University System News:
Savannah Morning News
Savannah leaders talk up values at Georgia Southern’s Armstrong campus
By Ann Meyer
As a welcome for Georgia Southern University President Kyle Marrero, a slate of prominent leaders rolled out a red carpet of encouragement by sharing values for the university to embrace. As Marrero focuses on unifying the Georgia Southern community, Savannah-Chatham County public schools Superintendent Ann Levett encouraged a focus on “openness and inclusion,” while University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley spoke of striving for academic excellence or superiority. Six values were covered at the speakers event Thursday evening at the Armstrong campus of Georgia Southern. The event was part of the university’s investiture of Marrero as its 14th president.
Collaboration
“It’s not what you do but why you do it,” said Don Waters, chairman of the Board of Regents. He provided examples from businesses he has worked with over the past 45 years where working together helped to build or mend a business. “Collaboration certainly is the key to success,” he said. …Academic excellence
Wrigley caught the audience’s attention by speaking about what academic excellence is not. “It’s not being comfortable,” he said. “If you find yourselves and your colleagues spending a lot of time patting yourselves on the back instead of challenging one another, then that is a sure sign you’re probably not seeking academic excellence.”
WSB
Georgia Southern to officially install new president
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) – A Georgia university is officially installing a new president. Ceremonies marking Kyle Marrero officially taking office at Georgia Southern University are scheduled for Friday in Statesboro. Events will be held at Georgia Southern’s Savannah campus on Thursday.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Veteran fintech exec new head of Georgia FinTech Academy
By Dave Williams – Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
An executive with more than two decades of experience in the financial technology sector has been named to run the Georgia FinTech Academy. Tommy Marshall recently served as the fintech executive-in-residence at Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center, a tech incubator housed on the university’s Midtown campus. He brings experience in payments, banking, capital markets, finance and regulation as well as first-hand knowledge of fintech as a founding board member of FinTech Atlanta – an arm of the Metro Atlanta Chamber – and co-chair of FinTech South. “The Georgia FinTech Academy has made great strides since it launched last year,” said Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia. “Bringing Tommy Marshall on board is the next important step in its growth. I am confident he will lead the Georgia FinTech Academy to serve students and this growing sector of Georgia’s economy.” The Georgia FinTech Academy has a physical presence at Georgia State University’s Robinson College of Business but draws participation from 19 of the university system’s 26 colleges and universities.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Peach State Federal Credit Union creates scholarship in honor of GGC dean
By Curt Yeomans
Although Cathy Moore will retire from her position as dean of Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Education later this month, her name will live on at the college. Peach State Federal Credit Union has set up a scholarship fund to honor Moore, who was the School of Education’s charter dean, with $25,000 in seed money. Moore has been at GGC for 13 years, starting in 2006 when the school opened. “Peach State was founded by Gwinnett County educators more than 58 years ago. Dr. Moore has paved the way for future educators in Gwinnett through her hard work and dedication to GGC,” Peach State’s President/CEO, Marshall Boutwell said in a statement.
The Spectator
Departments request funding to increase enrollment
With VSU’s retention rates increasing by 5 percent but freshmen enrollment decreasing by 8%, departments are working together to improve their methods of recruitment. This year’s Budget Advisory Council meeting was held on Oct. 18, where all departments presented their funding requests on not only equipment replacements and maintenance requirements, but also different approaches to recruiting new students. Keith Warburg, executive director of the Office of Communications and Marketing, requested $149,300 for his department’s recruitment approach of undergraduate admissions. VSU has been stressing dual enrollment for three to four years according to Warburg. The approach began with the purchase of lists of sophomore, junior and senior high school names from across the country, as provided by The National Research Center for College & University Admissions, Inc.
Athens CEO
Partnerships Help Georgia Businesses Find Trained Employees and Students Find Good Jobs
Kelly Simmons
What happens when there are more jobs than qualified people to fill them? That is a critical issue for many Georgia communities and one that the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government is working to address. Recent one-day conferences in Gwinnett and Tift counties, organized by the Vinson Institute, drew hundreds of attendees. Among them were representatives of k-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, businesses and economic development professionals from across the state. “Economic development across Georgia is one of our highest priorities at the University of Georgia,” Jennifer Frum, vice president for UGA Public Service and Outreach, said in welcoming participants to the Innovating Georgia’s Workforce Pipeline conference at the UGA Gwinnett campus. “How we all prepare the rising generation for the workforce is of utmost importance.”
Albany CEO
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is proud to announce the receipt of $9,955 to participate in the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) Georgia Young Adult Program (GYAP). The GOHS addresses young adult driver crashes, injuries and fatalities, and partners with colleges and universities throughout the state to implement this program. “The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety is committed to changing the tragic trend of young adult driver deaths in Georgia,” said GOHS Director Allen Poole. “We’re here to make changes and I believe the students at Georgia Southwestern State University can help us achieve the goal of lowering driver, crash, injury and fatality rates statewide. Who better to address the challenges and dangers facing young adults than their peers? I’m confident these students can convince their peers to be safer, more conscientious drivers.”
The Brunswick News
Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event brings attention to domestic violence, sexual assault
By LAUREN MCDONALD
Domestic violence and sexual assault are crimes that can hide in the shadows. But the bright red high heels worn Thursday by the men who participated in the second annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes event could not be ignored. That was sort of the point. College of Coastal Georgia hosted the event to bring attention to domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of gender violence. College nursing students and athletes hobbled in heels alongside local law enforcement officials and other community members who took part in the walk.
WALB News
Tifton first responders blaze path in high heels for ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’
First responders from the Tifton Fire Department are trading in their boots for a more “fashionable” appeal…high heels. The department strutted around the city for about a mile for ‘Walk a Mile in Her Shoes’. It was to help raise money for Ruth’s Cottage and the Patticake House. Those groups help victims of domestic violence across the area. The event was hosted by the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) baseball team, student development, and health center.
Columbus CEO
CSU to Host Disability Mentoring Day October 29th
Columbus State University will host its third annual Disability Mentoring Day on Oct. 29. The event, which is held in partnership with Amerigroup Georgia, promotes the recruitment of individuals with disabilities to help achieve a more diverse, inclusive workplace. CSU students are invited to attend a day of presentations that cover topics such as relationship building and self-branding. “We are so excited to have Amerigroup partner with us once again on this annual event,” said Johnnae Roberts, Student Development Coordinator at CSU. “Events like this will allow students to see themselves represented in a number of ways and we are happy to have a part in that.”
Albany Herald
Georgia Southwestern State University Visual Arts participates in annual ‘Empty Bowls’ project
Goal for this year is to produce and sell 200 bowls at $20 each
From staff reports
Faculty and students in the Georgia Southwestern State University Department of Visual Arts, along with several other local artists, are coming together once again to feed the hungry by selling hand-crafted ceramic bowls. The GSW Visual Arts and Americus-Sumter County Arts Council “Empty Bowls” project will take place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 2 at First Presbyterian Church of Americus. Officials said the goal for this year is to produce and sell 200 bowls at $20 each totaling $4,000 if all bowls are sold. Eighty percent of the proceeds collected from this event will benefit Harvest of Hope Food Pantry, while the arts council will keep the remainder.
WSAV
Armstrong campus: Georgia Southern student shot, police investigate
Police investigate the shooting of a Georgia Southern student that may be linked to gunfire Thursday night on the Armstrong campus. According to Georgia Southern University, campus police received a report of possible gunshots about midnight in the University Crossing complex on the Armstrong campus. Due to the possibility of an ongoing threat, an Eagle Alert was issued. Officials say shortly after the original report, officers received a separate report of a gunshot victim at a local hospital. Investigators determined the two reports were related, and that there did not appear to be any further threat on campus. The victim is a student and is currently being treated for his injuries.
Fox5
Georgia Tech unveils new, unique building
Georgia Tech dedicated a building that’s one of its kind in the Southeast. The Kendeda Building for innovative sustainable design gives back. …They said the building will produce more power than it uses. It will collect rainwater. And it’s filled with sustainable technology and repurposed materials.
Marietta Daily Journal
A smashing good time: KSU students launch pumpkins in engineering contest
Rosie Manins
MARIETTA — First-year engineering students at Kennesaw State University had a smashing time Thursday afternoon, propelling pumpkins into the air in a test of basic mechanics. With grades at stake, around 250 freshmen in 30 teams demonstrated their knowledge and skill by pitting their custom designed, handcrafted pumpkin launchers against one another in a Marietta campus field. Hundreds more students gathered to watch the spectacle of around 100 pumpkins, each weighing 8-11 pounds, being catapulted one by one into the air via ballistic and trebuchet devices built by the engineering students over the past month or so.
GPB
GSU Study: Majority Of Homeless Youth In Atlanta Experience Human Trafficking
By SARAH ROSE
A new Georgia State University study says more than half of the homeless youth in Atlanta have experienced some form of human trafficking. The study, led by Professor Eric Wright, found that marginalized groups like LGBTQ youth, as well as children who come from troubled backgrounds, are even more likely to experience exploitation.
Gainesville Times
Your data is saved when using social media. UNG is researching how much
Layne Saliba
Social media isn’t just a way to share information with friends. Each time someone logs in and posts on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, that information is being stored. Everyone knows these big companies in California are taking some of that data and using it for advertisements and other things, but those very computers that are being used are also storing information.
Metro Atlanta CEO
Georgia Tech Included in Major Water Desalination Research Initiative
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has announced that the National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI) has been chosen to lead a large research and development effort called the Energy-Water Desalination Hub. This effort is targeted at addressing water security issues in the United States by developing innovative water treatment technologies that can make “non-traditional” water sources available for a wide range of potable and non-potable uses. The Georgia Institute of Technology is a member of this multi-institutional public-private team, led by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Total federal funding for this five-year research center is expected to reach $100 million. NAWI is a research network with more than 35 members, including Georgia Tech, and more than 180 organizations that will collaborate with the National Energy Technology Laboratory, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Georgia Tech has researchers with expertise in specialties that will prove vital to the success of this effort, such as water treatment systems analysis (John Crittenden, director, Brook Byers Institute for Sustainable Systems), and advanced manufacturing (Chris Saldana and Thomas Kurfess, professors in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering).
WSAV
UGA researchers take cruise to examine local shrimp, black gill parasite
by: Ashley Williams
Researchers working with the University of Georgia (UGA) Skidaway Institute of Oceanography set off on a stakeholders cruise aboard the R/V Savannah to continue studying the black gill parasite. WSAV joined the research crew on a crisp Wednesday morning as they departed the Institute’s main dock for their fall 2019 shrimp/black gill cruise on a day-long journey around the local waterways. The cruise gave researchers a chance to monitor the prevalence of the black gill parasite, which has impacted shrimp off coastal Georgia. The black gill parasite is a single-celled animal, called a ciliate, explained Marc Frischer, a marine biology professor with the UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography.
Higher Education News:
CNBC
Working while in college might hurt students more than it helps
Anthony P. Carnevale, Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce
Back-to-school season is in full swing for students throughout the educational pipeline. On college campuses, many students are starting their journey from youth dependence to adult independence—and making their first and probably one of the largest investments of their lives. For most, that means taking out college loans, assuming student debt, and finding a job to help stay afloat. It didn’t always use to be this way. Since 1980, tuition and fees at four-year public colleges and universities have risen 19 times faster than average family incomes. Given the costs of college, working while enrolled is the new normal for today’s students; eight out of 10 students work while in college. But the reality is that working while in school doesn’t leave enough to cover living and tuition costs. You just can’t work your way through college anymore. Working while learning takes a greater toll on low-income students. There are about six million working learners who are also low-income, and they are disproportionately women, Blacks, and Latinos. These working learners are more likely than their higher-income peers to work more than 15 hours per week, leaving less time for their studies. And rather than pursuing a professional position, many devote more hours each week to dead-end jobs. Working longer hours at these jobs may allow low-income students to earn more money in the short term. But it’s usually never enough to cover their college and living expenses.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Conference Series Focuses on Mental Health For Students of Color
by Sara Weissman
The Steve Fund – a nonprofit dedicated to improving mental health for students of color – is hosting a series of on-campus, daylong conferences called “Young, Gifted and @Risk.” Each conference will bring faculty, administration, students and mental health experts together for in-depth discussions on the emotional well-being of minority students. The first conference in the series took place this Thursday at the University of Michigan, and two more will convene at Georgetown University and the City University of New York (CUNY) next month, on Nov. 1 and Nov. 15 respectively. While all of the conferences focus on the same broader theme, the Steve Fund worked with each school to create a conference agenda tailored to their interests. …The Steve Fund began running these conferences in 2014 with its initial convening at Brown University. Since then, the organization has hosted similar gatherings at Stanford University, Washington University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas at Austin and Harvard University. “There’s almost no college or university that doesn’t want to have this conversation in a big way,” Primm said.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
A Republican’s Debt-Forgiveness Plan Sounds Great. But What Comes Next?
By Eric Kelderman
Wayne Johnson, a high-ranking official with the U.S. Department of Education, got a lot of attention on Thursday for his campaign proposal to forgive up to $50,000 per person in federal student-loan debt. The plan, announced as Johnson resigned his position to seek appointment to a soon-vacant U.S. Senate seat from Georgia, would also award a grant of that amount to future students to pay for various kinds of postsecondary education. The story carried the shock value of an administration official seemingly clashing with his boss, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and siding instead with Democratic presidential candidates such as Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. In an interview, Johnson said that his plan is far different from the Democrats’ and that DeVos, who has criticized other debt-forgiveness plans, had only just been informed of the proposal. The idea that a Republican candidate was picking up the rallying cry of the populist left caught many by surprise. More importantly, the news signals that the idea of forgiving student debt is moving into the mainstream and garnering some bipartisan support among politicians.
Inside Higher Ed
Court Holds DeVos, Education Dept. in Contempt
By Andrew Kreighbaum
A federal district court judge on Thursday held Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in contempt of court for the improper collection of student loans from several thousand borrowers who attended now-defunct for-profit colleges. The ruling — a rare outcome for a federal agency — was sought by Harvard Law School’s Project on Predatory Student Lending after the Education Department acknowledged collecting on the loans of former Corinthian Colleges students who had sued for debt relief. Federal Magistrate Judge Sallie Kim ordered the department to pay a $100,000 fine and submit monthly reporting on those borrowers. The judge left open the possibility of additional sanctions, including the appointment of a special master to monitor the department.