University System News:
Gwinnett Daily Post
Little appointed to university system Board of Regents
By Curt Yeomans
A former Gwinnett Republican Party Chairwoman is joining the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents, Gov. Brian Kemp’s office announced Friday night. Kemp appointed Rachel Little, a Loganville resident who is currently the 4th Congressional District Republican Party chairwoman, to fill a seat on the board. Little was elected the Gwinnett GOP’s chairwoman in 2013 and served on Kemp’s grassroots leadership team when he was running for governor.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
University of Georgia received more than 16,500 early action applications and admitted 42%
By Maureen Downey
High school seniors get official notification today of whether they were admitted
Students who applied early action to the University of Georgia find out later today if they were admitted. Here is what UGA has already released about the application pool. This is from David Graves’ wonderful UGA admissions blog. Graves is senior associate director of admissions operations and evaluation. Quick Early Action Numbers (These numbers are mid-ranges, not minimums.): Applications Received: 16,585 (16,511 with fee paid)
–UGA received slightly less EA applications than last year. Based on the data on applications started for regular decision for this year, we expect a larger group of applicants to apply using that option than last year.
Csunshine Today
Provost’s Student Success Series Highlights Innovative Student Engagement Strategies
by Liezl Bitas
As part of her ongoing Student Success lecture series, CSUN Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mary Beth Walker invited Allison Calhoun-Brown, vice president for student engagement and programs at Georgia State University, to share with CSUN faculty and staff different strategies to encourage freshman enrollment, increase current student retention, and promote academic progression, graduation and diversity. Before joining CSUN this past summer, Walker was interim president at Georgia Gwinnett College and associate provost for strategic initiatives and innovation at Georgia State.
Albany Herald
Fort Valley ranks among top U.S. counseling degree programs
From staff reports
Fort Valley State University has been recognized as a top-ranked institution offering the best online Counseling Degree programs by Intelligent.com. Fort Valley State was ranked No. 31 out of the 60 competing programs from public institutions across the nation. More than 320 programs were evaluated. The student-focused comprehensive research guide produced by Intelligent.com, an online magazine focused on a lifelong commitment to continuous improvement, is based on an assessment of 1,604 accredited colleges and universities. Each program is evaluated based on curriculum quality, graduation rate, reputation and post-graduate employment.
Tifton Gazette
Donors can assist ABAC on GivingTuesday
GivingTuesday on Dec. 3 could become the most generous day of giving in the history of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, according to a press release. “All alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students, and friends of ABAC are invited to be a part of this historic day of philanthropy for ABAC,” Ric Stewart, the annual giving and development coordinator for ABAC, said in the release. “We invite you to give to the department, club, scholarship, or program that matters most to you. Or you can contribute to ABAC’s area of greatest need.” Stewart said the goal for the GivingTuesday campaign is $100,000. All gifts to the ABAC Foundation between now and then will count toward the goal.
GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities and organizations to encourage giving and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Every year on GivingTuesday, millions of people across the globe mobilize to show up, give back, and change their communities. The goal is to create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day and touches every person on the planet.
WGAU
UGA faculty receive teaching awards
Four University of Georgia faculty members have received a 2019 First-Year Odyssey Teaching Award in recognition of their success as outstanding teachers in the First-Year Odyssey Seminar program. They were honored on Nov. 20 at the First-Year Odyssey Seminar reception thanking all FYOS faculty. The FYO Teaching Award recognizes outstanding instructors who have creatively connected their seminar to their research and incorporated the FYOS program goals into the seminar. This year’s recipients have been fully engaged with their students, provided them with a strong connection to the university through their research, and tied their curriculum directly to FYOS program goals.
News-Press Now
Local professor ends up on PBS special
By Daniel Cobb News-Press NOW
A local professor who traveled to South Carolina this summer to aid a student and fellow colleague with a study ended up catching snakes on the Savannah River as part of a PBS special. Dr. Mark Mills, a professor of biology at Missouri Western State University, studied the nonvenomous brown water snake at the University of Georgia while working toward his doctorate in the 1990s. While the Savannah River is located in South Carolina, UGA owns the Savannah River Ecology Lab where Mills would see himself called back to by former colleague, Tracey Tuberville. And while Mills looked at the ecology and history of the brown water snakes, David Lee Haskins, a Ph.D. student with UGA, is hoping to work with the snakes in a more applied way.
Forbes
How Innovation Springs Forth At The University Of Georgia
Tom Pfister Contributor
A freshwater spring percolates over a one-block, daylighted stretch as an open creek alongside Spring Street in Athens, Georgia. Historically known as the town spring and the founders’ spring, the natural watercourse was one of the most important ecological factors in locating the University of Georgia (UGA) here more than two centuries ago – the birthplace of public higher education in America. Swipe to today and, situated directly across from the spring, a to-be-repurposed building perks up to source the physical implementation of UGA’s Innovation District. A $4.4 million renovation, of what was formerly known as UGA’s Business Service Annex, will energize the university’s all-in push for an innovation district. …University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead said recently in UGA Today about the now-known-as Spring Street Building, “This exciting project will provide a unique space at the heart of North Campus and downtown Athens, where faculty, students, industry partners and community members can collaborate, innovate and develop solutions to real-world problems.”
accessWDUN
Federal cyber experts christen satellite office in Georgia
By The Associated Press
A U.S. Department of Defense unit has opened its first remote office outside the Pentagon with its new facility in east Georgia. Defense Digital Service works to find solutions for highly technical problems encountered by the military, The Augusta Chronicle reported. It held a grand opening recently in the Georgia Cyber Center. The space is dubbed Tatooine, which comes from Luke Skywalker’s home planet in the “Star Wars” movie series. Defense Digital Service reports directly to the Secretary of Defense.
Inside Higher Ed
Another Thing the Book Burning at Georgia Southern Reveals
The events are partly the consequence of expectations that the delivery of “diverse” content will by itself engineer more equitable and inclusive campus communities, argues
By David Shih
Early last month, writer Jennine Capó Crucet visited the campus of Georgia Southern University to discuss her novel Make Your Home Among Strangers, part of the university’s first-year experience program. After the talk, a group of students burned copies of the novel outside a university residence hall. Commentary on the disturbing event has tended to focus on the actions of individuals — those burning their books or even the author herself for her representation of whiteness in her writing and talk. Yet the video documenting the book burning has had the effect of drawing attention from other forces at play behind such a catastrophe, namely institutional commitment to a first-year experience program bearing responsibility for fostering public engagement with “diversity” among 18- and 19-year-olds. The ugly events at the university are partly the consequence of questionable institutional expectations that the delivery of “diverse” content will by itself engineer more equitable and inclusive campus communities. They are symptomatic of an institutional shift in resources away from faculty expertise and toward administrative solutions when it comes to student learning, especially in the humanities.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Two Georgia universities investigating swastikas on campus
By Eric Stirgus
Two Georgia universities are investigating who drew swastikas and other racially-charged messages this week on their campuses, adding to a growing list of similar incidents nationwide on college campuses in recent weeks. The presidents of both schools – the University of Georgia and Georgia College & State University – have written messages to students, faculty and staff condemning the acts since swastikas are used as a symbol of anti-Semitism or of Nazism. It’s unclear if the acts on the campuses are connected. The incidents in Georgia took place as officials at Syracuse University in upstate New York investigate four similar cases, including a swastika, on that campus in a recent eight day stretch, angering many students who feel administrators reacted slowly and poorly communicated their response. Swastikas have also been drawn at Smith College and UMass Amherst.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA investigating swastikas drawn in campus buildings
By Eric Stirgus
University of Georgia officials continued an investigation Friday into who drew swastikas on message boards in two residence halls on its Athens campus. “I am appalled by such offensive and outrageous displays of hate,” UGA President Jere Morehead wrote in a message Thursday to students, faculty and employees. “Let me be clear: this type of behavior has no place on our campus. The University of Georgia is defined by our shared values. Respect for others, diversity of thought, a love of learning, and a drive to expand knowledge and make a positive difference — these values unite us as a campus community and inspire our academic endeavors.”
Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern police arrest student for series of trash can fires
Georgia Southern University Police arrested a student Thursday evening following a weeklong investigation into a series of fires in building trash cans on the Statesboro campus, according to a press release from GSU. Jamya L. Cooper, 20, a junior majoring in education, is now facing six counts of arson in the first degree. The first report of a fire came in on Nov. 5 just before 5 p.m. when officers responded to the Math/Physics building where a trash can in a women’s restroom was on fire. The trash can had been pulled outside and extinguished with a fire extinguisher. Later the same day, police received another call for items that had been burned in two additional trash cans in the same building. Additional calls for trash can fires in a women’s restroom in the Math/Physics building came in on Nov. 14, Nov. 19 and Nov. 21. There were never any injuries reported and there was never any danger to occupants of the building because the fires were extinguished quickly, university police said. Some trash cans were destroyed.
WSB-TV
Kennesaw State women’s basketball player arrested, charged with murder
Channel 2 Action News has learned a Kennesaw State women’s basketball player has been arrested and charged with murder. Fulton County Jail records show Kamiyah Street, the team’s starting point guard, was arrested Thursday. Atlanta police confirmed her arrest is connected to a deadly shooting that happened July 16. Police found a man shot to death at a parking deck off 765 McDaniel Street. The address belongs to Heritage Station Apartments. Police identified the victim as 21-year-old Nashiem Hubbard-Etienne.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NEW DETAILS: 4 more charged with murder along with KSU point guard
By Mark Niesse and Chelsea Prince
The point guard of Kennesaw State University’s women’s basketball team is among five people accused of murder in the death of a 21-year-old man. Nashiem Hubbard-Etienne was “the victim of a targeted shooting”July 16 in the parking deck of a southwest Atlanta apartment complex, according to Atlanta police. Fulton County prosecutors indicted the four men and basketball player Kamiyah Street on Oct. 22. Street, 20, was not arrested until Thursday, jail records show. Three of her co-defendants, 22-year-old Cortez Banks, 21-year-old Johnerton Gilstrap and 20-year-old Tobias Wells, have been in jail for months. A fourth, Dontacus Brantley, 20, is still at large. The group is accused of murder, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery and aggravated assault in the 14-count indictment. Some face other related charges and weapons charges.
accessWDUN
University of North Georgia gets $1M donation for updated scoreboards
By AccessWDUN Staff
The University of North Georgia is getting a one million dollar private donation to be used for digital scoreboards at its baseball, soccer and softball fields. “This gift from Lynn Cottrell will significantly enhance our athletic complex and the experience of our student-athletes and fans,” UNG President Bonita Jacobs said. “The generosity of donors like Lynn and Mike Cottrell makes an incredible impact at UNG, and we are very grateful for their support.”
The Augusta Chronicle
GPB eliminates Augusta presence
By Tom Corwin
Georgia Public Broadcasting cut its lone Augusta employee and stopped leasing space from Augusta University. Georgia Public Broadcasting will no longer have a presence in Augusta after it stopped leasing a studio from Augusta University and eliminated the position here. The move was made earlier this week and Augusta University confirmed GPB no long is renting space from it. “I wouldn’t say we’ve closed down an Augusta bureau by any means,” said Bert Huffman, Chief Development Officer and senior vice president for external affairs for GPB. “We certainly don’t have a physical space there anymore.′ Veteran broadcaster Drew Dawson was hosting a mid-day program for the network from Augusta but his position was eliminated and the program will now be hosted in Atlanta, which is more cost-efficient, Huffman said.
Daily Hunt
Chronic stress may be linked with depression, other ailments
Scientists have come up with a new study that states chronic stress can inflame our brain, destroy the connections between our neurons and result in depression. Now they are working to better understand how the destructive cycle happens and how best to intervene. The results of the study were published in the Journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity. Even powerful, prescription anti-inflammatory drugs that should help break the connectivity between chronic stress and inflammation don’t help many patients with depression, says Dr. Anilkumar Pillai, a neuroscientist in the Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. …C3 is known to play a key role in inflammation in the brain, and microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, are known to use C3 during brain development to eliminate synapses. ‘We expect that chronic stress increases C3,’ Pillai says as he continues to put the complex puzzle together. Now he and his colleagues want to know where the high C3 is coming from, whether it’s the immune cells called monocytes, circulating in the body in response to stress, or the microglia.
The Brunswick news
Legislators examine mental health in maternal mortality
By Wes Wolfe
The public controversy over Georgia’s dismal maternal mortality statistics continues to spur action among the state’s elected officials, and this past week state legislators heard from medical professionals on the problem and what could be working in some areas, especially as it comes to women’s mental health. …Barkin said the tools already exist to address the issue, through passionate providers, validated screening tools and postpartum support international’s state chapter, which facilitates PMAD training and provides resources. Joining legislators for the hearing was Dr. Chad Ray, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Augusta University. “I guess the challenge here is that, one, I agree with the idea of universal screening, but it is — I don’t think I would ask a psychiatrist to deliver a baby,” Ray said. “That may sound crazy, but my point would be … it is a specialty, and I think it does become challenging and something that you don’t do routinely day in and day out. While it’s common, the problem may fall in that across a specialty — even a primary care specialty, if you will — the comfort with this is going to be problematic no matter how it’s rolled out, when you have a positive screen, what to do next, because that’s just the nature of medicine.”
WTOC
UGA Skidaway scientists find microplastic in coastal water
By Andrew Gorton
Many of us use plastic products daily, but have you ever wondered what their effect is on the environment? Scientists at the UGA Skidaway Institute have discovered microplastic in our coastal water system. “If you think about the amount of plastic that we use in our daily lives, it is incredible. It is actually much greater than most people probably think about because it has kind of crept up on us over time,” said Jay Brandes, professor of Marine Chemistry. Some of that plastic is not visible to the naked eye and it is ending up in our marshes, rivers and beaches. “Microplastics are things that are about five millimeters in size, a quarter inch or so, on down to one micron, ” Brandes said. Professor Jay Brandes along with Environmental Educator Dodie Sanders have found microplastics in almost every sample taken along the Georgia coast. These samples are then filtered and studied under a microscope in their lab.
Higher Education News:
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Experts: Collaboration Essential to Advance Remedial Education
by Lois Elfman
While the landscape for developmental and remedial education can look discouraging, by being thoughtful and working together it can become more effective in narrowing educational disparities. That was the sentiment from many of those who attended the Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) conference held in New York City last week. “Examples of imagination and reimagination have changed the developmental reform landscape,” said Dr. Nikki Edgecombe, senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College. This year’s conference theme, “Remedial Education Is Not Working for Many College Students. How Can We Do Better?” presented examples of what is working and what isn’t with the hope of attendees forging joint efforts to best serve students.
Inside Higher Ed
Measuring Progress on Developmental Education
Researchers and higher education professionals discuss how far reforms to developmental education have come — and how far they have to go.
By Madeline St. Amour
While a great deal of progress has been made in developmental education reforms aimed at improving student success rates, researchers and academics at the Reimagining Developmental Education conference in Manhattan last week said there’s still work left to do. Nationally, about 70 percent of undergraduate college students are advised to take developmental courses in reading, writing or math, rather than starting with college-level, credit-bearing classes right away. Research has shown that enrolling in non-credit-bearing developmental courses can not only slow students down, but also hinder their persistence. “Developmental education is really the true gatekeeper,” said Bridget Terry Long, dean of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, during her keynote speech here. The Center for the Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness, led by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College and nonprofit education research organization MDRC, presented several studies on the success of various models at the conference, including results from a survey of how far developmental education reforms have spread so far.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
College Diabetes Network Launches Initiative to Help Students With Chronic or Invisible Diseases
by Sarah Wood
Many students with chronic or invisible illnesses share similar experiences to Porter. To change that, the College Diabetes Network (CDN) launched CDN REACH™, an initiative that aims to reduce both physical and mental health risks that college students with diabetes face by working directly with and educating campus professionals. “The launch of CDN REACH™ is to combine both an awareness campaign of chronic illness and invisible disease on campus with a solution and an action that administration can actually take to begin to solve the problem,” said Christina Roth, chief executive officer and founder of CDN. A 2017 CDN survey found that 57% of young adults reported an increase in depression since starting college. Additionally, according to Roth, 28% of students felt like their diabetes effected their GPA and a significant number of students missed 5 or more days due to their diabetes.