University System News:
GrowingGeorgia
President Bridges Announces Big Plans for ABAC
By: Billy Ray Malone
ABAC President David Bridges spoke at the Agriculture Communicators of Tomorrow (ACT) Tuesday Speaker Series. The ACT hosts different guest speakers throughout the semester to discuss with students different topics pertaining to agriculture. Bridges has been the president of ABAC since July 1, 2006. He has been remembered as the tenth president, the longest-serving president, and the first ABAC Alumnus to serve as president. Bridges was the main advocate for bringing four-year degrees to a school that only offered associates degrees for 70 plus years. The topic of discussion was the Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation and how it is necessary for the future of rural communities in Georgia. A key point Bridges made was the biggest threat that faces rural communities, which is in some rural counties, the death rate exceeds the birth rate.
Marietta Daily Journal
MDJ Staff
Georgia Power, which services portions of Cobb County, and the Atlanta Business Chronicle announced the inaugural Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship. The $5,000 scholarship, presented on Dec. 6 during the 2018 Business of Film event at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center, will help a Georgia student pursuing a degree in film-related studies further his or her education. The scholarship will be awarded annually during the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Business of Film event. “Georgia Power has worked closely with the state to help support and grow the film industry in Georgia,” said Anne Kaiser, vice president of community and economic development, Georgia Power. “We know that as the film industry grows in our state, so does the need for a diverse and experienced workforce to support it. That’s why we partnered with the Atlanta Business Chronicle on this scholarship – so we can help a deserving student right here in Georgia prepare for a successful career in film.” …Timothy Pitts, a student at Columbus State University (CSU), is the inaugural recipient of the Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship. A non-traditional student and Navy veteran, Pitts has overcome many obstacles on his path to pursuing a career in the film industry. His passion for photography led him to studying film at CSU and, ultimately, excelling in both his screenwriting and film production classes. He has been completing his degree under a Post 9/11 GI Bill scholarship, which will soon expire. The $5,000 Business of Film Rising Star Student Scholarship will go towards helping him complete his final three semesters and graduate in the summer of 2020. He was chosen from nominations submitted by Columbus State University, Savannah College of Art and Design, and Georgia State University.
Daily Report
UGA Law Students See Lighter Burden Amid Push to Rein in Debt
The University of Georgia and Georgia State University—the state’s two public law schools—both have kept graduating students’ debt loads well below the national average of $93,000 by keeping tuition low and leaning on donors.
By Meredith Hobbs
As law school tuition continues to rise and six-figure debt has become commonplace for newly minted J.D.-holders nationally, the University of Georgia School of Law has steadily reduced students’ debt loads over the past five years, thanks to a tuition freeze and increased financial aid from donor-funded scholarships. “We are committed to providing world-class education in a way that not only prepares students for careers and helps place them in jobs, but also allows them to graduate without the burden of an unreasonable level of debt,” said UGA Law Dean Bo Rutledge in his latest Dean’s Report. UGA Law students who graduated in 2018 carried an average debt load of $77,269, compared with $81,370 for the class of 2013, said Blake Waldrop, UGA Law’s senior director of finance and administration. That is well below the average total debt load of $93,000 nationally for new graduates of public law schools, according to Law School Transparency, which uses data that schools report to U.S. News & World Report and the American Bar Association. … Georgia’s other public law school, Georgia State University College of Law, again made the list as well, ranking at No. 12 this year. The “Best Value” list, unsurprisingly, is heavily dominated by public law schools. GSU Law is even more affordable than UGA Law. The average debt load for its 2018 graduating class was $56,710. As at UGA Law, GSU Law has kept tuition low, increasing from $16,042 in 2013 to just $17,050 for 2018. GSU Law also has increased grant awards.
Albany Herald
Sumter gets $3.11 million grant for new college and career academy
Sumter County partnership will use grant to help fund the Ignite College and Career Academy in Americus
From Staff Reports
AMERICUS – The Technical College System of Georgia announced Thursday that Sumter County is one of four communities statewide to receive a competitive grant award. One Sumter Economic Development Foundation officials said the $3.11 million grant will go to help fund the design and construction of Ignite College and Career Academy in Americus. Officials said the award is a culmination of multiple years of commitment by business and industry in the county, working with Sumter County Schools, South Georgia Technical College and Georgia Southwestern State University.
The George-Anne
Investigative reports describe videos of alleged hazing in Delta Tau Delta
By Matthew Enfinger, The George-Anne staff
A concerned individual called the Dean of Students Office on Nov. 7 and said they received three videos with footage of alleged hazing in the Georgia Southern University chapter of Delta Tau Delta. The three videos were emailed to the Dean of Student office, who identified GS students and new members of Delta Tau Delta in the video, according to records requested from GS by The George-Anne. The videos were not made available to The George-Anne, however the following are descriptions of the alleged hazing according to an investigative report by William Mast, coordinator of student conduct.
The George-Anne
Two Greek Row fraternities may face years of university suspension for hazing
By Matthew Enfinger, The George-Anne staff
Two Greek Row fraternities may face years of university suspension following investigations of hazing. The Office of Student Conduct conducted investigations on fraternities Kappa Sigma and Delta Tau Delta after evidence of hazing practices at the two fraternities surfaced.
WTVM
Columbus locals create NCAA sports training app to connect student athletes with trainers
By Chandler Morgan
COLUMBUS, GA (WTVM) – Blake McLemore and Alex Tessier grew up surrounded by sports. McLemore, a Harris County graduate and former baseball player at the University of West Georgia, partnered with Tessier to create an app that turns their passion for sports into a training product to make dreams come true. “For the youth athletes that are taking lessons, they get to learn the latest tips and techniques from college athletes that know what it takes to get to that level,” says McLemore, CEO and Co-Founder of Train Collegiate.
“Why not learn from people that know what it takes first hand how to get there?” That’s where the Train Collegiate app comes in. The app is fully NCAA compliant and connects adults and parents of youth athletes with local, active, background-checked college athletes for in-person sport lessons. Parents search in the app by sport and location selections, and the app allows them to send lesson requests to matching athletes. …McLemore and Tessier say the app currently works with surrounding Chattahoochee Valley area universities for matching collegiate talent for training sessions. They explain that app users stretch from several cities in Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, all the way up to Massachusetts and are continuing to grow.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle
Construction, education and health services predicted highest growth rate in state in 2019
By Doug DeLoach – Contributing Writer
Georgia’s major industries will enjoy widespread and well-balanced job growth across all of the state’s 14 metropolitan areas, according to the 2019 economic forecast by the Simon S. Selig Jr. Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia. In 2019, the Georgia economy will expand and grow faster than the national economy, extending a six-year trend, according to Jeffrey M. Humphreys, author of Georgia Economic Outlook and director of the center. “We’re at the top of the business cycle right now, particularly in terms of the rate of growth,” he said. The report includes a detailed look at major industry sectors including construction (residential and commercial), hospitality, manufacturing, financial markets, utilities, information, transportation, services and retail. The report states that the fastest-growing sector in the state in terms of jobs will be construction, followed by: Education and health services …