University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAKING: 13K coronavirus cases confirmed in Georgia as deaths near 500
By Chelsea Prince
Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus have pushed Georgia’s number of infections past 13,000 Monday. According to the latest data available from the Georgia Department of Public Health, officials have confirmed 13,315 cases and 464 deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. Twenty-two more deaths have been reported since Sunday night.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAKING: 20 more deaths, 13,305 cases of coronavirus confirmed in Georgia
By Chelsea Prince 4/13/2020
Newly confirmed cases of the coronavirus have pushed Georgia’s number of infections past 13,000 Monday. According to the latest data available from the Georgia Department of Public Health, officials have confirmed 13,305 cases and 462 deaths related to COVID-19, the disease caused by the new virus. Twenty more deaths have been reported since Sunday night. Monday’s new cases represent an increase of about 6% from the day before. More are expected to be counted among them when the health department releases its next update at 7 p.m.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia surpasses 12,000 coronavirus cases; 428 deaths reported
By Shaddi Abusaid 4/11/2020
Public health officials confirmed another three coronavirus-related deaths on Saturday, bringing the total number of people killed across Georgia to 428. There were also 300 new cases of COVID-19 reported since Friday evening. The state’s total now stands at 12,159 as the number of confirmed cases continues to climb, according to the latest data from the Georgia Department of Public Health. The number of Georgians killed by the highly contagious disease has more than doubled in a week. Last Saturday, the DPH reported a total of 201 deaths and 6,160 cases in its noon update.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAKING: Georgia’s coronavirus death toll rises to 425; cases reach 11,859
By Chelsea Prince and Zachary Hansen 4/10/2020
UPDATE [7 p.m.]: Georgia recorded nine new coronavirus-related deaths since noon, bringing the state’s toll to 425, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. The DPH also added 376 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19, increasing the number of cases statewide to 11,859. Of those, 2,454 patients have been hospitalized at some point, which is 20.7% of all cases. Of the 79 counties to report at least one death from COVID-19, Dougherty remained the hardest hit with 68, followed by Fulton with 50 and Cobb with 33. Forsyth and Fulton both recorded two deaths since noon Friday, while five other counties — Dawson, Dougherty, Early, Habersham and Lowndes — recorded one death. Four counties — Evans, Glascock, Montgomery and Taliaferro — have not recorded their first case, according to the DPH. However, Evans County Administrator Casey Burkhalter told AJC.com that the county recorded its first case Friday. It’s unclear how quickly the DPH is able to add new cases to its totals.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia reports 416 coronavirus deaths, more than 11K confirmed cases
By Chelsea Prince 4/10/2020
Known coronavirus cases in Georgia have surpassed 11,000 on Friday as the state’s death toll continues to climb. There are 11,483 confirmed cases and 416 deaths related to the new coronavirus, according to the latest data released at noon by the Georgia Department of Public Health. Infections have increased by nearly 600 in the past 24 hours. Deaths have more than doubled in just one week. Last Friday, fewer than 200 Georgians had died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus. Health officials have confirmed four more deaths, and 53 new hospitalizations, since Thursday night.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Conversion of Georgia World Congress Center will add 200 hospital beds
By J. Scott Trubey, Greg Bluestein and Shelia Poole
Gov. Brian Kemp announced Easter Sunday that the state will convert part of the sprawling Georgia World Congress Center into a 200-bed hospital for coronavirus patients, as Christians observed the holiest day for the faith by largely abiding by the governor’s pleas to stay home and watch services online. The epidemic also hit home for Kemp — literally — as a worker on the grounds of the Governor’s Mansion tested positive for COVID-19, triggering a round of testing and self-quarantining for those who had contact with the employee. But administration officials stressed that neither Kemp nor any family members were exposed.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU proposing new integrated health degree
By Thomas Hartwell
Kennesaw State University President Pamela Whitten has asked the Board of Regents to approve a new integrated health Bachelor of Science degree at the university. If approved at the Board of Regents’ meeting this week, the 120-credit-hour program would be added to the university’s list of more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degrees effective April 14, according to proposal documents. University officials say the integrated health major curriculum would establish a “strong core knowledge of health and disease prevention,” as well as oversight of health services.
Albany Herald
New cybersecurity masters program approved for University of Georgia
By Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service
The University System of Georgia is poised to add a new advanced degree in cybersecurity. The Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee has voted to establish a master’s degree program in cybersecurity and privacy at the University of Georgia. If approved by the full board next week, the program would take effect Tuesday. The UGA program would focus on the privacy concerns that have accompanied the growth of the cybersecurity industry, Martha Venn, the university system’s vice chancellor for academic affairs, told members of the committee during a meeting conducted by telephone.
Union Recorder
No tuition increase likely for University System of Georgia students next year
Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
University System of Georgia (USG) students being forced to take classes online this semester because of the coronavirus pandemic got some welcome news Thursday. The system’s Board of Regents is expected to vote next week to hold the line on tuition during the coming school year, based on the recommendation of Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “One of the University System of Georgia’s top priorities is affordability, and that has never been more important than now for our students and their families,” Wrigley said Thursday. “It is more critical than ever for our institutions to provide a quality education while maintaining the affordability and accessibility that helps more Georgians attain a college degree and find success in the workforce.” Tuition at the system’s 26 colleges and universities went up 2.5% last August for the current school year. But if the regents approve Wrigley’s recommendation next week, it will mark the third time in the last five years there has been no tuition increase.
Griffin Daily News
University System of Georgia says no tuition hikes next year
The Associated Press
Students attending schools in the University System of Georgia will see no tuition increases next school year if the board approves the recommendation.
WFXL
Recommendation made to not increase tuition at Georgia college and universities
The Georgia Board of Regents will be asked to approve a recommendation of not increasing tuition for the University System of Georgia during a meeting next week. If the recommendation is approved, students will pay the same tuition rates for the 2020-2021 academic year as they do now for the current 2019-2020 academic year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Student leaders of 17 colleges implore state to offer pass/fail
By Maureen Downey
The presidents of student government associations representing 17 public campuses signed onto a letter to the University System of Georgia seeking a pass/fail option. The letter led to a video conference call Thursday with some of the SGA presidents and top USG officials. But students left the call empty-handed. “No, there is no change,” said a USG spokesman Friday. Students told me the meeting focused on the reasons USG would not offer pass/fail, including concerns over how a lack of a GPA for this spring semester would impact HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships and graduate school applications.
The Tifton Gazette
The Digital Classroom: College professors, students go online in pandemic response
By Stuart Taylor
Susan Roe is listening to one of her voice students perform. Joseph Falcone is readying an experiment. Jeff Newberry looks over his literature lecture notes and starts to speak. All of their students are miles away. The three Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College professors have had to pivot from in person teaching to online teaching as colleges across the state have stopped holding on campus classes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a difficult process that’s turned teachers into students and has taught them a few new things.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Professor: Most students failed part of my exam in new online format. Problem was me, not them.
By Maureen Downey
Former DeKalb prosecutor J. Tom Morgan says colleges must admit some professors aren’t as effective teaching digital courses
J. Tom Morgan is the former DeKalb County district attorney. He now is a full-time professor at Western Carolina University where he teaches undergraduate students law-related courses. In this guest column, Morgan describes his struggles with converting his courses to a digital format in response to the closing of his campus due to the pandemic. He believes other professors are also grappling with the shift and says it’s unfair to hold students accountable with letter grades when instruction may be lacking.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University cancer therapy research turning to COVID-19
By Tom Corwin
An Augusta University researcher is turning from cancer to COVID-19 in hopes of creating a therapy that can specifically target part of the virus that creates it. After working to try and create therapies that specifically target cancer cells, Dr. Jin-Xiong She is hoping to use that same approach to create a new therapy for COVID-19. She, the director of the Center for Biotechnology and Genomic Medicine at Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, has already created a platform to generate new therapies against cancer cell lines. Known as monoclonal antibodies, they are a therapy that generates a hybrid immune cell against a specific protein on a cancer cell or a virus to generate an immune response against it. It is a technology that already has produced successful cancer therapies that target the HER2 protein in breast cancer and PD-L1 in others. The problem with how those are produced is they start with an antibody generated in a mouse and even humanizing it with human proteins is a tedious and laborious process, She said.
Middle Georgia CEO
COVID-19 Pandemic Puts Spotlight on Respiratory Therapy Students at MGA and Other Schools
Sheron Smith
Jasmine King isn’t directly involved with treating COVID-19 patients, but the pandemic looms large over her final weeks of clinical training as a Middle Georgia State University respiratory therapy major. King, 23, is working rotations in the neonatal intensive care unit of an area hospital as she prepares to graduate this spring as a member of the first class of Middle Georgia State’s (MGA) bachelor’s degree in respiratory therapy. “We haven’t had any exposure to new mothers with COVID-19, but it’s something we’re always thinking about,” she said. “We are more conscious and careful about wearing our masks and being covered at all times.” The COVID-19 pandemic has focused attention on the respiratory therapist (RT), a sometimes overlooked healthcare professional at hospitals and other clinical settings. As described by the Occupational Outlook Handbook, an online publication of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapists care for patients who have trouble breathing – for example, from a chronic respiratory disease, such as asthma or emphysema. Although far from the only treatment they provide, respiratory therapists often are the healthcare professionals that connect patients to and manage the oxygen-delivering ventilators everyone is hearing so much about these days.
The Dahlonega Nugget
UNG faculty member researches COVID-19 using online survey
By News Staff
As the United States and the world seek measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, debates have arisen over whether governments are overreaching in their containment policies or if populations should voluntarily take actions such as social distancing. Which actions are more effective? And why?
Dr. Ali Mehran, assistant professor of Earth and geospatial science has developed a survey (online at: “https://bit.ly/39mSiYo”) to understand how society’s approach to the COVID-19 pandemic impacts community resilience. “In cases of extreme events in a society, there are always some top-down approaches, such as policies on using state reserves, regulations on evacuation, or quarantine to handle the situation,” Mehran said. “On the other hand, communities also have a bottom-up response to these situations, such as willingness to work at home or preparedness for home quarantine as soon as they feel they are vulnerable.” To compare these two approaches, Mehran seeks a wide variety of participants in the survey, including local, national and international. The COVID-19 survey, currently available in multiple languages, takes less than five minutes to complete. The anonymous survey asks whether the participant is infected, has prepared to be at home for two weeks, and is able and willing to work from home. The survey also asks, on a scale from one to five, “How scared are you?”
Forsyth County News
UNG’s 3D labs swing into action printing medical masks
Most of the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus has been shut down for weeks now, but ever since Tuesday, the school’s Digital Fabrication 3D printing laboratory has been up and running around the clock. Ted Forringer, UNG Gainesville’s assistant department head in physics, has partnered with Jon Mehlferber, professor of visual arts at UNG’s Dahlonega campus, and Enes Aganovic, assistant director of technology integration at the Dahlonega campus, to 3D print N95 masks to be donated to Northeast Georgia Health System. The masks are made of a plastic filament compatible with the printers, and in the first week of production, the UNG Gainesville campus used up nearly its entire stock. Forringer said the physics department will be purchasing $1,000 worth of filament to continue production of the masks.
Economic Times
Mathematical modelling gives more accurate picture of COVID-19 cases: Study
Such models can include information reported about the coronavirus, including the clearly underreported numbers of cases, and factor in knowns like the density and age distribution of the population in an area, the researchers wrote in the journal Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.
Washington: Mathematical modelling can compute a more realistic picture of the infection rate of the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19, enabling better prevention and preparation, according to a team led by an Indian-origin researcher. Such models can include information reported about the coronavirus, including the clearly underreported numbers of cases, and factor in knowns like the density and age distribution of the population in an area, the researchers wrote in the Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. “Actual pandemic preparedness depends on true cases in the population whether or not they have been identified,” said Arni S.R. Srinivasa Rao from Augusta University in the US. “With better numbers we can better assess how long the virus will persist and how bad it will get. Without these numbers, how can health care systems and workers prepare for what is needed?” Better numbers also are critical to better protecting the population and overall pandemic preparedness, according to Rao and his colleague Steven G. Krantz, professor at Washington University in the US. “We wanted to provide info on the real magnitude of the problem, not just the tip of the iceberg,” Rao said.
University Business
COVID-19: Rethinking face-to-face conferences
Five strategies for pivoting to virtual events
By: Anastasia Lin
Each year, the University of North Georgia hosts the Annual Research Conference on one of its five campuses. The conference is typically held on a Friday in March, as students from across our campuses and disciplines converge to present their research in front of colleagues, mentors and the local community. Students depend on the conference to network, professionalize and improve their résumés for future opportunities. In addition, for many students, the conference represents the culmination of several years of preparation and countless research hours. Therefore, when COVID-19 abruptly canceled this year’s Annual Research Conference, we immediately began designing an alternate approach to honor and celebrate our students’ hard work. Following are five strategies we gleaned from the process.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU president speaks on university life in a pandemic
By Thomas Hartwell
Kennesaw State University President Pamela Whitten spoke with the MDJ on Wednesday to discuss how the coronavirus and the university’s all-online coursework are impacting the school. This Q&A has been edited for length.
MDJ: Public K-12 schools are dealing with how to help students who don’t have access to a computer or reliable internet get online and access digital resources. How much of a challenge is that at the college level and what is KSU doing to address that problem?
KSU President Pamela Whitten: It’s … certainly top of mind when you’re transitioning the entire learning experience to remote learning, which is primarily online, of course for your students. …
Fox28Media
Students to receive federal assistance amid COVID-19 pandemic, affects four local colleges
by Zuri Anderson
Four local colleges and universities in the First District are receiving federal funding to assist students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, according to Georgia state officials in a release. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act and will be distributed “immediately” by the U.S. Department of Education, officials said. Georgia Southern University, Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah State University and Savannah Technical College are among the institutions receiving funding, according to the release. Georgia leaders added that the funding will provide “direct emergency cash grants to college students whose lives and educations have been disrupted by the pandemic.
MSN
How the COVID-19 is affecting the African-American community
Wanya Reese
Across the nation, federal medical leaders say the African-American community is seeing more cases and deaths because of COVID-19. Here in Georgia, The state Department of Health says they are still getting information on how the coronavirus affects various ethnic groups. 13WMAZ spoke to a Georgia doctor about how this new virus is impacting African-Americans. We also spoke to the pastor of Beulahland Bible Church about the precautions the church is taking to keep all of their worshipers safe. Pastor Carlos Kelly says now more than ever, African-Americans need to be educated on the deadly COVID-19 virus. …In early March, Beulahland Bible Church ended its worship services to help fight COVID-19. “Now, the sanctuary is empty, I’m preaching to a camera, so it is hard to see whether or not I’m connecting or if the congregant is understanding what I am sharing,” Kelly said. Pastor Kelly says the decision was made to keep his congregation safe, but Augusta University Doctor Joseph Hobbs says African-Americans are already at a higher rate of catching or dying from COVID-19. “More problematic in African American communities with heart disease or hypertension,” Hobbs said. Hobbs says underlying health conditions, work-life balance, and potential lack of income are other challenges for African-Americans.
WSAV
Savannah State gets creative during pandemic to draw in potential students
by: Edward Moody
The University System of Georgia, including Savannah State University, has moved all summer courses online. That means potential freshmen won’t be able to make campus visits. But Dr. Sametria McFall, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs at Savannah State University, says the school has gotten creative. “We’re using platforms like TikTok, and Instagram, Facebook; all those things to host virtual tours on our campus,” she said. Potential students can even talk with Savannah State faculty virtually.
The Daily Tribune News
GHC teaches remotely, postpones graduation, issues refunds due to COVID-19
By Donna Harris
It took a couple of weeks to convert all the classes, but Georgia Highlands College instructors now are successfully teaching their students remotely. GHC’s five campuses, along with all University System of Georgia institutions, temporarily suspended classes for two weeks beginning March 16 while all courses were switched to an online format, which started March 30. “Georgia Highlands College’s faculty successfully converted all courses this semester to remote delivery for our more than 6,000 students,” President Dr. Don Green said. “Teaching, advising and all the ways we continue to support our students is slightly different in these difficult times, but our wonderful faculty and staff have met the challenge of continuing to provide our students the tools they need to be successful and stay on track toward graduation. “We are also thankful to our students who have equally met this challenge with the same passion and dedication they started the semester with and who are on track to complete their courses with us.” Along with switching to online classes, GHC also had to postpone all on-campus student-sponsored events, meetings and activities until further notice, and students are not allowed to return to campus until receiving permission from the college to do so.
Valdosta Daily Times
Peach State Summer Theatre’s 2020 season has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
By Dean Poling
The summer musical program had been scheduled to run June 5 through July 19. Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “Cinderella,” “The Marvelous Wonderettes: Dream On” and “The Music Man” were the scheduled musicals. PSST! will return in 2021 and will present these shows next year, said A. Blake Pearce, VSU College of the Arts dean. Traditionally, the season cast members would arrive and start rehearsals in mid-May. Cast members stay in Valdosta State University housing.
WJBF
How AU chaplains are helping healthcare workers and patients through Easter
This Easter, many people will celebrate at home instead of the traditional Easter service. For health care workers and patients in the hospital, chaplains are reaching out to provide spiritual guidance. At Augusta University Medical Center, the hospital chaplains are handing out pamphlets to provide some comfort and religious sentiments this Easter.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU proposing new integrated health degree
By Thomas Hartwell
Kennesaw State University President Pamela Whitten has asked the Board of Regents to approve a new integrated health Bachelor of Science degree at the university. If approved at the Board of Regents’ meeting this week, the 120-credit-hour program would be added to the university’s list of more than 150 undergraduate and graduate degrees effective April 14, according to proposal documents. University officials say the integrated health major curriculum would establish a “strong core knowledge of health and disease prevention,” as well as oversight of health services.
Albany Herald
New cybersecurity masters program approved for University of Georgia
By Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service
The University System of Georgia is poised to add a new advanced degree in cybersecurity. The Board of Regents’ Academic Affairs Committee has voted to establish a master’s degree program in cybersecurity and privacy at the University of Georgia. If approved by the full board next week, the program would take effect Tuesday. The UGA program would focus on the privacy concerns that have accompanied the growth of the cybersecurity industry, Martha Venn, the university system’s vice chancellor for academic affairs, told members of the committee during a meeting conducted by telephone.
Union Recorder
No tuition increase likely for University System of Georgia students next year
Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
University System of Georgia (USG) students being forced to take classes online this semester because of the coronavirus pandemic got some welcome news Thursday. The system’s Board of Regents is expected to vote next week to hold the line on tuition during the coming school year, based on the recommendation of Chancellor Steve Wrigley. “One of the University System of Georgia’s top priorities is affordability, and that has never been more important than now for our students and their families,” Wrigley said Thursday. “It is more critical than ever for our institutions to provide a quality education while maintaining the affordability and accessibility that helps more Georgians attain a college degree and find success in the workforce.” Tuition at the system’s 26 colleges and universities went up 2.5% last August for the current school year. But if the regents approve Wrigley’s recommendation next week, it will mark the third time in the last five years there has been no tuition increase.
Griffin Daily News
University System of Georgia says no tuition hikes next year
The Associated Press
Students attending schools in the University System of Georgia will see no tuition increases next school year if the board approves the recommendation.
WFXL
Recommendation made to not increase tuition at Georgia college and universities
The Georgia Board of Regents will be asked to approve a recommendation of not increasing tuition for the University System of Georgia during a meeting next week. If the recommendation is approved, students will pay the same tuition rates for the 2020-2021 academic year as they do now for the current 2019-2020 academic year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Student leaders of 17 colleges implore state to offer pass/fail
By Maureen Downey
The presidents of student government associations representing 17 public campuses signed onto a letter to the University System of Georgia seeking a pass/fail option. The letter led to a video conference call Thursday with some of the SGA presidents and top USG officials. But students left the call empty-handed. “No, there is no change,” said a USG spokesman Friday. Students told me the meeting focused on the reasons USG would not offer pass/fail, including concerns over how a lack of a GPA for this spring semester would impact HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships and graduate school applications.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Professor: Most students failed part of my exam in new online format. Problem was me, not them.
By Maureen Downey
Former DeKalb prosecutor J. Tom Morgan says colleges must admit some professors aren’t as effective teaching digital courses
J. Tom Morgan is the former DeKalb County district attorney. He now is a full-time professor at Western Carolina University where he teaches undergraduate students law-related courses. In this guest column, Morgan describes his struggles with converting his courses to a digital format in response to the closing of his campus due to the pandemic. He believes other professors are also grappling with the shift and says it’s unfair to hold students accountable with letter grades when instruction may be lacking.
Inside Sources
New Study Shows Biofuels Smart Approach to Green Energy Policy
by Michael Graham
While the Green New Deal has dominated the debate over energy policy and the environment, another battle has been raging among environmental activists: Is biomass a friend or foe in the fight against climate change? For some green activists, the answer is clear: Trees are the new coal. In fact, that’s the title of a film being promoted by the environmental activists of the Dogwood Alliance, a group working to shut down the forestry and timber industries. Their message? “The U.S. must cut emissions, not forests.” …The World Wildlife Fund also opposes biofuels. When the European Union adopted a climate policy embracing biomass in 2018, Imke Lübbeke, Head of Climate and Energy at WWF European Policy Office claimed, “EU policy makers have disregarded science and set a terrible example to the rest of the world. They should hang their heads in shame at this disgraceful decision, which WWF believes will in time have to be reversed.” But a new study from researchers at the Universities of Maine, Ohio State and the Georgia Institute of Technology found a thriving biofuels industry can be both carbon neutral and can lead to more forest lands, not fewer. The key is to put market forces in place that make forest products so valuable that more farmland is converted to forestry and current forest lands are better managed and preserved.
TechSpot
DARPA taps Intel and Georgia Tech to pioneer a machine learning ‘immune system’
GARD program looks to guard ML systems against adversarial deception attacks
By Cal Jeffrey
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has tapped Intel and Georgia Tech to head up research aimed at defending machine learning algorithms against adversarial deception attacks. Deception attacks are rare outside of laboratory testing but could cause significant problems in the wild.
Higher Education News:
AP News
Virginia Tech will not refund spring tuition to students
BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech announced it will not give tuition refunds after the school moved classes and spring commencement online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. University President Tim Sands made the announcement Thursday in a virtual town hall meeting with students, parents, staff and alumni. He said the school’s instructional costs have gone up after the university moved nearly 6,000 of its classes online. Many colleges in the country have not issued tuition refunds, but some have reimbursed certain fees, including housing and dining costs, while dealing with tight budgets brought on by the public health crisis. Sands said school officials are looking at the “possibility of offering temporary refunds” for fees related to healthcare, sports, and transportation. He added that the school has offered refunds for parking fees, rebates for on-campus housing, and has allowed dining plans to rollover.
AP News
University of Louisville to furlough employees, cut pay
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The University of Louisville will furlough employees and implement hiring freezes and pay cuts, citing the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.The university’s president, Neeli Bendapudi, announced the move in a campus-wide email to staff and students on Thursday, news outlets reported. According to the Courier Journal, the email did not say how many employees will be hit with furloughs, or for how long they might last. Bendapudi said lower tuition rates for summer classes, the cancellation of the March Madness basketball tournament and a government-ordered halt on optional medical procedures all contributed to a financial drain on the university. Unless immediate actions are taken, she added, the school projects a nearly $40 million negative impact by the end of the fiscal year. The pay reductions will affect employees depending on their salary level, with 10% cuts for those earning $300,000 or more. According to the email, the cuts will remain in effect at least until the end of June.
WJBF
Georgia college helping hospitals by creating protective devices
They are the first line of defense against the Coronavirus but some medical professionals are having a hard time getting equipment to protect them. In Savannah, SCAD is doing its part to help. The University’s SCADpro design studio has partnered with the SCAD School of Design to devise and produce face shields for front-line medical workers at Savannah’s St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System using the university’s cutting-edge resources and state-of-the-art 3D printers. The face shield is engineered to relieve pressure on the ears, minimizing the facial bruising commonly experienced by medical workers as they work long hours to stem the novel coronavirus.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
How Will the Pandemic Change Higher Education?
Professors, administrators, and staff on what the coronavirus will leave in its wake.
The coronavirus crisis has — in what seems like an instant — upended much of modern life, and higher education has not been spared. Campuses are closed, courses moved online, commencements canceled. Uncertainty and fear cloud the future. In the short term, students scramble to figure out their fall plans, the faculty faces hiring freezes, and administrators debate once-unimaginable options, like whether to declare financial exigency. The pandemic might also permanently change the character of higher learning in America — its culture, its role in society and in the economy, and the business models that sustain it. With this in mind, we reached out to college staff members, professors, and administrators with a straightforward question: How will the coronavirus change higher education? Here’s what they told us.
Liquidity, Liquidity, Liquidity…
Inside Higher Ed
Already reeling from the pandemic and recession, public colleges face severe state budget cuts in coming weeks.
By Kery Murakami
Financial pain from the coronavirus pandemic is hitting the nation’s colleges and universities hard, and Northwest Missouri State University is no exception. John Jasinski, president of the four-year institution, which enrolls more than 7,000 students and is located 100 miles north of Kansas City, Mo., has been dealing with serious challenges the crisis brought to the university’s budget. Jasinski said he’s put off spending money where he can, on professional development, upgrading educational software and other areas, as the crisis brings unexpected costs such as the more than $4 million the public university is spending to refund students’ room and board fees after classes were moved online. But two weeks ago — in what could be a harbinger of the pain coming soon to other universities around the country — things got even worse.
Inside Higher Ed
Yields and Admit Rates Are in Flux
Colleges face realities of recruiting students who have more financial pressures on them.
By Scott Jaschik
…What the Experts Say
While colleges guess what their numbers will be, experts are watching and offering their own takes — on all kinds of colleges. “There is no doubt that the statistical models that have been built this year for any institution will not work perfectly moving forward. This is an unprecedented time,” said Matt Maguire, vice president of client services and product development at Maguire Associates.
Inside Higher Ed
College students say the online instruction they’re getting in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic is not the education for which they paid. Some students plan to withhold tuition payments; others are demanding partial tuition refunds.
By Greta Anderson
Arica Kincheloe said she took a risk quitting her job and moving halfway across the country from Seattle to attend the University of Chicago’s nationally ranked master’s program in social service administration. But now that her courses for the one-year accelerated program were moved online due to the coronavirus pandemic, Kincheloe, a first-generation college graduate from a low-income background, is questioning what more than $50,000 in student loan debt will mean for her future. “It’s a throwaway — a shortened quarter. They took away one week of the quarter,” she said. “I do not feel like I am getting the same education that I would have otherwise. The sort of enrichment and learning that I would have in the classroom isn’t there.” Students who were already struggling to stay afloat while managing the heavy cost of their education, which for Kincheloe exceeds $66,300 for one year, say they are being shortchanged by the online classes.
Inside Higher Ed
Many institutions are going pass/fail or making new grading schemes. How will prospective grad students, med students and community college transfers be affected?
By Lilah Burke
Many colleges and universities, after looking at the havoc the coronavirus pandemic has wreaked on student lives, have decided to offer a more forgiving grade structure. Binary grading schemes like pass/fail or satisfactory/unsatisfactory have been put in place at many institutions, sometimes after much back-and-forth. Some have made the change mandatory for all students, while others have simply expanded an existing option. The idea behind a binary scheme during the pandemic is that it can lessen students’ anxiety. It can shield those who have been enormously burdened from a fatal hit to their grade point average. Moving home, taking online classes, losing jobs or dealing with family health care can all have a profound effect on student performance. But when a student is hoping to move on to graduate school, medical school or a four-year college, questions still abound about how a grade of “pass” is going to look to an admissions officer, or if community college courses will still transfer.
Other News:
Griffin Daily News
Kemp urges Georgians to use online or call-in religious services
Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp urged Georgians to plan for online or call-in religious services — including Easter Sunday on April 12. “I greatly appreciate faith leaders across our state who have made the tough decision to stop the spread of COVID-19 by suspending in-person religious services,” Kemp said. “Their leadership is literally saving lives. To all Georgians celebrating Easter this Sunday, I am pleading with you to not attend any services in person. If you attend worship services in person, you risk exposure to coronavirus – potentially endangering your life, the lives of your neighbors, and your loved ones. I know this decision is difficult, but we will get through this together.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
LIVE UPDATES: State of emergency declared after deadly storms rip through Georgia
By Chelsea Prince
Cleanup and damage assessment are underway Monday after powerful storms ripped through North Georgia overnight, killing at least six people in the state and leaving thousands in the dark.
The widespread storms produced possible tornadoes in Chattooga County in northwest Georgia and south Fulton County in metro Atlanta, as well as Putnam and Upson counties to the south. The National Weather Service is still working to confirm those reports and identify storm tracks. … [11:25 a.m.]: Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency after deadly storms hit Georgia overnight. Read the full order here.
WGAU
Coronavirus updates: Italy records lowest number of deaths in 3 weeks
By: Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Updated 11:17 p.m. EDT April 12: Italy saw its lowest number of recorded deaths from the coronavirus in three weeks: 431 in the past day. It was also the ninth day in a row intensive care units saw a decrease in patients, the Associated Press reported. It is the country’s fifth week on a national lockdown as social distancing efforts have been put in place to slow the spread of the virus. The country has also increased its testing capacity in recent days, leading to more positive cases.