University System News:
www.albanyherald.com
Carr takes part in Ethics Awareness Week
From Staff Reports
ATLANTA – Attorney General Chris Carr this week participated in the University System of Georgia’s “Ethics Awareness Week” initiative and provided an update on the Department of Law’s Open Government Tour. “I was honored to speak to our University System of Georgia leadership during Ethics Awareness Week, which focused on ensuring and protecting public trust,” Carr said. “Every year, Chancellor Wrigley leads this initiative in order to promote at their institutions a positive, ethical culture — one that is built on integrity, good judgment and public service. We commend this effort, and we will continue working with our clients, city and county governments, members of the media and all of Georgia’s citizens to ensure that our government maintains the public’s trust by operating openly and transparently.” All 26 institutions of the University System of Georgia participated in Ethics Awareness Week, and the Attorney General’s participation highlighted the importance of this annual event.
www.moultrieobserver.com
ABAC faculty members selected for chancellor’s learning scholars program
TIFTON — Four faculty members from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College have been selected for the University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor’s Learning Scholars program. Dr. Mark Johnson, assistant professor of education; Dr. Justin Ng, associate professor of agriculture; Dr. Leslie Pryor-McIntosh, assistant professor of biology; and Dr. Dave Nelson, professor of history; were chosen for the program, which is in its inaugural year. Dr. Jordan Cofer, ABAC’s assistant vice president for academic affairs, learning resources, said faculty members from across the USG were nominated by their home institution to apply for the program. Of all those who applied, ABAC was fortunate to have four selected. “ABAC has had success with faculty learning communities in the past, so we are all really excited about this opportunity,” Cofer said. “I’m so proud of our faculty who were selected.” The Chancellor’s Learning Scholars program is a two-year program focused on helping faculty develop various aspects of their teaching.
www.ajc.com
College enrollment at record levels on some Georgia campuses
By Eric Stirgus, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
…This fall, Agnes Scott reported a record number of first-year students. So, too, did Augusta’s Paine College, the University of North Georgia and Georgia State University, which has more students — about 53,000 — than any school statewide. The University System of Georgia, home to the state’s largest public colleges, earlier this month reported record enrollment this fall for the fourth consecutive year with nearly 330,000 students. The enrollment increases in Georgia in recent years contrast with federal government data that show the number of students in the nation’s colleges has declined for six consecutive years, a 6 percent decline of more than 1 million students. So why is it increasing in Georgia?
www.ajc.com
7,500 students get early action admission at UGA
By Arlinda Smith Broady
About 7,500 college applicants at the University of Georgia will be getting news Friday that they are among the students who will be given the chance to be Bulldogs next year. Nearly 17,000 students applied for early action admission, in which students are given a letter of acceptance now rather than the more traditional acceptance period early next year. It can cut down on a period of nervous waiting for students and families. And it is a way for colleges and universities to try and lock in some of the best and brightest by guaranteeing them a slot. UGA says students who were offered early action admission enrolled in rigorous coursework and also earned outstanding grade point averages and did well on SAT or ACT tests. The number of students seeking early admission continues to grow, as the numbers applying to UGA this year rose 14 percent, year-over-year.
www.mdjonline.com
Campus news
Staff reports
♦ Forty-two members of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Class of 2021 at Georgia State University received their white coats at the annual White Coat Ceremony and Service of Remembrance on Sept. 6. Receiving the white coats marks the students’ transition to clinical education and professional status as developing healthcare providers.
www.businessinsider.com
RANKED: The 50 most underrated colleges in America
https://www.businessinsider.com/most-underrated-colleges-in-america-2018-11
Myelle Lansat and Andy Kiersz
Whether a student is more inclined to learn about artificial intelligence or take up photography, several factors play a role in choosing the right college. Business Insider has compiled a ranking of the top 50 underrated colleges nationwide by considering two factors: reputation and future earnings … 43. Georgia Institute of Technology … As a world-renowned public research university, Georgia Institute of Technology offers “rigorous” engineering, science, and business programs. With a 23% acceptance rate, the average high school GPA is 4.02, according to The Princeton Review.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
5 students were killed 50 years ago in a train crash. Now, a memorial to them stands at UNG
Jeff Gill
A train accident that killed five Gainesville Junior College freshmen 50 years ago continued to stir emotions Sunday, Nov. 18, as a memorial was dedicated to the students.
www.redandblack.com
UGA teacher starts school supply drive for Hurricane Michael victims in Panama City
Victoria Swyers | Contributor
Online images of the devastation caused by natural disasters often elicits feelings of empathy for the lives lost and homes destroyed. But when it’s your childhood city on the news as buildings are knocked down by the 155 mph winds, and it’s your family unheard from, possibly dead, the devastation is more than traumatic. For Hilary Hughes, an associate professor in the Department of Educational Theory and Practice in the University of Georgia’s College of Education, the trauma became her catalyst to help those directly affected by Hurricane Michael. Hughes experienced “vicarious trauma” — secondary trauma that may occur when a compassionate individual is repeatedly exposed to traumatic stories —when Hurricane Michael hit her hometown of Panama City, Florida, and it inspired her to organize a school supply drive to aid students and teachers in the area who lost everything.
www.campusreform.org
GSU mandates ‘all students’ take ‘diversity and inclusion’ courses
https://www.campusreform.org/?ID=11530
Andrew Lawrence
Campus Correspondent
Georgia Southern University will mandate that “all students” take “diversity and inclusion” courses. Under the new curriculum, all first and second-year students will be required to take the yet-to-be-announced courses, according to the student newspaper The George-Anne. This move is a result of diversity and inclusion resolution, passed by the GSU Student Government Association. … So far, the only course offering that has been formally announced is LEAD 3900, which, in addition to “relevant diversity programs,” will be integrated into the common core curriculum of students starting in fall 2019. Aside from establishing the course’s name, the resolution does not provide any information regarding the structure of LEAD 3900. The authors simply state that “the skills that this class provides are universal and can help determine the character of the student, rather than contribute to the scholastic content.” The resolution also calls for the SGA, GSU’s President’s Cabinet, and the school’s Presidential Diversity Advisory Council to cooperate in creating an annual “racial climate” report.
www.legalinsurrection.com
Georgia Southern U. Mandates Diversity and Inclusion Courses for All Students
Posted by Mike LaChance
“There is a lack of civil discourse about race, diversity, and inclusion”
Progressive ideas are so attractive that they have to be mandatory.
Campus Reform reports:
GSU mandates ‘all students’ take ‘diversity and inclusion’ courses
Georgia Southern University will mandate that “all students” take “diversity and inclusion” courses. Under the new curriculum, all first and second-year students will be required to take the yet-to-be-announced courses, according to the student newspaper The George-Anne. This move is a result of diversity and inclusion resolution, passed by the GSU Student Government Association.
www.bizjournals.com
New 158-unit residential project proposed near University of Georgia (Renderings)
By David Allison – Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
A big new residential project is being proposed near the University of Georgia in Athens. Plans call for 158 units with 201 total beds, including 43 2-bed units, 73 1-bed units and 42 studio units. Plans also call for a 7,885-square-foot market cafe, and 17,488 square feet of retail space, according to plans filed with the Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission, which is scheduled to review the project at its Dec. 13 meeting. It would be located at the intersection of Williams Street and Baldwin Street, just east of the main campus of UGA.
www.gainesvilletimes.com
How UNG is changing the housing industry in Oakwood
Jeff Gill
Bill Stark is more than familiar with off-campus, private student housing, as his son attends Clemson University in South Carolina. “It’s very, very popular, and they fill up very quickly,” he said. The South Hall developer is working to meet a similar need at the University of North Georgia’s fast-growing Gainesville campus.
www.ajc.com
Group to protest Yamaha’s fisheries policy at Kennesaw State
By Ben Brasch, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A group, including Clarkston’s Mayor Ted Terry, is set to protest Yamaha on Kennesaw State University’s campus on Friday. The protesters feel the company supports legislation that promotes the over-fishing of the oceans, said head organizer Audrey Beedle with environmental advocacy group Mighty Earth. But Yamaha Motor Corp. USA spokesman Martin Peters rebuffed that claim. …Beedle said they picked Kennesaw State because of the students and faculty who’d been helping with the campaign and because of its proximity to Yamaha’s new headquarters less than two miles away.
www.washingtonpost.com
For U.S. colleges, playing the great expectations game comes at a cost
By Jeffrey J. Selingo
Americans expect a lot from their colleges and universities. They want higher education to prepare students for jobs and as citizens in a democratic society. At the same time, they expect universities to produce research that makes our lives better and drives economic development in their towns, regions and states … Indeed, a recent analysis of more than 500 strategic plans from public universities found many parallels across schools of all sizes and types. The study was part of a report released by the Center for 21st Century Universities at Georgia Tech and the Deloitte Center for Higher Education Excellence (to which I contributed). Academic research was, by far, a common element in most strategic plans: The term “research” was the seventh-most-common word in the documents, and 54 percent of all four-year institutions had at least one paragraph devoted to research. Other common themes included expanding enrollment, facilities and new academic programs.
www.statescoop.com
States seek their place in ‘smart’ movement
https://statescoop.com/video/states-georgia-illinois-look-for-place-smart-cities-movement/
… In Georgia, the approach has been slightly different. The state’s technology office, the Georgia Technology Authority, is instead serving in more of a partner role, while organizations like the Georgia Institute of Technology, known more commonly as Georgia Tech, coalesce cities around the smart movement. The university organized the Georgia Smart challenge earlier this year to match up local governments with industry partners and funding for smart city projects … That effort is organized by Debra Lam, Georgia Tech’s managing director for smart cities and inclusive innovation. (Lam is also the former chief innovation and performance officer for the city of Pittsburgh.) To help promote the event, Lam held a workshop for would-be applicants in the state. State government had a “big” presence, Nichols says.
www.ajc.com
Were those gunshots? New technology lets Atlanta police know instantly
City now has 100 ShotSpotter devices installed
By Alexis Stevens, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
“Was that gunfire? Should I call the police?” When gunshots are fired, not everyone calls police. Some question whether it was really gunfire at all. While others assume someone else has called 911. But with new technology activated this week in Atlanta, officers are alerted immediately when shots have been fired. The ShotSpotter devices use sensors on utility poles and on top of buildings to pick up the sound of gunshots and alert police within seconds — even before someone can call 911. Atlanta police Deputy Chief Lane Hagin said the devices send information to officers’ phones and patrol cars/ …The technology is already being used in dozens of cities and on college campuses across the country. …Police don’t want to reveal the exact locations of the ShotSpotter devices. But the technology is being tested in the Vine City and English Avenue communities, along with the Atlanta University Center. …More than 90 cities currently are using ShotSpotter, including Savannah. The University of West Georgia in Carrollton started using the technology in October. Within days, the sensors detected two separate incidents of gunfire near campus. Carrollton Police arrested a man who allegedly fired multiple gunshots at a liquor store and a woman accused of shooting at her husband.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
Sharp Divide Over Trump Administration’s Title IX Overhaul
DeVos says proposed campus sexual misconduct rule will restore fairness. But survivor advocates warn it will reduce the responsibility of colleges to maintain a safe environment.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos released a proposed rule Friday that would significantly reduce the obligations of colleges to investigate complaints of sexual misconduct. The rule, which DeVos argued would restore fairness to the process of adjudicating complaints, also adds protections for accused students. But women’s groups and advocates for survivors of sexual assault warn that it will undermine the rights of victims. And they say the rule will let colleges off the hook for not taking the issue of sexual misconduct seriously. One of the biggest changes from previous federal policy is that institutions would be responsible only for investigating misconduct that occurred within programs sanctioned by the college. Advocates for victims had warned this would leave students assaulted or harassed off-campus without recourse, although documents released by the department Friday emphasize that geography alone would not dictate whether misconduct falls under the purview of Title IX.
www.chronicle.com
What You Need to Know About the Proposed Title IX Regulations
https://www.chronicle.com/article/What-You-Need-to-Know-About/245118
By Sarah Brown and Katherine Mangan
Students accused of sexual misconduct would gain greater protections and colleges investigating complaints could face reduced liability under sweeping new regulations proposed on Friday by the U.S. secretary of education, Betsy DeVos. The long-awaited rules would replace the Obama administration’s Title IX guidance, which had called for more-aggressive enforcement of the 1972 law mandating gender equity among colleges that accept federal money. DeVos rescinded that guidance in 2017 and promised that formal rules would follow. The proposed regulations, released on Friday but not yet officially published in the Federal Register, won’t take effect until the public is given 60 days to weigh in.
www.myajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Does overhaul of campus sexual misconduct rules hurt victims?
As expected, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos today proposed new guidelines on how campuses investigate and decide sexual misconduct allegations. Her proposals narrow the definition of sexual harassment and allow accused students to cross-examine their accusers through a third-party. “Throughout this process, my focus was, is, and always will be on ensuring that every student can learn in a safe and nurturing environment,” said DeVos in a statement. “That starts with having clear policies and fair processes that every student can rely on. Every survivor of sexual violence must be taken seriously, and every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined. We can, and must, condemn sexual violence and punish those who perpetrate it, while ensuring a fair grievance process. Those are not mutually exclusive ideas. They are the very essence of how Americans understand justice to function.”
www.nytimes.com
Michael Bloomberg: Why I’m Giving $1.8 Billion for College Financial Aid
Let’s eliminate money problems from the admissions equation for qualified students.
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/18/opinion/bloomberg-college-donation-financial-aid.html
By Michael R. Bloomberg
Here’s a simple idea I bet most Americans agree with: No qualified high school student should ever be barred entrance to a college based on his or her family’s bank account. Yet it happens all the time. When colleges review applications, all but a few consider a student’s ability to pay … Hopkins has made great progress toward becoming “need-blind” — admitting students based solely on merit. I want to be sure that the school that gave me a chance will be able to permanently open that same door of opportunity for others. And so, I am donating an additional $1.8 billion to Hopkins that will be used for financial aid for qualified low- and middle-income students.
www.insidehighered.com
Charles Koch Foundation’s 2017 Giving Neared $90M
By Colleen Flaherty
The Charles Koch Foundation said last week that it doled out nearly $90 million in grants in 2017, up from $77 million in 2016. The organization already has surpassed $90 million in 2018 giving, it said. As in years past, the bulk of those grants went to colleges and universities — some 300. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment as to exactly how much of last year’s approximately $90 million in grants went to higher education, as Koch gives to other nonprofits.
www.hechingerreport.org
As students flock to credentials other than degrees, quality-control concerns grow
Policymakers try to bring consistency to what “microcredentials” actually mean
by MATT KRUPNICK
… While there has generally been consensus about what a college degree represents, there’s confusion over how to define many of these new credentials and judge their usefulness for employers and job seekers … Thousands of credentials classes aimed at improving specific skills have cropped up outside of traditional colleges. Some classes are boot camps, including those popular with computer coders. Others are even more narrowly focused, such as courses on factory automation and breastfeeding. Colleges and universities have responded by adding non-degree programs of their own. There’s not yet a reliable count of how many programs like these exist. One kind of popular non-degree credential, the certificate, is tracked, and the number conferred by colleges and universities grew by 31 percent in the 10 years ending in 2015-16 — the last period for which the figure is available —to 939,243, the U.S. Department of Education reports.
www.diverseeducation.com
Telling the HBCU Story
by Samaad Wes Keys & Edward Smith-Lewis, Jr.
Since their founding, historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have been an important asset to the American higher education system. The original mission of this sector of institutions was to provide education to Blacks who at the time could not receive it elsewhere in the country because of both racial and systemic barriers that existed then and to a certain degree are still present today. While keeping true to their original mission, HBCUs currently provide educational resources to students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds and provide access to higher education to students that are still plagued by the systemic barriers that exist within this country. However, the prevailing narrative associated with HBCUs is that of relevancy, purpose and effectiveness in a “post-racial” America. It is clear that these questions of relevancy continue to be heightened by various higher education and media outlets. Comparing the performance of HBCUs to the larger higher education universe continue painting a picture that does not reflect the critical success and impacts these institutions not only have on their students and regional communities but to the competitiveness and sustainability of our nation’s economy. To be clear, the pace of innovation in the 21st Century has forced HBCUs, like many other higher education institutions, to fundamentally change their business model and approach to serving a new generation of students and these changes have necessitated a shift in how we measure the performance of these institutions.