University System News:
www.bizjournals.com
Gov. Deal to meet today with Piedmont Healthcare, Blue Cross and Blue Shield on contract dispute
The contract battle between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Georgia and Piedmont Healthcare is not over, but progress is being made, according to a report from Georgia Health News. Officials from the insurance giant and hospital system reportedly met face-to-face early last week, and though the sides have moved closer to agreement on reimbursement rates, other issues have emerged as obstacles. Gov. Nathan Deal said on Twitter he would meet with both sides today.
www.saportareport.com
Gov. Deal’s tweet on Piedmont/Blue Cross Blue Shield imbroglio spurs wider conversation
By David Pendered
Gov. Nathan Deal has spurred a buzz on Twitter with his call for a meeting Monday with Piedmont Healthcare and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield to resolve a breakdown in negotiations that has left thousands of patients out of network for care. Responses to the governor’s Tweet were swift and some were related to the contract dispute. Others used the exchange to bring up issues ranging from Medicaid to health care for inmates of the state prison system.
www.bizjournals.com
Board of Regents to select finalists for $66M expansion of Georgia State science park
By Dave Williams – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
The University System of Georgia Board of Regents is expected to choose three finalists to design a $66 million expansion of the next phase of a science park at Georgia State University. The board’s Real Estate and Facilities Committee will be presented Tuesday with a ranked list of three architectural firms and vote on a resolution authorizing negotiations with the top-ranked firm to move forward. The full board is expected to take up the resolution on Wednesday. Tops on the list of finalists is HOK (Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum Inc.). Perkins + Will Inc.. is second, followed by Flad & Associates Inc. All three firms have offices in Atlanta. The design fee is expected to be approximately $5.3 million. The proposed expansion would be entirely dedicated to advanced research with a focus on highly infectious diseases, providing critical information for prevention, treatment and future drug and vaccine development. The building would include highly specialized “biosafety” laboratory space, open laboratories with associated lab support spaces and offices and a small vivarium, a space where animals are housed for observation and research.
www.albanyherald.com
Albany State awarded $3 million grant to access quality K-12 education
Grant funding will be used to fund new Center for Educational Opportunity
From Staff Reports
Albany State University on Friday received a $3 million grant to establish the Center for Educational Opportunity, a new academic initiative to research ways families may obtain greater access to high-quality K-12 education. The five-year grant was awarded by the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s Center for Advancing Opportunity, an initiative supported by grants from the Charles Koch Foundation and Koch Industries. “We were excited to announce Albany State University as our third HBCU partner at the State of Opportunity in America Summit held in Washington, D.C.,” Gerard Robinson, executive director for the Center for Advancing Opportunity, said. “I am proud to have ASU join the CAO family of very impressive scholars working to find solutions to barriers to educational success in fragile communities.” The ASU center will focus on four pillars: educational opportunity, educational models, educational innovations and educational access. The aim is to find ways, via dialogue and scholarship, to discover and uncover educational models, accessibility practices, innovations, and opportunities that can be operationalized, sustained and shared in communities with the greatest need.
www.myajc.com
Kennesaw State to offer MBA courses in North Fulton city
By Mitchell Northam – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If folks in north Fulton County want to pursue a degree in business, they now won’t have to go far to do so. The city of Sandy Springs has teamed up with nearby Kennesaw State University to offer master of business adminstration classes at the new City Springs complex. City Springs is set to open in phases this summer and is a mixed-use development that will feature city hall, retail, restaurants, offices, housing, and now, schooling. The classes will be available this fall, at the start of the 2018-19 academic year.
www.athensceo.com
Job Prospects Bright for University of Georgia Class of 2018
Staff Report From Athens CEO
After Taylor Smith graduates from the University of Georgia, he’s headed to the Major Leagues. He’s not an athlete; he’s going to be a research and development analyst for the Tampa Bay Rays. He will run statistics and use data science to help pick the best amateur draftees for the team. It’s a dream come true for a lifelong baseball fan, and a perfect fit for the skills he learned at UGA—where in May he will receive joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees in statistics, a bachelor’s in mathematics, and a certificate in data science. Smith, from Canton, is just one of an estimated 55 percent of UGA students who already have jobs lined up after they graduate in May. According to the UGA Career Outcomes survey, 96 percent of 2017 UGA graduates had a job or were enrolled in graduate school within six months of graduation. In terms of landing a job, the timing is nearly perfect for Class of 2018 graduates, according to Jeffrey Humphreys, director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth in UGA’s Terry College of Business. “The economy is very strong. The unemployment rate is the lowest it has been in over 10 years. It’s definitely both a good time and a good place to graduate.” The economy is so good that many graduates are receiving multiple job offers. “My advice is to grab a job while they are still plentiful,” Humphreys said. “And, if you have multiple opportunities, I recommend considering how that job will fare should the economy hit a soft patch.”
www.thegeorgeanne.com
A breakdown of Georgia Southern’s active shooter situation plan
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_4df73067-fd63-57ea-aea4-409ab8e957c1.html
By Matthew Enfinger and Emma Smith The George-Anne staff
Following recent events across the country involving active shooters, the Georgia Southern University Chief of Police provided information regarding the university’s plan for any possible active shooting situation on-campus. UPD Chief Laura McCullough said University Police encourages students to follow the “run-hide-fight” policy that is displayed in the Georgia Southern University Emergency Operations Plan. “An individual must use his/her own discretion during an active shooter event as to whether he/she chooses to run to safety or remain in place,” the GS Emergency Operations Plan reads. The following are instructions listed in the Georgia Southern University Emergency Operations Plan for individuals involved in an active shooter situation.
www.dailycitizen.news
Margaret Venable: Achievement is result of college and community efforts
Dalton Daily Citizen
Dalton State College is hosting a celebration, and you are cordially invited. I hope everyone who is able will consider joining us Thursday, April 26, at 3:30 under the Burran Bell Tower when we celebrate our official designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). It is Dalton State’s party, but we think the achievement is one the community shares. This HSI designation can only be earned when at least 25 percent of a college’s students report they are of Hispanic origin. We have long had the largest Latino student population within the University System of Georgia, and we have hovered just under the 25 percent mark for several years. Last fall however we vaulted over the mark recording almost 27 percent Latino students! What does this mean for Dalton State? Our HSI status makes us eligible to apply for federal grants that will help make Dalton State a more effective and dynamic learning environment for all our students, not just Latinos. Our student population reflects the composition of our community. For the most part, these are children who grew up in our very strong school systems; they have been encouraged their whole lives to go to college even though many of their parents did not. Our region has historically had a very poor record of educational attainment which hurts us economically, but I believe that is changing.
www.wrdw.com
Augusta University to sell president’s home
http://www.wrdw.com/content/news/Augusta-University-to-sell-presidents-home-479637913.html
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) — Augusta University’s Twin Gables home will soon be listed for sale. Twin Gables, located at 920 Milledge Road, has been the property of the Medical College of Georgia since 1984. It has since been the residence of many presidents of what is now Augusta University. Current AU president, Dr. Brooks Keel, says he and his wife have treasured their time at Twin Gables. “We have been committed to being a good neighbor and a good steward of the house and grounds. However, over the past several months it has become clear that it is not fiscally responsible for the state to bear the significant costs required for the upkeep of this historic property,” said Dr. Keel.
www.thegeorgeanne.com
College of Education faculty share research at international conference
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_0192f3c4-0cdd-5ffc-b04d-3aae5c06550b.html
By Tori Collins The George-Anne staff
Georgia Southern University College of Education faculty members presented research at the International Conference on Education in Sydney, Australia. Kania Greer, College of Education Institute for Interdisciplinary STEM Education Coordinator, and Outreach Coordinator Lisa Stueve shared their presentation on the Institute’s experience working with the STEM Academy of USA in 2017. Greer’s and Stueve’s presentation included concepts of cross-cultural boundaries including authentic teaching and learning. The conference included educational professionals representing Sweden, South Korea, China, India, South Africa, Australia, Thailand and the United States.
www.times-georgian.com
UWG to celebrate 50th anniversary of new library building
Ken Denney/Times-Georgian
On Jan. 27, 1908, a crowd of folks from across Carrollton and Carroll County gathered at the old Bonner Farm on Bowdon Road, at what was then the brand-new campus of the Fourth District Agricultural and Mechanical School — known today, 110 years later, as the University of West Georgia.
www.ajc.com
Stacey Abrams outlines higher education plan for Georgia
Eric Stirgus
Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Saturday laid out her plans to make college more affordable for students, increase accessibility and make campuses safer. Her proposals include:
needs-based aid for low-income students that would be called HOPE 2.0, restoring tuition-free certificates and diplomas for students with at least a 2.0 grade-point average, a “Cradle to Career Savings Program,” which seeds a savings account for children at birth and can be used for higher education. These initiatives, and others, would cost an estimated $100 million in its first year, the campaign said. The money would come from state funds, the Georgia lottery, private funds and better collection of state tax revenue, the campaign said.
ensure there’s enough money to properly fund the University System of Georgia’s ongoing College 2025 initiative.
mandate every University System of Georgia institution have meetings with students before entering and ending their education that share information about federal programs that forgive student loan debt. …
Higher Education News:
www.npr.org
Justice Department Investigating How Colleges Use Early-Decision Admissions
The Justice Department is investigating whether colleges communicate with each other about prospective students they accept through the early-decision process. Recently we talked about the college admissions process and the growing use of wait lists. On the other side of the equation? Early-decision programs, where colleges and universities accept students early in the process and kids commit right away. But the Department of Justice wants to know whether schools are taking advantage of the process by sharing information about those early-decision applicants and whether that could be a violation of antitrust laws.
www.nytimes.com
Colleges Recruit at Richer, Whiter High Schools
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/13/opinion/college-recruitment-rich-white.html
By Ozan Jaquette and Karina Salazar
Colleges like to tout their commitment to diversity, but the way they recruit students tells a different story. For example, the typical high school visited by Connecticut College during recruitment events was richer and whiter than the typical high school they didn’t visit. An analysis of 41 other colleges and universities shows a similar trend: high schools that were visited for recruiting events tended to be whiter and wealthier than schools that were not visited. The findings come from newly collected data on high school recruitment visits, when colleges send representatives across the country to court potential students
www.chronicle.com
It Matters a Lot Who Teaches Introductory Courses. Here’s Why.
https://www.chronicle.com/article/It-Matters-a-Lot-Who-Teaches/243125?cid=wsinglestory_6_1a
By Beckie Supiano
Introductory courses can open doors for students, helping them not only discover a love for a subject area that can blossom into their major but also feel more connected to their campus. But on many campuses, teaching introductory courses typically falls to less-experienced instructors. Sometimes the task is assigned to instructors whose very connection to the college is tenuous. A growing body of evidence suggests that this tension could have negative consequences for students. Two papers presented at the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting in New York on Sunday support this idea.
www.chronicle.com
How Colleges Can Cultivate Students’ Sense of Belonging
https://www.chronicle.com/article/How-Colleges-Can-Cultivate/243123?cid=wcontentlist
By Beckie Supiano
A growing body of research has linked students’ sense of belonging on their campuses to a number of important outcomes, including their persistence in college and even their well-being. As a result, some colleges make an effort to help students — especially members of underrepresented groups — cultivate that sense. Two studies scheduled to be presented at the American Educational Research Association’s annual meeting in New York on Saturday provide new insight into how they might do that. The first study, “Experiences With Diversity and Students’ Satisfaction and Sense of Belonging at Research Universities,” is based on data from the 2014 “Student Experience at the Research University” survey, which collects data from multiple institutions … The second paper, “Learning Communities, Mattering, and Sense of Belonging: Structural Equation Modeling From Year 1 of a Longitudinal Study,” unpacked which elements of a comprehensive college transition program for first-generation and low-income students relate to belonging and to mattering, or the feeling that someone counts or makes a difference because others depend on him or her.