University System News:
Albany Herald
Budget, taxes to dominate 2020 General Assembly session
By Dave Williams,
Bureau Chief Capitol Beat News Service
The only constitutional requirement Georgia lawmakers must fulfill each year is passing a state budget. But faced with anemic state tax collections that will require significant spending cuts, the budget will be front and center even more than usual during the 2020 General Assembly session beginning Monday. While the legislature grapples with issues including whether to legalize gambling in Georgia, increase the availability of public transit in rural communities and take control of Atlanta’s airport from the city, the top priority will be reducing spending while protecting vital government programs and services.
Middle Georgia CEO
Middle Georgia State University to Launch First Doctoral Degree
The first doctoral degree in the institution’s history is coming to Middle Georgia State University. Following the University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents approval on January 8, 2020, Middle Georgia State (MGA) hopes to introduce the Doctor of Science in Information Technology this fall, pending review and accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.
Middle Georgia State became a university in summer 2015 and began offering master’s degrees shortly thereafter, with a longer-term goal of developing doctoral degrees specifically for professionals in certain career fields. In most fields, a doctoral degree is the highest-level academic credential.
Albany Herald
Board of Regents OKs renovation project for UGA film program
By Dave Williams, Bureau Chief Capitol Beat News Service
The University of Georgia’s new master’s program in film, television and digital media soon will have its own digs. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents approved a plan Wednesday to renovate more than 5,800 square feet of space at UGA’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications to house the two-year master of fine arts program the school launched last year. The $3.75 million project, to be funded through private donations, will provide studio and support space for the master’s program. The renovation will be designed, constructed and outfitted in collaboration with the Georgia Film Academy, which the state created and financed to train Georgians in the skills needed to work in the fast-growing film industry.
Savannah CEO
New Music Industry Degree Program Planned for Savannah
Staff Report
The arts community continues to grow in Savannah and Georgia, and is bringing with it a new slate of related jobs. To capitalize on these opportunities, and to bolster arts enrollment in Savannah, Georgia Southern University is developing a new academic program — exclusively on the Armstrong campus — focused on the music industry. If approved, this new program would be offered under the existing Bachelor of Arts in Music degree and would emphasize music technology and music business. University officials hope the success of this potential new program will thereafter allow for additional academic tracks, such as in music therapy.
Albany Herald
Sweetwater Junction to highlight ABAC scholarship fundraiser
Fabulous food, fantastic entertainment, and a chance to assist students in securing the education of a lifetime will be the key ingredients at “An Evening for ABAC” scholarship fundraiser on Feb. 29. Sponsored by the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Foundation Inc., …Scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. at the Tifton Campus Conference Center, “An Evening for ABAC” grows the ABAC student scholarship fund each year so that freshmen can wrap themselves in the ABAC experience when they enroll in the 2020 fall semester.
Middle Georgia CEO
Georgia Foundation for Ag Offers $65,000 in Scholarships
Staff Report
The Georgia Foundation for Agriculture, formerly the Georgia Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, is committed to investing in students pursuing careers in agriculture or a related field. For 2020, the foundation is offering $65,000 in scholarships to graduating high school seniors, technical college students, rising college juniors and seniors, and UGA College of Veterinary Medicine students specializing in large/food animals.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA surpasses 500 needs-based scholarship mark, raising $77 million
By Eric Stirgus
The University of Georgia announced Monday it has achieved what it described as a major milestone: a program started in 2017 to provide help to low-income students has now awarded scholarships to more than 500 students. More than 320 donors have committed money to the effort, the Georgia Commitment Scholarship, raising an estimated $77 million, university officials said. The scholarship was started with a $30 million gift from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation.
Valdosta Daily Times
NRF Foundation Honors Raises a Record $4 Million to Support Future Retail Leaders
The sixth annual NRF Foundation Honors took place Sunday at the New York Marriott Marquis to recognize the exceptional leadership of retail executives and to support the next generation of industry talent. The event raised more than $4 million to fund the Foundation’s programs, including educational initiatives, student scholarships and RISE Up, a powerful, industry-backed credentialing program. …In addition, the NRF Foundation named Cayley Creekmore, Shannon Foote, Anna Tiller and Woodley White from Georgia Southern University as the top team in the Student Challenge competition; each was awarded a $5,000 scholarship.
accessWDUN
UNG student designs challenge coin for Cornelia Police Department
By Rob Moore Reporter
CORNELIA – Cornelia Police Department recently recognized Rebecca Pontes for her work in helping design the department’s challenge coin. “We wanted something to commemorate our new beginnings while recognizing our city’s history,” said Assistant Chief Jonathan Roberts. “Rebecca did an amazing job.” Roberts said the project is one he has wanted for about a year. It came to fruition when he saw some drawings by Pontes, a full-time student at the University of North Georgia and a part-time employee of the city.
Northwest Georgia News
ROME BRAVES: Braves manager, minor league players to be honored at banquet
By Jonathan Blaylock
With a new season set to start in April, members of the 2019 Rome Braves are set to be recognized for their success and talents last season. …Other awards being presented at the banquet will be the Metro Atlanta High School Player of the Year to C.J. Abrams from Blessed Trinity, and the Jason Varitek Most Outstanding Scholar Athlete in Georgia Award to UGA’s Aaron Schunk. …Phil Niekro College Scholarships will be awarded to the baseball programs at Augusta University and Columbus State University.
Union Recorder
Houser named 2019 Georgia Public Librarian of the Year
The Twin Lakes Library System is proud to announce that Stephen Houser has been named the 2019 Georgia Public Librarian of the Year by the Georgia Public Library Service. “This is an amazing honor, not only for me, but for our library,” said Houser. “To be recognized in such a prestigious way shows the statewide impact of our good work, work that would not be possible without our amazing staff, trustees, friends and patrons.”
The Augusta Chronicle
Columbia County family donates books in memory of daughter
At just 3 years old, Shaylin Foster was already an avid reader. In elementary school, she performed well on Accelerated Reader tests and would get in trouble for reading in class when she wasn’t supposed to. By high school, titles such as “Jane Eyre” and “Pride and Prejudice” were stacked up on her desk at home, and she would read to students at Grovetown Elementary, where her mother, Chasity Foster, teaches kindergarten. “She just loved to read so much,” Foster said. After Shaylin was killed in a car accident at age 17 on Jan. 10, 2018, her family wanted to do something to celebrate her life each year on the anniversary of her death, calling it her Angel Anniversary. …So when Foster, who is in the leadership program in the Augusta University College of Education, heard about the college’s drive for books at the Intermediate Literacy and Math Center in the Richmond County School System, she knew what this year’s project would be — “Books for Shay.”
The Gainesville Times
Brenau helps students nail their job interviews with confidence — and a suit
Kelsey Podo
For many students, putting on a tailored suit is like donning a cloak of confidence. This extra dose of professionalism can make all the difference when interviewing for an internship or job, and Brenau University recognizes that. To help students along their career paths, Brenau started a clothing closet called Tiger Threads. …Lila Westmoreland, director of operation and executive programs at Brenau’s College of Business and Communication, said she got the idea to start the shop when visiting Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus.
The Evening Tribune
Artwork by AU alumna listed among top 100 of decade
Artnet News has named a piece of video art by Alfred University alumna Sondra Perry ’12 as among the top 100 most influential pieces of art of the last decade. Ben Davis, an art critic from Artnet News – the world’s first dedicated 24-hour global art market newswire – wrote a piece titled “The 100 Works of Art That Defined the Decade, Ranked,” which was published in Artnet News on Dec. 29. Davis ranked Perry’s piece, “IT’S IN THE GAME ’17 or Mirror Game for Vitrine of Projection (2017)” as No. 82 on his top 100 list. “IT’S IN THE GAME ’17” is a video installation that confronts the circumstances Perry’s twin brother, Sandy, faced as collegiate basketball player at Georgia Southern University from 2008-10. During his collegiate playing career, video game maker Electronic Arts released a video game, NCAA March Madness, in which likenesses of college players, including Sandy, were used without the players’ consent.
The Augusta Chronicle
HPV vaccine not reaching enough young people, expert says
By Tom Corwin
While the number of young people getting a vaccine against a cancer-causing virus is increasing in recent years, it is still not enough, a vaccine researcher said. The number of young Americans getting a recommended vaccine against a common cancer-causing virus has nearly doubled in recent years, a new study found. But the number getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus is nowhere near what it should be and lags far behind some other countries, said a longtime HPV vaccine researcher at Georgia Cancer Center at Augusta University.
The Baltimore Sun
By Phil Davis, Baltimore Sun Media
A former Johns Hopkins professor who was struck by a pickup truck in a hit-and-run crash on New Year’s Eve in Towson died from his injuries Sunday, police said. Thomas Charles Gluick, 62, of Georgia died from his injuries Sunday morning, Baltimore County police wrote in a news release.
Albany Herald
Georgia Museum of Agriculture to host plant, seed swap
From staff reports
Area citizens can get a head start on spring gardening with the ninth annual Plant and Seed Swap on Jan. 25 hosted by the Wiregrass Farmers Market at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Georgia Museum of Agriculture. The event will take place in the museum Lobby from 10 a.m.-noon. There is no admission fee. All participants can bring plants or seeds to share or just come to find a few new things to try in the yard or garden. No money is exchanged; this swap is an outreach event by the Wiregrass Farmers Market.
Albany Herald
State teams with Cyber Center for ballot security
Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University announced last week their partnership on protecting Georgia’s election system against cybercrime. Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences and the Georgia Cyber Center will work with the Secretary of State’s Office to help ensure the security and integrity of Georgia’s electronic voting system and advise the state on the safe use of these systems.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Former Gov. Nathan Deal accepts inaugural Second Chance Award at 2020 Better Chances Symposium
By Chamian Cruz
Former Gov. Nathan Deal received the inaugural Second Chance Award Friday at the 2020 Better Chances Symposium for his work to improve Georgia’s criminal justice system. The annual event took place at Georgia Gwinnett College and was put on by Greater Gwinnett Reentry Alliance, which is a coalition of service providers in Gwinnett County who give those coming out of jails and prisons the resources they need to be successful.
Gwinnett Daily Post
By Taylor Denman
Georgia Schools Superintendent Richard Woods outlined the Department of Education’s 2020 Legislative priorities, which included taking steps to form a supportive teacher pipeline and assessment of a rapidly growing dual enrollment program in Georgia. At a media symposium organized by the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education at Georgia Public Broadcasting in Atlanta, Woods first waxed positive about the state of public education in Georgia. He said he anticipates the state graduation rate to reach 90% in the next few years, and claimed the level of dialogue between the Department of Education and Gov. Brian Kemp’s office is unprecedented. He supported his claims with an anecdote about the statewide teacher listening tour he and Kemp conducted in 2019 that included a stop at Georgia Gwinnett College.
Marietta Daily Journal
Audit: Georgia film program lacks oversight, ideal for fraud
A state audit found that lax oversight of Georgia’s tax credit for television and movie filming makes the program an ideal environment for fraud. Georgia’s film tax credit is politically popular, but expensive, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The tax credits have grown from $141 million in 2010 to an estimated $870 million in 2019. But state auditors say that some companies have received film tax credits they did not earn. Auditors found millions of dollars in ineligible expenditures by film companies, including payments to workers or contractors for work that was done outside Georgia.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Is Early Decision Reaching Its Limits?
It still has enormous weight at many highly selective colleges, but its popularity isn’t growing there.
By Scott Jaschik
Harvard University in December admitted 895 students who applied early — or 13.9 percent of the 6,424 who applied. Last December, Harvard admitted 935 students, or 13.4 percent of the 6,958 students who applied. Both news releases hailed the numbers for women — 51.7 percent this year. And both releases made clear how hard it is to be admitted to Harvard — the regular decision admit rate is around 5 percent. Harvard is different from many early programs in that it is “early action” not “early decision” — meaning that admitted students are not obliged to enroll. But the university is not alone in seeing a minor decline in the number of students who applied early and who were admitted early. There are all kinds of reasons given for the declines — which some say are insignificant. Making comparisons at this point in the year is difficult. Colleges release information at different times, and their admissions policies vary. But the pattern of not everyone seeing increases appears clear. …To many admissions deans, the increases in recent years in early decision are good; they are evidence of the strong desire of many students to attend particular colleges.
Inside Higher Ed
Seeking a Culture Shift in Graduate Education
MLA members discuss professors’ ethical responsibilities for training graduate students, as some propose shifts in admissions practices.
By Colleen Flaherty
The humanities’ dismal tenure-track job market has laid bare some of the profession’s other ugly truths — namely that power imbalances are too often used against graduate students. The Me Too movement has, of course, revealed abuses of a sexual nature in academe. Yet graduate students also increasingly refuse to accept other forms of mistreatment and malpractice as they face poor faculty job prospects. Put another way, if the status quo isn’t a means to an end, then graduate students want graduate school to be more of an end in itself — and an equitable one. The Modern Language Association is listening.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Meet the New International Student
Budget-conscious, job-focused, and maybe already in your backyard.
By KARIN FISCHER
For the past several years, the story of international education has been one of uneasiness and uncertainty. The travel ban, shifts in visa policy, a trade war with China, doubts about job prospects, increased competition from other countries, even fear of American gun culture — all have contributed to three years of declines in the number of new international students on American college campuses. The decreases are all the more jarring for having followed a decade-long international-student boom. That boom relied overwhelmingly on a single country: More than half the growth in students from abroad came from China. But Chinese enrollments are now essentially flat, and a combination of factors — demographic, economic, political — suggest it’s highly unlikely that American colleges will once again see the same breakneck pace of growth from China. So where will tomorrow’s international students come from?
Inside Higher Ed
Calif. Governor’s Proposed Higher Ed Budget
By Paul Fain
Gavin Newsom, California’s Democratic governor, last week rolled out his proposed state budget for 2020-21. The proposal includes substantial general fund increases for higher education. But the overall total would only increase modestly, as some one-time capital outlays expire. The budget also would set aside billions of dollars for reserves amid slowing of the rapid expansion of California’s economy.