University System News:
Fox 5
Georgia Film Academy welcomes high school students
By Alexa Liacko
The Georgia Film Academy trains thousands of filmmakers right across the street from the biggest movie studio in our state, Now, there is a new program reaching out to high schoolers to teach them how fun filmmaking can be. “What I’m really excited about is how enthusiastic these students are about embracing the great entertainment industry here in Georgia,” said Jeffrey Stepakoff, Executive Director for the Georgia Film Academy. Nearly 80 students were specially selected from around 40 high schools across the state by a group called “21st Century Leaders” to learn more about the academy and jobs in the film industry. …The students heard from a panel of industry leaders and then toured Pinewood Studios. The teens say they couldn’t be more excited to learn more about what it takes to bring a movie to life. …The Georgia Film Academy hopes to attract young talent to stay and work at Pinewood Studios and grow the film industry right here in Georgia. “The way that the Georgia Film Academy is committed to making this business permanent and a legacy for all Georgians moving forward begins with making sure that we train students in the high schools,” said Stepakoff.
Tifton CEO
ABAC Celebrates 111th Birthday
Staff Report From Tifton CEO
When 27 students walked up the front steps to attend the Second District Agricultural and Mechanical School on Feb. 20, 1908, they had no idea they were setting in motion an institution that would create an annual economic impact of almost $530 million on South Georgia 111 years later. The Second District A&M School was an area high school that opened on that day in 1908. The school later became South Georgia A&M College in 1924, the Georgia State College for Men in 1929, and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1933. That two-year college called ABAC began offering bachelor’s degree classes in 2008, and the rest is history. Now ABAC is celebrating its 111th birthday.
WGAU
FIRST LADY VISITS UGA VET HOSPITAL
Georgia’s first lady Marty Kemp toured the Veterinary Teaching Hospital at the University of Georgia on Feb. 18, along with her daughter Lucy Kemp, UGA President Jere W. Morehead and several others. Kemp, who has loved animals ever since getting her first horse, Flare, at a young age, is no stranger to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine hospital. In 2006, she brought in a foal named Loula, who had reared up, fallen back and broken her tailbone. “It made her drag her left back leg,” recalled Kemp. “The vet came and said you need to get this foal to the vet school immediately or she’s going to die.” They brought her in and she was there for five or six weeks. Kemp would come and see her every day. During her stay at the teaching hospital, her care team discovered that the foal had a blood disorder, one that would have killed her if she hadn’t been brought in for the tailbone. Today, Loula is alive and well on the Kemps’ farm.
Rice University News & Media
OpenStax announces top 10 schools that have adopted free college textbooks
DAVID RUTH
The University of Georgia ranks second in number of students using OpenStax textbooks, with 42,245 students saving an estimated $3.9 million. “At the University of Georgia, we are growing a culture of open educational resources thanks to dedicated advocacy for affordable textbook alternatives by our students, faculty, staff and administrators,” said Megan Mittelstadt, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Georgia. “Since the OER initiative began at UGA in 2013, faculty adoptions of OER have benefited more than 58,000 UGA students and helped them save over $5.6 million in textbook costs as of Spring 2019. It’s no surprise that the majority of these savings are a result of the adoption of OpenStax texts — the high quality, peer-reviewed OpenStax books are popular among our faculty seeking to implement OER in service of equity and student academic success.” The University of Georgia is seeing benefits beyond costs savings. “OER not only lower the cost for students, but data from a small sample of UGA courses using OpenStax books also shows improved end-of-course grades, especially for Pell recipients, part-time students and student populations historically underserved by higher education,” Mittelstadt said. OpenStax textbooks have saved college students more than $177 million in the 2017-18 school year alone, and they’re used in over 100 countries around the world. Thirty-two books have been published so far, and the library is still growing. The top 10 schools that have served the most students with OpenStax free textbooks are:
- University of Georgia – 42,245 students, estimated $3,939,027 saved
- Georgia Highlands College – 31,414 students, estimated $2,869,610 saved
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
Two of Columbus’ biggest education providers partnering up to offer guaranteed jobs
BY MARK RICE
A new initiative in the growing partnership between two Columbus institutions promises guaranteed jobs. The Muscogee County School District has agreed to offer a teaching contract to every qualified graduate from the Columbus State University College of Education and Health Professions.
The Daily Tribune News
College fair helps students plan future educational pursuits
BY DONNA HARRIS
The thought of how to get started on the path to college or other post-secondary pursuits can be daunting to many high school students, but Harvesting Scholars has made the process a little easier. The Cartersville not-for-profit organization, which offers programs and events to help students explore the options they have for their lives after high school graduation, has planned College Fair 2019 for Saturday from noon to 2 p.m. — and pre-fair workshops from 11 a.m. to noon — in the student center gym on Georgia Highlands College’s Cartersville campus at 5441 Highway 20. …At the event, middle and high school students and their parents will be able to visit with recruiters from the following post-secondary institutions: Georgia State University, Valdosta State University, Georgia Southwestern State University, Augusta University, Fort Valley State University, the University of West Georgia, Gordon State College, Georgia Highlands College, …Besides visiting recruiters, students and parents can attend workshops on Understanding Financial Aid (Ben Meadows from the Georgia Student Finance Commission, 11 a.m. to noon), Transitioning to College with an IEP or 504 Plan (12:15 to 1 p.m.) and Finding Scholarships (12:30 to 1:15 p.m.).
WVTM
CSU students and award-winning artist partner for acquisition at Columbus Museum
By Olivia Gunn
Columbus State University students along with an award-winning artist partnered for a new acquisition at the Columbus Museum. CSU students got the chance to travel the region with artist Mark Dion as part of a Fall 2018 Great Conversations/Art and Research class. They attended an auction, toured West Point Lake, visited Pasaquan, collected bug samples from kayaks, met a local folklorist, artist, scientist, and more. Now, there are 20 mini expeditions finished into an art project at the Columbus Museum. The class allowed students to participate in Dion’s newest creation, “curiosity cabinets.”
Fox News
As suicide rates rise, college students band together in unprecedented effort
By Emilie Ikeda
John Trautwein took a deep breath. “Well, he died in our home,” he said. “He took his life in his bedroom in the wee hours of the morning on Oct. 15, which was Friday morning.” Even eight years later, that moment of realization remains vividly clear for Trautwein. He recalled feeling utter shock that his athletic, handsome, popular teenaged-son Will, had been severely depressed. …Now, students are reacting with unprecedented efforts. One Georgia Tech student, Collin Spencer, organized the first Intercollegiate Mental Health Conference, bringing “together field experts and students from 10 universities coast to coast. “Why don’t we share what we’ve already done, and sort of collaborate and coordinate on these efforts to barriers that exist on every college campus?” Spencer asked. After all, he said, “Mental health is one of the most pressing issues for adolescents in the country right now.”
Inside Higher Ed
Georgia Tech Is Creating the Next in Education
With its online master’s in computer science and its recent commitment to a lifetime of education for its students, Georgia Tech challenges MIT as most innovative university.
By Ray Schroeder
Over the decades, I have always considered the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to be the leader in innovation in higher education. Ever since its open courseware initiative was launched 18 years ago, followed by a steady stream of innovations including edX, there have been no rivals — until now. what really impresses me is the audacity of Georgia Institute of Technology connecting with Udacity and AT&T, among others, to create the largest computer science department in the world, followed by several other online at-scale master’s degree programs. Even more so, it is the revolutionary commitment as a university to education for the lifetime of learners that is on the cutting edge of transforming higher education.
WSB Radio
By Sabrina Cupit
Georgia Tech is working with the Food and Drug Administration to develop new ways to producing antibiotics to bring down the cost The FDA has given the school a $2 million-dollar grant to come up with new manufacturing technologies and methods of making certain antibiotics. Georgia Tech was one of three research institutions chosen by the FDA to explore how to translate manufacturing techniques already in use in food and chemical production to making certain antibiotics that now are often imported into the United States. The Georgia Tech team will focus on the early stages of drug synthesis, while Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Rutgers University will address later stages of the manufacturing process. Georgia Tech professor, Martha Grover says they’ve created a way to make the drugs continuously. “We definitely think this is a really viable new approach going forward,” says Grover.
WTOC
Skidaway Island residents meet to discuss incorporation
Skidaway Island residents will soon decide whether or not they want to branch off and start their own city. Wednesday night, they met at a church to discuss the upcoming vote. Some are in favor of the incorporation. Others say it’s a terrible decision that doesn’t make sense financially. “One of the arguments from the proponents is they want to get out from under Chatham County governance. The problem is, you will not get out from under Chatham County governance. You will still pay county taxes, oh and by the way, you will now start paying an additional tax to the city of Skidaway Island,” said Skidaway Island resident, Mike Vaquer. The topic of incorporation has been discussed for a while. The University of Georgia did a study to figure out how feasible it would be. This year, lawmakers passed a resolution to leave it up to the voters. Governor Kemp signed it last week.
Savannah Morning News
3 Georgia Southern football players arrested over weekend
By Travis Jaudon
Three Georgia Southern football players were arrested by Statesboro Police and booked into the Bulloch County Jail on disorderly conduct charges early Sunday morning in Statesboro. Ivan Corbin Jr., J.D. King and Logan Wright were arrested between 3:47 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Sunday for the misdemeanor charges. They were later released. “We are aware of the situation and it will be dealt with internally,” head coach Chad Lunsford said Wednesday evening through an emailed statement. “We are disappointed with the decisions that were made and hopefully we can use it as a learning experience for our entire team as we move forward.”
Higher Education News:
CNN
Democrats want answers from DeVos over removing, reinstating of education inspector general
By Alex Rogers
House and Senate Democrats said Tuesday that the Education Department’s decision to replace its acting inspector general was “preceded by demands” that she “drop an investigation” into Secretary Betsy DeVos’ reinstatement of a troubled accrediting agency that was stripped of its powers during the Obama administration. At issue is a January 3 letter the department’s deputy secretary, Mitchell Zais, wrote to the Education Department’s watchdog, which was cited by the Democrats and then released by the department.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
IIE Summit Highlights the Importance of Study Abroad
by Melanie Eversley
NEW YORK – Against a backdrop of young people who communicate in fewer words and more pictures, and with young people of color continuing to avoid study abroad more than their counterparts, about 600 educators, students and administrators came together Sunday through Tuesday to share ways to promote and boost global education. The group took part in roundtables and panels as part of the 100th anniversary summit of the Institute of International Education, a New York-based organization that administers the State Department’s Fulbright Programs, the Ford International Fellowships Program and language programs through the Department of Defense.