University System News:
www.middlegeorgiaceo.com
University System of Georgia Awarded Grant to Support Student Success Efforts
http://middlegeorgiaceo.com/news/2018/02/university-system-georgia-awarded-grant-support-student-success-efforts/
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
The University System of Georgia received a $2.1 million grant from Strong Start to Finish to support and advance the University System’s efforts to increase college attainment levels in Georgia. The grant will support the expansion of the USG’s Momentum Year program for all 26 institutions. Research shows college students are more likely to graduate when, in their first year, they immediately explore an area of academic interest, receive help to stay on track and follow a clearly outlined course of study. This critical time is what the USG calls students’ “momentum year.” “This recognition is a direct response to the hard work that faculty and staff across the USG are doing toward improving student success,” said Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “Building upon the ongoing successes of the state to increase completion rates, the Strong Start to Finish grant will help to accelerate these results.”
www.athensceo.com
UGA Reports 96% Career Outcomes Rate for Class of 2017
http://athensceo.com/news/2018/02/uga-reports-96-career-outcomes-rate-class-2017/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=a13faad5cf-eGaMorning-2_21_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-a13faad5cf-86731974&mc_cid=a13faad5cf&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
Staff Report From Athens CEO
University of Georgia research shows that 96 percent of recent graduates are employed or continuing their education within six months of graduating. UGA’s career outcomes rate for the Class of 2017 is 11 percent higher than the national average.
Of those students:
63 percent were employed full time;
20 percent were attending graduate school; and
Approximately 12 percent were self-employed, interning full time or were employed part time.
www.athensceo.com
City Leaders Gain Critical Knowledge through UGA Partnership
http://athensceo.com/features/2018/02/city-leaders-gain-critical-knowledge-through-uga-partnership/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=a13faad5cf-eGaMorning-2_21_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-a13faad5cf-86731974&mc_cid=a13faad5cf&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
Roger Nielsen
More than 250 first-time mayors and city council members from Georgia cities gathered in Athens last week for the two-day Newly Elected Officials Institute, held every February to teach new leaders the basics of effective governance. Instructed by faculty from the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government and instructors from the Georgia Municipal Association, new officeholders gain a practical understanding of municipal government administration and policy-making—critical knowledge to help them become more effective public servants. “This practical training, specifically designed for newly elected officials, helps municipal leaders understand and effectively address the kinds of issues they face every day,” said Laura Meadows, director of the Institute of Government. “By partnering with GMA, which brings in-depth knowledge of all Georgia’s municipalities, we can tailor the information to each community the officials represent.” Mandated by state law in 1990, the Georgia General Assembly directed the Institute of Government and GMA to introduce new officeholders to the legal, financial and ethical responsibilities of city officials. Besides exploring their roles and responsibilities, first-term officials study government finance and budgeting, planning and zoning, ethics, and staff relations to fulfill the six-hour training minimum set by law.
www.albanyherald.com
Conservation Innovation Grant funds UGA cover crop research
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/conservation-innovation-grant-funds-uga-cover-crop-research/article_e26af208-d679-5e1c-9cbb-f2a0df071d37.html
By Clint Thompson
A $198,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture-sponsored Conservation Innovation Grant will support ongoing University of Georgia research on cover crops and the effects of those crops on water quality and availability for row crop production. The grant, which is administered through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, enables scientists from the UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences to join Clemson University in collaborating on this research.
www.statescoop.com
‘Georgia Smart’ challenge aims to empower communities with technology
The program will join governments, industry and researchers from across the state and award up to $50,000 in direct funding for each winning project.
‘Georgia Smart’ challenge aims to empower communities with technology
By Ryan Johnston
The State of Georgia is getting proactive to find solutions for government modernization. The Georgia Institute of Technology launched a new initiative Monday that connects local governments with industry partners and university research labs. The initiative is called the Georgia Smart Communities Challenge (Georgia Smart) and is led by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Georgia Tech says that the challenge is the first of its kind in the U.S. and aims to foster public sector awareness and adoption of advanced technologies by supporting local governments across Georgia.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
Education Dept. Eyes Changes in Bankrupt Borrowers’ Ability to Discharge Loans
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Education-Dept-Eyes-Changes/242588?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=369d88cdba834ea29e321c1fd42c9ba9&elq=4b41fbf352d54e6aa4d82364fa48d157&elqaid=17913&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=7935
By Adam Harris
Before 1998, student-loan borrowers were able to have their federal loans forgiven by declaring bankruptcy after the seventh year of repayment. But legislation enacted that year removed that provision, making it difficult to discharge loans except in extreme cases. Now the Education Department is signaling that it wants to take a closer look at streamlining the forgiveness process for borrowers. The department announced on Tuesday that it would seek public comment on how to determine whether borrowers have met the high standard — “undue hardship” — required to have their loans forgiven. The department did not comment further on the notice. But it is a signal from the Trump administration that it is at least interested in the issue. And if it is seeking to ease the burden for borrowers, it may have some unlikely allies on Capitol Hill.
www.nytimes.com
Rhodes Scholarships Go Global as Students From Anywhere Now Qualify
By RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
For the first time in the 116-year history of the Rhodes scholarship, students from anywhere in the world — even Britain — can now qualify for the award to study at Oxford University, the Rhodes Trust announced on Monday. The news culminates a multiyear push by the trust to raise money from philanthropists, expand the number of scholarships and broaden the program — which until recently was limited to a fairly short list of countries — into something global.