USG e-clips for March 13, 2020

University System News:

WTOC

University System of Georgia suspending classes for 2 weeks

Beginning Monday, March 16, all University System of Georgia institutions will temporarily suspend classes for two weeks. This includes Georgia Southern University, Savannah State University, East Georgia State College, and College of Coastal Georgia. This will allow time for USG institutions to test their business continuity plans and online instruction modules and for state officials to continue to assess the current situation regarding coronavirus in Georgia. Students currently on spring break are strongly encouraged not to return to campus. Students on campus are asked to leave by close of business Friday, March 13 and to remain away from campus until March 29.

See also:

WSAV

University System of Georgia suspends classes for 2 weeks, including GS and Savannah State

Savannah Morning News

Savannah State, Georgia Southern suspend classes for two weeks

WTOC

Savannah State University Athletics cancels all games in response to COVID-19

Savannah State University Athletics has canceled all games for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year and suspended practices until further notice in response to COVID-19. This action was taken following guidance provided by the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. “Our primary concern is always the health and safety of our student-athletes,” Opio Mashariki, director of athletics said. “We also want to follow the lead of the conference office concerning the cancellation of spring sports. At this time, we feel it’s important to take every precaution to contain the spread of COVID-19 and postponing our spring sports, both games and practices, is the right decision.”

CNBC

These two apps developed by Indian-origin researchers can tackle coronavirus scare

Apps powered by artificial intelligence are helping people screen themselves for the coronavirus, reducing the pressure on healthcare institutions and warning those at high risk of developing the infection across the world and also in India. Two Indian-origin researchers, one in Australia and the other in the US, have led their teams to develop coronavirus-specific risk checker apps to counter the fear and confusion surrounding the infection, declared a pandemic by the WHO. While Abhi Bhatia, CEO and co-founder of Medius Health, an AI digital health company in Australia, launched his platform on March 4, Arni S R Srinivasa Rao from Augusta University in the US and his team will be doing so soon. The apps can be used to reach someone really early on, educate the public, deliver accurate information relevant to their symptoms and quell the fears of people.

Athens CEO

UGA CAES: Stock Food and Water Supplies in Preparation for Emergencies

Sharon Dowdy

News of the coronavirus has many people feeling uneasy and helpless. Building a supply of emergency food and water will help ease some of the stress and help Georgians prepare for any kind of emergency, be it a medical quarantine, a snowstorm or a major power outage, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension experts say. “Flash floods, tropical storms, blizzards, whatever the disaster — it pays to be prepared,” said UGA Extension food safety specialist Elizabeth Andress. “Every family should have at least a three-day emergency food supply to fall back on. If you are concerned about virus quarantine, you should plan on a two-week supply according to our public health agencies.” Natural disasters, or the slim chance your family is quarantined by the coronavirus, will prevent you from shopping for supplies.

The Brunswick News

College students participate in climate change research

By Lauren McDonald

A class at College of Coastal Georgia is participating in environmental research with worldwide implications. Kimberly Takagi, an assistant professor of environmental science at the college, along with the students in her class, has adopted an aquatic, robotic float that is currently taking measurements in an ocean on the other side of the world. Named “Mud Skipper” by the class, the vessel is taking measurements that will contribute to the understanding of one of the planet’s most important ecosystems off the coast of Australia.

Morning Star

Two Six Labs Announces Third Anniversary as Independent Company and Record Results in 2019

Provided by GlobeNewswire

Two Six Labs, a cybersecurity and advanced technology development company, announced three consecutive years of business growth, record results in 2019, expansion to seven locations in five U.S. states, staff growth to over 170 employees and the launch of a new company web site. February 2020 marked the third anniversary for Two Six Labs as an independent company. 2019 was a record year for the company with revenue growth of over 30% and record results for new contract awards, new bookings, backlog, proposal win rates and profit margins. Two Six Labs has expanded company offices in Arlington VA, as well as Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio Texas, Mt. Laurel New Jersey, Tacoma Washington, and Augusta Georgia in the Georgia Cyber Center.

PrintWeek

NID and Georgia aim to create sustainable eCommerce packaging

By WhatPackaging

USA-based Georgia Southern University is partnering with the National Institute of Design in India (NID) along with some of the largest eCommerce companies in India to develop alternatives for the packaging online retail shopping.

According to Georgia Southern University, the objective of the partnership is to generate ideas and prototypes for innovative and sustainable packaging solutions for the eCommerce industry and to design sustainable packaging, keeping in mind the challenges faced in transporting goods from store to home. Dominique Halaby, director of Georgia Southern’s FabLab and Business Innovation Group, and Santanu Majumdar, associate professor of graphic design, recently travelled to India to conduct a two-week workshop with NID students on creating sustainable eCommerce packaging. During which, students from NID worked in various areas to understand the entire logistics process, including supply chain management to human interaction with eCommerce packaging, in addition to the challenges faced at every touch point. In addition, they created and tested several prototypes before presenting their final outcome to a team of industry executives in person.

Albany Herald

ABAC to induct 2002 team into Hall of Fame

From Staff Reports

After winning only two games in her first season as the head coach of the women’s basketball team at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Julie Conner knew things had to change in her second year at the helm of the Golden Fillies. Mission accomplished. ABAC stunned the Georgia Junior College Athletic Association by catching fire at the right time and winning the 2002 state tournament. For their heroics, Conner and the members of that team will be inducted into the ABAC Athletics Hall of Fame on April 3. Conner was also a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee for her success as the ABAC coach from 2000 through 2008. ABAC Athletics Director Alan Kramer said the Class of 2020 also includes three sport athlete Clayt Hurst, tennis player German Dalmagro, softball player Lee Davis Watson, soccer standout Nikita Morris, tennis player, coach, and contributor Margaret Treadway, contributor and volunteer assistant softball coach James Winfred “Vic” Vickers, contributor and volunteer assistant softball coach Jimmy Spurlin, and Director of Public Relations Emeritus Mike Chason.

accessWDUN

Crossover Day: Bills that advanced or failed in Georgia General Assembly

By Associated Press

Lawmakers in the Georgia General Assembly on Thursday faced a deadline to advance legislation from one chamber to the other. While issues can be resurrected later using legislative rules, the crossover deadline between the House and Senate tends to significantly narrow the issues in play. Here’s a look at some of the issues that remain alive, as well as at some that may be dead:

ALIVE

FILM TAX CREDITS: All film projects to undergo audits before claiming tax credits under House Bill 1037.

HAZING: Senate Bill 423 would raise criminal penalties for members of fraternities, sororities and other college student groups that engage in hazing and require colleges to publicly report on hazing investigations twice a year.

FAMILY LEAVE: State, college, university and K-12 employees would qualify for three weeks of paid leave after the birth or adoption of a child under House Bill 1094.

MOTHERS AT WORK: Senate Bill 327 would require certain employers to provide reasonable break time for nursing mothers to pump breast milk.

DEAD

IN-STATE TUITION FOR DREAMERS: House Bill 997 would have granted in-state tuition to people who arrived illegally in the country before age 12.

Higher Education News:

The Chronicle of Higher Education

As the Coronavirus Scrambles Colleges’ Finances, Leaders Hope for the Best and Plan for the Worst

By Lee Gardner

The Covid-19 pandemic threatens the health of millions across the country, and it has pitched the remainder of the academic year into chaos and uncertainty. While students wait to learn how, or if, they can finish out their terms, college leaders are beginning to grapple with the longer-term financial ramifications. But “there’s so much we don’t know about this,” says Kent J. Chabotar, president emeritus of Guilford College and an expert in higher-education finance. No one can say how serious the coronavirus’s effects will be or how long they will last, which makes it hard to predict outcomes. Some key considerations, however, are emerging: Revenue from tuition may be in for a shock, budgeting has become unpredictable, and the length of time that campuses must remain closed will help determine the size of the financial challenge that awaits. Veteran higher-ed leaders aren’t too worried about colleges’ ability to keep funding their operations in the short term. It’s the long-term picture that concerns them: If the pandemic locks down the country for an extended time, causing campuses to remain closed into the fall or beyond, or if the economy tanks, it could push colleges that are financially on the edge right over it.

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Shock, Fear, and Fatalism: As Coronavirus Prompts Colleges to Close, Students Grapple With Uncertainty

By Alexander C. Kafka

Effectively booted off campus in an effort to contain coronavirus contagion, hundreds of thousands of college students are reacting with shock, uncertainty, sadness, and, in some cases, devil-may-care fatalism. Even as they hurriedly arrange logistical details, the stress of an uncertain future is taking a toll. “A lot of people are anxious because not everyone can afford a flight home or a flight to campus to pick up their stuff,” says Alana Hendy, a Georgetown University junior studying international relations. She is among the rapidly growing number of students nationwide who were urged not to return to campus after spring break as courses shift online. Hendy too is anxious, she says, but she is more confused as she sorts through uncertainties concerning her living and academic arrangements. A low-income student from Bowie, Md., she says it would be better if she stayed on campus because her father suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and diabetes, and is particularly vulnerable to Covid-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. She filed a form asking to be allowed to remain in her dorm but may not get an answer until next week. Among the questions on her mind: What will happen to her work-study job, in the dean’s office at the School of Foreign Service? How will her responsibilities as a teaching assistant in a geography class change with the new online format?

Inside Higher Ed

Coronavirus Closures Pose Refund Quandary

For colleges that are already financially strapped, issuing room and board refunds “could be disastrous.”

By Emma Whitford

Students across the country are making hurried plans to move out of their dorm rooms as the number of campus closures over coronavirus concerns skyrocketed past 200 Thursday. Away from their dorms and dining halls, many students and parents are wondering if and when they’ll be refunded room and board fees. But for colleges relying on such fees — called auxiliary fees — to support their operating revenue, refunds could be devastating. “Every residential college and university in America relies on that auxiliary revenue stream. It is baked into the budget,” W. Joseph King, president of Lyon College and co-author of How to Run a College, said in an email. “Significant refunds will cause real problems at many institutions. It will just be worse for those with tighter or deficit budgets.”

Inside Higher Ed

Uncertain Fate for Support Staff

What will happen to college food service and custodial workers when campuses are empty? The answer is unclear for most, and layoffs aren’t off the table.

By Lilah Burke

Amid virus fears, hundreds of colleges and universities have now moved face-to-face instruction online. Some, like the University of Washington, have decided to keep campuses open and to let students decide if they want to stay. Other colleges, however, have said in no uncertain terms that students, barring extraordinary circumstances, need to leave campus. The landscape is changing at an exceptional pace. But for now, the fate of support staff members at these institutions remains unclear. Many office workers are able to take their jobs online and work remotely. But how food service workers, custodians and groundskeepers will fare without meals to serve, wastebaskets to empty or prospective students to impress has yet to be figured out in many places. The possibilities could range from retaining full employment to reduced hours to layoffs or unpaid furlough.

Inside Higher Ed

Answers From Experts on Regulatory Flexibility

The U.S. Department of Education is offering regulatory flexibility to colleges as they close campuses and move classes online. Experts discuss the new guidelines.

By Paul Fain

The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidelines that seek to give colleges and universities more regulatory flexibility as they close campuses and move classes online amid coronavirus concerns. A March 5 guidance document included temporary waivers from the feds and accreditors on new or expanded distance education programs. “The department is providing broad approval to institutions to use online technologies to accommodate students on a temporary basis, without going through the regular approval process of the department in the event that an institution is otherwise required to seek departmental approval for the use or expansion of distance learning programs,” the document said. “We are also permitting accreditors to waive their distance education review requirements for institutions working to accommodate students whose enrollment is otherwise interrupted as a result of COVID-19.” The department also on March 12 issued guidelines on privacy requirements for students.

Inside Higher Ed

Admissions Counselors Move to Change Code of Ethics From Mandatory to Best Practices

By Rick Seltzer

The National Association for College Admission Counseling’s Board of Directors approved at its March meeting last week a motion to change its Code of Ethics and Professional Practices from a mandatory code to a statement of best practices. NACAC moved to make the change after a U.S. Department of Justice antitrust investigation, said its president, Jayne Caflin Fonash, in a note posted online Thursday and sent to members. The change still must be approved by NACAC’s member delegates at its national conference in September before it takes effect. (This paragraph has been updated to note the process for the change to become final.)

Inside Higher Ed

Survey of Presidents Shows a Growing Divide in Confidence

By Doug Lederman

At first glance, the overall responses of 746 campus chief executives to Inside Higher Ed’s new Survey of College and University Presidents may seem discordantly upbeat, particularly on financial questions. Presidents, whose responses were solicited in January, before the onset of the coronavirus became apparent, seem solidly confident in the financial stability of their campuses, with a record-high 69 percent of all college leaders agreeing that their institution will be financially stable over five years, up from 66 percent last year, and 57 percent saying the same over a 10-year period, the same as in 2019.

Inside Higher Ed

Blackboard to Sell Open LMS

By Lindsay McKenzie

Education-technology company Blackboard announced plans this week to sell its open-source learning management system business. Blackboard Open LMS, formerly known as Moodlerooms, will be acquired by Britain-based corporate education company Learning Technologies Group for $31.7 million.

Inside Higher Ed

European Universities Urged to Collaborate on Cybersecurity

Going it alone could lead to ransomware attacks.

By David Matthews for Times Higher Education

Universities must create joint cybersecurity teams to protect themselves against ever more sophisticated hacking attempts, according to the vice president of a Dutch university hit by a ransomware attack over Christmas that forced the institution to pay the equivalent of about $226,000 to criminals. Maastricht University’s Nick Bos said one of the lessons of the attack was that it was increasingly untenable for universities to each rely on their own security systems. On Christmas Eve last year, Maastricht raised the alarm after hackers took control of servers critical to email and the storage of research results, initially using phishing emails to break in. It took more than a month to restore all systems — and the payment of 30 Bitcoin to the attackers. In a report looking at what went wrong and how to stop future attacks, Bos called on universities to join up their security systems, pointing to collaborations already under way in Canada and the U.S.

GHC Inform

GHC EMAIL DIGEST (FACULTY & STAFF)

USG e-clips for March 13, 2020