/campus-carry) to answer questions about the law. A list of frequently asked questions and answers are on the page dealing with general information about the law, enforcement information, information for faculty and staff, as well as information for students who are dually enrolled in classes that give both high school and college credit.
www.publicnow.com
GTPD, Legal To Hold Campus Carry Information Session
http://www.publicnow.com/view/95EA6D77D9B23BBA71BB6F94094D36C1A50BC42E
Campus and Community
The Georgia Tech Police Department (GTPD) will host an information session this week related to the upcoming implementation of House Bill 280, which goes into effect July 1 and allows licensed gun owners to carry concealed firearms on campus. Georgia Tech Police Chief Robert Connolly and Associate Vice President for Legal Affairs and Risk Management Pat McKenna will share guidance from the University System of Georgia (USG) with the campus community on Wednesday, June 14, from 11 a.m. to noon in Room 152, Clough Commons.
www.myajc.com
College student made up rape story, sheriff says
http://www.myajc.com/news/crime–law/college-student-made-rape-story-sheriff-says/OVwi2KjBmJAQWadHJId7YP/
By Lauren Foreman – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A University of North Georgia student is in jail after she made up a story that she was raped during an evening run, the sheriff’s office said. Rebekah Lim, 19, was arrested Monday, nearly three weeks after she called 911 and said a man raped her on the Lake Zwerner Reservoir Trail just after 7:30 p.m. May 24, the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release. Cellphone logs and video surveillance from the Dahlonega city square and University of North Georgia showed Lim “had falsely reported that she had been raped on the Reservoir Trail and further indicated she was never at or on the Reservoir Trail during the time she alleged the crime had occurred,” according to the sheriff’s office. …Lim faces charges of making false statements and writings and concealment of facts, according to jail records.
www.ajc.com
Judge: Reinstate Jessica Colotl’s reprieve from deportation
http://www.ajc.com/news/breaking-news/judge-reinstate-jessica-colotl-reprieve-from-deportation/OHVuRS7SRvfjm8J1xDdi7I/
Jeremy Redmon
A federal judge in Atlanta has ordered the government to reinstate a temporary reprieve from deportation for Jessica Colotl, a Norcross woman whose 2010 arrest in Georgia reignited the contentious national debate over illegal immigration. In the 33-page preliminary injunction he issued Monday, U.S. District Court Judge Mark Cohen wrote that federal immigration authorities have “failed to present any evidence that they complied with their own administrative processes and procedures” in terminating the Lakeside High School graduate’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. He also wrote that Colotl has at all relevant times met the eligibility requirements for DACA. Cohen ordered the government to reconsider its decision to cancel her DACA status and her application to renew it “in a manner consistent” with its procedures.
www.health.howstuffworks.com
Are Private or Public College Students More Stressed? Reddit May Hold the Answer
http://health.howstuffworks.com/mental-health/coping/private-or-public-college-students-more-stressed-reddit-answer.htm
BY JONATHAN STRICKLAND
A recently published study established a new way to monitor the mental health of a university’s student population and it all boiled down to the website Reddit. Researchers from Georgia Tech University presented the findings at an Association for Computing Machinery conference. The team used publicly available social media posts to gauge student mental health at 109 universities. What they found overturned expectations based on other studies. The researchers found a positive correlation between students at prestigious, expensive colleges and better mental health versus those at publicly funded universities. Because financial stress often contributes to mental anxiety, the scientists had been expecting the opposite. So, what accounted for that reversal? Before we answer that, let’s look at how the survey was conducted. Reddit might seem an unusual choice. But the researchers say the social network’s organization makes it ideal for this study. Reddit includes forums called subreddits and many universities have their own dedicated subreddits. This made it easier to concentrate on specific schools for the purposes of analysis.
www.onlineathens.com
Trailblazing female police officer Kay Pickett dies in Athens
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2017-06-08/trailblazing-female-police-officer-kay-pickett-dies-athens
By Wayne Ford
Kay Pickett, a trailblazer for women in local law enforcement, died Wednesday at age 70. In the 1970s, she was the first female patrol officer for the University of Georgia Police Department, moving from there to become the first female patrol officer for the Clarke County Police Department and eventually in 1978 becoming one of the first four women hired as troopers for the Georgia State Patrol.
www.goldenisles.news
Library gets state grant for renovations
http://goldenisles.news/news/local_news/library-gets-state-grant-for-renovations/article_775e25dd-ca60-546e-aedb-c727b1965249.html
By TAYLOR COOPER
Back in February, it looked like the Marshes of Glynn Library System was going to have to wait another year to secure $2 million in funding from the Georgia Public Library Service for renovations to the Brunswick-Glynn County Library on Gloucester Street. “Originally, it did not pass in the (Georgia House of Representatives) budget. Then it moved on to the (Georgia Senate), and Sen. (William) Ligon (R-St. Simons Island) really helped push and got us back in the budget,” said Marshes of Glynn Director Gerri Mullis. The library plans to stay open to the public throughout the construction period.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Campus Carry Is Not About Preventing Mass Shootings
Concealed carriers aren’t likely to make effective interventions, and such a focus distracts us from the best arguments for campus carry, which should be primarily about the individual right to self-defense and self-determination, argues Erik Gilbert.
https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2017/06/12/campus-carry-about-right-individual-self-defense-not-preventing-mass-shootings
By Erik Gilbert
Campus carry is in the news again. Here in Arkansas, the governor just signed a bill (HB 1249) that will allow permit holders who obtain additional training to carry guns on campuses. Georgia’s governor recently signed a campus carry bill even though he vetoed one last year. In Kansas, a professor has resigned in part because of his concern about a campus carry bill. The debate on this subject, which has always been highly emotional, seems to have drifted away from a focus on whether guns in the classroom stifle debate. It now hinges on the role concealed carriers might play in stopping a mass shooting or in hindering the police response to such an event. Jacob Dorman, the history professor leaving Kansas, wrote in his letter of resignation, “Campus shootings have become all too frequent, and arming students has done nothing to quell active-shooter situations, because students do not have the training to effectively combat shooters and rightly fear becoming identified as a suspect themselves.”
www.insidehighered.com
Is Online Ed Missing the Mark?
New study finds students at most risk may be those least well served by learning outside the classroom.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2017/06/12/study-questions-effectiveness-online-education-risk-students
By Nick Roll
As online education proliferates, is it effective for those students who are already at risk because they may not have been well prepared for higher education in the first place? According to a new study from the Brookings Institution, students who are the least well prepared for traditional college also fare the worst in online courses. For top students, taking an online course didn’t definitively have a negative effect on a student’s grade point average. But for others — especially lower-performing students — taking online courses was associated with higher dropout rates and lower grades, both at the time the course was taken and in future semesters, when compared to students who took classes in person. The study’s authors, Eric Bettinger of Stanford University and Susanna Loeb of the Center on Children and Families, wrote that online courses aren’t living up to their potential … The study’s data are limited in scope but have depth beyond a typical survey size — they are based on data from DeVry University, a large, nonselective for-profit online college with more than 100,000 students, 80 percent of whom are seeking a bachelor’s degree. Representatives for DeVry were not immediately able to be reached for comment.
www.time.com
It Would Take an Additional $34 Billion a Year to Make College Affordable
http://time.com/money/4809020/college-affordable-tuition-student-loans/
Jennifer Calfas
Making college affordable for everyone would cost a ton. A new report from the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO), a group comprised of heads of statewide governing boards, proposes state and federal support should increase by $34 billion per year to make college financially accessible for all. SHEEO’s new model for accessing and promoting college affordability is aimed at lessening the impact of student loan repayments through state partnerships with the federal government (the federal government would match any additional state funding).
www.nytimes.com
Helping Students Avoid the ‘Trap’ of College Costs
By EILENE ZIMMERMAN
Student loan debt is the second-fastest growing type of debt in the United States, behind only home mortgages. After more than doubling in a decade, it now exceeds $1.2 trillion, with the average borrower owing about $30,000, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. More than a quarter of student loan borrowers are delinquent or in default. Among the handful of proposals and programs trying to ease the debt load of college students, two have the potential to be models for other programs nationwide. Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island unveiled a plan in January to subsidize the state’s public colleges, and the legislature is set to vote on it before the summer recess.
www.nytimes.com
Higher Education Seeks Answers to Leaner Years
By JON MARCUS
With an important source of revenue down and the flow of customers flattening out, one of the biggest businesses in Georgia — its public university system — is turning to a strategy of consolidations and mergers to improve efficiency and cut costs. The system has shrunk from 35 campuses to 28, helping compensate for a nearly 20 percent cut in state funding from 2008 to 2016 and an enrollment that this spring rose only two-tenths of a percent over last year’s spring semester. More consolidations are underway, reducing four of the remaining campuses to two. The universities are putting some of the resulting $24 million in savings into efforts to reduce the number of dropouts. That beefs up the bottom line, too: It’s cheaper to help a student stay in school than to recruit a new one. Dramatic changes like these are essential, Chancellor Steve Wrigley told his Board of Regents in April. “We inherited a system largely conceived in the 1960s,” Mr. Wrigley said. “But times, society and students have all changed dramatically.”
www.diverseeducation.com
Advocacy Group Challenges HBCUs to be LGBTQ Friendly
http://diverseeducation.com/article/97562/?utm_campaign=DIV1706%20DAILY%20NEWSLETTER%20JUN12&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
by Walter Hudson
Speaking before a crowded room of historically Black college presidents who had gathered at an HBCU Summit sponsored by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities in 2014, Sharon J. Lettman-Hicks took to the podium to issue a harsh warning. “The public eye is on HBCUs,” Lettman-Hicks, the chief executive officer for the National Black Justice Coalition (NJBC), told the leaders who had assembled in an Atlanta hotel ballroom on that summer afternoon in June to listen to her keynote address. “We have to stop otherizing our LGBT community.” …The effort called for sweeping policy changes within the U.S. Department of Education’s White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities “to promote the development and delivery of culturally competent administrative faculty, student and staff support services for LGTB people.” NBJC outlined an advocacy agenda that included the following: