University System News:
The Red & Black
UGA admits 13,131 students to class of 2024
Hadley Rawlins | Contributor
The University of Georgia admitted 46% of this year’s total applicants to the class of 2024, according to a news release from UGA’s Undergraduate Admissions. Here is a breakdown of what those applicants are bringing to UGA. The university admitted 13,131 out of 28,524 applicants between November 2019 and February and March of this year, admitting 81 more students than last year. However, there were 790 less applicants in 2020 than in 2019. The class of 2024 represents 526 Georgia high schools, 155 Georgia counties, 36 countries, 2,688 total high schools and all 50 states, according to the news release.
Macon Telegraph
UGA athletics staff member tests positive for coronavirus, university says
By Brandon Sudge
A member of the University of Georgia Athletic Association has tested positive for COVID-19, the university released in an email to faculty and students. The Georgia Department of Health reported five cases of the virus in Athens-Clarke County as of Wednesday, an increase from three cases since a day earlier. There are now 197 cases in the state, an increase of over 50 from Tuesday. “Out of an abundance of caution, the University of Georgia is making the campus community aware of the following situation related to COVID-19,” the email read before listing the following specifics.
▪ A staff member who works in athletics was confirmed this morning to have tested positive for COVID-19. The individual was last on campus on March 6, 2020. He is being treated in a local hospital.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University Health up to nine positive COVID-19 cases, deaths multiply in Georgia
By Tom Corwin
AU Health System now has nine new positive cases of COVID-19, the health system said this morning. Georgia also saw a tremendous jump in cases and deaths.
AU Health System is reporting nine positive cases of COVID-19 this morning, an increase of three from the numbers it reported yesterday afternoon, spokeswoman Christen Engel said. Georgia also saw a dramatic rise in its COVID-19 cases and deaths. The Georgia Department of Public Health said it now has 287 cases and 10 deaths from COVID-19, up 90 cases from the previous day and seven deaths from the three deaths it had been reporting. The state is only reporting two cases for Richmond County and one for Columbia County, with the vast majority of cases in the metro Atlanta area.
The Red & Black
UGA Performing Arts Center cancels all spring performances
Anna Thomas | Assistant Culture Editor
University of Georgia Presents has canceled all performances and rehearsals at the Performing Arts Center for the remainder of the spring season, according to an email sent to all students. Performances through May 10 “and possibly later, depending on how the situation evolves” are canceled as a response to the spread of COVID-19, according to the email. The cancellations for the season entail performances by the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, UGA Theatre, the Department of Dance and all rental events. However, UGA Presents is working to reschedule events that have not been completely canceled.
Statesboro Herald
Annual mission trip cancelled for GS Athletes
Mike Anthony
As tough as the cancellation of the remainder of spring sports was for Georgia Southern athletes, many of them were dealt yet another setback in their goals late last week. Hot on the heels of the rapid shutdown of athletics came the word that Georgia Southern’s annual Athletes in Action mission trip to Nicaragua wouldn’t be able to go on as planned. The spring trip has become a staple for men and women across the entire GS Athletics spectrum and has also included coaching staffs and their families.
WABE
Spring Graduation Ceremonies Cancelled At Georgia Public Colleges And Universities
Martha Dalton
The University System of Georgia said it’s told all 26 of the state’s public colleges and universities to cancel spring 2020 graduation ceremonies. USG said students will still graduate consistent with academic standards, but ceremonies won’t be held as originally planned. The system said it’s following guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid gatherings of more than 50 people to help slow the spread of COVID-19. All public colleges and universities switched to online instruction this week for the rest of the semester. USG says students should soon hear from their colleges about refunds for housing, dining, and other services. The USG said colleges and universities will post details about their graduation plans on their individual websites.
The George-Anne
Rescheduling spring 2020 commencement is “on the table,” says President Kyle Marrero
By Blakeley Bartee
President Kyle Marrero announced Wednesday that rescheduling spring 2020 commencement is “on the table” as an option for alternative ways to celebrate students’ achievements. “As a follow-up to our initial announcement of spring commencement ceremony cancellation, we know that this decision is profoundly disappointing for many of our graduates and their families,” Marrero said in the announcement letter. The university canceled the spring commencement ceremony Tuesday in response to COVID-19. The cancellation was in accordance with recommendations from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Health to avoid events with large groups. The Georgia Southern University commencement committee met Wednesday morning to work on a plan for alternative options to the usual celebrations, Marrero said in the letter.
WRDW
Graduation ceremonies: A now saddening time for families and students
By Meredith Anderson
Graduation. What normally is an exciting time for high school and college seniors has turned into a devastating time as some students might get to walk across the stage. The University of Georgia and Georgia Southern University have already canceled the 2020 Spring Commencement ceremonies. Ansley Reeves and Meghan Dixon, college seniors at UGA, already bought their caps and gowns in anticipation to celebrate their hard work over the past four years. As it stands now – they won’t get to wear them.
WGAU
UGA students bummed by loss of graduation exercises
College students throughout the state are feeling disappointed after several universities have canceled or postponed spring graduation ceremonies. Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston was there when grad student Phylicia Stewart learned her Georgia State University graduation was canceled because of the coronavirus. “It’s very disappointing,” Stewart said. Huddleston also spoke to University of Georgia senior Ryan Stubbs via FaceTime. The Canton native was also looking forward to graduation. “I’ve been working really hard these last four years to try and graduate, get to that moment when we walk across the stage, but it’s for the safety of all the students, which makes sense,” Stubbs said.
The Augusta Chronicle
AU Health canceling elective procedures, AU and Doctors restricting visitation
By Tom Corwin
AU Health discontinuing elective procedures starting Thursday.
In light of the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus, AU Health System will cancel all elective procedures beginning Thursday, said Dr. Phillip Coule, vice president and Chief Medical Officer. The health system and Doctors Hospital of Augusta are also moving to restrict visitors. The hospital has had two positive cases of COVID-19 and four presumed positives and is taking the step to ensure the safety of patients and staff, Coule said. The ban on electives will run through April 5 and affects AU Medical Center and the Surgery Center of Columbia County. AU Health has been continually evaluating electives every day based on staff and resources and whether those might need to be preserved for Intensive Care Unit use should an outbreak occur, CEO Katrina Keefer said. The health system is also limiting visitation to one person for adults or two primary caregivers for children and those visitors must stay in the room except for short trips to purchase food or use the restroom, the health system said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Why an acclaimed Georgia Tech professor is barred from her COVID-19 research
By Bill Rankin
Eva Lee’s work on modeling mass disease outbreaks is so well-known that the U.S., China and Singapore have sought her help in fighting COVID-19. At the same time, her employer, Georgia Tech, has banished her from campus and locked her out of her university email account. Lee is a brilliant computer modeler. When Grady Memorial Hospital called on her a decade ago for help with an alarming rate of infections related to open-heart surgeries, she built a program that cut the rate to zero within 12 months. Lee, 55, is also an admitted felon, although her attorney questions the prosecution of her. In December she pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to falsifying the certification behind a $40,000 National Science Foundation grant and then lying about it to investigators. Her predicament appears to stem from taking shortcuts while filling out a grant application — shortcuts she’s now paying a severe price for. Georgia Tech suspended her almost a year ago from a professorship she has held since 1999.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Here’s Why More Colleges Are Extending Deposit Deadlines — and Why Some Aren’t
By Eric Hoover
On Monday afternoon, enrollment leaders at about two dozen colleges joined a conference call to discuss their plans for responding to the novel coronavirus. The officials represented institutions in the Enrollment Planning Network, a group of private colleges — including American University, Boston College, Bucknell University, and Texas Christian University — that regularly share data and best practices. One item on the agenda was the May 1 deadline for admissions deposits. Did anyone plan to extend theirs, so as to give applicants more time to make a decision?
Inside Higher Ed
As classes move online, some colleges are choosing to go pass/fail to relieve student stress. Is that the right move?
By Lilah Burke
In many ways, the new coronavirus has wreaked havoc on the lives of college students, faculty and staff members. Many institutions have moved classes online and encouraged students to leave campus, creating a flurry of confusion, uncertainty and anxiety. More than a dozen four-year universities have decided to expand pass/fail options for students due to the crisis. Typically, the option to be graded on a pass/fail basis, rather than being given a letter or percentage grade, is only available to students for a limited number of classes. Often students have to make a commitment before a course begins or early in its run to use pass/fail. Other restrictions include not being able to take classes as pass/fail in a major or as general education requirements, and pass/fail classes rarely are counted toward grade point averages. University provosts and administrations have said expanding pass/fail options gives students flexibility during the crisis and can mitigate their anxiety.
Inside Higher Ed
Should Feds Make Students’ Loan Payments During Crisis?
As Congress considers giving many Americans a $2,000 payment to stimulate the economy, advocates are pushing for more help for those with student loans.
By Kery Murakami
Even though Senate Republicans and President Trump are reportedly considering legislation that would send many Americans $2,000 as part of a new coronavirus stimulus package, advocacy groups say those struggling with student loans need more significant help weathering the economic fallout of the crisis. The advocates suggest measures such as allowing students to defer loan payments. And indeed, Senate Democrats propose the federal government go further and cover student loan payments for financially distressed borrowers. The suggestions are emerging as lawmakers discuss what to include in a new stimulus package, even as the Senate on Wednesday approved the $100 billion measure passed by the House Saturday to require insurers and government health-care programs to provide free coronavirus testing to those who need it and to pay for a new requirement that the federal government and small businesses provide up to two weeks of paid sick leave for employees who fall ill from the virus.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Covid-19 Crisis Is Widening the Gap Between Secure and Insecure Instructors
By Megan Zahneis
Like many in higher education, Rachel J. Tollett, an instructor of music and humanities at Harold Washington College, part of the City Colleges of Chicago system, is busy moving her courses online. (Harold Washington suspended classes this week to allow faculty members to shift online.) But she’s also holding office hours — not for her students, but for her fellow adjunct faculty members. Tollett is vice president of her union, which represents part-time professors, librarians, and vocational lecturers. Many of her 1,100 constituents across the City Colleges system aren’t prepared to teach online. That’s because the videoconferencing platform Zoom, soon to host the system’s classes, became available at Harold Washington only in January. Adjunct faculty members were never trained how to use it.
Inside Higher Ed
While many colleges and universities have closed their libraries, others say they can’t operate without keeping them open.
By Colleen Flaherty
As institutions scale down face-to-face operations to essential personnel only during the pandemic, librarians on some campuses say they’re recklessly being put into that group. Rutgers University’s faculty union, affiliated with the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers, for instance, demanded Wednesday that campus libraries be shut down and move entirely to online access. “We have been arguing with Rutgers management for days about closing the libraries, but can no longer wait,” Rebecca Givan, associate professor of labor studies and employment relations at the New Brunswick campus and the union’s vice president, said in a statement. “By every reasonable interpretation of what is an essential service in this crisis, our libraries do not fit that description and must be shut down immediately, while offering online services and remote access to all who need it.” …According to a running list of Association of Research Libraries members, 71 institutions have closed their libraries entirely. Some 21 — including Rutgers — have moved to restrict library access to university ID card holders only, and 33 have limited their hours. As of Wednesday evening, five member institution libraries were open with no change in hours: Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, the State University of New York at Stony Brook, and the Universities of British Columbia, Chicago and Wisconsin at Madison.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
As Coronavirus Spreads, Universities Stall Their Research to Keep Human Subjects Safe
By Marc Parry
A basic calculation governs research on human beings: How do the benefits stack up against the risks? The coronavirus pandemic doesn’t much alter that calculation for studies that can directly improve the health of seriously ill participants, such as trials of new cancer treatments. But the pandemic could stall other researchers: neuroscientists who put people in MRI scanners to study normal brain functions, business professors who gather them for focus groups, oral historians who take their testimonies, criminal-justice scholars who interview people coming out of prisons. Those kinds of studies, which didn’t previously expose the participants to any risk, could now sicken them with Covid-19. That reality is prompting research institutions including Columbia University, the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and the California Institute of Technology to suspend much face-to-face human-subjects research.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NEW DETAILS: Trump announces ‘immediately available’ drug to treat virus
By ArLuther Lee
A drug used to treat malaria and arthritis has shown promise as a treatment against coronavirus and could be “a game changer” in stopping the outbreak, President Donald Trump announced at a White House press conference Thursday. The already existing drug, known as Hydroxychloroquine, exhibited “encouraging early results against the virus. We’re going to be able to make that drug available immediately,” by prescription, the president said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In the race to treat COVID-19, Georgia companies stake a claim
By Nedra Rhone
Seven years ago, researchers at Drug Innovation Ventures at Emory set out to develop antiviral medications that could battle a broad spectrum of viruses. Their main target at the time was Venezuelan equine encephalitis, a mosquito-borne illness with a high mortality rate that had been weaponized during the Cold War. But over the years, the drug they developed to combat that disease, EIDD-2801, also showed strong results in animal testing against influenza and coronaviruses. Now researchers are working around the clock to prepare the drug as a treatment for the novel coronavirus. They hope to begin testing in April. “We had all of that information and background data and government funding to go into human testing for influenza and bam, coronavirus emerges out of Wuhan,” said David Perryman, COO of DRIVE. Currently, there are no approved medications to treat or vaccines to prevent the novel coronavirus, which causes the disease COVID-19. As the virus has spread worldwide, infecting more than 212,000 people and killing at least 8,727, researchers have scrambled to come up with therapies .On Thursday, President Trump said he directed the Food and Drug Administration to see whether hydroxychloroquine, a drug used for malaria patients, could be used to treat COVID-19.
International Business Times
The US Owes $23.5 Trillion – But Can Still Afford A Big Coronavirus Stimulus Package
By William D. Lastrapes
The U.S. government now owes over $23.5 trillion in debt, or about $71,000 for every man, woman and child living within its borders. It has risen $3 trillion since President Trump took office in 2017 and is almost double what it was just 10 years ago. U.S. government officials are discussing another expensive stimulus package – possibly as much as $1 trillion and bigger than the one enacted in 2009 during the midst of the financial crisis – to help the U.S. economy make it through the coronavirus pandemic. But in light of its large debt, can the federal government really afford more spending? …The pandemic will end – that we can be sure of – and the economy will get back on track over time. But worries about the debt should not prevent government actions from helping people now. We can afford it.