University System News:
www.wrganews.com
GHC saves students more than $6 million with free textbooks
http://wrganews.com/common/page.php?feed=1&id=120831&is_corp=1
Georgia Highlands College has saved students over $6 million by eliminating textbook costs and providing free digital options. GHC’s faculty have been working since fall 2015 to expand Open Education Resources (OER) courses each semester. OER course conversions are aided by the University System of Georgia’s Affordable Learning Georgia (ALG) initiative which promotes student success by providing cost-free alternatives to expensive textbooks. The new OERs don’t just provide free textbooks either. Students also get video resources, software, labs and an enhanced textbook experience with hyperlinks to many other resources. Through spring 2018, GHC’s faculty has helped students save roughly $6.48 million with offerings in 25 courses across 250 classes. Textbooks and course materials average $1,250 per student per year. Due to the higher costs of textbooks, replacing one or two with open educational resources can make an immediate impact to saving students money.
www.myajc.com
Some Ga. students spend spring break helping others
https://www.myajc.com/news/local-education/some-students-spend-spring-break-helping-others/687n0jzCDRgIMYEaG0gr5O/
By Eric Stirgus – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Many metro Atlanta college students begin their spring break this week, and for an increasing number of them, the beach is taking a backseat to building homes or other volunteer work. Several colleges are assisting students in what’s commonly called Alternative Spring Break, which the students say is a welcome opportunity to serve others. Some students say the volunteer work is also helping them explore possible career paths and grow personally. Colleges and universities supporting such efforts include Emory, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Kennesaw State, Spelman and the University of Georgia. Some schools help fund the volunteer work. In many cases, students raise some or all of the money themselves for travel.
www.albanyherald.com
ABAC students work with President Carter
Wildlife Society members clean wood duck boxes in Plains
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/local/abac-students-work-with-president-carter/article_8ec1a8d7-1256-5d45-a494-143fd0a43265.html
Staff Reports
Students from the Wildlife Society at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College spent a morning with former President Jimmy Carter recently at the group’s annual wood duck box cleanup on Carter’s property in Plains. “We were delighted to spend over an hour with President Carter on a personal tour of his newest pond as students scouted how many new boxes were needed,” Vanessa Lane, assistant professor of wildlife at ABAC, said. Lane said club members have been maintaining, repairing and replacing Carter’s wood duck boxes for many years. The recent morning of work saw an unexpected bit of entertainment when members of the Secret Service were called on to assist in towing a van from the sandy soil. “The most memorable experience for me was seeing Dr. Lane sink the van into the sand and having a member of President Carter’s detail hook up a tow strap and pull her out,” said Christopher Terrazas, president of the ABAC Wildlife Society.
www.athensceo.com
Franklin College Faculty Member Named Regents’ Professor
http://athensceo.com/news/2018/03/franklin-college-faculty-member-named-regents-professor/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=a2e546770a-eGaMorning-3_13_18&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-a2e546770a-86741261&mc_cid=a2e546770a&mc_eid=r6BOT1MAIy
Staff Report From Athens CEO
Mary Ann Moran, an internationally renowned researcher whose work has created a better understanding of marine ecosystems and the roles of the ocean microbiome, has been named Regents’ Professor, effective July 1. Moran is a Distinguished Research Professor in the marine sciences department, part of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, who has served on the UGA faculty since 1993. Regents’ Professorships are bestowed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents on faculty members whose scholarship or creative activity is recognized nationally and internationally as innovative and pacesetting.
www.bizjournals.com
Big-name head coaches on the market for Georgia basketball team
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2018/03/12/big-name-head-coaches-on-the-market-for-georgia.html
By Eric Mandel – Digital Producer , Atlanta Business Chronicle
The University of Georgia men’s basketball team is in the market for a new head coach after firing Mark Fox on Saturday. And based on the potential replacements, the team’s new leader likely won’t come cheap. UGA fired Fox after the 49-year-old led the Bulldogs to two NCAA tournaments — in 2011 and 2015 — over nine seasons. His team finished this season with an 18-15 record, losing Friday to Kentucky in the SEC tournament quarterfinals. …The Bulldogs went 163-133 overall with Fox at the helm. The Athens-Banner Herald reported in October of 2015 that Fox signed a five-year contract worth $2 million annually, which added two years to his previous contract and increased his total compensation to $300,000 annually. It also includes up to $750,000 worth of longevity bonuses. The publication said that Fox would receive a $1.1 million payout if he were fired with two years remaining on his contract. Although UGA plucked Fox from mid-major program University of Nevada in 2009, ESPN reports of two big-name possible replacements for Fox: former Ohio State coach Thad Matta and ex-Indiana and Marquette coach Tom Crean. …ESPN cited an unnamed source saying Matta was scheduled to meet with Georgia officials today. …UGA athletics has shown it’s not afraid to open its wallets, such as with its football coach, Kirby Smart, who signed a six-year, $3.75 million a year (plus incentives) contract in 2015.
www.ajc.com
Report: Thad Matta offered Georgia job, decision expected within 24 hours
https://www.ajc.com/sports/college/after-visit-athens-thad-matta-remains-main-target-for-uga/UKSZr566zbBK4ALhhmTPUK/
Corey Knapp DawgNation
The Georgia Bulldogs are moving fast in their effort to find a new men’s basketball coach. After meeting with former Ohio State coach Thad Matta on campus in Athens on Monday, Georgia has reportedly offered him the job, according to Jon Rothstein of Fan Rag Sports. Rothstein further reports that Matta is expected to make a decision within 24 hours.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
Education Dept. Wants to Block States’ Student-Loan Rules. States Are Fighting Back.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Education-Dept-Wants-to-Block/242801?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=2beb35442a314060acb2affb8b3a9c2f&elq=5c315a8f5b9941e4859ff4333bdc1e7d&elqaid=18158&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=8098
By Adam Harris
The U.S. Education Department wants states to defer to federal oversight of the companies that service the billions of dollars in student loans that it issues, but the states are not going down without a fight. In a final notice published on Monday in the Federal Register, the department outlined its interpretation that the federal government, not the states, is responsible for overseeing loan servicing. But several state legislatures are considering — or have passed — bills to tighten the rules governing the companies, and the department’s new interpretation would pre-empt those laws.
www.cbsnews.com
Betsy DeVos on guns, school choice and why people don’t like her
The secretary of education has been one of the most criticized members of President Trump’s Cabinet, but DeVos says she’s “more misunderstood than anything”
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/secretary-of-education-betsy-devos-on-guns-school-choice-and-why-people-dont-like-her/
CORRESPONDENT Lesley Stahl
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is a devout Christian grandmother from Michigan — who has spent most of her life trying to improve the quality of education for poor kids. So how in the world did she become one of the most hated members of the Trump Cabinet? She is dedicated to promoting school choice but her critics say she really wants to privatize the public school system that she once called, quote, “a dead end.” Now, after the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, her portfolio is expanding. Monday, President Trump is expected to appoint her as head of a new commission on school safety charged with developing policies to prevent school violence. …Betsy DeVos: I give a lot of credit to the students there for really raising their voices, and I think that they are not going to let this moment go by. Lesley Stahl: They want gun control. Betsy DeVos: They want a variety of things. They want solutions. Lesley Stahl: Do you think that teachers should have guns in the classroom? Betsy DeVos: That should be an option for states and communities to consider.