University System News:
Albany CEO
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
Gordon State College and Georgia Southwestern State University signed a memorandum of understanding Wednesday that will allow students who completed a Bachelor of Science in Management and Administration at GSC to be accepted into GSW’s Master of Business Administration. “The opportunity to partner with a sister institution that is committed to student success is an easy decision for us,” said GSC President Kirk A. Nooks. “Georgia Southwestern State University has a track record for developing leaders and serving the region. Our Baccalaureate graduates who are seeking the MBA will benefit greatly from a supportive faculty and staff environment.”
Albany Herald
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College agricultural education major selected for Melania Trump’s floral design team
From staff reports
Maddie McDonald, an agricultural education major at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, has been selected to First Lady Melania Trump’s Congressional Luncheon floral design team. McDonald, a freshman from Dublin, will spend three days in Washington, D.C., this summer preparing for the event, culminating in her attendance of the luncheon with the First Lady.
AJC
Georgia faculty wary of proposed curriculum changes
By Eric Stirgus
The University System of Georgia gave a presentation to a group of state lawmakers a few weeks ago about its plan to revamp the core courses students must take when they enroll. The system wants to reduce the number of core credit hours from 42 to 33. System officials planned to make a presentation to the state Board of Regents in April.
AJC
Ga. universities preparing online coursework if coronavirus spreads
By Eric Stirgus
Several Georgia colleges and universities are making preparations, such as offering online classes, if campuses must close for any period of time because of the coronavirus outbreak. Georgia State University, which has the largest enrollment of any school in the state, sent a message Wednesday to faculty with instructions about how to teach online and to test the plans in the next week. The instructions include information about recording a lecture and posting it online and grading coursework.
AJC
Georgia ahead of the class in college completion rates, report says
By Eric Stirgus
Georgia’s college completion rate has increased in recent years more than nearly every state in the nation, according to a new report. Sixty-one percent of students who enrolled in a Georgia college or university completed their coursework within six years, a 9.3 percentage point increase over the last five years, according to the report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Michigan also had a 9.3 percentage point increase. Utah had the highest increase, a 9.5 percentage point jump to 51%.
Daily Mail
Bot Dylan’: Singer-songwriter robot called Shimon can write its own lyrics after studying tens of thousands of words penned by the musical greats – and has an album out in the Spring
By Ryan Morrison
Shimon the singing songwriting robot has been taught to write his own lyrics by studying tens of thousands of songs written by the musical greats. Developed by researchers from the Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology, the robot collaborates with human musicians and even has an album out in the spring. The robot was given a dataset of 50,000 lyrics covering all genres including rock, hip-hop, jazz and progressive as part of its song writing education.
Fierce Electronics
Now, an app that assesses coronavirus risk
By Spencer Chin
Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University researchers have developed a coronavirus app that, coupled with machine intelligence, could enable an individual to get an at-home risk assessment based on how they feel in about a minute, and direct those deemed at risk to the nearest definitive testing facility.The researchers report in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology the app could assist local and public health officials with real time information on emerging demographics of those most at risk for coronavirus so they can better target prevention and treatment initiatives.
Georgia Gwinnett College
Georgia Gwinnett College softball splits on opening day of Gulf Coast Invitational
From staff reports
The No. 10-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College softball team scored three runs in the sixth inning to rally past Webber International University (Fla.) 5-3 to conclude Friday’s two games at the Gulf Coast Invitational. GGC opened the tournament with a 3-2 loss to Baker University (Kan.). Both opponents were receiving votes in the first NAIA Top 25 poll of the regular season.
The Union Recorder
GC student named Truman finalist
A Georgia College student—who started a campus “food insecurity” program giving unused food to students who can’t afford a meal plan—has been named a national finalist for the prestigious Truman Scholarship.
Valdosta State University
By Jessica Pope
Valdosta State University is home to the largest collection of “Equal Rights,” a historical periodical documenting the long struggle for gender equality in the United States of America and around the globe. Students from VSU’s Women’s and Gender Studies Program and Department of History are working to index three decades of the publication.
Valdosta State University
VSU’s Colin Walker, Matt Malone Win International Sports Radio Award
By Jessica Pope
Valdosta State University’s Colin Walker and Matt Malone recorded the pilot episode of their Blazer Athletics-inspired podcast — The Blazer Spotlight — on Aug. 16, 2019. The duo’s first guest was Kayla Widera, a volleyball player from Trinity, Florida.
South Georgia State College
South Georgia State College’s Theatre Productions garnered local attention with their fall performances of Margaret Edson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Wit. Recently, they received another great accolade: the invitation to perform at this year’s Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival (KCACTF) for Region IV in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Higher Education News:
Albany Herald
Number of employed Georgians at all-time high
From staff reports
State Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said this week that the number of employed Georgians was up 12,060 to almost 5 million, an all-time high. January 2020 labor statistics also revealed a record number of jobs, exceeding 4.5 million. “Significantly outpacing last year’s numbers, January 2020 labor statistics are reporting record data across the board,” Butler said in a news release. “The number of Georgians employed is the highest ever, the number of unemployed is the lowest since 2001, and EmployGeorgia.com is now listing over 101,000 online jobs available for Georgians today.”
Inside Higher Ed
How the Coronavirus Is Affecting Admissions
By Scott Jaschik
March is a month that worries admissions officials. Those that have already issued offers to students try for the best programming to lure them to say yes. Other programs are calculating their expected yield, the percentage of admitted applicants who enroll. Plus everyone is really working on more than one admissions cycle and starting to get ready for the next class of applicants. And this year, there are fears about the impact of the National Association for College Admission Counseling lifting its bans on offering certain kinds of incentives.
The Washington Post
Education Dept. eases rules for college students affected by coronavirus
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel
The rapid spread of the novel coronavirus has left colleges and universities scrambling to keep students safe at home and abroad, but the effort could mean disruptions in attendance and enrollment that jeopardize the completion of students’ degrees. With that in mind, the Education Department issued guidance Thursday providing schools with the flexibility to accommodate students whose studies are being upended by the outbreak. It takes into account scenarios playing out at a growing number of colleges, including the cancellation of study-abroad programs and temporary campus closures.
Other News:
AJC
BREAKING: Floyd County hospital reports preliminary case of coronavirus
By Chelsea Prince, Jeremy Redmon and Helena Oliviero
A patient receiving treatment at a northwest Georgia hospital has preliminarily tested positive for coronavirus, hospital officials said Friday. The Georgia Department of Public Health notified Floyd Medical Center in Rome of the test results late Thursday evening, the hospital administration said in a news release. If confirmed, the case would be the third for Georgia after a Fulton County father and his teenage son were diagnosed with the disease, known as COVID-19.
Statesboro Herald
Most of Georgia under state of emergency
By Holli Deal Saxon
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued an executive order Thursday declaring most of Georgia is under a state of emergency due to extreme rainfall and flooding. In the order, he said Georgia received over 18 inches of rain in January and February, “not including recent storms.” The order lasts 30 days and means all state resources will be available for “preparation, response and recovery” throughout the affected area.
The Augusta Chronicle
Area film groups giving tour to Atlanta location scouts
By Jozsef Papp
A group of Atlanta film location managers will be getting a tour of different locations in Augusta and Columbia County this weekend. Film Augusta has partnered with Film Columbia County to host the group. According to Film Augusta, they hope to “sell Augusta’s River Region” to the film industry and allow location managers to become familiar with the “wealth of locations” that are unique in Augusta and Columbia County.