University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
KSU program prepares foster youth for college
By Kristal Dixon
Janae’ Brown is 16 years old and knows she wants to be a physician. But until she attended the GEAR’ing UP for College summer camp this week at Kennesaw State University, she had little idea of how to achieve her dream. The rising 11th grader from Macon was among 15 students at the camp, which teaches foster and homeless youth how to prepare for college. The students spent July 7-11 living on campus learning about resume building, ACT/SAT prep, applying for scholarships and the college admissions process. They also took part in workshops, college and career fairs and team-building activities. Marcy Stidum, Campus Awareness & Resources Empowerment Services director at KSU, said the program attracts students from Cobb, Clayton, Fulton, Bibb, Houston, Floyd and Polk counties. …As the days progress, the campers begin to have a positive outlook on continuing their education, she said. Having a university invest in their success, Stidum said, is important for campers since they often deal with issues such as frequent changes of homes or not having enough to eat.
North Fulton
Ag Tech degree at ABAC fills nationwide need
During the 111-year history of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, hundreds of graduates have earned diplomas in Agricultural Engineering Technology. For years, it was a popular two-year degree at ABAC, both among students and the employers who hired ABAC graduates from the program. ABAC President David Bridges said he believes a new ABAC major in Agricultural Technology and Systems Management will quench the thirst of those students who want the AET background but need a four-year degree for their chosen profession. “Jobs are available for students who complete this major,” Bridges said.
Albany Herald
Albany State University’s future focus of town hall
By Alan Mauldin
Local opponents of legislation that would split the state’s three predominantly black public universities away from Georgia’s college ruling board say they see in the effort a return to the days of “separate but equal” in educational opportunities that were anything but. “The future of Georgia’s three historically black colleges and universities is threatened, and we want to make sure we continue the vision of Dr. (Joseph W.) Holley,” said Albany State University graduate and businessman Gilbert Udoto, referring to the founder of the Albany Bible and Manual Institute, ASU’s original name. “If we didn’t have this, some of us wouldn’t be where we are. It’s really important to preserve these universities.” Albany City Commissioner Jon Howard is hosting a fifth town hall meeting Tuesday to discuss the issue.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Young HBCU Leaders Look to Carry the Torch
by Tiffany Pennamon
Higher education observers consistently note that a number of presidents will be stepping down or retiring over the next decade, paving the way for up-and-coming leaders to carry on the work for student success and completion. At historically Black colleges and universities, particularly, a cohort of younger presidents and chancellors has entered the space with a vision to propel their institutions forward. Although younger than the “traditional” college president, the leaders bring with them years of higher education experience and they are leveraging relationships with government, industry and older presidential mentors to address some of the challenges that many HBCU presidents collectively face: enrollment growth, student success, fundraising, access and affordability and financial stability.
A product of an HBCU
Zachary Faison Jr., president of Edward Waters College, admitted that initially, he was in no way “starry eyed” about serving at the helm of a small, private historically Black college, one of the toughest and most challenging environments to work in higher education. But taking into account the “tremendous” and “life-altering” experience he had as a student and graduate of Albany State University, an HBCU in Georgia, and the advice of colleagues, mentors and family members to serve, Faison saw the presidency as an opportunity to fulfill a responsibility to work towards collective community upliftment through HBCUs. In taking on the role at EWC, Faison has made an effort to mirror the positive behaviors of presidents — older and younger — that have produced “demonstrably successful results at and for their respective institutions,” he said. “At the same time, I think I’ve also tried to glean insight into behaviors that were equally ineffective during other presidential tenures and tried to learn [from] and avoid some of those missteps.”
Griffin Daily News
Internships allow potential employees to learn from UGA Extension agents
By Sharon Dowdy
What better way to decide if a county Extension job is for you than to spend a summer working alongside a county agent. UGA University of Georgia Cooperative Extension intern Lauren Dubberly is spending her summer working with Cook County Agent Tucker Price. She’s shown marking a research trial in a peanut field. Dubberly says she is learning a lot about diseases found in fruit, vegetable, and row crops.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Report: Ga Tech, SCAD leaders among highest-paid college presidents
By Eric Stirgus
The leaders of two schools in Atlanta are among the nation’s highest-paid college presidents, according to a report released Monday. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s annual report on college presidential salaries found Savannah College of Art and Design President Paula S. Wallace was ranked as the eighth highest-paid private college president in the nation and first among all college presidents in Georgia. Her total compensation for 2016, the most recent year available for private colleges and universities, was $2,043,120. The Chronicle reported Wallace received a bonus of nearly $900,000.> MORE: Selling a dream at SCAD G.P. “Bud” Peterson, who is retiring in September after ten years of leading Georgia Tech, was the eighth highest-paid president last year of any public college or university in the nation. His total compensation, which includes deferred compensation, was $1,135,710, according to the University System of Georgia. The Chronicle listed Peterson’s compensation slightly higher, at $1,240,232, reporting higher totals for other parts of his salary package.
The Brunswick News
Coastal Georgia Georgia Foundation names 2019 Correll Scholars
By Connor Foarde
The Correll Scholars program at the Coastal Georgia Foundation recently recognized six outstanding individuals as its 2019-2020 recipients. Billy Anderson, Sabrina Luckey, Nashiya Maxwell, Destany Smith, Jada Stuckey and Damaria Gurley are all graduates of Glynn County High School and have been members of the Elizabeth F. Correll Teen Center of the Boys & Girls Club of Southeast Georgia. …Gurley plans to attend Ft. Valley State University to pursue a degree in criminal justice. …The scholarship program aims to assist recipients in pursuing two-year and four-year post-secondary education at one of Georgia’s public colleges or technical schools. The Coastal Georgia Foundation considers both academic excellence and community orientation in those it chooses for Correll Scholarships.
Connect Savannah
Georgia Southern researchers: Sea turtle season is a record-breaker
Posted By Jim Morekis
Sea turtle nesting season on St. Catherine’s Island is on track for a record-breaking season this year. Jaynie Gaskin, MPH, executive director of the Georgia Southern University Sea Turtle Program at St. Catherine’s Island (STP@SCI), said researchers counted more than 100 nests after just one month into the nesting season, which runs from May to October. Gaskin said nests on St. Catherine’s Island were some of the first in the state to produce hatchlings.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Presidential Tenures Are Getting Shorter. Why Are the Payouts So Large?
By Dan Bauman
…‘Tolerance for Disruption’
The term of a typical chief executive at a public institution of higher education is getting shorter. The average tenure for a college leader, in either the public or private sector, was 6.5 years in 2016, down from 8.5 years a decade earlier, according to a survey from the American Council on Education. “Leadership change generally creates challenges for an organization,” said Michael Harris, an associate professor of higher education at Southern Methodist University. “I worry sometimes that we’re too quick to dismiss a president without dealing with the underlying issues within the organization.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Alaska Lawmakers Fail to Avert Sweeping Cuts to the University System. Here’s What Happens Next.
By Sarah Brown and Katherine Mangan
The University of Alaska’s Board of Regents has $135 million to cut, and on Monday its members will consider a few options for how to do it. One would involve handing a scalpel — or, some would argue, a chain saw — to each of the system’s three universities to designate its own cuts. Another would involve shuttering regional campuses, which the president described as “a radical, vertical amputation.” Or the three universities, which currently offer a broad range of programs, could focus more narrowly on a few core programs, such as fisheries, engineering, or nursing, with each institution serving as a “lead campus” for particular disciplines. There’s an even more drastic option: Consolidate the system’s three separately accredited universities into one. That option has broad support among Alaska lawmakers, as well as some board members, but faculty leaders are deeply skeptical about it.