University System News:
www.albanyherald.com
It’s official: Regents name Fedrick ASU president
Marion Fedrick has ‘interim’ removed from her Albany State title
From Staff Reports
ATLANTA — The University System of Georgia Board of Regents named Marion Fedrick president of Albany State University Tuesday. Fedrick has been serving as the interim president of ASU since Jan. 12. Prior to that appointment, Fedrick served as ASU’s interim executive vice president beginning in October of last year. “In my visits to Albany, I am encouraged by what I see, what I hear and what I experience,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley said in a statement. “In meetings with faculty, staff and students, it is clear Marion’s leadership has caught their attention and made them excited for the future both for themselves and their institution. Her leadership and commitment have made a difference for this institution, and I congratulate her.”
www.albanyherald.com
Fedrick named permanent president at Albany State
She replaced outgoing president Art Dunning in January as interim president
From Staff Reports
ATLANTA — Today, the Board of Regents named Marion Fedrick as president of Albany State University. Fedrick has been serving as the interim president of ASU since Jan. 12. Prior to that appointment, Fedrick served as ASU’s interim executive vice president beginning Oct. 16, 2017.
www.walb.com
Board of Regents names next ASU president
http://www.walb.com/story/38878946/board-of-regents-names-next-asu-president
By Christopher Wood, Digital Content Producer
ATLANTA, GA (WALB) – The University System of Georgia has named Marion Fedrick as the next president of Albany State University. The announcement was made Tuesday at the Board of Regents meeting in Atlanta. Chancellor Steve Wrigley recommended Fedrick be named the next full-time president.
www.mdjonline.com
BACK TO SCHOOL: KSU president serves up first-day cake
Shaddi Abusaid
Kennesaw State University president Pamela Whitten welcomed students back to class Monday in the sweetest way. Students at the state’s third-largest university returned to a gigantic cake served up by the new president, who extended her family’s back-to-school tradition to more than 36,000 students on both college campuses. Two large vanilla cakes with buttercream frosting and 70 dozen cupcakes were rolled out in Kennesaw and Marietta as Whitten introduced herself and welcomed students for fall semester. Whitten, who took over as president last month, said the tradition is one that started with her three children about 25 years ago. …Because cake has become such an integral part of celebrating the first day of school in the Whitten family, the new president figured she would extend the custom to her students at KSU.
www.wgauradio.com
UGA PRESIDENT WELCOMES UNIVERSITY COMMUNTIY TO NEW FALL SEMESTER
By: Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia’s fall semester classes began Monday, and UGA president Jere Morehead had a message for University students, staff, and faculty: “Welcome to the start of a new academic year at the University of Georgia, the birthplace of public higher education in America! Through our mission of teaching, research, and service, we are making a positive impact across this state, throughout the nation, and around the world. Indeed, what we do here every day matters, and it would not be possible without your hard work and commitment to excellence. The short video above celebrates this special time at our University.
www.ajc.com
UGA acceptance getting tougher
https://www.ajc.com/news/education/uga-acceptance-getting-tougher/372Xsw4o4bRxz2A77E6ECM/
By Eric Stirgus
The University of Georgia’s freshman class is in, and the standards for acceptance continue to rise. Nearly 26,500 students applied, and about 5,750 of those are beginning classes. The university reports that the class of 2022 has an average weighted high school GPA of 4.04, which is a record. The average ACT score is 30, which ties last year’s record. For comparison, the average weighted GPA of incoming UGA students was 3.9 four years ago, and the average ACT score was 29. SAT scores of incoming students have reached a record level, with an average of 1365 for the Class of 2022 compared to 1344 last year.
www.tiftonceo.com
Dr. David Bridges on ABAC and Continued Growth
http://tiftonceo.com/video/2018/08/dr-david-bridges-abac-and-continued-growth/
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College President David Bridges talks about the recent growth the College has experienced and what to look forward to in the future.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
New college president poised for great things
The Brunswick News
College of Coastal Georgia caught Michelle Johnston’s eye for all the right reasons. The new president of the college noticed the speed with which the institution transitioned from a two-year junior college into a four-year baccalaureate program and how quickly it was recognized for its quality and affordability. “In the last 10 years, transitioning to a four year institution, doing it that fast, that’s unheard of. And to do it with the grace and the finesse and the quality that it’s been done here, those are really, really impressive things,” Johnston told The News last week. We have been impressed as well and are thankful she was so eager to lead CCGA into its next chapter and to foster its growth for the next generation. Johnston took over as college president on July 23 and since has been getting to know the students, faculty and staff. Johnston has also been getting to know the community, which will be key to her successful tenure.
www.wtoc.com
Consider This: Georgia Southern, Armstrong merger
http://m.wtoc.com/wtoc/db_350145/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=BiNFeosj
Larry Silbermann
SAVANNAH, GA (WTOC) – After nearly two years of angst, aggravation, and, at times, a bit of confusion, Georgia Southern and Armstrong are now one fully merged mega school that spans more than 50 miles and educates over 27,000 students. We were told at the time of the merge, by the Board of Regents, that this move was necessary to give the combined university the clout, leverage, and financial stability it needed to move forward. So, this week, as classes began at the Statesboro, Savannah, and Hinesville campuses of Georgia Southern, students are now a part of our state’s fourth largest university system.
www.wrganews.com
Date set for GHC’s new academic building Ribbon Cutting and Open House
http://wrganews.com/common/page.php?feed=1&id=130101&is_corp=1
Georgia Highlands College will be opening its new academic building at the Cartersville location in October during a Ribbon Cutting and Open House event. The event will take place on October 16 from 4-6PM and is open to the public. …The 52,000-square foot building has a full slate of classes planned for spring 2019 and will be focused on STEAM-based (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) areas of study. GHC pursued funding for the building and was approved under the fiscal year 2017 state budget which was approved by Legislature and signed by Governor Deal. “We would like to especially thank our legislators for all they do to support GHC, the USG, and education in the state,” said Vice President for Advancement Mary Transue, who also serves in GHC’s Government Relations role. “Without their tireless support and dedication, this venture would not have been possible.” GHC received a total $22.5 million in state funding to advance the project: $2.2 for design, $17.7 for construction and $2.6 for equipment.
www.emanuelcountylive.com
EGSC to hold groundbreaking ceremony
http://emanuelcountylive.com/2018/08/egsc-to-hold-groundbreaking-ceremony-2/
by KATELYN MOORE
On August 16, 2018, beginning at 11 a.m., East Georgia State College will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for the Jean A. Morgan Student Activities Center Expansion Project. Join the college as they take their next step in meeting the needs of students on campus. The expansion project will add approximately 15,000 square feet to the existing facility and will provide much-needed student activity space, including a large multi-purpose room, digital gaming, larger game room, offices and a meeting room for the Student Government Association, Student Publication offices, and Student Life administrative space. The stated cost limitation for construction is $3.8 million. The existing portion of the JAM Center will be vacated by Student Activities and repurposed for a larger College Bookstore, as well as open computing space and student group study nodes.
www.bizjournals.com
Film production degree to be offered at Columbus State University
By Dave Williams – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
The University System of Georgia is creating a new “nexus” degree in film production at Columbus State University. The system’s Board of Regents is expected to vote Tuesday to approve a partnership between Columbus State and the Georgia Film Academy that will take effect with the current semester. The Georgia Film Academy was launched in 2016 by the university system and the Technical College System of Georgia to train in-state crew members and keep film jobs in the hands of Georgians.
www.emanuelcountylive.com
Dr. Palumbo receives grant
http://emanuelcountylive.com/2018/08/dr-palumbo-receives-grant/
by KATELYN MOORE
Dr. Carmine Palumbo, East Georgia State College Director of Study Abroad, recently received a grant from the U.S. Department of State to attend a Gilman Scholarship Workshop at DePaul University in Chicago, Ill. on Friday, August 10, 2018. This workshop is one of three held nationally to train study abroad advisors to assist students in applying for Gilman Scholarships. The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.
www.bizjournals.com
Robins Air Force Base, University of North Georgia are major beneficiaries of new $717B bill
By Dave Williams – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
Robins Air Force Base and the University of North Georgia (UNG) are major beneficiaries of the fiscal 2019 Defense Authorization Act President Donald Trump signed into law Monday. The legislation gives the air force base in Warner Robins, Ga., a new mission and authorizes the Pentagon to establish cyber institutes at colleges and universities across the country, with a preference for the nation’s six senior military colleges, including UNG.
www.ajc.com
Judge denies injunction request in Georgia campus carry lawsuit
By Eric Stirgus
A Fulton County judge has denied an injunction request by six Georgia professors to prohibit the state’s contentious campus carry law, which allows licensed gun owners to carry a firearm on some parts of public college campuses. Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams wrote in her ruling her decision had nothing to do with the merits of the complaint. Instead, she wrote, “because the State has not waived sovereign immunity, and, to the extent Plaintiffs claims could be sustained against Defendants in their individual capacities, official immunity would bar such claims.” The ruling was filed Thursday.
www.ajc.com
Jury convicts man in scam that defrauded some Georgia Tech workers
By Eric Stirgus
A jury convicted a Nigerian man of an online scam that illegally accessed employee bank accounts of several colleges and universities, including Georgia Tech, federal prosecutors announced Monday. Olayinka Olaniyi, 34, was part of a scheme that sent fraudulent emails that appeared to be from legitimate businesses to trick the recipients into providing personal information and passwords. He and Damilola S. Ibiwoye, 29, also from Nigeria, used the information to steal payroll deposits, and access to employee W2 forms, which they used to file fraudulent tax returns. The attempted theft was over $6 million, prosecutors said. The men committed their crimes while living in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and were extradited to the U.S. to face charges.
www.fox28media.com
UGA’s oyster hatchery is the first of its kind
BY CAITLYN PENTER
It’s spawning season for Georgia oysters. Although there is a healthy population of wild oysters, there are not enough to keep up with demand from restaurants. Researchers at UGA’s Oyster Hatchery are trying to change this. They are the first and only hatchery in the state of Georgia to test oyster aquaculture. “Currently our largest project has been working to spawn oysters in the hatchery to provide seed oysters,” said Tom Bliss, the director of the shellfish research lab. The revolutionary process mass produces oysters in a much shorter period of time. …UGA’s hatchery is the testing ground for oyster aquaculture in Georgia.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
The Education Dept. Wants to Hold Colleges Accountable by Reporting Graduates’ Earnings. One Problem: The Data Aren’t All There.
By Eric Kelderman
The U.S. Department of Education has proposed new rules requiring all colleges to report the earnings of their graduates for each academic program or major. But the data are not yet available for many colleges and programs, and may not be ready for some time after the department’s proposal takes effect. Even when the earnings figures are available, they may not accurately represent the salaries of graduates of certain programs and institutions, said several higher-education experts, unless Congress takes action. The proposed changes are part of the department’s effort to eliminate the “gainful-employment rule,” which was supposed to go into effect last year. That rule would have measured the earnings only of graduates of career-oriented colleges against their student-loan debt. Institutions whose graduates earned too little over several years risked losing access to federal financial aid.
www.hechingerreport.org
Too little aid for low-income STEM majors?
With an extra financial-aid boost, low-income students more likely to study science, technology, engineering or math, study finds
https://hechingerreport.org/too-little-aid-for-low-income-stem-majors/
by DELECE SMITH-BARROW
When low-income students get a need-based grant, in addition to other financial aid, they are more likely to study science, technology, engineering or math (STEM) than their peers who don’t receive this boost in aid, according to a recent study from the Hope Center for College, Community and Justice. The study’s authors followed students who in 2008-2009 received the Wisconsin Scholars Grant, which is reserved for Pell grant-eligible students from Wisconsin who graduated from a state high school (or received an equivalency diploma) and attended a state college or university, among other criteria. Pell grants cover only 30 percent of the total price of attendance at the average public four-year institution, the authors said.