University System News:
Savannah CEO
Georgia Southern Ranked in Top 20 for 2019 Online Master’s in Accounting Programs
Staff Report From Savannah CEO
The Georgia Southern University online Master’s of Accounting (WebMAcc) program has been ranked No. 15 by BestMastersPrograms.org in its 2019 Top 25 Master’s Online Accounting ranking list. The WebMAcc program, accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), started in 2013 and is geared toward working professionals. The 30-credit hour program features 100% online coursework and accepts incoming students during fall and spring semesters. The program follows a cohort model using a team-based approach to online learning. By mirroring the on-campus program, the WebMAcc is taught by the same experienced faculty with the same access to campus resources.
Your Training Edge
Top 10 Most Affordable MBA Programs in the USA
By Guest Contributor
Earning a Business Degree enables students to develop their business startups. MBA prepares students for leadership roles within a firm to take it to new heights of success. It opens many opportunities for them in the future. The primary thing that bothers students while applying to business schools is its cost. You want to get enrolled in an MBA program without burdening yourself with loans. An affordable degree allows students to earn for themselves rather than paying off debts their whole life. But practical students look beyond the affordability and towards the quality of education. Students should calculate the cost, quality, and potential return on investment before deciding what school to choose. Affordable options for getting an MBA are easy to calculate. …10 Top Choices for MBA: Keeping in mind the factors mentioned above, the following universities are best options for affordable and valued MBA programs under $10,000. …4.Georgia Southwestern State University
Albany Herald
Albany State University named No. 9 Paramedic-to-RN nursing school program
Paramedic to RN program rankings released by registerednursing.org
From Staff Reports
Albany State University has been named this year’s No. 9 Paramedic-to-RN nursing program in the country by www.registerednursing.org. This is the third year the rankings have been released. Registerednursing.org said, for paramedics who wish to advance their careers by earning a nursing degree, specialized pathways exist to help achieve the goal efficiently. Paramedic-to-RN programs transition paramedics into the world of registered nursing by building upon the education and experience they already possess.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Triplets share valedictorian honors, head to Georgia Tech
By Eric Stirgus
Adam, Rommi and Zane Kashlan are fraternal triplets who’ve done many things together. Last month, the brothers shared valedictorian honors from West Forsyth High School. Next week, they’ll begin another joint experience. They’re starting their college careers at Georgia Tech, in a summer program created for students eager to get a head start on their coursework, learn their way around the campus and make friends. It’s not surprising the Kashlan triplets wanted to begin their Georgia Tech careers early. It took them just two years to graduate from high school, and all three brothers are doing research, at Emory, Georgia Tech and the University of North Carolina. They turned 16 in May.
Tifton Gazette
Exchange Club presents Golden Deeds Award to Penny Chesnut
It has been said “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Penny Chesnut puts these words into action every day. For that reason, and many more, Chesnut was recently honored with the 66th Annual Exchange Club Book of Golden Deeds Award, according to a press release. The Book of Golden Deeds Award is a national project of the Exchange Club that recognizes dedicated volunteers who give endless hours of their time and talents toward making their communities better places to live. The Golden Deeds award is the longest running project of the Exchange Club of Tifton. The Tifton award was renamed in honor of longtime chairperson Helen Rainer, who passed away in 2013. “Miss Penny,” as she is known to so many, has been the Baptist Collegiate Ministries (BCM) director at ABAC for over 30 years. …Chesnut goes above and beyond, often meeting with students early in the morning or staying late into the evening, giving of her personal time to meet a need.
WTOC
Georgia Southern University working on new Commencement plan
By Dal Cannady
Thousands of Georgia Southern University graduates walked across different stages this year to finish their college years and get their diplomas. What was supposed to be a happy time turned to frustration for many graduates and families due to changes in commencement. The university is now sharing some of the feedback those graduates gave them. The new vice president who has come to the university with new president, Dr. Kyle Marrero, says the people who weren’t happy didn’t sugarcoat what they thought of the “new” commencement. The university held nine ceremonies in two cities within a period of 36 hours. Leading into the weekend, Dr. Marrero asked students and their guests for feedback. More than 2,000 responded. According to the university, 96 percent of the surveys reported a negative experience. “Capacity issues with some of the venues were some of the pieces that people were concerned about, and certainly, that concerns us too,” said Dr. Scot Lingrell, V.P. Enrollment Manager.
Forsyth County News
UNG set to offer free meals for low-income children
Harley McCullar
Every year, Dr. Pamela Elfenbein from the University of North Georgia organizes a team of her staff and UNG students in the Human Services Delivery and Administration to deliver free meals to underprivileged families during the summer. Elfenbein, professor of sociology and human activities at UNG, began her mission to revitalize the Summer Food Service Program’s initiative in response to 2018’s large number of requested meals: recorded at 78,000 requests in total by Foster, the director of the SFSP at UNG. Since its foundation in 2012, “the SFSP has served well over 100,000 meals,” Elfenbein said. This food service program is a student-oriented community outreach development that brings a meaningful impact to all qualifying families. According to the University of North Georgia, “The program’s acceptance requirements are the same for all race, nationality, sex, age or disability.” Providing for eligible community members indiscriminately will allow the maximum amount of qualifying recipients to be delivered to.
The Augusta Chronicle
UNG students present research at 6 conventions
By Clark Leonard
University of North Georgia seniors Macey Jarrard and Tony Sacchitello have gained a wide audience for their research about the Dahlonega Science Festival. UNG faculty and community members organized the festival for the second time in March 2019. The students worked on their research with assistance from faculty members Gina Childers, Donna Governor and Lesley Simanton-Coogan. The first year of the research was supported by a Presidential Incentive Award. The students work focused on why people attended the Dahlonega Science Festival in 2018. Sacchietello shared their research at the National Association for Research in Science Teaching International Conference March 31-April 3 in Baltimore, Md. Both students also presented their research at the Association for Science Teacher Education international meeting in Savannah during January. They presented at Southeastern Association for Science Teacher Education meeting in Birmingham, Ala., during October 2018. The pair also presented the research at the Georgia Undergraduate Research Conference in November on UNG’s Gainesville Campus and at UNG’s Annual Research Conference on March 22.
WGAU Radio
UGA Students Tutor Inmates In Clarke Co Jail
By: Hamilton Armit
Inmates at the Athens-Clarke County Jail are being tutored weekly by a group of University of Georgia students through the Athens Prison Tutorial. Kavi Pandian, a fourth-year Honors student and Foundation Fellow majoring in sociology and economics, is president of the organization. “The main service we provide is GED tutoring—that’s what we started off doing,” he said. “The prison assigned us students who hadn’t graduated from high school, and we would figure out where they were academically.” When Pandian arrived at UGA, there wasn’t an organization like Athens Prison Tutorial on campus. After repeatedly contacting the ACC jail over the course his freshman year, he was able to finally break through that summer along with co-founder Manasa Kadiyala, a fourth-year Honors student and Ramsey Honors Scholar studying biochemistry and molecular biology.
WTVM
Movie starring Bruce Willis set to begin filming in Columbus in June
By Olivia Gunn
Actor Bruce Willis is expected to begin filming in the Chattahoochee Valley this week. Ten Columbus State University students working towards their film certificate will get an opportunity to work alongside industry professionals this summer while Willis is in town. Columbus State’s chair of communication, Dr. Danna Gibson, said the selection process for choosing the interns is going to be a rigorous one. “So, this internship is extremely important because our students are working shoulder-to-shoulder with professionals in the industry on these sets,” said Gibson. “What we hope and what we’ve seen happen in the past is when that happens, our students impress those producers and they call them up again for future assignments.”
Atlanta Curbed
Insanely green building at Georgia Tech nears home stretch of construction
The Living Building is expected to be open for students and staff next month
By Karon Warren
After nearly two years of construction, the Living Building at Georgia Tech, formally known as The Kendeda Building for Innovative Design, is reaching the final stages of completion. According to the recent update from the “Living Building Chronicle,” the project is now expected to achieve “substantial completion” next month thanks to some significant milestones in the building process. For instance, the building switched from temporary to permanent electricity in April. It’s also on track to be connected to its permanent power source: 915 solar panels, which are being installed on the canopy over the building’s roof. Once in place, the solar panels are expected to provide more than 105 percent of the power needed for the building. As such, it will be one of the first net positive buildings in the Southeast. Brick work around the building’s exterior also is nearing completion. These North Carolina-made Green Leaf bricks are created from 100-percent recycled material.
Albany Herald
Georgia Military College campus in Albany celebrates first graduates
Grady Wilson, Bethany High graduate from Georgia Military College campus in Albany
From Staff Reports
In September 2017, Albany Technical College and Georgia Military College announced a collaboration to expand educational opportunities for students in southwest Georgia, opening GMC’s new extension center. Now, almost three years later, GMC-Albany celebrated its first graduates, Grady Wilson and Bethany High, over the weekend. GMC-Albany joined GMC-Valdosta on Friday for graduation at the Valdosta State University PE Complex, with state Rep. John LaHood, R-Valdosta, as the commencement speaker.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College’s Chase Hodges sweeps NAIA National Coach of the Year honors
From Staff Reports
For the first time in his successful coaching career, Georgia Gwinnett College head tennis coach Chase Hodges has been selected as the 2019 Wilson/NAIA men’s and women’s National Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Hodges was recognized by the organization for leading both programs to wire-to-wire No. 1 national rankings throughout the season. The two teams combined to win 47 of 48 matches, culminating with NAIA national championships in mid-May. The men’s tennis program captured its sixth consecutive national title, defeating Xavier University (La.) 5-0 in the championship match. The Grizzlies didn’t lose a game point in winning four matches at the tournament in Mobile, Ala.
11alive
Georgia Tech Police recover more than 20 stolen bikes
Georgia Tech officers received a tip last month and then searched a home in Atlanta. (VIDEO)
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
House Passes American Dream and Promise Act
By Elizabeth Redden
The Democrat-controlled House of Representatives on Tuesday voted 237 to 187 to pass the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, which provides a pathway to citizenship for certain undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers who were brought to the U.S. as children, as well as to individuals who currently hold temporary protected status or who are subject to deferred enforced departure due to dangerous conditions in their home countries.
The Washington Post
House passes immigration bill to protect ‘dreamers,’ offer a path to citizenship
By Felicia Sonmez
The House on Tuesday passed a bill that would offer a path to citizenship to more than 2 million undocumented immigrants, including “dreamers” who were brought to the United States as children. The vote was 237 to 187 for the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, which would grant dreamers 10 years of legal residence status if they meet certain requirements. They would then receive permanent green cards after completing at least two years of higher education or military service, or after working for three years.
Inside Higher Ed
Online Is (Increasingly) Local
The proportion of students studying fully online who are enrolled within 50 miles of their homes has risen from under half to fully two-thirds, a new study finds.
By Doug Lederman
It’s sexy to talk about how mega-universities — high-enrollment institutions with a national footprint, typically online — are the future of higher education. But assuming that many or most students will choose to enroll in an institution across the country or even in the next state ignores the reality that increasing numbers of online students choose to study close to home. That reality is ever clearer in Online College Students 2019, the latest iteration of an annual study from the Learning House; its parent company, Wiley Education; and Aslanian Research, a consulting firm. The survey of 1,500 current or soon-to-be students in fully online academic programs (for undergraduate or graduate degrees, certificates or licensure) has been conducted for eight years and explores their attitudes and behaviors on a range of topics. Among the most interesting data points in this year’s survey appears in a section of the study about how online students decided where, what and how to study.
Market Watch
More than half of college students fail this 6-question money quiz — would you?
College students face a pile of student loans and credit-card debt, but many don’t understand financial basics
By Catey Hill, Editor
Even well-educated people often don’t have a lot of money know-how. A recent survey of more than 25,000 college students from financial firm AIG AIG, -0.94% and education training company EVERFI revealed that students struggle, a lot, with even basic financial literacy about things like student loans, credit cards and more. Indeed, when asked six personal finance questions, more than one in 10 got none of them right, and another 20% got just one right. Still, more than half got just two or fewer questions correct — even missing simple questions about net worth and savings. Fewer than 1% got them all right. So just how hard was this quiz? Here are the six questions, followed by the answers.
Fox 2 News
Walmart expands debt-free college benefits to high school students
Here’s a way to avoid debt ahead of college! Walmart is looking to recruit high school students and help them with their future college tuition. Walmart announced Tuesday it was extending its debt-free college benefits to high school students. High school employees can earn free college credit as well as free SAT and ACT prep. Older employees can earn college degrees ranging from computer science to cybersecurity for just $1 a day. The move comes as Walmart and other companies struggle to find talent in a tight job market.
Inside Higher Ed
The Great Recession’s Lingering Impact
States and the public colleges they fund continue to feel the economic downturn’s effects, even after a decade of recovery, according to a new report that gives a sobering look at state funding.
By Rick Seltzer
States continue feeling the Great Recession’s effects a full decade after its end, according to a new brief from the Pew Charitable Trusts, which gives a sobering look at states’ current financial condition and points to significant ramifications for higher education. The deep 18-month recession, which officially ended in June 2009, led to states forgoing at least $283 billion in tax revenue between 2008 and 2013, Pew estimated. Federal stimulus money offset some of the missed revenue in the short term, and tax collections nationwide have recovered to the point where states took in 13.4 percent more in 2018 than they did a decade prior, after adjusting for inflation. But nine states still were collecting less in tax revenue in 2018 than they were at their pre-recession peak. … Pew cited data from the State Higher Education Executive Officers association showing that state financial support for higher ed was 13 percent below its pre-recession level on a per-student basis in 2018, after adjusting for inflation. Tuition revenue has taken on a larger role in funding public higher education, and public universities are collecting 43 percent more in tuition dollars on a per-student basis in 2018 than they did in 2008, after accounting for inflation.
Inside Higher Ed
Battle Lines Drawn on a Student Loan Alternative
Senator Elizabeth Warren and congressional Democrats question Trump administration’s plans to back income-share agreements — and demand answers from colleges offering the financing, too.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
Senator Elizabeth Warren and other congressional Democrats delivered a warning on Tuesday about the potential dangers of income-share agreements, an alternative form of college financing increasingly popular with some critics of student loans. The lawmakers’ primary target was the Trump administration — which has expressed interest in experimenting with the agreements — but the shot across the bow also aimed at colleges operating their own ISA plans. Income-share agreements offer students financial support up front and in exchange require them to repay a portion of their income for a set number of years. They first caught on at coding boot camps and similar programs that don’t receive federal student aid. But a handful of four-year colleges have begun offering their own ISA plans and, last month, the Trump administration said it planned to pursue a federal experiment to offer income-share agreements to students.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Study: Young Americans’ Wages Same As Decade Ago
by LaMont Jones
Adjusted for inflation, young Americans are earning the exact wages their counterparts were paid a decade ago and are feeling left behind economically, according to a study released Tuesday by Young Invincibles. The analysis by the Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group indicated that young adults ages 25 to 34 earned $807 a week in 2009, and that number is the same today, based on data from the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. The analysis also found that wages for college grads dropped from $1,353 per week in 2009 to $1,324 per week in 2018. In that same period, the cost of one year at a public, four-year college increased 30 percent from an average $16,460 in 2008-2009 (in 2018 dollars) to an average of $21,370 in the 2018-19 academic year. Meanwhile, average per-student state spending in higher education decreased from $8,489 in 2007 to $7,642 in 2017 while student loan debt over the last decade has more than doubled from $60 billion to $1.5 trillion.