University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Senate backs changes setting limits to dual enrollment program
By Maya T. Prabhu and Eric Stirgus
Georgia’s state Senate voted along party lines Tuesday in favor of legislation that would reduce how many college classes high school students can take that are currently paid for by state funds. …The bill was adopted by a 34-18 margin. The legislation, which has the support of Gov. Brian Kemp, now goes to the Republican-led state House of Representatives for a vote.
Saporta Report
State economist walks the line between budget cuts and prosperity
By Tom Baxter
Even though it doesn’t always feel that way, more people will get up and go to work today in Georgia than at any time in the state’s history. In the past year alone, a quarter-million new jobs have been added in the state, Gov. Brian Kemp told the Joint House-Senate Budget Committee last week, as he rolled out his budget plan to lawmakers. State Economist Jeffrey Dorfman echoed the governor’s cheerful, yet cautious, assessment. Kemp chose Dorfman, a University of Georgia professor who has served as an economic advisor to the Gwinnett County Commission, to be state economist last summer. “The Georgia economy is so good we have essentially run out of workers, and it is very hard to grow employment when your state unemployment level is 3.3 percent,” Dorfman said. Without more employment, it’s hard to get more revenues, and that was the careful line the governor and his economist were walking. Since the expected windfall from the federal tax cut failed to come through, state agencies have been forced to make cutbacks in the middle of a booming economy. With 80 percent of the state budget on autopilot — the part which pays for Medicaid and public education — and growing, flat revenues mean the cuts have to come from the remaining 20 percent. “If some things grow faster than the average, other things need to grow slower or get cut. That’s just how math works,” he said.
The Marietta Daily Journal
$2 million for KSU renovation, veterans center in Cobb among delegation discussion points
By Thomas Hartwell
If Kennesaw State University officials get their wish, $2 million of state money could be coming their way in fiscal 2021 to fund chemistry lab renovations on the university’s Kennesaw campus. The proposed 4,000-gross-square-foot renovation would create two additional chemistry labs in the campus’s science building to address KSU’s ballooning enrollment, according to Julia Ayers, KSU’s vice president of governmental relations.
GaPundit
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections for January 28, 2020
Posted By Todd Rehm / Georgia Politics
On January 28, 1733, Georgia’s first colonists celebrated a day of thanksgiving for their safe arrival in Savannah and Chief Tomochichi’s granting them permission to settle on the Yamacraw Bluff.
On January 28, 1943, Governor Ellis Arnall signed a joint resolution of the Georgia House and Senate amending the Georgia Constitution to make the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia a constitutional board and reduce the power of the Governor over the Regents.
The movement to a constitutional board came after the loss of accreditation of all Georgia state higher education institutions for white people. The previous Governor, Eugene Talmadge, had engineered the firing of UGA’s Dean of the College of Education; after the Board of Regents initially refused to fire the Dean, Talmadge dismissed three members, and replaced them with new appointees who voted for the firing. Talmadge lost the 1942 election to Arnall.
Douglas Now
SGSC GETS NEW BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN PUBLIC SERVICE
The University System of Georgia’s Board of Regents approved a seventh bachelor’s degree for South Georgia State College (SGSC) during the Regents’ meeting Jan. 8, 2020, in Atlanta. SGSC President Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers is pleased to announce the Bachelor of Science in Public Service Leadership that responds to the SGSC strategic plan, Moving Forward, of developing new academic programs based on the needs of the workforce and community. …Graduates of this program can pursue careers in state and local government, nonprofit work, education, advocacy work, public administration, community development, church lay ministries and social services.
Albany Herald
Phoebe Putney CEO gives update on hospital activities, 2020 plans to Dougherty County Commission
By Alan Mauldin
The shortage of nurses is a national problem, but locally Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is looking at some local solutions. Phoebe Putney President and CEO Scott Steiner discussed the situation and the hospital’s efforts during a Monday Dougherty County Commission meeting. Steiner also gave a report on community investment and 2020 initiatives. Colleges and universities are still turning out nurses, Steiner said, but the landscape has changed in terms of job opportunities. …A program started about a year ago with Georgia Southwestern University in Americus is showing some promising results. Students who have slightly lower grade point averages or are lagging in the prerequisite core courses are being allowed into the program, with a counselor to guide them.
Metro Atlanta CEO
Staff Report
Clayton State University and Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) are forming a new partnership to provide a pathway for students interested in education careers to earn a degree. Under this new agreement, an undergraduate student may first attend SCTC to complete an associate degree in Early Childhood Care and Education. The student will then be eligible to transfer to Clayton State to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Education with a concentration in Elementary Education. The agreement would allow students to transfer without the risk of losing any credit hours. The presidents of both institutions signed a transfer articulation agreement on Friday, January 17, 2020.
Tifton Gazette
ABAC signs articulation agreement
With the signing of a new articulation agreement with Presbyterian College, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College has created a new path for biology students interested in studying pharmacy.” The new agreement guarantees qualified ABAC biology students an interview and consideration for acceptance into the Presbyterian College School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. program. Presbyterian is located in Clinton, S.C. …ABAC now has relationships with the Pharm.D. programs at both Presbyterian College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) in Suwanee. Anderson said these agreements should make the ABAC bachelor’s degree in biology program an attractive option for aspiring pharmacists.
The George-Anne
New engineering building will not come with change in bus routes
By Anthony Belinfante
Georgia Southern University students planning to take classes in the new Center for Engineering and Research Building (CEaR) can expect to walk to class in the coming months. The CEaR, which has been in development since Jan. 2019, will have parking available for students and faculty. But students who do not purchase a parking pass will have to find a route to travel on foot in order to get to class.
Griffin Daily News
Grad student talks about home in Nigeria
By Ray Lightner
Staff Writer
Jan 28Ikechukwu Oguadinma, or “Ike” as he’s called, is a doctorate food science graduate student at the University of Georgia Griffin Campus.V
The George-Anne
GS student debuts fashion line with positive vibes
By Alexis Hampton
Jalease Turner, a Georgia Southern University marketing student, debuted her first clothing line at “Uncivilized Society: A Fashion Extravaganza” on Friday. More than 100 students gathered in the William Center to support the show and its featured creators. The fashion show featured student creatives such as designers, models, singers, rappers and dancers. …Turner originally put on the fashion show as a project for her marketing class, allowing young entrepreneurs to come together, create and showcase their talents, but it turned into an opportunity to show students her own creativity.
Hollywood Reporter
‘Blast Beat’: Film Review | Sundance 2020
by David Rooney
Colombian American director Esteban Arango’s debut follows an immigrant family seeking political asylum as their metalhead eldest son angles to parlay his academic prowess into a NASA job.
The Colombian high school senior at the center of director Esteban Arango’s first feature, Blast Beat, is defined to equal degrees by his prodigious gift for engineering science, his dream of working at NASA and his love of death metal. That last passion prompts the title, and cues the tireless bursts of aggressively thrashing musical breaks and montages that punctuate the action. …Carly’s eagerness to be one step closer to his goal of enrolling in the aerospace program at the Georgia Institute of Technology and from there landing a research and development job at NASA makes him appear indifferent to leaving behind his more emotionally attached girlfriend Mafe (Kali Uchis).
Infosecurity Magazine
The Risk of Increase in Social Cyber Security in 2020
Michael Usiagwu Digital Marketing Consultant
Social cybersecurity is an emerging branch of cybersecurity that deals with the understanding of human behavior. Studies in social cybersecurity cut across different and seemingly unrelated fields such as (communication) technology, machine learning, psychology, sociology, and forensics, among others. More so, to differentiate it from traditional cybersecurity, the Military Review of the US Army explains thus: “Traditional cybersecurity involves humans using technology to ‘hack’ technology. The target is information systems. Social cybersecurity involves humans using technology to ‘hack’ other humans. The targets are humans and the society that binds them.” In his paper, Sauvik Das, of the Georgia Institute of Technology, asserts that “social influences strongly affect cybersecurity behaviors, and it is possible to encourage better cybersecurity behaviors by designing security systems that are more social.”
Athens CEO
Fanning Institute Seeks Mentors for Summer Programs
The University of Georgia J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development is seeking mentors for its overnight summer youth programs. Current college students with at least one year of college completed may apply to be mentors for one or more of the programs.
WRDW
Richmond County Schools get creative in filling teacher shortages
By Laura Pugliese
Every year, Richmond County Schools replace about 350 teachers. This year, that number hit 419. …Melissa Shepard is the Director of Human Resources for Richmond County Schools. She says the job is less appealing to the younger generation. …There’s also troops for teachers. It’s a similar style program that allows people leaving the military to work as a teacher. But the newest incentive program is a combined effort with Augusta University. It’s called Teach Richmond. It just started this semester and it gives student teachers $3,000 if they agree to commit to teach in Richmond County for two years.
WGAU
Busy day at UGA includes president’s State of the University address
By: Tim Bryant
University of Georgia president Jere Morehead delivers his annual State of the University Address today: it’s set for 3:30 this afternoon in the Chapel on UGA’s North Campus. The University of Georgia’s economic forecasters are in south Georgia today, delivering their economic forecast for Albany in a noon-hour session at the Hilton Garden Inn in Albany. It’s the latest stop on a swing around the state for economists in UGA’s Terry College of Business. The University of Georgia’s Spring Career and Internship Fair is set for noon til 5 at the Classic Center. Employers looking to fill job openings and find interns will be on hand
The Sentinel
OPINION: Part-time faculty deserve more recognition
Ayla McGinnis
While it is important that full-time faculty members receive recognition for their service at Kennesaw State, it is unjust that their part-time counterparts are not also granted this courtesy. One of the most pivotal parts of the student experience at any university is the professors responsible for teaching the classes. Thousands of instructors are employed by KSU, and after a first glance at the university’s faculty page, it seems as though these instructors are adequately appreciated through a slew of faculty events. …After a Years of Service Ceremony that took place on campus last semester, part-time KSU English professor of 20 years Yvonne Wichman wrote a letter to the editor to the Sentinel in December describing that lack of appreciation.
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State University Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex dedication
Photos by Reginald Christian, Contributor
Albany State University paid tribute to an iconic family and esteemed basketball coach at a building naming ceremony and court dedication on Saturday, Jan. 25. The ceremony marked the official renaming of the Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex as the Jones Brothers Health, Physical Education, and Recreation Complex and the naming of the HPER basketball court as Oliver Jones Court.
AllOnGeorgia
How College Has Changed Since the 1980s
No User Names, Dating Profiles, Or Texting
By Terri Rimmer, Freelance Writer
It feels like an eternity since I was in school from 1984 to 1988 at what is now the University of West Georgia (formerly West Georgia College). The campus newspaper, The West Georgian, where I worked all four years, is now online only, along with everything else pretty much. Back in the day, after producing our articles on giant video display terminals (VDTs) and developing pictures in the dark room, we had to take our disks over to the local paper and complete lay out and paste-up of our newspaper. The Times-Georgian, the local publication, then did the printing. It was a two-day affair practically. Now, thanks to technology, there is no paste-up. Everything is done by computer.
Georgia State Signal
Coping with homesickness on college campuses
By Adrienne Long
I remember when I left home for the first time; before I transferred to Georgia State, I attended Georgia Southern University, which is about four hours from my hometown. I was thrilled to be on my own and living in an off-campus apartment with my roommates. Even so, I remember having bouts of homesickness. They weren’t anything serious where I’d need to phone home and ask my parents to pick me up, just feelings of melancholy. Although I didn’t suffer from a severe case of homesickness, I have no doubt that many other students did. Going away to college and getting homesick is nothing new, but it might be more serious than people think.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Southern Co. commits $50 million to historically black colleges
By Eric Stirgus
Georgia’s historically black colleges and universities will soon get a major infusion of cash from one of the South’s largest companies. Atlanta-based Southern Company announced Tuesday it is investing $50 million in the coming years to HBCUs in Georgia and other states for scholarships, internships, leadership development, and access to technology. “This investment is a statement of our belief that America needs these HBCU graduates in order to ensure a thriving economy for generations to come,” Thomas A. Fanning, the company’s chairman, president and CEO said in a news release. “We invite others to partner with us to create the scholarships, internships, and opportunities to train the leaders of tomorrow.”
WJBF
The City of Augusta receives a $120,000 grant to help prevent childhood obesity
by: Devin Johnson
Mayor Hardie Davis is in Washington, D.C., for the National Mayors Conference, where he was awarded a new grant targeting childhood obesity. The grant will be a partnership between the city, The Medical College of Georgia, The Children’s Hospital of Georgia, and Augusta Partnership for Children.
Augusta CEO
Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. Accepts 1st Place 2020 Childhood Obesity Grant at Mayors’ Conference
Mayor Hardie Davis, Jr. represented Augusta this week at the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ 88th Annual Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C. Mayor Davis, who also serves on the Board of Trustees for the national organization, joined nearly 300 mayors from cities across the country for robust dialogue, information sharing and idea exchange on gun violence, cybersecurity and housing. …During the conference, Davis accepted a 2020 Childhood Obesity Prevention Award Grant of $120,000 to support Augusta Fit Families – a program to expose children to healthy eating and activity environments inside and outside of their homes so they learn and benefit from a lifetime of healthy habits.
EurekaAlert
Connecting dots between higher blood pressure early in life and dementia
Whether elevated blood pressure early in life translates to increased risk of dementia is a question scientists are working to answer. “Dementia is not a normal part of aging, and once it begins you can’t reverse it,” says Dr. Shaoyong Su, genetic epidemiologist at the Georgia Prevention Institute at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. …There are many dementia risk factors, most of which also are known risks for cardiovascular disease, including high cholesterol and blood pressure, stiffening arteries, obesity and simply getting older. But Su and his MCG colleagues appear to be the first to specifically explore whether a higher or more rapidly increasing blood pressure in childhood helps set the stage as higher pressures lead to vascular damage resulting in less blood flow and likely, eventual brain cell damage in some areas.
AACC
7 Steps to Effectively Eliminating STAT Testing
Focused efforts enabled lab to achieve 45-minute turnaround time for 90% of routine tests.
Source: CLN Stat
Clinical laboratory professionals at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University (AU) used automation, autoverification, point-of-care (POC) testing, and other strategies to achieve in-lab turnaround time (TAT) of 45 minutes for more than 90% of specimens orderable as STAT, effectively eliminating STAT testing except for “rare exceptions.” Results of this study appeared in Laboratory Medicine.
Tifton Gazette
Atlantic and Southern Equipment loans disc harrow to ABAC farm
Atlantic and Southern Equipment, LLC, recently loaned a 24-foot disc harrow to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for use by students on ABAC’s J.G. Woodroof Farm. Dr. Mark Kistler, dean of the school of agriculture and natural resources at ABAC, said the new piece of equipment will fit perfectly with the mission of students pursuing bachelor’s degrees at ABAC who make use of the teaching laboratory at the J.G. Woodroof Farm. “We are grateful for our new corporate partnership with Atlantic and Southern Equipment, LLC,” Kistler said. “The use of the 2018 Sunflower SF 1234 24-foot disc harrow will not only help our farm operation but will also provide our students the opportunity to see and use the latest in tillage equipment in their courses and laboratories.”
Savannah Morning News
City Talk column: Local job market closes 2019 strong
By Bill Dawers
The local job market remained relatively strong through the end of 2019, according to the latest estimates from the Georgia Dept. of Labor. The Savannah metro area (Chatham, Effingham and Bryan counties) had an estimated 186,800 payroll jobs in December, an increase of 1,900 or 1% from Dec. 2018. The area population is likely growing at just over 1% per year, right on par with the increase in jobs. …In Georgia Southern University’s “Coastal Empire Economic Monitor” for the third quarter of 2019, Michael Toma noted the ongoing erosion of employment in professional and business services, which could signal other problems on the horizon.
Yahoo Finance
Online Schools Report has released their ranking of the Best Online Master’s Degrees in Sports Management. OSR, the new student resource site, based their ranking strictly on data, prioritizing the school’s ability to deliver an online education comparable to an on-campus degree. …Here are all the schools with the Best Online Master’s Degrees in Sports Management:
Georgia Southern University – Statesboro, Georgia
WtOC11
Former Saluda Co. deputy involved in Shai Werts’ case had troubled past
By Jessica Savage | January 28, 2020 at 6:23 PM EST – Updated January 28 at 6:51 PM
The details are disturbing. A deputy enticing an underage girl to sneak out of her house. Even more troubling, he met the girl after her parents reported her as a runaway. This is the same South Carolina deputy whose conduct during a traffic stop in Saluda County received national attention in August 2019. “You’re about to go to jail. OK?” You’ll remember Deputy Charles Allen Browder III. He’s the one seen in video arresting Georgia Southern quarterback Shai Werts for what he thought was cocaine on the hood of his car. Turns out the substance was not cocaine, and the charges were later dropped. But there’s been an even bigger fallout since we began this months-long investigation. Saluda County’s top prosecutor, Solicitor Rick Hubbard, said he will no longer prosecute cases that require the deputy’s testimony. That decision happened after we made him aware of the deputy’s past behavior.
Science blog
Research Offers Promise For Treating Schizophrenia
Research by a University of Georgia psychologist shows that targeting one particular symptom of schizophrenia has a positive effect on other symptoms, offering significant promise for treating an aspect of schizophrenia that currently has no pharmaceutical options. A team led by Gregory Strauss published a study confirming that successfully treating the symptom avolition—reduced motivation—has a positive effect on other negative symptoms of schizophrenia. The results, published in Schizophrenia Bulletin, were based on a phase 2b trial of the compound roluperidone by Minerva Neurosciences.
Savannah CEO
Jason B. Ford Named To The Ranking Of 2020 Best-In-State Wealth Advisors By Forbes
Staff Report
Jason B. Ford, Managing Director – Investments, of Wells Fargo Advisors in Savannah, Ga. has been recognized as a 2020 Best-In-State Wealth Advisor by Forbes. This accolade represents a list of professionals that come to work with one goal on their mind – helping their clients succeed. …Jason has more than 19 years of experience in the financial services industry. He holds a B.B.A in Finance from Georgia Southern University.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
How 5 Experts Say Colleges Can Create a ‘Holistic’ Student Experience
By Sara Lipka
Educators use the word “holistic” to signal a commitment to students’ success academically and personally, in college and beyond. Holistic approach, holistic support — the term has become something of a buzzword. We asked five experts to interpret it by sharing one change institutions can make, in philosophy or practice, to improve the student experience.
Inside Higher Ed
Growing Student Debt Burden for Parents
With federal Parent PLUS loans now accounting for a quarter of borrowing for undergraduates, new data reinforce concern about parents’ ability to repay the loans.
By Paul Fain
A new study adds to growing concerns about a federal program that allows parents to take out loans to help finance their children’s undergraduate education. Roughly 3.6 million parents had taken out $96 billion in outstanding loans under the federal Parent PLUS program as of late last year, the study from Trellis Research said. Parent PLUS loans now account for about a quarter of total federal lending for undergraduates, a share that grew from 14 percent in 2012-13. An increasing portion of parents also are struggling to pay off these loans. For example, the five-year default rate grew to 11 percent for parents who took out PLUS loans in 2009, up from 7 percent for the 1999 cohort, research has shown.
Inside Higher Ed
Can ‘White Resentment’ Help Explain Higher-Education Cuts?
By Eric Kelderman
Blunt discussions of racism are increasingly showing up in research of state higher-education issues. A recent study into state appropriations for public colleges is one of a growing number of efforts to try to understand how considerations of race are driving policy decisions. Take state appropriations, for example. Most studies of the issue rely on the assumption that state lawmakers are seeking to make rational choices in doling out tax dollars. One common explanation is that higher education serves as a sort of “balance wheel” for the state budget: Money for higher education increases in good economic times and decreases when state revenues fall, according to a new paper by Barrett J. Taylor, at the University of North Texas, and Brendan Cantwell, at Michigan State University.
Inside Higher Ed
Certificates and Associate Degrees Can Outearn Bachelor’s
By Lilah Burke
A new report from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce finds that nationally, colleges are awarding as many certificates and associate degrees combined as they are awarding bachelor’s degrees. Colleges award about two million bachelor’s degrees annually and about one million associate degrees and one million certificates.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
American Colleges Seek to Develop Coronavirus Response, Abroad and at Home
By Karin Fischer
American colleges have begun limiting travel to China, even as they scramble to prepare for the potential impact of coronavirus on their home campuses. Arizona State University, the only college with a confirmed case of the highly infectious respiratory illness, on Tuesday announced a moratorium on all college-related travel to China by students and faculty and staff members. As the State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned against nonessential trips to China, other colleges and study-abroad providers, such as the University of Michigan and Georgetown University, also imposed restrictions. Previously, the U.S. government had urged only against travel to Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus first emerged. Colleges have longstanding experience in dealing with health and safety threats when sending students and professors abroad. But unlike the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS, pandemic, when the primary concern was about risks to Americans traveling overseas, this time around, colleges must also pay close attention to possible effects of coronavirus at home. That’s because Chinese students are far and away the largest group of international students in the United States, with 370,000 enrolled in American colleges. And the risk of infection is growing just as many students return to campus for the start of the spring semester.