University System News:
GBPI
Georgia Legislative Session Update: Crossover Day Recap
By Jennifer Owens
Higher Education (University System of Georgia, Technical College System of Georgia)
Reduction of Dual Enrollment program funding by $4 million.
Removal of the state match portion for the REACH Georgia Scholarship.
$747,600 for local law enforcement security at 4-H facilities.
$544,761 to increase formula funds for public library materials.
$348,534 for Aviation Maintenance Technician program instructors.
Additional bonds:
University System of Georgia: $1,838,406 in additional bonds for library projects for the University of Georgia, Augusta University, Savannah State University, Georgia Southern University, East Georgia State College, the Georgia Public Library Service and the Georgia Public Telecommunications Commission.
Technical College System of Georgia: $781,788 in taxable bonds for college and career academies, a transportation and conference center at Savannah Technical College and a commercial driver’s license (CDL) facility at South Georgia Technical College.
Of course, the budget isn’t the only legislation on the move. Several bills related to higher education crossed over before the deadline. A bipartisan proposal to extend the time limit by which students can qualify for the HOPE scholarship, HB 218, passed the full House and is viable for final passage in the Senate before the end of the session. House Bill 444, which makes changes to the Dual Enrollment program, passed the full House with more debate expected in the Senate as lawmakers seek to address the ballooning cost of the program and codify its goals.
The Daily-Tribune
Nontraditional student chosen as GHC’s Academic Day rep
By Donna Harris
Cindy Mendoza might have started college a little later in life than many students, but that hasn’t kept her from making the most of her experience. The Georgia Highlands College student, who “can’t wait” to graduate in May with an Associate of Science in biology, has maintained a 3.86 GPA, served as vice president of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, worked a part-time job and received the honor of being named GHC’s Board of Regents Academic Day representative for her outstanding scholastic achievement. “It was a total surprise for me,” the Kennesaw resident said. “I was unaware that our interim dean of natural science [Dr. Sarah Tesar] had nominated me to represent GHC. I was giddy all day, and now again, just thinking that someone considered me worthy of such an honor.” Mendoza, 28, said having this honor bestowed on her “means that I am doing something right.” “Also that I no longer go unnoticed,” she said. “My first semester at GHC was very lonely because I felt out of place as an adult learner. Thankfully, I grew out of that, and I started becoming more active at school. I’ve greatly evolved in my academic career, and this honor reminds me of it every day. It is 100 percent motivation for me to continue pushing and striving for academic excellence.” Every year, one student is selected from each college in the University System of Georgia to be its Academic Day representative, and the 26 students from across the state are recognized at a Board of Regents meeting and luncheon, held this year on Feb. 12 at the USG office. During the event, Mendoza, who was accompanied by her mother and Tesar, had the opportunity to meet the other 25 school representatives as well as board Chairman Don Waters and USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley.
The Gainesville Times
How this UNG student found a ‘way out’ in college and became a Truman Scholarship finalist
Joshua Silavent
For John Blessing, a Gainesville resident and student at the University of North Georgia, his own surname belies the many challenges he’s faced to achieve a college education. Growing up in a lower-income family that moved between several rural towns, Blessing said it was hard to find stability at home. “I’ve kind of been everywhere,” he said of his itinerant childhood. “I had given up – a lot.” …But he has come to UNG and found a voice on the campus as the first in his family’s history to attend college. “Halfway through my junior year (of high school), I realized college was my only way out,” he said. …And this interest has led Blessing to become a finalist for the prestigious Harry S. Truman Scholarship, which awards up to $30,000 for prospective graduate students working toward a career in government and public service. Blessing will graduate in December with a bachelor’s degree in history, then add a B.A. in political science, with a focus in pre-law, the following spring. He has maintained a 4.0 grade point average throughout his time at UNG.
11ALIVE
These high school students got a great surprise from Georgia Tech
There are some feeling that are hard to put into words and that’s what it was like for six exceptional students at Booker T. Washington High School who received great news about college a day early, a surprise to kick off their weekend. The kids walked in to the Media Center to find their friends and their family and a big Georgia Tech banner. That’s when Georgia Tech representatives handed them these white envelopes and inside certificates that say ‘You got in.’
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Teen teaches STEM skills to Y students
By H.M. Cauley
Online schools offer students a chance to tailor their time and create agendas that adapt to their speed of learning and the demands of other pursuits beyond the classroom. That’s precisely why Madison Kenney opted to enroll in the Georgia Connections Academy three years ago. “Traditional high schools have very structured schedules, but through Georgia Connections, I can move at my own pace and get ahead in my lessons,” said the 15-year-old sophomore. “It’s more about what I want to do on any day.” “It started when I was at a hands-on event at Georgia Tech where I programmed a Lego alligator to open and close its mouth,” she recalled. “From there I started attending programs at Tech almost every Saturday. I loved the creativity of STEM and robotics; there are so many ways to do one thing, and innovative ideas can be used in other ways for other subjects.”
Albany Herald
UGA-Tifton student Lucas Brock embraces helping others
Student found his calling in ag education
By Bryce Ethridge
The education Lucas Brock receives at the University of Georgia Tifton campus is helping the senior strive to be the best version of himself. An agricultural education major, Brock is student teaching this semester at LaGrange High School in LaGrange. Ashley Yopp, an assistant professor at UGA-Tifton and Brock’s student teaching supervisor, characterizes Brock as responsible, trustworthy and a true showman of stewardship. “Lucas is one of those rare people who showed up to us already at the top of his game,” Yopp, who taught Brock every semester he has been at UGA-Tifton, said. “Sometimes I trusted him more than I trusted myself to remember to do things. He really upped the expectation, making me a better teacher because I knew he wanted to learn more and go beyond some of the things we were doing in my class.”
The Brunswick News
…Georgia Southern civil engineering graduate student Mariah Peart of Brunswick has been selected by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as one of 10 New Faces Of Civil Engineering for 2019 — Professional Edition. Engineering professor Gustavo Maldonado, Ph.D., said it’s the first time a Georgia Southern student has received this recognition.
11ALIVE
Volunteers from UGA join ‘NOLA Trash Mob’ to clean up New Orleans
“I’m surprised at how many people throw them away on the street, and not wear them around their neck,” one volunteer said.
Author: Duke Carter, WWLTV.com
Student volunteers from Georgia are teaming up with a local organization to make the Big Easy a bit cleaner. Members of the Nola Trash Mob are hosting students from the University of Georgia this week to impact the litter problem the city faces, especially following Mardi Gras. …The group of students are part of the group called Impact UGA. It’s service learning organization, designed to have people learn about service through practice to better serve their communities, Heed said.
Tifton CEO
Remlinger Manufacturing Donates Equipment to J.G. Woodroof Farm at ABAC
Staff Report From Tifton CEO
Two pieces of equipment valued at over $55,000 are now a part of the day-to-day operations of the J.G. Woodroof Farm at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College thanks to the generosity of Remlinger Manufacturing Co., Inc. “We couldn’t operate without our corporate partners,” Dr. Mark Kistler, Dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at ABAC, said. “We want the latest in technology in front of our students at all times, and this donation helps us to accomplish that goal.”
Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern celebrates Parker donation
Georgia Southern held an official naming celebration Friday as it recognized the $5 million gift for the Parker College of Business from entrepreneur Greg Parker. The gift, first announced in November, was the single largest donation in university history. “Today’s graduates from the Parker College of Business will be tomorrow’s CEOs, CFOs and COOs,” said Parker. “By supporting the College of Business at Georgia Southern University, I’m investing in the health and vitality of the regional business community. I’m investing in the power of education. I’m investing in the future.” Funds also will establish the Parker Business Scholars Program, the Parker Business Scholarship Fund and the Parker Faculty Support Fund. Parker is founder and CEO of The Parker Companies in Savannah. “The essence of opportunity is will. One has to be willing to help others like Mr. Parker,” said Logistics/Intermodal Transportation major and Parker Scholar Mohammad Abdallah. “The impact of Mr. Parker’s generous donation will not only give us an opportunity, but it will allow us to enhance research studies, student feedback, and network capabilities.”
13WMAZ
Middle Georgia State University hosts annual Math Olympics
The winning math teams have a chance to win scholarships to Middle Georgia State University.
Author: Kayla Solomon
MACON, Ga. — Once a year, math teams from dozens of high schools in Georgia compete for scholarships and bragging rights. Alexis Gunerman is a senior at Houston County High School, and she says it takes courage. “You just gotta go for it, even if you’re probably wrong, even if it sounds ridiculous.” Gunerman says her love for math began in middle school after she almost failed in sixth grade.
U.S. News & World Report
Educators Say They Are Encountering More ‘Wounded Students’
Educators are encountering more “wounded students” in their classrooms, but experts say they don’t always know how to address their needs.
U.S. News & World Report
SAVANNAH, GA. (AP) — Educators are encountering more “wounded students” in their classrooms, but experts say they don’t always know how to address their needs. The founder of a group who aims to help these students spoke recently at the National Youth-At-Risk Conference in Savannah. Abuse, neglect, violence, poverty, loss and witnessing the abuse of a parent or sibling can lead to symptoms of trauma in children, The Savannah Morning News reported . Educators must work to restore the self-esteem of such students, said Joe Hendershott, founder and chief executive officer of Hope 4 the Wounded in Ohio. …The conference was hosted by Georgia Southern University’s College of Education.
WJCL
Fuller House’s Jodie Sweetin to speak at Georgia Southern about substance abuse
Best known as Stephanie Tanner in ABC’s ‘Full House’ and Netflix’s ‘Fuller House,’ Jodie Sweetin is coming to Georgia Southern University next week.
Graham Cawthon
Best known for her role as Stephanie Tanner in ABC’s ‘Full House’ and Netflix’s ‘Fuller House,’ Jodie Sweetin is coming to Georgia Southern University to talk about her struggle and triumph over substance abuse. The event is free and open to the public and is hosted by the university’s School of Nursing. It will take place Monday at 7 p.m. at the Armstrong campus’s Fine Arts Building Auditorium. “Our hope is that Jodie will bring a heightened awareness of the multifaceted aspect of drug and alcohol abuse and recovery, and how it not only affects the individual, but affects the individual’s loved ones as well,” said Waters College of Health Professions Dean Barry Joyner, Ph.D. “Through the Advanced Practice Nurse-Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (APN-PMHNP) track, our dedicated School of Nursing faculty are leading the way in bridging the gap for patients in rural and underserved communities to access quality mental healthcare.”
Athens Banner-Herald
Opinion
Huckaby: Time to name field at Sanford Stadium in honor of Vince Dooley
Familiarity breeds contempt. Or it doesn’t. Enter Vincent Joseph Dooley. He was my boyhood hero. He came to Athens in 1964 to become the head football coach at UGA. I was 12 — prime time for worshipping athletic heroes. Coach Dooley took my beloved Bulldogs from the depths of despair — 3 wins, 3 wins and 4 wins over the three years preceding his arrival — to a 7-3-1 season and a win over All America Donny Anderson and the Texas Tech Red Raiders in his inaugural campaign. Georgia beat Florida that year. First time in five tries. Georgia beat Georgia Tech that year. First time in four tries. Instant nirvana Between the Hedges. Two years later, Dooley’s Dogs would win the SEC title for the first time since 1959: a seven-year drought. The 1966 championship season included wins over Florida, Auburn and a third-straight win over the Enemy from North Avenue. Georgia would go on to defeat SMU in the Cotton Bowl and finish fourth in the land. …All that to say that Dooley is truly the most remarkable man I have ever spent time with. He continues to represent our institution with warmth and grace and to bring glory to old Georgia. And it is way past time his accomplishments and contributions were recognized in a proper and permanent way. On Sept. 4, Dooley will turn 87. On Sept 21, Georgia will host Notre Dame in Sanford Stadium. Yeah, that Notre Dame. Sugar Bowl. New Orleans, Jan. 1, 1981. Georgia 17. Irish 10. That needs to be the first game played on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. We don’t need to wait any longer. It needs to be done now. Not posthumously in another generation. Get behind this. Please. We can make it happen.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
House Democrats’ Vision for Higher Education Act
By Paul Fain
The education committee of the Democrat-led U.S. House of Representatives this week will begin a series of five hearings on reauthorizing the Higher Education Act, the law that governs federal financial aid. On Friday the committee’s Democratic leadership released a paper describing their vision for updating the law, as well arguments for the continued value of a college credential and criticism for low-quality offerings from for-profit institutions. “More than 50 years after the initial passage of the HEA, America still falls short of the law’s original promise to open the door to and extend the benefit of higher education to all students,” the report said. “The next reauthorization of the HEA should aim to finally close those gaps in access, affordability and completion that continue to prevent so many students from fulfilling their greatest potential.” The law should support dual-enrollment opportunities for high school students, simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, increase grant aid for students, strengthen institutional quality and accountability, improve the postsecondary data infrastructure, and include investments in childcare and mental health services, the report said, among other proposals.
The Hechinger Report
Despite high costs, new poll shows most young adults think a four-year degree is worth it
Those most likely to suffer the burden of college debt believe it’s usually worth the investment
By Delece Smith-Barrow
With the cost of college steadily rising, and student debt continuing to overwhelm millions of borrowers, it would make sense if young adults questioned the value of a bachelor’s degree. But more than half of them still believe it’s worth the price tag. Among 18- to 34-year-olds, 59 percent believe four-year schools are worth the cost, according to a new survey from American Public Media’s APM Research Lab and The Hechinger Report. While that’s about the same percentage for those of middle age who answered the same question (60 percent of adults ranging from ages 35 to 54), it’s noteworthy that so many millennials and Generation Z adults share this belief. They are the ones most burdened by student loans. “Cost is all about what you truly think the value of it is,” said Anthony Bernazani, a 34-year old graduate of a community college and a four-year school, George Mason University, both in Virginia.
Inside Higher Ed
Will AP Changes Give More of an Edge to the Wealthy?
High school counselors say that registration and fee changes will have little impact on those in affluent schools but will discourage those in low-income areas.
By Scott Jaschik
The Advanced Placement program, despite criticism that it receives, remains a popular way for high school students to demonstrate their commitment to rigorous instruction. Many students at high schools where Ivies and flagships are the norm for college applications compete to have the greatest possible number of AP courses (successfully completed) on their transcripts. High school counselors, even those who have doubts about the way students obsess over AP, see the program as crucial for their students. And that may explain why so many counselors — especially those who serve low-income students — are angry over changes the College Board is making in the registration deadlines and fees for the program. The College Board is changing the registration deadline for taking an AP exam from March (toward the end of the school year) to November (toward the beginning). In addition, the College Board is adding to the $94 fee for exams a $40 late fee for missing the November deadline and a $40 cancellation fee for those who register but then opt not to take the exam.
The Hill
Tuition-free college will insufficiently improve higher education outcomes
BY CHRISTINA VILLEGAS, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR
Over the past several years, representatives at the state and national level from across the political spectrum have clamored to increase financial access to and enrollment in postsecondary education. Now, as the 2020 Democratic presidential primary race heats up, advocating state sponsored tuition-free college appears to be a prerequisite for admission. The growing emphasis on tuition- or debt-free, college, as a means of increasing universal access to higher education, has resulted in large part from widely promulgated claims that a college degree guarantees upward mobility — and that the financial gains resulting from the acquisition of a degree far outweigh the large sums of money used to finance that degree.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
NCAA Cannot Restrict Compensation to Athletes Related to Education, Judge Rules
By Andy Thomason
The NCAA is violating antitrust law by limiting payments to college athletes to scholarships covering the cost of attendance, a federal judge ruled on Friday. Judge Claudia Wilken, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, ruled that the National Collegiate Athletic Association cannot set limits on compensation to athletes related to educational expenses like tutoring or the cost of scholarships for postgraduate degrees. While the ruling dealt a blow to the NCAA, it fell far short of the plaintiffs’ hopes. In suing the NCAA, a collection of former college athletes had eyed the establishment of a free market for athletes’ services. Wilken’s decision would allow the value of athletes’ scholarships to increase, but that compensation would be a far cry from the millions made by coaches in big-time football and men’s basketball. In her ruling, Wilken seemed to echo a growing societal reckoning with an inequity of big-time college sports — that the players who help generate the hundreds of millions of dollars the NCAA rakes in every year are not paid amounts close to their commercial worth. Wilken acknowledged a “great disparity” between the “extraordinary revenue” of the NCAA and the “modest benefits” received by athletes.
See also:
Inside Higher Ed
Another Ruling Chips Away at NCAA Limits for Athletes
Judge declares that association and colleges illegally restrict value of “education benefits” to which big-time football and basketball players are entitled — but stops far short of free market sought by athletes.