University System News:
www.southernpoliticalreport.com
University System of Georgia Announces creation of Georgia FinTech Academy
by Cindy Morley
University System of Georgia officials announced a statewide initiative Tuesday to create a talent pipeline for Georgia’s fast-growing financial technology (fintech) business sector. According to the announcement by Chancellor Steve Wrigley and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia, they are creating a hub at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business for all 26 colleges and universities in the system to learn and train more students for careers in the financial technology industry. This, they say, is designed to address a labor gap in the state. Fintech is one of six sectors identified by Gov. Nathan Deal’s High Demand Career Initiative. A segment of the financial services industry, Fintech uses new technologies to lower the costs and decrease time of financial transactions. In Georgia, more than 40,000 people are employed in fintech, which generates more than $72 billion in annual revenue.
www.11alive.com
‘Georgia didn’t get the Emmy attention it deserved,’ but the industry is still booming
“We had 450 shows shot here in Georgia last year,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, the executive director of the Georgia Film Academy.
Author: Nick Sturdivant
ATLANTA – Georgians who watched the 70th Emmy Awards might have been a little disappointed in the outcome. Many are saying Georgia-produced shows got snubbed. Going into the Emmy Awards, Georgia-produced shows “Stranger Things,” “Atlanta,” and “Ozark” raked in the praise, with more than 30 Emmy nominations combined. A week before in a smaller ceremony, Katt Williams did win an Emmy for Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Uncle Willie in “Atlanta.” “I’m surprised that Georgia didn’t get the Emmy attention it deserved,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, the executive director of the Georgia Film Academy. “We had 450 shows shot here in Georgia last year.”
www.gwinnettdailypost.com
GGC holds ribbon cutting for academic facility
Staff Reports
On Tuesday, Georgia Gwinnett College welcomed Gwinnett community leaders for a ribbon cutting of Building W, the school’s newest academic facility. Building W opened in August for students to use during the fall semester, however, the school chose to hold a formal ribbon cutting during Tuesday’s “Celebration of Growth and Appreciation” day. The 54,000 square foot facility includes faculty offices, classrooms, student gathering and study areas, the dean’s office for the School of Transitional Studies, an office, activity and classroom suite for the GGC Honors Program and an experimental classroom designed for project-based, experiential and service learning activities. Part of the day included a facility dedication of Stephens Family Executive Forum, a state-of-the-art, corporate-style facility located in Building W. The executive forum was made possible by a gift from the family of Gwinnett resident John D. Stephens in support of the college’s commitment to higher education.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
College begins library renovation project
By LAUREN MCDONALD
College of Coastal Georgia recently began work to expand its on-campus library, in response to enrollment growth at the college over the last several years. Built in January 1973, the library is located in the heart of the Brunswick campus. The renovation will include a 3,025 square-foot extension that will be added to the side of the building that faces College Drive. With the extension, the library will total 34,023 square feet. The expansion will include a study room, active learning space, conference room and learning commons. Recent growth at the college has created increased demand for library services and academic assistance, according to a press release from Coastal Georgia. The college’s enrollment has grown 19 percent from fall semester in 2009 to the fall semester of 2017. That growth has been driven in large part by an exponential rise in the percentage of students seeking a bachelor’s degree, which has grown from 3 percent in 2009 to 62 percent in 2017.
www.valdostadailytimes.com
EDITORIAL: New VSU center would be boon for area
A recommendation from the Board of Regents could have Valdosta State University entering a new stage. Literally. Last week, Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia recommended $1.3 million in initial support for a new, state-of-the-art performing arts center designed to enhance the arts, tourism and economic development in South Georgia, according to a statement from VSU. Specifically, the center will be used by VSU Theatre & Dance for plays, dance recitals, musicals and other dramatic presentations during the regular academic year and by Peach State Summer Theatre presenting three professional musicals in late spring and early summer. The center will be located where the old Ashley Cinemas is located on Ashley Street near the intersection with Northside Drive. It will feature approximately 40,000 square feet of performance, rehearsal, instructional and office space for the VSU Theatre area, as well as ample surface parking and enhanced visibility and accessibility to residents and visitors. But the center is still a long way from making a debut. The recommendation is simply a start. The regents recommendation goes to the Office of the Governor for further consideration before the start of the 2019 legislative session, according to a statement from VSU. And the $1.3 million would be earmarked for the design phase of the project. The design phase usually lasts one academic year, according to VSU. …Though there are still many ifs and plenty of state officials who need to sign off on the project, it’s an exciting proposition for VSU and the region.
www.statesboroherald.com
A life of ‘struggles’
GS event simulates lives stuck in poverty
https://www.statesboroherald.com/local/a-life-of-struggles/
JULIE LAVENDER/staff
Statesboro Herald
Community members and Georgia Southern students were given the opportunity Saturday to gain a better understanding of the effects of poverty and journey through a “month” of struggles and difficulties during a “Poverty Simulation” that was held at the Russell Union Ballroom. Sponsored by the Georgia Southern University Public and Non-Profit Studies Group and put on by Step-Up Savannah, a collaborative non-profit, the event took place in four, 15-minute segments, with each segment representing a week’s time in the life of an impoverished family or individual.
www.ajc.com
Wanted: Man accused of groping 2 students at Georgia State
By Steve Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia State University police are seeking a man they say groped two students on campus. Police have released surveillance photos of the man they are seeking in connection with the incidents, which occurred about 1 p.m. Monday. One occurred in the area of Langdale Hall, university police Chief Joseph Spillane told AJC.com early Wednesday. The other occurred in the area of Library South and Library Plaza. Spillane said the man also groped a woman on Auburn Avenue on Tuesday. Atlanta police is handling that investigation. It is not clear if the man, who is wanted on charges of sexual battery, is a student.
www.albanyherald.com
Perdue announces new HBCU corporate partners
Atlanta-based Pandora Music joins HBCU partnership
From Staff Reports
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator David Perdue, Congresswoman Alma S. Adams, and the Congressional Bipartisan Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus announced Tuesday that eight companies have agreed to become corporate partners with HBCUs, including Pandora Music in Atlanta, Amazon, AnitaB.org, Dell Inc., GM Financial, Nielsen, Regions Bank and Volvo Group North America. By accepting the HBCU Partnership Challenge, these companies will increase engagement with HBCUs and work with the caucus to establish best practices for diversifying the work force. “Georgia is home to 10 fantastic HBCUs that play an important role in educating America’s future leaders,” Perdue, a member of the Bipartisan HBCU Caucus, said. “It’s an honor to work with my colleagues on the Bipartisan Congressional HBCU Caucus to address the unique challenges our HBCUs face. I’m delighted eight new companies, including Pandora Music in Atlanta, are joining our partnership to highlight the accomplishments of HBCUs across the country.”
www.gainesvilletimes.com
How educational partnerships are helping build the next workforce in Gainesville, Hall County
Joshua Silavent
Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield believes that the answer to closing student achievement gaps and better preparing pupils for life outside the classroom begins with asking the right question. “Perhaps it’s that we’re still riding a horse that our great-great-grandparents rode that just doesn’t get the job done any longer,” he told attendees during a forum hosted by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education at the University of North Georgia in Gainesville on Tuesday, Sept. 18. “We are measuring the wrong things. The world has changed.” …Developing a pipeline of educated workers, whether in the trades or liberal arts, doesn’t just ready the next generation of craftsmen and professionals – education is imperative to the regional economy and quality of life. …The demands for a skilled, educated workforce are also large. Across the state, employer job openings have grown more than 150 percent since 2010, and by 2025, 60 percent of jobs will require some form of post-secondary education, the Georgia Partnership reports. Right now, just 48 percent of young adults have a post-secondary credential.
Higher Education News:
www.chronicle.com
Hispanic adults are often overlooked by colleges. Can a new effort change that?
By Goldie Blumenstyk
When colleges talk about enrolling more Hispanic students, they tend to think of a “traditional” age group. That’s understandable. After all, in the United States, the median age of Hispanics is 27; for whites, it’s 43. But what’s understandable isn’t the same as what’s desirable. And that’s one reason Deborah A. Santiago, who heads up Excelencia in Education, an organization seeking to improve educational outcomes for Latino students, has been working for the past few years to improve colleges’ outreach and service to Hispanic adults. Last week, those efforts paid off. Her group and the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning jointly announced a new program that will help 15 Hispanic-serving institutions examine how well they’re serving adults and share the research and findings. Three nonprofit groups — Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation & Affiliates, the Kresge Foundation, and the Greater Texas Foundation — are putting up $2.5 million to cover the costs.