University System News:
www.mdjonline.com
DICK YARBROUGH: Paying tribute to the legacy of Dr. Betty Siegel
http://www.mdjonline.com/opinion/dick-yarbrough-paying-tribute-to-the-legacy-of-dr-betty/article_e544d7fc-ce5d-11e7-acf2-1fb9f6cff334.html
Riding back from Athens one afternoon a number of years ago with the late Otis Brumby, Jr., publisher of the Marietta Daily Journal, he told me of a recent phone call he had received from a reader who sounded extremely overwrought. The conversation went something like this: “Otis, did you hear what just happened at Kennesaw College?” This being in the days before instant communications, Brumby was concerned that something dire had taken place at the institution while he was away from the office and asked with some trepidation, “What has happened?” A long pause and then the voice on the other end of the line exclaimed, “Otis, they got them a GIRL president!” Did they ever. That “girl” was none other than Dr. Betty Lentz Siegel, of Cumberland, Kentucky, a real coal miner’s daughter, who became the first female president of the University System of Georgia in 1981. I was reminded of Otis Brumby’s amusing account of the shocked caller when I read Katy Ruth Camp’s poignant story on the front page of Sunday’s MDJ, detailing Dr. Siegel’s exorable slide into the darkness of dementia. The phone call was funny. This is not. I was taught that our primary purpose in life is to leave the world better than we found it. Betty Siegel has done just that. She retired in 2006 after 25 years as KSU president, making her the longest-serving female president of a public university in the United States.
www.walb.com
ASU awarded $3.5M in grant funds
http://www.walb.com/story/36892719/asu-awarded-35m-in-grant-funds
By Re-Essa Buckels, Reporter
Albany State University announced that it has received millions of dollars in grant funds that will help provide a more enriching environment for students. ASU faculty and staff members were awarded more than $3.5 million from May to September 2017 to fund research. The areas of research that received the funding include transportation, early childhood education, and healthcare. Staff said the grants help with faculty research and scholarship, curriculum improvement, and student developmental activities.
www.daily-tribune.com
GHC part of initiative to support student-veterans
http://www.daily-tribune.com/newsx/item/9405-ghc-part-of-initiative-to-support-student-veterans
Written by Donna Harris Published in News
All University System of Georgia institutions agree on one thing: taking care of the state’s student-veterans should be a priority. The state’s 28 USG colleges and universities now have a dedicated space on campus just for veterans and also allow them to receive priority access to every course they need to graduate. “Georgia has a significant military and veteran population,” said Dr. David Snow, director of military affairs for the USG’s Board of Regents. “While only about 1 percent of the U.S. population has served in the military, that demographic characteristic applies to roughly 9 percent of Georgians. In fact, we have over 750,000 veterans and the fifth-largest active-duty population in the nation. We appreciate their service to our country and want them to succeed whenever they transition back to the civilian sector. It is important not only to their long-term success but also to the future of the state, region and nation. We want all USG students, whether veterans or not, to succeed and graduate.” Amy Wise, Veterans Affairs coordinator at Georgia Highlands College, is happy GHC is a partner in the statewide initiative to help student-veterans.
www.wtoc.com
Cotton gin to run again after almost a decade
http://www.wtoc.com/story/36873315/cotton-gin-to-run-again-after-almost-a-decade
By Ashley Bohle, Reporter
After almost a decade of being unused, the cotton gin at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Georgia Museum of Agriculture has been refurbished. The last time folks could see the cotton mill was in 2008. The boiler and some of the parts that help process cotton were more than 100 years old. Garrett Boone, museum director, said it was a two and a half year process to replace all the parts and folks can see it running for the first time in nine years Saturday. Through the help of donors and the museum, to get all the necessary parts it cost around $100,000.
Higher Education News:
www.diverseeducation.com
Win Your Students Back
http://diverseeducation.com/article/105306/?utm_campaign=DIV1711%20DAILY%20NEWSLETTER%20NOV21&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Eloqua
by Jeffrey Pierce II
The application of providing outstanding service should take precedence on the campuses of every HBCU. This is imperative, especially within an educational sector that focuses heavily on increasing new student enrollment, retention and graduation rates. Customer service should be the top priority for every HBCU because it ensures their livelihood. Students are faced with a myriad of educational opportunities, and their decision to choose an HBCU largely depends on how they are treated. While angry students can be a regular sight on most HBCU campuses, very few institutions actually put in any effort to effectively address this anger. Encountering an angry student is an opportunity to rectify a mistake, educate the student, and show them they are valued. Appeasing an angry student is difficult and challenging, yet it is not impossible. It only requires objectivity, empathy, and a small ounce of patience! You may have luck on your side if you encounter an angry student who is reasonable and willing to compromise. Unfortunately, this will not always be the case and the result can present adverse effects, particularly in a world where social media and online reviews sway the thoughts of millions. Therefore, it is important to address and resolve these encounters efficiently and effectively.