University System News:
www.ledger-enquirer.com
A major contributor to CSU, the Synovus name is now atop commerce and technology center
https://www.ledger-enquirer.com/news/business/article220955965.html
BY TONY ADAMS
After donating or pledging more than $6 million over the last 20 years to Columbus State University, Synovus Financial Corp. has received recognition for its community support in a major way. The university on Thursday officially named one of its educational buildings after the Southeast regional banking firm that has roots dating to 1888 in Columbus, when it was loosely founded from a company safe in a local textile mill. That ultimately led to Columbus Bank and Trust, with its holding company, Synovus, being formed in the 1970s and growing from there. “This naming is recognition of the long role that Synovus has had in supporting and shaping both the community of Columbus and the campus and curriculum of Columbus State University,” CSU President Chris Markwood said in a statement from the school. He noted it is appropriate that the banking company which does business in five states be linked to its business and computer science programs. The moniker atop the building on the university’s main campus now reads: Synovus Center of Commerce & Technology.
www.tiftonceo.com
Growth out of Destruction: Tifton Arbor Day Encourages Replanting Trees after Hurricane
When Hurricane Michael fatally damaged an aging water oak on Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s front campus, it was decided to take advantage of the removal to plant a new tree to celebrate Tifton Arbor Day on Oct. 25.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA debate team ranked No. 1 in nation
http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20181102/uga-debate-team-ranked-no-1-in-nation
The football team isn’t the only University of Georgia squad chasing a national championship. Count the UGA Debate Union in that group. They’re now ranked No. 1 by the country’s three top debate organizations — the American Debate Association, the Cross-Examination Debate Association and the National Debate Tournament. In practice last week in Phi Kappa Hall on UGA’s North Campus, they were preparing to go to Gonzaga University, their longest road trip of the year, where they would face top teams also in the hunt this year for a national championship. In this kind of competition, UGA and other schools often send multiple two-person teams to compete in tournaments. Two of Georgia’s teams are in the top five in the country — Swapnil Agrawal and Advait Ramanan, and Nathan Rice and Johnnie Stupek, who placed third and fifth at Gonzaga, respectively. Another UGA team, Alyssa Hoover and Tripp Haskins, is knocking on the door of the rankings list. …“I’ve got a really talented group of students,” said head coach Hays Watson, a former UGA debater who returned to the university in 2012 as a professor in the Department of Communication Studies and as debate coach. It takes more than intelligence to excel, Rice said. Like a team sport, you’ve got to put the work in.
www.ajc.com
Mothers of hazing victims to speak at Kennesaw State on Monday
By Eric Stirgus
They learned in the most tragic way the dangers of hazing. On Monday, they’re bringing their message to end the practice to Kennesaw State University. Rae Ann Gruver and Evelyn Piazza, mothers whose sons died in hazing incidents, are scheduled to speak Monday evening at the Convocation Center on the university’s Kennesaw campus. The event begins at 7 p.m. and is free to the public.
www.thebrunswicknews.com
Nursing students to host health fair during First Friday
By LAUREN MCDONALD
College of Coastal Georgia nursing students will be sharing their knowledge about health and safety tonight at First Friday. The college’s associate of science in nursing program is hosting a “First Friday! Have Fun While Learning to be Safe and Healthy!” event in Queens Square from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Fifty-nine students will be manning health and safety teaching booths. They’ve created engaging activities for adults and children. …The event tonight is a service-learning project for the class and aims to allow students to participate in activities that help the community while allowing them to apply the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired in the classroom.
www.albanyherald.com
Albany State University hosting International Education Week event
International Education Week event set for Wednesday at Albany State’s East Campus Student Center ballroom
From Staff Reports
The Albany State University Office of International Education, in collaboration with Albany Business League, is hosting an International Education Week event on Wednesday, officials from Albany State and the ABL announced. The event, themed “Embrace Glocal: Think Global, Work Local” will be from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday at Albany State’s East Campus Student Center ballroom. The highlights will include include a global fair, student and adult panel discussions and cultural entertainment. The week’s event will culminate with ASU’s students and faculty participating in South East Model African Union at Savannah State University, where the students will model as delegates of Kenya. Officials said International Education Week, or IEW, is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of institutional efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn and exchange experiences. This year’s theme is meant to encourage Albany State and southwest Georgia to discuss international and intercultural issues while celebrating the importance of international education.
www.albanyherald.com
Albany Area Arts Council opening South Georgia College Art Competition exhibition
The South Georgia College Art Competition will be on display at the Albany Area Arts Council through Thursday
From Staff Reports
The Albany Area Arts Council is hosting the opening reception for the 15th annual South Georgia College Art Competition in its Carnegie Library gallery tonight. The reception and awards ceremony will be from 6-8 p.m. The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend. The exhibition will remain on display through Nov. 28 and be available for viewing during the art council’s gallery hours. Held annually by arts council, competition is an exhibition of college-level artwork created by student artists in the south Georgia region. The show features work by students from Albany State University and Valdosta State University. The mission of the show is to provide art students with a venue to display their works, offering them hands-on, practical experience with professional practices, an opportunity to network with their peers and a chance to sell their works if they so choose, AAAC Director Nicole Williams said.
www.metroatlantaceo.com
Georgia Tech Professor Named as Technologist Advisor to U.S. National Security Court
Staff Report From Metro Atlanta CEO
Georgia Tech Professional Education Military Programs has been selected as the ACT College and Career Readiness Workforce Champion. This award recognizes individual efforts in college and career readiness in the following categories: high school senior, K-12 professional, postsecondary professional, workforce professional. Georgia Tech-Savannah was acknowledged in the workforce professional category for its positive impact on the community, helping to prepare and support veterans for career success.
www.daily-tribune.com
GHC speakers discuss history of Native American diseases, flu epidemics
BY DONNA HARRIS
A workshop at Georgia Highlands College last week took a look at the threat of epidemics in today’s society based on how diseases affected the country in the past. GHC’s history department partnered with Chieftains Museum/Major Ridge Home in Rome to host a Medical History Workshop Oct. 24 in the student center at the Cartersville campus. History professor Bronson Long said the workshop, attended by about 40 students, faculty and community members, zeroed in on two issues in medical history that were of local and global importance and helped shape the past: the role of disease in the European conquest of the Americas in the 16th through 18th centuries and the influenza epidemic of 1918-19 following World War I. “The idea for the Medical History Workshop came out of discussions last year among GHC historians, discussions that took place with the knowledge that GHC had chosen wellness as a major theme for the 2018-2019 academic year,” he said. “We wanted to do something in conjunction with this theme. The fact that this academic year is also the centennial of the 1918-1919 influenza pandemic also helped things to come together.” During the hour-plus workshop, Associate History Prof. Matt Jennings from Middle Georgia State University in Macon presented “What Disease Did (And What it Didn’t): New Perspectives on the Entry of Europe into the Americas” on the impact of diseases brought to the Americas by Europeans.
www.wtoc.com
Georgia Southern kicks off annual Holiday Helper Tree event
http://www.wtoc.com/2018/11/01/georgia-southern-kicks-off-annual-holiday-helper-tree-event/
By Jennifer Lifsey
Georgia Southern University is continuing its tradition of helping those in need during the holidays with its 25th annual Holiday Helper Tree. The event will kick off on Thursday, Nov. 1, and encourages students, faculty and staff to pull a tag from the tree with a name of a family or individual in need. The tags represent 17 local nonprofit organizations and nearly 700 individuals and families who will each receive a gift from their wish-list. Georgia Southern’s Office of Leadership and Community Engagement will kick off the event Thursday morning at 10 a.m. at Russell Union Commons (85 Georgia Avenue, Statesboro).
www.wjcl.com
Racial incidents cause walkout at Georgia Southern University
https://www.wjcl.com/article/ga-southern-students-walkout-of-classes-over-racial-issues/24526814
Dave Williams, Reporter
Students at Georgia Southern University continue to show their displeasure over some racially insensitive remarks. Junior Zachary Payne and two of his other fellow students on the Statesboro campus organized a walkout today that saw about 25 leave their classes early. Most of them listened to speeches of other professors on the subject of diversity. The walkouts were staged in response to recent racially charged incidents, including a professor using a racially insensitive term in her classroom. They were scheduled to have a face-to-face meeting with Interim President Shelley Nickel later in the day.
www.diverseeducation.com
How Should College Leaders Respond to Campus Protests?
by Jamie Rogers
The way university presidents and their administrations respond to student protesters have come under scrutiny as college campuses increasingly become the venues of choice for demanding action on ire-raising topics. How presidents react is connected to how they view activism, says Dr. OiYan Poon, an assistant professor of higher education leadership and director of the Center for Racial Justice in Education Research at Colorado State University. She says that negative sentiments about student activism comes out of concern for liability – that is, altercations and students damaging property. For example, presidents may think of the violence that broke out in 2017 at the University of California at Berkeley after students heard that conservative media personality Milo Yiannopoulos was to visit the campus, says Poon. Protests broke out, and the event ultimately was canceled. “That’s what people have stuck in their minds as what activism is. I think that’s dangerous and very unreasonable,” she says. …Dr. Kirk Nooks, the new president of Gordon State College, says that unlike some other college presidents, he has not experienced any student-led protests but has watched developments at other institutions. “I think the first phrase I would use is, ‘respect,’ that is respecting the voice of the student as well as the institution,” says Nooks. “I think that once there is respect there can be a conversation and open dialogue.” With that dialogue there comes a willingness to learn and to understand points of view, he adds. “It goes back to education and learning from each other and trying to create a common path forward,” he says. “That’s the approach that I would take if confronted with a certain situation.” Still, every institution has its own nuances and every student request is going to be different, Nooks says, but adds that respect is a good place to start.
www.fox5atlanta.com
Police delay drug arrests in wake of FOX 5 I-Team investigation into field test kits
By: Randy Travis
…But a FOX 5 I-Team investigation discovered law enforcement across the state making felony drug arrests based largely on the results of these tests, commonly called NIK tests, even though the box itself screams in capital letters: ALL TEST RESULTS MUST BE CONFIRMED BY AN APPROVED ANALYTICAL LABORATORY! … The Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office stopped relying on field tests after we profiled an innocent driver they wrongly jailed. A month later, Georgia Tech police stopped using NIK tests altogether because of the controversy. A false positive field test convinced Georgia Tech police to charge this man with felony drug possession. He insisted he had packing materials, not ecstasy. Tech stopped using the tests one month after we first pointed out problems. In light of our investigation, the head of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police is urging his 1200 members to not rush drug arrests.
www.usnews.com
7 Ways to Reduce the Cost of an Online Degree
Tuition reimbursement from an employer and scholarships may be options for online students.
By Jordan Friedman, Contributor
… Nelson Baker, dean of professional education at the Georgia Institute of Technology and UPCEA president-elect, says prospective or current online students should check whether scholarships they are interested in are only available to full-time students, as is sometimes the case, before applying. Many online students, Baker says, enroll part time to allow them to also focus on their careers. To learn about scholarships, online students can look into opportunities at potential schools and perhaps organizations tied to their discipline, among other possible sources of funding.
www.insidehighered.com
Affordable and At-Scale
Affordable degrees at scale have arrived. The momentum behind this movement is undeniable, and its impact will be significant, Ray Schroeder writes.
https://www.insidehighered.com/digital-learning/blogs/online-trending-now/affordable-and-scale
By Ray Schroeder
How many times have we been told that major change in our field is on the near horizon? Too many times, indeed. The promises of technologies and practices have fallen short more often than not. Just seven years ago, I was part of the early MOOC movement and felt the pulsating potential of teaching thousands of students around the world in a single class. The “year of the MOOC” was declared in 2012. Three years later, skeptics declared that the MOOC had died an ignominious death with high “failure” rates and relatively little recognition by employers. However, the skeptics were too impatient, misunderstood the nature of MOOCs and lacked the vision of those at Georgia Tech, the University of Illinois, Arizona State University, Coursera, edX and scores of other institutions that have persevered in building upon MOOCs’ premises to develop high-quality, affordable courses, certificates and now, degrees at scale.
www.wsav.com
New study: Oceans have more heat than believed
Previous data is blown out of the water when it comes to ocean heat retention
https://www.wsav.com/news/local-news/new-study-oceans-have-more-heat-than-believed/1567676174
By: Martin Staunton
(SKIDAWAY ISLAND)(WSAV) – A new study released from Princeton University indicates global warming may be accelerating because of under-estimates of ocean heat retention. In Chatham County, scientists at the University of Georgia’s Skidaway Institute of Oceanography say the new data is startling. The study is published in the science journal “Nature”, this week. It says the oceans are retaining sixty percent more heat than they previously thought. The new revelation accelerates the predicted consequences of global warning, including melting ice packs, rising sea levels, and many believe as ocean temperatures rise, it will kill off some sea creatures, even here on Georgia’s coast. Dr. Jay Brandes, a chemical oceanographer, says, “The more warm the oceans get, the theory goes anyway, that there’ll be less overall life. Fewer fish, fewer whales, and dolphins, and that sort of thing, that can live in the oceans,” said Brandes, adding, “The oceans are actually where most of the added heat, um, that is happening due to greenhouse warming is going, it’s not going into the air, ah, it’s not going into the soils or anything like that, about ninety-percent of it is going into the oceans.”
www.benzinga.com
$25 Million NIH Study Proves Wireless Technology Causes Cancer and DNA Damage – US Brain Tumor Association.com
Scientific Evidence Enough for Class 1 Human Carcinogen-Scientists Demand 5G Moratorium
“The $25 million US National Toxicology Program Study has proven again what other studies have shown us that wireless radiation is a Class 1 Human Carcinogen like cigarette smoke and asbestos and should be treated as such. The NTP study proved wireless radiation can cause cancer and it can damage our DNA which can lead to a host of serious diseases. We must warn people and minimize exposure. I along with more than 200 of my colleagues who are expert in the field have called for a moratorium on the roll out of 5G which promises to maximize our exposure to harmful wireless radiation (5Gappeal.eu). Action must be taken to protect our public’s health.” Professor Emeritus Anthony Miller MD, FRCP, FRCP(C),FFPH, former Director, National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group and former member World Health Organization Expert Advisory Panel on Cancer 2005-2015 …”The wireless radiation from 5G will be 30 times greater than previous 4G LTE systems based on our recent study of 28Ghz planned to be used by new 5G wireless systems-this radiation will be most absorbed by the skin and eyes. I do not believe that this and other safety issues are being taken into account adequately before the FCC auctions off 28Ghz and similar 24Ghz microwave frequencies on November 14th..” Seungmo Kim, Ph.D, Assistant Professor Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Georgia Southern University.
Higher Education News:
www.diverseeducation.com
New Report Analyzes Impacts of Student Debt on Student Loan Borrowers
by Monica Levitan
A new report by the organizations Summer and Student Debt Crisis called “Buried in Debt” investigated the impact of student debt on the daily lives of 7,095 student loan borrowers across the country. The 7,095 students who responded said they have an average of $87,500 in student loans to repay and earn an average annual income of $60,000. Additionally, almost nine out of ten, or 88 percent of student respondents using student loans are struggling to make their loan payments and one in three pay more for student loans than rent or mortgage. “These survey results reveal that student loan borrowers are on thin ice and many are falling through without a lifeline,” said Will Sealy, the founder and CEO of Summer, a start-up company dedicated to assisting student loan borrowers repay their loans.
www.pbs.org
Where support for college students is ‘high-tech, high-touch’
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/where-support-for-college-students-is-high-tech-high-touch
Florida is one of 35 states that tie college funding to graduation rates. But a new study,“The Pell Divide,” finds a difference in graduation rates between students who receive funding assistance from Pell Grants and those who don’t. Hari Sreenivasan reports on a Florida university that’s using predictive analytics to identify students likely to struggle, so they can receive the support they need. (w/video)
www.insidehighered.com
Student Affairs Is a Diverse Profession
New report finds officials are generally more diverse than other professions in higher education.
By Jeremy Bauer-Wolf
The student affairs field is demographically more diverse than other college professions and relatively lacking in pay-equity issues, according to a new report. The College and University Professional Association relied on data it collected on student affairs professionals to determine that about 71 percent of positions are held by women. In contrast, about 58 percent of positions across higher education more broadly are occupied by women. However, most racial demographics are underrepresented in student affairs. While about 17 percent of college students are Hispanic, only about 8 percent of student affairs officials are. And Asian men and women comprise about 6 percent of students, but only about 3 percent of student affairs professionals. The association said in a written statement that a big increase is projected among Hispanic students by 2026, which “should prompt action to ensure there are more Hispanic student affairs staff in the pipeline.” In a potentially surprising twist, white men are slightly underrepresented in student affairs compared to overall student demographics, with 20 percent of positions being occupied by white men versus 24 percent of students overall.
www.wsj.com
New Education Department Rules to Change Procedures for Campus Sexual-Assault Cases
Changes to Title IX won’t include a definition of gender, according to the most recent draft
By Michelle Hackman
New federal rules governing campus sexual-assault cases will require that accused students be allowed to cross-examine their accusers, according to people familiar with a draft of the rules. The requirement marks a shift from an initial draft of the new rules, leaked in August, which Trump officials are writing to replace a set of Obama-era guidelines they feel didn’t provide sufficient protections for students accused of sexual assault. The rules, which Education Secretary Betsy DeVos will likely publish in November, will narrow the definition of sexual assault that schools are required to adjudicate and restrict eligible cases to those that occur on campus.