University System News:

 

Statesboro Herald

More than 500 high school students dual-enrolled at Georgia Southern

Deadline Saturday for spring semester dual-enrollment

Special to the Herald

As a junior at Portal High School, Heidi Sawyer was looking for an opportunity to experience independence before beginning her college career. When she learned of the dual enrollment program at Georgia Southern University, it sounded like the perfect opportunity. The state provides tuition-free enrollment, and exempts most other costs, for qualifying Georgia high school students who take approved courses at any of the state’s public universities, colleges and technical colleges before getting their high school diplomas. Some private colleges and universities also participate. A recent state Board of Regents report shows that Georgia Southern dual-enrolled 583 high school students at its three campuses this fall semester. A profile provided by Jennifer Wise, Georgia Southern University’s communications director, quotes Sawyer as an example of what dual-enrollment means to some students. …Sawyer said just one semester of participating in dual enrollment has better prepared her for a full-time college career.

 

Athens CEO

Number of Early Action Applications to UGA Skyrockets

Sam Fahmy

The number of early action applicants to the University of Georgia has reached a record level, and today approximately 7,500 students will receive the good news that they have been offered admission to the birthplace of public higher education in America. Nearly 17,000 students applied for early action admission to the Class of 2023, which is a 14 percent increase over last year and a 28 percent increase compared to five years ago. This year early action applications came from nearly all of Georgia’s 159 counties and 3,100 high schools across America. “UGA is pleased to offer admission to such a talented group of scholars,” said Patrick Winter, associate vice president for admissions and enrollment management. “After months of traveling the state and nation recruiting these students, it is our privilege to welcome them to the University of Georgia.”

 

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Georgia State University research spending tops $200M for first time

By Dave Williams  – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle

Georgia State University’s research spending topped $200 million for the first time in fiscal 2017, the National Science Foundation reported Wednesday. In the foundation’s latest Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) Survey, the Atlanta school ranked 108th out of 902 universities in the U.S. for research spending, up 15 spots from last year. “We are very proud that we continue to rise in the HERD rankings, a nationally recognized barometer of university research activity,” said James Weyhenmeyer, vice president for research and economic development at Georgia State. “It demonstrates our commitment to cutting-edge research that addresses complex, real-world problems.” Research spending at Georgia State increased by 248 percent between fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2017, making it one of the nation’s fastest-growing research universities. For the past two years, Georgia State has been the highest-ranked institution without an engineering or medical school.

 

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

CSU cuts ribbon on expansion and renovation of LeNoir Hall

BY MIKE HASKEY

Columbus State University celebrated the completed lab sciences expansion and renovation of LeNoir Hall during a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday morning. The new addition includes six state-of-the-art labs for teaching science, two student meeting areas, three student study areas, the renovation of several existing labs, and upgrades to science equipment. The new lab and additions will serve both undergraduate and graduate students. Construction began in July 2017 and was funded by $13 million in state funds for construction and equipment and $2 million in private funds.

 

See also:

WTVM

CSU celebrates renovation of Lenoir Hall with ribbon cutting ceremony

 

WTOC

Vietnam War exhibit coming to Georgia Southern University’s museum

By Dal Cannady

An exhibit next year at Georgia Southern University’s museum will recall the Vietnam War through the eyes of local troops who served. Curators invited local veterans to bring their momentos – from pictures and medals to boots and helmets – to help them build the exhibit. In addition to the artifacts, the exhibit will offer insights from the contributors about their service. Organizers say services members from rural Georgia and rural America made up a large portion of those who fought.

 

The George-Anne

A look inside the NAACP at Georgia Southern University

Alexi Simpson

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is a prominent organization at Georgia Southern University. Their purpose is to create justice for people of color and educate and encourage them to have a voice on campus. The NAACP organization originated in 1909, and the students in the GS organization aim to portray what it stands for by challenging policies, promoting public awareness and looking for ways to better the community. The NAACP is the largest and most recognized civil rights group of all time with more than half a million members in the country, and their purpose is to create equal opportunity for everyone in the United States and conduct voter mobilization. I interviewed Wyndell Little from the GS chapter of the NAACP. Wyndell is a senior at Georgia Southern University with a major in Information Technology. He is the parliamentarian of NAACP, and he enjoys “having a place where people can come and learn.” “Basically, what we like to do is have presentations at our general body meetings every Tuesday to teach us about something interesting or teach us something not well-known about the African-American culture or other ethnicities,” Little said.

 

The Red & Black

Obrigado UGA! Carl Vinson Institute of Government travels to Brazil to host training program

Jose Chavez | Contributor

Obrigado, Portuguese for thank you, was heard many times by University of Georgia instructors as they handed out completion certificates to their Brazilian students, who attended a leadership seminar of their choice hosted by members of the UGA Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Brazil’s Ministry of Finance’s School of Public Finance Administration, also known as ESAF, hosted this year’s program in early October. ESAF provides educational opportunities for employees, including people working in treasury or budgeting for the federal government. In this case, they welcomed UGA to offer supervisory and leadership training for government officials. The trip was an opportunity for Public Service and Outreach faculty to visit another country while offering the same content the Vinson Institute offers to local and state governments in Georgia.

 

CBS46

University of Georgia is going to outer space

WGCL Digital Team

For the first time in history, the University of Georgia is going into outer space. Inside the University of Georgia’s small satellite research laboratory is where 30 students are building small satellites to send into space. The satellites may be small but they will be more powerful than the flight computers for the Apollo moon mission. The impressive student-built and student-led project has humble beginnings: a kickstarter campaign that caught the attention of UGA faculty. “We decided to kickstart a 10,000 satellite project at UGA,” says Caleb Adams. “(We) made some initial designs and said ‘hey, we’ve got these designs. Do you want us to do anything?’ We just wanted to make a sputnik. And they had some great ideas.” The great ideas were put on paper and the students went on to compete in national competitions where they earned funding from both NASA and the U.S. Air Force to build two satellites. Dr. David Cotten says the Air Force competition is one they are particularly proud of.

 

The George-Anne

Georgia Southern students airlifted to Savannah after being struck by car while riding Lime scooter

By Matthew Enfinger, The George-Anne staff

Two Georgia Southern University students received multiple injuries after being struck by a car on Nov. 16 while crossing Fair Road on a Lime scooter. According to a Georgia State Patrol police report, GS students Daniel Cooney and Taylor McCullough were believed to be traveling west on Catherian Avenue on a scooter. Driver Christopher Cutter was traveling north in the left lane of Fair Road in a 2009 Chevy Impala LTZ when Cooney and McCullough failed to yield. According to police reports, at the time of the crash Cutter was looking down and after looking back up notice the scooter and its passengers crossing into his path. According to police reports, Cutter could not avoid the collision and struck the scooter with the front of the vehicle. After the impact both Cooney and McCullough were ejected from the scooter with one or possibly both striking the windshield of the car.

 

The Albany Herald

Americus to honor the memory of two fallen police officers

Jody Smith and Nick Smarr were fatally wounded in 2016 while responding to the same call

By Terry Lewis

AMERICUS — The Americus Police Department, Georgia Southwestern State University Police Department and the U.S. Marine Corps is set to hold a celebration honoring the legacy of fallen police officers Nick Smarr and Jody Smith. The celebration will be held at noon on Dec. 7 at the GSW School of Nursing building. In December 2016, Smarr, an Americus police officer, responded to a call regarding a domestic dispute at an apartment complex on South Lee Street. Smarr responded to the call. Simultaneously, Smith, a GSW police officer, heard the call and also responded.

 

The George-Anne

Dean of libraries confirms reports and treatment of bed bugs in Henderson Library

By Rachel Adams, The George-Anne staff

Dean of Libraries Bede Mitchell has confirmed reports of bed bugs in Henderson Library but says treatment has been used to remove the bugs. Mitchell confirmed the reports in an email Wednesday morning. “Some bedbugs were reported, so we removed the furniture where the bugs were observed and Knox Pest Control came to treat the area,” Mitchell said. “We are on the alert for other bugs, but none have been found so far.” According to an email from Georgia Southern University student Franchette O’Neal, library staff members removed a number chairs from the second floor of the library after finding one infested with bed bugs. “My friend, who sat on the chair, was instructed to go home and wash the clothes he was wearing twice and dry them in high heat,” O’Neal said. “He also said that he actually found another bed bug on his backpack.” Mitchell said that this is the first time this semester reports of bed bugs in the library have been confirmed.

 

WJCL

Statesboro may ‘decriminalize’ less than an ounce of marijuana

The proposed ordinance which would make marijuana possession a misdemeanor and a non-jail offense. If caught with less than an ounce of the drug, offenders would be fined a ticket up to $500 or equivalent community service.

Jackson Kurtz, Reporter

A controversial marijuana ordinance is on the table for Statesboro City officials. The Statesboro City Council will be voting next week if they want to “decriminalize” possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. The proposed ordinance which would make marijuana possession a misdemeanor and a non-jail offense. If caught with less than an ounce of the drug, offenders would be fined with a ticket up to $500 or equivalent community service. This started back in June when council members suggested “decriminalizing” the amount of weed making it a “cite and release” offense. Statesboro officials say they want to avoid sending young offenders to jail and hope the change will help them avoid lingering damage to their lives and careers. …We spoke with local students at Georgia Southern in Statesboro who are in favor of the ordinance. “I think it would be a great idea, especially for this area since it is a college town, a lot of people here are a part of Georgia Southern University and so I feel like a lot of people here may indulge in a lot of extracurricular activities but I don’t feel like they should go to jail for it,” said Kayla Jordan, senior.

 

The George-Anne

Georgia Southern fraternities place on interim suspension pending investigation

By Matthew Enfinger, The George-Anne staff

Update  A rape that resulted in an arrest occurred at the Kappa Sigma fraternity house in September according to a Statesboro Police Incident Report. It is unknown at this time if this is the cause of Kappa Sigma’s interim suspension or related to the pending investigation. The George-Anne will provide updates as more information becomes available. Two Georgia Southern University fraternities located on Greek Row have been placed on interim suspension pending investigation. Jennifer Wise, director of communications, confirmed that fraternities Kappa Sigma and Delta Tau Delta were placed on interim suspension, however, the cause for investigation was not made available. “Georgia Southern University has placed the fraternities on interim suspension pending a full investigation,” Wise said. “The safety of our students is our highest priority and we do not tolerate unsafe practices and behaviors that jeopardize our students’ well-being.”

 

Macon Telegraph

Here are 26 winning ideas to help Macon become a better place to live, work and play

BY LAURA CORLEY

…▪ Public Wi-Fi at Poplar Street Park: $39,848. Middle Georgia State University’s School of Information Technology will partner with the Macon-Bibb County government to revitalize the public Wi-Fi broadband network downtown along Poplar Street Park.

 

Savannah Morning News

Letters to the editor Wednesday: More transparency needed on Georgia Southern president search

More transparency needed on GSU search

Concerning the Georgia Southern University president search, don’t the Georgia taxpayers and Georgia Southern supporters deserve to know who the candidates are? Can the committee please get at least a five-year commitment from all the candidates to discourage resume-padders, such as the last president, Jaime Hebert, who wasn’t in Statesboro long enough to be able to find Walmart? What makes a bunch of professors qualified to hire a college president? None of them have ever been the president of a university, managed a faculty, or millions of budget dollars. The whole process needs to be re-examined.

 

 

Higher Education News:

 

Diverse Issues in Education

NSSE Survey Reveals Key Insights on Students’ Career Preparation

by Tiffany Pennamon

With new questions about career preparation and purpose, this year’s National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results reveal key insights around empowering students to connect their field of study to career aspirations throughout their collegiate matriculation. NSSE’s findings – based on responses from students attending nearly 500 four-year institutions in the U.S. – found that 93 percent of seniors believed that their learning was relevant to their career paths. At historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), where preparing incoming students for lifelong learning and future employment “remains a high priority,” researchers found that students attending these institutions reported higher confidence in their career plans and took advantage of more career preparation resources than Black peers at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). “What’s amazing is how much more confident students are about where they’re headed. It’s inspiring,” said Dr. Jillian Kinzie, associate director of the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research and the NSSE Institute. On the part of institutions and employers, “there has been greater acknowledgement that there are a variety of majors that can prepare one to be successful in a variety of careers.” The NSSE survey focuses on first-year students and seniors because first-year students have just enough experience to render judgement about their experience and seniors are a little bit more reflective as they prepare to graduate, Kinzie said.

 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Seniors Think What They’ve Learned Will Help Them Do Their Jobs. Do Employers Agree?

Hello and welcome to Teaching, a free weekly newsletter from The Chronicle of Higher Education. This week:

Dan explores new results from an annual student survey.

Beth tells you about a new consortium that allows students in liberal-arts colleges to take online courses elsewhere.

Our colleague Ruth Hammond points out some recent books of interest.

The Job-Readiness (Dis)connection

Even at a time of low unemployment, there’s been a lot of hand-wringing in recent years about how well-prepared college graduates are for work. Maybe that’s because the escalating price tag of tuition and the growing debt burden from student loans put pressure on a degree’s ROI. But there’s good news, according to the newly released National Survey of Student Engagement, or Nessie, which reflects self-reported survey data about the undergraduate experience of freshmen and seniors at nearly 500 baccalaureate institutions. The survey was conducted this past spring. Most seniors, Nessie found, feel prepared for work: Ninety-three percent said their learning was relevant to their career paths, with those who majored in professional fields saying so a bit more often than arts-and-science majors.

 

Inside Higher Ed

The Growing Loan Burden for Parents of College Students

Parents are taking out bigger loans to pay for their children’s college education, a new report finds, and having worse outcomes repaying that debt.

By Andrew Kreighbaum

A loan program offered to parents financing their children’s college education has been the target of repeated calls for tighter restrictions on eligibility. And a report released Wednesday by the Brookings institution on Parent PLUS loans adds new fuel to arguments for restricting the program. The report finds that the average loan amount taken out by parent borrowers has more than tripled in the last quarter century, according to the report. And parents with six figures in loan debt make up a growing share of borrowers entering repayment. Repayment rates have declined, meanwhile, and more parents are defaulting on loans as they take out debt to finance their children’s degrees at institutions with poor repayment outcomes. While parent borrowers on average have very low default rates on the loans, those aggregate numbers mask negative trends and poor outcomes at particular types of colleges, the report says.