University System News:
www.ajc.com
Ga. colleges: Affordability a growing problem for low-income students
By Eric Stirgus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A group of education reporters and editors recently created a website to track how much money students from different income brackets are paying to attend college. One immediate takeaway from the folks who created the free site, called TuitionTracker.org: Students from lower-income families are paying more for college than they were a few years ago. Political leaders in Georgia and much of the nation have looked for ways in recent years with mixed results to make college more affordable for lower-income students as data continues to show they’re paying more in tuition and it’s taking a greater portion of their family income. The website suggests there’s more work to do. College costs for low-income students after grants and scholarships, which Tuition Tracker calls the “net price,” increased by more than 30 percent in a recent five-year stretch at several of Georgia’s largest private and public colleges and universities.
www.tiftonceo.com
ABAC Golf Tournament November 2nd Benefits Golden Stallions & Golden Fillies
Staff Report From Tifton CEO
Intercollegiate athletes wearing the green-and-gold of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will reap the benefits from the first annual ABAC Athletics Golf Tournament on Nov. 2 at ABAC’s Forest Lakes Golf Club. Athletics Director Alan Kramer said proceeds from the tournament will be directed toward the funding of the six intercollegiate sports at ABAC which include baseball, women’s softball, women’s soccer, men’s and women’s tennis, and golf. Proceeds will also benefit scholarships for ABAC athletes, the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame, athletic training services, and intramural programs at ABAC.
www.athensceo.com
UGA Teaches Aspiring Entrepreneurs What It Takes to Start a Business
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
The fourth floor of Creswell Hall looks pretty much like your typical residence hall, but the students living here are far from typical. They are all entrepreneurs: risk-takers who want to turn their ideas into businesses. Many of them already have. …These three first-year students are a part of the Launch Pad, a new living learning community created to spark innovation. Students applied to live in the Launch Pad this spring after being accepted at UGA, but before starting classes. They had to write a brief essay describing their entrepreneurial goals, and share stories about their own startups, if applicable. The group—14 men and 12 women—represents a wide cross section of campus. Many of them are engineering and STEM majors.
www.onlineathens.com
Kindfest returns to UGA campus
By Wyatt Nail / Correspondent
Karma Coffee, a University of Georgia student organization, is hosting its second annual Kindfest 2-6 p.m. Thursday on Myers Quad of the UGA campus. The music and kindness festival is free and open to all UGA students. Those in attendance will be able to enjoy live music and interact with local organizations. “We hope to inspire people to weave kindness and consideration into their daily lives,” said Jaren Mendel, president and founder of Karma Coffee. “With a fall festival feeling of live music and booths vending acts of kindness for people to do on the spot, Kindfest creatively encourages compassion to attendees.” Karma Coffee was founded by Mendel in 2016 and operates by giving out cups of coffee to UGA students willing to do a good deed in return. It’s a free coffee, but Mendel hopes people think about the reasoning behind the organization.
www.georgiahealthnews.com
UGA researchers simulate traumatic brain injuries in lab
Alex Boss, Prajakta Dhapte and Emily Webb
…The lack of therapeutic intervention has been a longstanding frustration for those who study concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Now some Georgia researchers may be making headway in addressing the issue. In a study published in July in the journal Nature, scientists who focus on cell regeneration at the University of Georgia reported successfully replicating some conditions of traumatic brain injuries in a Petri dish — without using an actual human brain — allowing researchers new insight into the condition. “We thought of taking this out of the human being, because that’s where complexity confounds things,” explained the study’s lead author, Lohitash Karumbaiah, an assistant professor at the Regenerative Bioscience Center in Athens. Simulating brain injuries in a Petri dish allowed the team to examine how different types of electrical stimulation can control, regulate and even repair the brain neurons that malfunction after a head injury. And they could do it safely, without causing further risk to any brain injury patient.
www.13wmaz.com
6 months later, GBI still investigating misconduct allegations at Fort Valley State University
District Attorney David Cooke would not comment on whether any charges have been filed.
Author: Zach Merchant
t’s been about 6 months since the Georgia Bureau of Investigation began its investigation at Fort Valley State. Back in April, the GBI was called in to investigate what the school referred to as “potential employee misconduct.” Soon after, the international sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha announced it was suspending its FVSU chapter. An assistant to the school president who Alpha Kappa Alpha said was a member of the sorority, also resigned her position around that time. Six months later, however, District Attorney David Cooke would not comment on whether any charges have been filed. Fort Valley mayor Barbara Williams said it’s time for the investigation to end. “It is time to get it wrapped up,” she said. “It’s a cloud that is hanging over our community and we need to see the rainbow.” She doesn’t think the investigation so far has hurt the city’s economy–which she says is closely linked to the university–and thinks the school’s enrollment hasn’t yet been affected either.
www.savannahnow.com
Savannah State eyes layoffs amid decline in student enrollment
By Brittini Ray
Savannah State University may be downsizing its operation by laying off faculty members and employees in the near future. The layoffs would address a steady loss in revenue due to enrollment decline, according to President Cheryl Dozier. “As you may know, our enrollment has declined for two consecutive years, and a drop in enrollment means a decrease in tuition, fee and state-allocated revenue,” Dozier said in a Oct. 4 letter to faculty and staff. “This has resulted in a budget reduction for our current fiscal year, [FY 2019 ]. We also are preparing for reductions in state funding that will impact the next two budget cycles: [FY 2020 and FY 2021].” Officials declined to answers questions as to what departments will be impacted, when exactly layoffs would begin or what the estimate savings costs would be, but said that layoffs are being considered for the future. “We are at the beginning of a process that may take most of this academic year,” said spokeswoman Loretta Heyward. “No details are available at this point in the process.” As of Wednesday, no employees have been notified they are being released, Heyward said. University leaders are collaborating with the Board of Regents to create a Strategic Alignment of Resources Planning Committee and a campus task force for the University System of Georgia’s Comprehensive Administrative Review, according to Dozier.
www.redandblack.com
UGA union members fear Comprehensive Administrative Review will lead to job cuts
Erica Jackson | Contributor
Workers at public universities across Georgia feel their jobs and ultimately public higher education is threatened by a Comprehensive Administrative Review the University System of Georgia is in the process of conducting. USG began an evaluation process of nonfaculty administrative functions in 26 universities across Georgia, and the University of Georgia is the last school in the lineup. The process, which began data collection in September 2017, has required staff from departments ranging from financial aid, information technology, libraries and academic affairs, to name a few, to fill out a survey of their duties. This process is led by Huron Consulting Group, a third-party organization that analyzes the data from the surveys and makes suggestions to cut costs and increase efficiency. Staff members from UGA, Kennesaw State University, Georgia Southern and the University of Texas were present during a digital town hall hosted by the United Campus Workers of Georgia at 6 p.m. on Oct. 16. Members from each university present had issues with Huron evaluating their jobs’ functions, fearing an intent to potentially eliminate their positions.
www.thegeorgeanne.com
Student organizations to hold solidarity walk Friday in protest of the “triggerish” incident
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_8db31e9c-5afe-5bdc-a0b4-83b8cc597dd6.html
By Matthew Enfinger, The George-Anne staff
Student organizations are planning to hold a solidarity walk on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro campus Friday in protest of a student’s usage of the N-word last summer. The walk was organized by the National Pan-Hellenic Council. Other organizations participating include the NAACP, Know Your Worth, the Nation Council of Negro Women, African Student Association and MOVE. The “triggerish” incident Last summer, GS received national attention when screenshots depicting a GS student using the N-word in a message to her future roommate went viral. “Her insta looks pretty normal not too n***erish,” the sender said in screenshots displayed on social media. The message, according to posts on social media, used the actual N-word, and The George-Anne has chosen not to publish the slur in its original form. The sender sent a follow-up message apologizing and said the message was meant for someone else, adding that the use of the N-word was a typo on her phone.
www.thegeorgeanne.com
Georgia Southern packs Carroll Building atrium for Stacey Abrams rally
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_07f0c984-0e75-5110-a84c-87700673a81c.html
By McClain Baxley, The George-Anne staff
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams spoke to an emphatic crowd tightly packed into the Carroll Building on Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro campus Tuesday night. The rally was hosted by the Young Democrats of GS to encourage early voting. Along with Abrams, Congressional candidate Francys Johnson and insurance commissioner candidate Janice Laws also spoke about their campaigns and thoughts on Abrams. When Abrams finally arrived from her rally in Hinesville just a few hours earlier, Beyoncé’s “Run the World” played over the speakers before GS Young Democrats President Eduardo Delgado voiced his concerns to the excited audience. “As a student, I’m concerned about student debt, accessibility and affordability of college,” Delgado said. “As a taxpayer, I am concerned with how our money will affect all Georgians in this state. And as a son of immigrants, I am concerned about if my state government will treat every single human being with dignity and respect.” After thanking all in attendance and reminding onlookers when and where early voters can vote, Delgado used one of GS’ most noticeable slogans, GATA, to rile up the crowd.
www.washingtonexaminer.com
Should universities give credit for partisan campaigns or events?
by Brendan Pringle
Clayton State University professor Andrea Allen ran into trouble with university officials after she offered her students extra credit to attend a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams in what she called “a onetime exception.” The criminal justice professor offered her students two bonus points to their final grade as an incentive to attend because, she told the students, the organizers “would really like a big turnout.” This obvious display of partisan bias was immediately addressed by the university, which issued a statement on the action after the story broke. “[U]niversity administrators have advised the professor that extra credit should be offered on an equal basis to those participating in events by all political parties,” the statement read. “The professor acknowledges she had made a mistake and agreed to fix it by offering extra credit for all political events.” It’s not uncommon for colleges to mix partisan activities with course credit. …Colleges and universities that offer credit (or extra credit) to students for political activities should have a balanced approach in order to avoid falling into embarrassing situations like that of Clayton State University. If a professor is going to offer extra credit for a Democratic function, he or she needs to offer equal credit to attend other alternative functions hosted by opposing political parties. Similarly, course credit for political internships should be available to students volunteering at any political party.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA’s Lake Herrick reopened to the public
http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20181017/ugas-lake-herrick-reopened-to-public
By Lee Shearer
The University of Georgia on Wednesday officially re-opened its Lake Herrick for recreation, 16 years after administrators closed the little body of water amid pollution concerns. Now, after an extensive renovation project, UGA students, workers and the public can now launch kayaks, canoes and paddle boards on Lake Herrick. Fishing is also allowed at the lake, but not swimming. “We’re here today to celebrate some of the more visible aspects of this project,” said UGA President Jere Morehead at a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday afternoon – the renovation of the pavilion beside the lake and the opening up of the lake itself. Following the ribbon-cutting, workers with UGA’s recreational sports department zipped across the lake in kayaks and canoes, which the department rents for use on the lake.
Higher Education News:
www.diverseeducation.com
Court Ruling Allows Loan Forgiveness for Defrauded Students
by Jamie Rogers
A U.S. District Court judge has lifted the suspension of a rule that would allow defrauded student borrowers to have their federal loans forgiven. The 2016 borrower defense rule is a process created by the Obama Administration that allows misled and defrauded student loan borrowers to have their federal loans discharged. The court ruled that the Education Department acted illegally when it suspended the rule in 2017 before it could take effect, according to the release.
www.insidehighered.com
Fixed Maximum Terms for Student Visas?
Trump administration plans to set new time limits for student visas to reduce overstays. Advocates for international exchange see the move as one that could hurt America’s ability to compete for international students.
By Elizabeth Redden
The Trump administration published notice on Wednesday that it intends to propose a new rule in fall 2019 establishing a maximum period of authorized stay for international students and other holders of certain nonimmigrant visas. The government says the planned rule is “intended to decrease the incidence of nonimmigrant student overstays and improve the integrity of the nonimmigrant student visa.” Advocates for international exchange are worried, however, that the introduction of such a rule could limit flexibility for international students and scholars and undercut efforts by U.S. universities to recruit them. The number of international students in the U.S. declined in the 2017-18 academic year after years of steady growth. Currently, student visas are generally valid for what’s known as “duration of status,” which means that international students in the U.S. can stay indefinitely as long as they maintain their status as students.
www.onlineathens.com
Orszag: Why public universities are getting shortchanged
http://www.onlineathens.com/opinion/20181017/orszag-why-public-universities-are-getting-shortchanged
By Peter R. Orszag / Bloomberg
Over the past decade, state government funding of higher education in the U.S. has fallen by $7 billion after inflation. The implications include increased tuition, which has received much public attention, but also a reduction in the relative quality of public higher education, which has gone largely unnoticed. Surprisingly, the most important driver of these trends at public institutions has little to do with education directly: it is instead the rising cost of health care. State support for public colleges and universities has been on the wane for a few decades (the precise peak depends on how the measurement is done). The trend, though, shows no sign of slowing: Since 2008, state government outlays have fallen by more than $1,400, or 16 percent, per student on an inflation-adjusted basis. Over that period, the only states with increases in spending were California, Hawaii, North Dakota and Wyoming. In nine states, spending fell by more than 30 percent in real terms. The much-discussed consequence: More than 30 percent increases in tuition at both four-year and two-year public institutions since 2008, again after accounting for inflation. Historically, state appropriations were much more important than tuition in funding higher education, but the cumulative effect of the constraints in government spending and rises in tuition have flipped that pattern. For the first time, the majority of states now rely more on tuition than educational appropriations as funding sources.
www.insidehighered.com
Degrees Outpace Job Requirements in Most Cities
By Paul Fain
A new report from the Urban Institute used federal data to analyze the “mix-match” between the share of residents with four-year degrees (or some college) and the share of jobs requiring college educations in 387 metropolitan areas. The institute found that mix-matches are common, and that this challenge is unlikely to change soon. For example, 87 percent of the metro areas included in the analysis have more people with at least a four-year degree than the share of jobs that require this level of education — with that gap ranging from one to 32 percentage points. “The next 10 to 20 years will bring many challenges for the U.S. economy and the American work force. In many ways, with greater access to education, workers are better positioned than ever to contribute to their communities,” the report concludes. “We just need to ensure that our policies, businesses and institutions at the national, state and metropolitan levels provide the opportunities needed for people to succeed.”
www.chronicle.com
Disenchanted Ph.D. Recipients, Take Solace: It Gets Better, New Research Suggests
By Vimal Patel OCTOBER 18, 2018
Graduate students in the humanities face many challenges. The academic job market keeps getting tighter, student debt loads bigger. A doctorate these days isn’t worth it, critics have argued. But the results of a new survey, released on Thursday by the Council of Graduate Schools, push back a bit against that gloomy narrative. Doctoral recipients in the humanities say their Ph.D. programs prepared them well for their current jobs, whether academic or not, the research shows. And their perceptions seem to get rosier over time. Fifteen years after earning a Ph.D., for example, seven in 10 respondents in nonacademic careers said their programs had prepared them “extremely well” or “very well” for their current job. More than eight in 10 holding academic jobs said the same.
www.chronicle.com
How Harvard’s Admissions Office Courts Donors and Low-Income Students
By Nell Gluckman
William R. Fitzsimmons loves Harvard University. As its longtime dean of admissions, he spent the day here in federal court on Wednesday testifying about how the university labors to find the most promising students in all corners of the country. He sought to portray the elite institution as fighting widening economic divides, not a place that is reserved for the most privileged students. One example? Himself. During questioning from Harvard’s lawyer, William F. Lee, Fitzsimmons recounted his own experience growing up in Weymouth, Mass., the child of a gas-station owner. He was in the first generation in his family to go to college, received a scholarship, and paid the rest of his tuition himself. Lee asked which university he had attended. “Harvard College, fully accredited in Cambridge,” he said proudly in his Boston accent. That testimony came in the afternoon of the third day of a trial that has forced Harvard to defend its admissions process from claims that it discriminates against Asian-American applicants.