University System News:
Savannah Morning News
Savannah-area education leaders discuss economics for communities
By Katie Nussbaum
From billions in economic impact to the creation of a bamboo toothbrush, education leaders gathered on Wednesday to discuss the impact the Coastal Empire’s public higher education institutions have on Savannah and surrounding counties during HunterMaclean’s Critical Issues Forum at the Savannah Golf Club. The panel included, Cheryl Dozier, president, Savannah State University; Michelle R. Johnston, president, Coastal College of Georgia; Kathy Love, president Savannah Technical College and Shelley Nickel, interim president, Georgia Southern University. The discussion was moderated by University System of Georgia, Board of Regents, Chairman Don Waters.
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Savannah CEO
HunterMaclean Critical Issues Forum Focuses on The Economic Impact of Higher Education
The Signal
GSU associate provost to become GGC interim president
Georgia State’s Associate Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Innovation Dr. Mary Beth Walker has been named interim president of Georgia Gwinnett College by the University System of Georgia on Jan. 12, 2019. Walker is taking over for Dr. Stanley Preczewki, who’s resigned to lead Riverside Military Academy. University System of Georgia’s Chancellor Steve Wrigley, a Georgia State graduate who was on board with the Georgia State and Georgia Perimeter merge, invited Walker to step into GGC’s presidential role. “I was asked by Chancellor Steve Wrigley to step in as interim president at Georgia Gwinnett College while the search for the next president is carried out,” Walker said. “It is a very interesting place with the great mission of student success. I am happy to have the opportunity.”
Savannah Morning News
Editorial: Hearts and Darts, January in review
Hearts to new Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero. He’s worked wonders at the University of West Georgia, raising the school’s profile — and enrollment, graduation rates, degrees conferred and fundraising — at a time when many of our state universities have slumped. He starts his new position April 1. We hope his dynamic leadership will give GSU the energy it has lacked since Brooks Keel left in 2015 to lead the Medical College of Georgia and Augusta University. And best wishes to Shelley Nickel, who has been a stabilizing force since taking on leadership of Southern on an interim basis in July 2018.
Middle Georgia CEO
Middle Georgia State University Coding Team Takes First Place at Collegiate Cup Competition
As the duo representing Middle Georgia State University at the Collegiate Cup coding competition, Michael Koohang and Deep Patel built a platform designed to empower and connect educators by providing them with the tools and support they need to learn and teach computer science. Their web app, which they call “Spark,” took first place at the recent competition, held in Atlanta. They bested teams representing eight other University System of Georgia schools, including Georgia Tech and University of Georgia. “When they called our names, Deep stood up and pointed at me and said, ‘Did they just call our names?’” Koohang recalled. “It was a thrill.”
Education Dive
Colleges get hands-on to teach students real-world skills
More colleges are experimenting with immersive learning experiences that go beyond traditional study abroad, co-ops and internships.
Author Natalie Schwartz
…Like Shenandoah, colleges across the U.S. are bringing hands-on learning experiences into their curriculum. But small, private liberal arts colleges may feel more pressure to teach real-world skills with a clear market value because they often cost more to attend and face fierce competition for students. In the 2018-19 academic year, undergraduates attending private, nonprofit four-year institutions full-time paid an average of $27,300 in costs after applying all grant aid and tax benefits — $12,400 more than what their peers at public four-year universities paid. Meanwhile, more Americans are questioning the value of a four-year degree, while technical programs and community colleges are positioning themselves as a lower-cost alternative to traditional higher ed pathways. …Some public institutions, such as Kent State University and the University of Georgia, require students to complete an experiential learning program before they can earn a diploma. And more colleges are expecting students to have these kinds of experiences. However, not all experiential learning during college happens within a course or degree program. For instance, through Georgia State University’s Digital Learners to Leaders initiative, teams of students work on solving problems within the local community through the use of digitization and the internet of things. “It’s not tied to their GPA,” said Tiffany Green-Abdullah, assistant director of learning community development. “When students are trying to learn something new, that can kind of hurt you sometimes.”
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA plans ‘innovation district’ near downtown Athens
By Lee Shearer
The University of Georgia has made great strides in the past five years, and is poised to make even more in the next five, according to UGA President Jere Morehead. The future is “brighter than ever,” said Morehead as he delivered the UGA president’s annual State of the University speech in the UGA Chapel. That future is going to include a physical “innovation district” on university land on or near Oconee and Broad streets, said Morehead, who’s appointed a task force to develop a long-term master plan for the area. That team is also studying a renovation plan for UGA’s Business Services Annex at the corner of Spring and South streets near downtown Athens, said Morehead, who’s now been UGA president about five and a half years. The innovation district plan grew out of another task force report completed in July. “The task force imagined a vibrant innovation district at the interface of historic North Campus and downtown Athens,” he said. “We might call it the university’s campus of the future, including an integrated set of facilities offering a broad range of spaces and amenities to inspire collaboration, discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship,” he said. “The district would be a hub for university startups and research commercialization, a place where bright ideas become new products, businesses and nonprofits that benefit communities here in Georgia and around the world.” The district would bring more “industry partners” to campus, creating internship and research opportunities for students, he said.
Union Recorder
Georgia College official discusses new parking proposal
Billy Hobbs
Georgia College is looking to increase the number of campus parking spaces in the downtown area of Liberty Street, a college official told Milledgeville City Council last week. Johnny Grant presented the new parking proposal on behalf of Georgia College at Tuesday’s City Council work session. Grant said Georgia College has recently acquired a number of tracts of land located in the downtown area with plans to use them for parking. “Georgia College has been in a program for a number of years to try and acquire property and some additional parking,” Grant said during the Tuesday, Jan. 22 work session. “All total, we’ve had in the downtown area — the main campus area — we’ve had a net increase of about 250 parking spaces in the last number of years.” Grant serves as director of Economic Development and External Relations at GC.
WTOC
Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration held at Georgia Southern University
By Dal Cannady
STATESBORO, GA (WTOC) – A Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration was held Wednesday night at Georgia Southern University. Roland Martin has been one of the people leading the discussion of social issues in America for several years. A former newspaper and radio reporter, he transitioned to host his own commentary show on network television. He’s in town as part of the university’s observance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, but his message to students is to separate the homogenized perception of the Civil Rights leader and look at the often-unpopular man who wasn’t afraid to confront America and point out the problems.
Savannah CEO
Georgia Southern to Host Newly Admitted, Prospective Students during Eagle Previews
Staff Report From Savannah CEO
Newly admitted and prospective Georgia Southern students have the opportunity to experience one of the University’s three campuses for themselves during Eagle Previews, comprehensive admissions open-house events happening on the Statesboro, Armstrong and Liberty campuses. Georgia Southern hosts these events to offer students and their families one-on-one access to representatives from the University’s academic colleges, student services departments and the Office of Admissions. University leaders also host break-out sessions on admissions, housing, financial aid, leadership and community engagement, and more.
Atlanta Daily World
Clayton State University To Offer Free Tax Assistance Through VITA program
By ADW Business & Finance Desk
Again for 2019, Clayton State University is offering tax preparation assistance for low- and middle-income families. The university’s College of Business will serve as a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance site, a program through the Internal Revenue Service that offers free tax assistance to eligible individuals. Taxpayers must make an income of $55,000 or less to be eligible to participate in the program. Individuals can receive assistance with forms 1040EZ, 1040A, and simple 1040s. “The main advantage to the public is that if they are eligible, they save a significant amount of money by not having to pay to have their taxes done,” said Dr. Andrew Sbaraglia, assistant professor of accounting. “The other advantage is that through e-filing, the client can get their refunds quickly and may not need to get a refund anticipation loan from a commercial firm. Besides saving the fee, they also save on the loan interest.”
Georgia Entertainment News
Columbus Film Commission Touts $5 million Film Fund at Sundance Film Festival
BY STAFF
The Columbus Film Commission announced its plan to position Columbus, Georgia, as the state’s third film hub during the “Choose Georgia” event at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival. This initiative leverages the state’s $9.5 billion film and entertainment industry with the Columbus Film Commission’s newly designated $5 million Film Fund to bring a new industry and jobs to the city. During the two-hour “Choose Georgia” reception at the Sundance Film Festival, the Columbus Film Commission introduced its partners to officially launch the Columbus Film Fund to more than 250 attendees consisting of producers, directors and industry professionals. Columbus partners included Columbus State University’s President Dr. Chris Markwood and Associate Vice President of Engagement & Economic Development for University Advancement Dr. Richard Baxter, W.C. Bradley’s Real Estate Division President/COO Pace Halter, VisitColumbusGa’s and the Columbus Film Commission’s President & CEO Peter Bowden and Film Production Coordinators Shelby Guest and Joel Slocumb. Three essential components to a successful film culture include a location, workers and funding. The Columbus Film Commission created just such a unique and robust public-private partnership with: W.C. Bradley’s Flat Rock Studio providing infrastructure; Columbus State University’s Georgia Film Academy on-set film production Nexus program training a local workforce, and the Columbus Film Commission creating the Columbus Film Fund through the Columbus Economic Development Corporation.
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
$5 million in hand, Columbus group hopes to lure prospects at Sundance Film Festival
BY TONY ADAMS
An effort to build momentum for turning Columbus into a vibrant hub for filmmaking in Georgia — with high hopes of grabbing a piece of the state’s $9.5 billion movie industry pie — took yet another significant step forward over the weekend. A small delegation from Columbus, with a $5 million incentive fund in place for luring prospects, headed to Park City, Utah, home of the famed Sundance Film Festival that runs through Feb. 3. With more than 40,000 people typically attending the nearly two-week event, Sundance, founded by actor Robert Redford in 1978, is the largest independent film festival in the United States.
Marietta Daily Journal
COLUMN: Dugan gives update on state budget and West Georgia projects
State Sen. Mike Dugan
The second week of the 2019 legislative session was reserved for joint budget hearings from state agency commissioners and department heads. It was a long week – I think we heard over 15 hours of testimony – but nonetheless important to our job of appropriating your taxpayer dollars. There are several points I’d like you to be aware of as it directly affects our district. On the first day of budget hearings we heard from the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, who gave us an economic outlook based on the recent trends in the economy and stock market. It’s reassuring to know that Georgia is outpacing the national average as far as job creation goes, and that we have exceeded our revenue collection estimates once again. Though this is great news, we were cautioned that signs point to slowing growth in our economy. This could be because of the stock market’s uncertainty, or because of a number of problems overseas, but the main point is we are already looking and preparing for a potential recession in the coming years. …And lastly, a $14.9 million bond will provide the University of West Georgia with funding for the College of Business building. Investments in higher education through both the TCSG and University System of Georgia are important to maintain our state as the No. 1 state in which to do business, and uphold our promise to make Georgia the No. 1 state in which to do small business. I look forward to the completion of these projects and know that these investments in our students as well as in our communities will solidify west Georgia as one of the best places to live, learn and work.
Statesboro Herald
No arrest as police investigate
HOLLI DEAL SAXON/staff
A Georgia Southern University student reported being raped by an “acquaintance” in her college dorm room early Sunday morning.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
The Shutdown’s Lingering Effects on Research
Top officials at research institutions make case for long-term funding deal and say the effects of the shutdown will last for weeks or months.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
The longest-ever federal shutdown may be over, putting a stop to financial bleeding for many research universities covering the costs of ongoing research, but colleges across the country aren’t declaring victory. The deal reached between congressional Democrats and the White House last week means at least a three-week reprieve from the shutdown. But it’s not yet clear whether lawmakers will reach a new spending deal for agencies like the National Science Foundation or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or pass another continuing resolution. And the impact of the standoff will likely linger for institutions that rely on federal support for their research enterprises.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
More Colleges Are Asking Scholars for Diversity Statements. Here’s What You Need to Know.
By Sarah Brown
Michelle A. Rodrigues has been on and off the academic job market since 2012. During the current hiring cycle, she’s noticed something: Many more institutions are asking her to submit a statement with her application about how her work would advance diversity, equity, and inclusion. The requests have appeared on advertisements for jobs at all kinds of colleges, from the largest research institutions to small teaching-focused campuses, said Rodrigues, a biological anthropologist and postdoctoral fellow at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The statements tend to be one page, maybe two. In them, scholars are supposed to explain how their experience can bolster institutional efforts to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion. Colleges are under increasing pressure to increase access and completion rates for students from underrepresented backgrounds, the thinking goes, so they should hire faculty members who understand their role in improving those outcomes.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
What Does Higher Ed Have to Say About the Proposed Title IX Rules?
By Sarah Brown
The Education Department’s proposed regulations on Title IX, the federal gender-equity law, would provide colleges with some long-sought flexibility when responding to sexual-misconduct reports — but would make campus disciplinary proceedings far too legalistic and burdensome. That’s according to the public comments, compiled in a 33-page letter, submitted to the Department of Education on Wednesday by the American Council on Education, higher education’s biggest lobbying arm. Sixty other associations signed onto the letter. The letter runs through a long list of “serious concerns” that colleges have about the proposed regulations. On the whole, said Ted Mitchell, ACE’s president, they “are a step in the wrong direction.” Terry Hartle, senior vice president for government and public affairs at ACE, told The Chronicle that the association spent more time on the Title IX letter than on any other public statement in the past five years.
Inside Higher Ed
College Groups Blast DeVos Title IX Proposal
Higher ed lobby says new regulations governing campus handling of sexual misconduct complaints would create a quasi-legal system that would burden colleges and infringe on the rights of students.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
Top higher education groups are lodging major criticisms of new regulations proposed by Education Secretary Betsy DeVos dealing with campuses’ handling of sexual misconduct allegations. The DeVos Title IX rule, those groups say in comments submitted by Wednesday’s deadline for feedback on the new rules, would impose a quasi-legal system on colleges that would raise new issues involving fairness, cost and liability for institutions. Many college officials had welcomed a reset by the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights under President Trump after years of complaints about overreach by the office under President Obama. And for the past two years, the office has narrowed its approach to overseeing investigations of civil rights violations on campuses. But college groups say the Title IX sexual misconduct rule released by DeVos late last year would prescribe their responses to complaints at a level of detail never before attempted by the department. Survivor advocates and other activists have been critical of the secretary’s approach to Title IX from the beginning and blasted details of the proposed rule after they leaked last year. Now the associations representing colleges and universities, which have so far remained quiet, have also come out hard against the new regulations and urged DeVos to make serious changes.