University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus death toll in Georgia increases to 229; 7,314 total cases confirmed
By Asia Simone Burns 4/6/2020
In the span of one week, the number of Georgians who have died due to the new coronavirus has more than doubled, according to data from state health officials. Authorities on Monday confirmed 10 more deaths due to COVID-19, bringing Georgia’s death toll to 229. Last Monday, the Georgia Department of Public Health reported 87 deaths caused by the novel virus. The latest data from the Georgia Department of Public Health shows 7,314 confirmed cases, an increase of about 8.4% from the 6,742 cases reported Sunday night.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6,742 coronavirus cases now confirmed in Georgia; death toll rises to 219
By Asia Simone Burns, 7 hours ago, 4/5/2020
UPDATE [7 p.m.]: In the seven hours since its last report, the Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed an additional 95 cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,742. Health officials also reported another 8 deaths, meaning the total number of Georgians killed by the highly contagious disease now stands at 219. As of noon, there were 6,647 confirmed cases and 211 deaths. Of Georgia’s overall cases, 1,296 patients remain hospitalized, a rate of 19.2%, according to the 7 p.m. figures. That number is up from 1,283 confirmed hospitalizations Sunday afternoon.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6,647 coronavirus cases now confirmed in Georgia; death toll rises to 211
By Asia Simone Burns 4/5/2020
Georgians are still feeling the weight of the new coronavirus Sunday as the number of confirmed cases increased to 6,647 and the death toll rose to 211. The Georgia Department of Public Health reports since Saturday 3 more Georgians have died due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel virus. The latest data released at noon shows 264 new cases since Saturday evening.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAKING: Seven more coronavirus deaths reported as Georgia’s cases increase to 6,383
By Shaddi Abusaid 4/4/2020
UPDATE [7 p.m.]: In the seven hours since its last report, the Georgia Department of Public Health has confirmed an additional 223 cases of COVID-19, bringing the state’s total to 6,383. Health officials also reported another seven deaths, meaning the total number of Georgians killed by the highly contagious disease now stands at 208.As of noon, there were 6,160 confirmed cases and 201 deaths. Of Georgia’s overall cases, 1,266 patients remain hospitalized, a rate of nearly 20%, according to the 7 p.m. figures. That number is up from 1,239 confirmed hospitalizations Saturday afternoon.
Statesboro Herald
Georgia stay-at-home order rolls back local restrictions
Associated Press
Local officials are expressing concern that a statewide stay-at-home order from Georgia’s governor that took effect Friday evening will actually loosen some restrictions that cities and counties had put in place, including rolling back park and beach closures. Gov. Brian Kemp had earlier refused to implement a statewide stay-at-home order and instead left the decision to local officials. That led to a patchwork of local orders and restrictions that popped up from counties and cities across the state. But Kemp’s stay-at-home order, signed Thursday, now supersedes those local orders. That includes reopening many parks and beaches that local governments had ordered closed after seeing gatherings of people not obeying distancing requirements.
Marietta Daily Journal
State opens 30-minute, drive-thru COVID-19 testing at Georgia Tech
Rosie Manins
Up to 1,000 COVID-19 tests per day will be administered to registered patients at a new drive-thru testing location being set up by the state at Georgia’s Tech’s campus in Atlanta. Gov. Brian Kemp announced the initiative Monday, stating CVS Health will be operating the tests, offered by Abbott Laboratories, at the drive-thru site starting immediately. Test results will be available in 30 minutes, Kemp’s office said. Those keen to get a test need to be pre-screened online and register for a test in advance at www.CVS.com/minuteclinic/covid-19-testing.
Albany Herald
Visiting nurses receive free housing at Albany State University
From staff reports
The University System of Georgia, in partnership with Governor Brian P. Kemp and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, will offer temporary housing to traveling nurses assisting at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. Albany State University will provide rooms for the nurses in one residence hall. Residence halls at the university were closed last month following Gov. Brian Kemp’s declaration of a statewide public health emergency due to COVID-19. The effort comes as the city of Albany and its surrounding communities battle a surge in COVID-19 cases. Gov. Kemp recently deployed medical support teams to Albany from the Georgia National Guard to provide support to the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital medical staff.
WALB
Gov. Kemp: USG, GEMA partner to provide housing for healthcare workers in Albany
By Kim McCullough
The University System of Georgia (USG), in partnership with Gov. Brian Kemp and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA), will offer temporary housing to traveling nurses assisting at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany. Albany State University will provide rooms for the nurses in one residence hall, which were closed last month following Gov. Kemp’s declaration of a statewide public health emergency because of COVID-19. The effort comes as Albany and its surrounding counties battle a surge in COVID-19 cases. Kemp recently deployed medical support teams to Albany from the Georgia National Guard to provide support to the Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital medical staff.
Chicago Tribune
Know that coronavirus image with red spikes? Here’s how the artists at the CDC created it.
By Jonathon Berlin
You’ve seen it. Red spiky tufts punching out in every direction like menacing fists. Yellow and orange speckles dotting an undulating gray sphere. All of it floating in an ominous microscopic stew. It’s the coronavirus, the image of SARS-CoV-2 now on countless websites, television broadcasts, newspapers and magazines across the globe. Alissa Eckert and Dan Higgins of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are the artists who made it. …When the coronavirus was just starting to emerge from Wuhan, China, one of the many parts of the CDC that sprang into action was the communications team. A campaign would be needed. …Early on it was decided that the CDC would need to create an image of the virus. This is where Eckert and Higgins come in. They are both medical illustrators and were brought into the project. The two have worked together for 14 years and have teamed on numerous projects including imagery for ebola, anthrax and antibiotic resistance. …A medical illustrator is part scientist and part artist. Eckert has an undergraduate degree in scientific illustration from the University of Georgia and a master’s degree in medical illustration from Medical college of Georgia. Higgins has a bachelor’s in fine art and graphic design from the University of Georgia and a master’s in biomedical illustration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Both love art, both love science, and eventually both found the profession. Eckert was studying to become a veterinarian but had been taking art classes for fun. Higgins said he always loved art then discovered his love of science in college. A medical illustrator is a specially trained artist with advanced education in science, anatomy and art. They typically have a master’s degree, and there are only three accredited med schools in the U.S. that offer the program. The Graphic Services Branch at the CDC has eight illustrators: six medical and two nonmedical. Eckert and Higgins started researching the novel coronavirus, trying to understand what makes this virus unique.
Athens Banner-Herald
Coronavirus upends Athens-Clarke, school budget plans
By Lee Shearer
As the coronavirus pandemic unfolds, local and state government budget planners are facing unprecedented uncertainty. Tax revenues could be sharply reduced for governments next year, depending on how deep a predicted economic recession cuts as millions of Americans file for unemployment benefits. For two weeks in a row, the United States has set a record for the number of people filing unemployment claims — 3.3 million two weeks ago, 6.6 million last week — and economists expect that number to rise. In Georgia, a record 133,820 people filed initial jobless claims last week, nearly 11 times more than the previous week and the biggest percentage increase of any state. For local governments like Athens-Clarke as well as school districts, those numbers spell likely decreases in sales and property tax revenues — their two biggest sources. At the same time, federal stimulus bills will provide billions of dollars for universities, public schools and local governments. …University System of Georgia planners face even greater unknowns. The University System of Georgia is the state’s network of public colleges and universities, including the University of Georgia. The system has already taken a big financial hit from the pandemic.
The Brunswick News
Dozens of CCGA students hunker down on campus
By Terry Dickson
For 48 College of Coastal Georgia students, Gov. Brian Kemp’s order to shelter in place means they’ll be hunkered down on campus in two residence halls. While the roughly 550 students in residence halls headed home when classes were canceled, those 48 had no good alternatives beyond their rooms on campus, said Coastal Georgia President Michelle Johnston. “Some have really, really tough family situations,’’ including some who were homeless and others who were in the state foster care system, Johnston said. For many, the college is their only option for food and shelter, she said.
Coastal Courier
Georgia Southern stages ‘Operation Move-Out’
Al Hackle
In something like a low-key reversal of the annual Operation Move-In, volunteer-assisted efforts have been underway to move most – but not all – of Georgia Southern University’s more than 4,700 campus resident students out of the Statesboro and Armstrong campuses by Sunday. Last week was spring break, and this week is an added, emergency-related break in classes before they are slated to resume Monday with almost all courses being taught online. This is the situation at all 26 University System of Georgia institutions for the remainder of spring semester 2020 under the USG’s March 16 directive in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Most students who usually live on campus but have other homes to go to are required to leave.
WGAU
UGA “hackathon” produces coronavirus resources
By: Lauren Davis, UGA Today
In the last few days before instruction resumed at the University of Georgia, over 90 public health students were hard at work crafting infographics, data visualizations, policy briefs and even Tik Toks – all in aid of supporting communities with useful, evidence-based information on COVID-19. The effort was part of a 48-hour virtual hackathon, hosted by the UGA College of Public Health. Dean Marsha Davis (pictured above) says the COVID-19 Virtual Hackathon was a natural way for public health students to engage in the college’s ongoing efforts to serve Georgia communities. “At all times, but especially during this pandemic, UGA’s College of Public Health is called to provide leadership and information to guide policymaking that is grounded in scientific evidence,” said Davis. “This is at the heart of our research and service mission, and extends to the training of our students.”
Athens Banner-Herald
College of Public Health creates graphics to show COVID-19′s impact on homeless community
By Chris Starrs
A group of Honors students at the University of Georgia have created a visual document that amply displays the effect the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on Athens’ homeless population. Divya Ghosal, a junior from San Diego majoring in cellular biology and epidemiology, said Thursday afternoon that the graphic was created as part of a “hackathon” hosted last week by UGA’s College of Public Health. “The College of Public Health held a hackathon where public health students looked at needs within the community and they worked for two or three days to put together infographics and visuals for how our community is being impacted by the pandemic,” said Ghosal, who was part of the team, which also included Victoria Fonzi, Hannah Huang, Harrison Huang and Kyle Patel, that devised the graphic.
Athens CEO
UGA Provides Financial Assistance to Students in Need
Staff Report
As individuals and communities continue to struggle in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Georgia community has rallied to commit thousands of dollars in new emergency funds for students experiencing unforeseen financial difficulties. Since March 20, a total of $600,000 has been added to two private funds established by President Jere W. Morehead to aid students: the Undergraduate Student Emergency Fund and the Graduate Student Emergency Fund. Morehead authorized the transfer of $475,000 from the President’s Venture Fund for this purpose, while the trustees of the UGA Foundation directed another $125,000. “We are grateful for the generosity of alumni and friends who have provided these discretionary dollars to be used for priorities identified by the institution,” said Morehead. “At this time, the leaders of our Foundation and I agree that we need to apply these resources to help ensure the welfare of our students in need.”
Savannah Morning News
USG classes to remain online-only through spring, summer terms
By Barbara Augsdorfer
University System of Georgia institutions tentatively plan to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester, but for now online-only instruction will continue through May and the summer semesters, according to releases from both Savannah State University and Georgia Southern University on Thursday, April 2. USG institutions will return to on-campus instruction for the fall semester only if deemed safe by the CDC and according to DPH guidelines. “We continue to prioritize the safety of our students, faculty and staff as we do our part to help stem the spread of COVID-19 in Georgia and fulfill our mission to graduate our students in these challenging times,” wrote Jennifer Wise, director of communications for GSU. “We understand that we are all overcoming many challenges during these uncertain times. The University is committed to your well-being and success.”
Albany Herald
ABAC remote instruction will continue during summer term
From Staff Reports
Instruction will continue to be delivered remotely at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College and the other 25 institutions in the University System of Georgia during the remainder of the spring semester and the summer term, with only limited exceptions. USG institutions, including ABAC, are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for the fall semester should guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health allow it. At this time, fall semester classes are scheduled to begin on Aug. 12 at ABAC.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU moves May, summer courses online
By Thomas Hartwell
To help curb the spread of the coronavirus, summer and compressed May classes at Kennesaw State University will be fully online, according to an announcement from the university. Kennesaw State will return to normal operations for the fall semester assuming health conditions allow for it, a news release says. KSU officials say the university has been preparing for the possibility of a summer of fully online instruction, and the decision follows guidance from the University System of Georgia. “As a result, we are confident that more than 90% of our in-person classes will simply be converted to online instruction for the summer. This announcement does not affect courses that are already scheduled to be taught online,” the release reads.
Valdosta Daily Times
VSU online continues until fall
By Desiree Carver
The University System of Georgia has decided all 26 institutions, including Valdosta State University, will continue with remote learning through May and summer semesters. Originally, the decision to go online was going to last through spring semester. USG institutions are tentatively planning to return to normal on-campus operations for fall semesters, according to a VSU statement. Valdosta State University will continue teleworking and adhering to flexible work strategies for faculty and staff. “We continue to prioritize the safety of our students, faculty and staff as we do our part to help stem the spread of the coronavirus in Georgia and fulfill our mission to graduate our students in these challenging times,” according to the VSU statement.
Tifton Gazette
VSU waives undergrad test requirements, fees
Valdosta State University is waiving SAT/ACT scores for all first-year undergraduate applicants who meet high school grade point average, high school curriculum and other established requirements for admissions during the upcoming summer and fall semesters. Following guidance from the University System of Georgia, the decision is an effort to adapt admissions processes at VSU due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, which has led to a more personalized, virtual approach for new applicants following the cancellation of testing services by the College Board and ACT, university officials said.
The Red & Black
UGA to hold orientation online this summer due to COVID-19
Jacqueline GaNun | City News Editor
New University of Georgia students will attend orientation online this summer due to COVID-19, university officials announced in a tweet Friday. In a video posted by the UGA Admissions Twitter account, Director of New Student Orientation Larry Cloud said orientation will be delivered online via small group meetings, orientation modules and other virtual options.
MSN
Augusta University Health imposing visitor restrictions temporarily
Brooke Zauner
Due to the risk posed by COVID-19, Augusta University Health will observe restricted visitation until further notice. Restrictions are in place for Augusta University Medical Center and the Children’s Hospital of Georgia. Restrictions include:
WJBF
Purchase a local restaurant gift card, help feed an AU health hero…and it’s all online
With the purchase of a gift card from local restaurants you can help feed medical professionals on the front line. Fat Man’s Hospitality Group teamed up with Augusta University for their hashtag- Our- AU-Health- Heroes Program. With Governor Kemp’s shelter-in-place order, the original drop-off plan is cancelled. However, you can still chip in. Fat Man’s Hospitality Group teamed up with Augusta University as part of their Hashtag- Our- AU- Health- Heroes program. You can purchase gift cards from select restaurants and make it out to community@augusta.edu. To find a list of these restaurants you can head to HUBAugusta.com.
Gwinnett Daily Post
State’s first nurse to die of COVID-19 worked at Piedmont Henry, employees say
By Andy Miller Georgia Health News
The metro Atlanta nurse who died last week of COVID-19 worked at Piedmont Henry Hospital, two employees of the suburban facility said…Lisa Eichelberger, an RN and dean of the College of Health at Clayton State University, said Sunday that a group of Georgia nursing organizations are working on legislation to fund death benefits for nurses and their dependents and psychological counseling benefits. “Nurses are currently facing major challenges on multiple fronts,” Eichelberger said. “They are struggling emotionally and physically as they fight this pandemic. They must watch and care for their co-workers who are becoming ill and dying. They are fearful they may become ill or endanger their family. All in addition to the overwhelming stress of caring for so many sick patients.
WRDW
Businesses donate meals to nurse working on the frontlines of pandemic
By Brady Trapnell
Medical workers across Georgia have been on the frontlines of battling COVID-19, trying to protect their lives and the lives of patients. While they give a lot of work to fighting the pandemic, it’s time to return some of that effort. A normal lunch break for us is a break from a battle for nurses. “The staff is very grateful. They come out and they are hot and tired, and there’s food there. It’s almost like they don’t have to think about that,” Melissa Rimmer, Nurse Manager of University Hospital, said. And it’s one less thing Rimmer has to think about, as she takes care of her staff on the COVID-19 floor at University Hospital. The nurses are dealing with a lot; their regular shifts changing to fighting a widespread pandemic.
The Newnan Times-Herald
Local businesses that have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis can get relief assistance to support their business operations. The UGA Small Business Development Center at Clayton State University is working with the Small Business Administration (SBA) to inform small businesses on the types of federally-approved loans available to cover operations costs.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia small businesses offered webinars on federal stimulus aid
By Matt Kempner
State officials and the University of Georgia are offering webinars Monday and Tuesday for thousands of small business owners trying to understand how to get federal stimulus help and loans during the coronavirus pandemic. People can go online or call-in to take part. The programs are being offered by the University of Georgia Small Business Development Center along with the Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs and Department of Economic Development. Georgia has about 900,000 small businesses, employing about 1.9 million people, according to the Small Business Administration.
WFXG
Local educator shares homeschooling tips for parents
By Sydni Moore
During this pandemic, one Augusta University educator is reminding parents that they are not alone while assisting their child with school work. “You caring for them, you being there, you being flexible showing them that when things of the world are a little chaotic you don’t collapse, or maybe you do but you come back and try again,” Associate Professor, Stacie Pettit says. Pettit is a mother of five and has been able to get acquainted with this new normal. That’s why she is eager to provide some tips she uses with her own kids. “I have like a clock, a little analog clock that you can read and learn to tell time. Multiplication flashcards have been big because that’s for my 3rd, 4th and 6th grader. They all need to practice that.” She encourages parents to also create a schedule of what to work on with your child throughout the day.
The Red & Black
OPINION: UGA should give paid leave to student workers
Stroud Payne | Opinion Editor
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced employers to make drastic adjustments to protect their workers and the people they serve. The University of Georgia is no different. For the most part, I think UGA’s response has been great. The university has moved classes online (as per the instructions from the University System of Georgia), provided meals only through takeout at Bolton Dining Commons and refunded certain student fees and housing and meal plan costs. In one area, however, I have been disappointed with UGA’s response. UGA is paying non-essential full-time and part-time workers unable to work remotely non-closure emergency paid leave. However, this doesn’t include temporary workers such as student workers. This is unfair to student workers. Some of them need their jobs to pay for apartments, food, books and tuition. Their work is also vital to the university, and UGA needs its student workers just as much as they need their jobs. During normal times, student workers’ contributions pervade throughout campus. They help serve meals, maintain security, run the libraries and so much more. It’s the university’s moral responsibility to pay them.
Marietta Daily Journal
Kennesaw State marketing students take first place in Amazon competition
Staff reports
A group of Kennesaw State University marketing students in the Michael J. Coles College of Business recently placed first in a marketing competition sponsored by Amazon. Three members of the Kennesaw Marketing Association – Laura Stallings, Lenny Jimenez Cazon, and Amber Griffin – took the top spot in the Morehouse Marketing Conclave Amazon Case Study Competition in February. Organized by the Morehouse Marketing Association, the Conclave is an annual student-run event that invites college students from across the Southeast to learn about the latest trends in marketing, advertising and sales.
Indiawest
Indian Journalist Rana Ayuub Awarded 2020 McGill Medal for Journalistic Courage
India-West Staff Reporter
Indian journalist Rana Ayyub has been named the 2020 recipient of the McGill Medal for journalistic courage. The Mumbai-based journalist will receive the medal from the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and its McGill Program for reporting on “religious violence and extrajudicial killings by the state in India.” The medal ceremony will take place in the Peyton Anderson Forum at Grady College in Athens, Georgia, April 22.
Albany Herald
Georgia 4-H offers virtual environmental education series
By Cristina deRevere CAES News
Each spring, thousands of K-12 students attend environmental education camps at Georgia 4-H facilities across the state. They hold snakes, hike through creeks and marshes, visit historic sites and enjoy nature; all with a goal of learning about the environment. Since the COVID-19 outbreak has public schools closed, school buses parked and Georgians sheltered in place, the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program is now being offered virtually. To continue reaching students, Georgia 4-H centers have created “From The Mountains To The Sea,” an online educational series. The lessons began on March 30 and a new lesson will be added every weekday through May 22. …As one of the nation’s largest providers of residential environmental education, the Georgia 4-H Environmental Education Program provides opportunities for high-quality day and overnight educational experiences. The research-based curriculum correlates to the Georgia Standards of Excellence and provides hands-on learning in the context of the real world. Since the program began in 1979, it has reached over 1.2 million students.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Ten Georgia Gwinnett College baseball players earn postseason conference honors
From Staff Reports
Ten Georgia Gwinnett College 2020 baseball players have been recognized on the Association of Independent Institutions all-conference team for their commendable performances on the diamond this spring. The awards were announced Friday, April 3, by the league office. While the 2020 baseball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, A.I.I. officials felt that the student-athletes’ accomplishments should still be honored. All recognized players earned all-conference awards. However, there were no special awards presented for player of the year, pitcher of the year and coach of the year. The Grizzlies, coached by Jeremy Sheetinger, had a 23-2 record and were ranked No. 3 in the NAIA Top 25 poll. The only two losses came in a season-opening series against No. 4 Southeastern University (Fla.).
Gwinnett Daily Post
Seven from Georgia Gwinnett College softball pick up postseason A.I.I. awards
From Staff Reports
Seven Georgia Gwinnett College softball players have earned all-conference honors from the Association of Independent Institutions for their play during the 2020 season. The league office announced the awards on Friday, April 3. While the 2020 softball season was canceled due to the COVID-19 public health crisis, A.I.I. officials felt that the student-athletes’ accomplishments should still be honored. All recognized players earned all-conference awards. However, there were no special awards presented for player of the year, pitcher of the year and coach of the year. The Grizzlies, coached by Kat Ihlenburg, had a 12-9 record this spring and was ranked No. 10 in the NAIA Top 25 poll.
Free Code Camp
650+ Free Online Programming & Computer Science Courses You Can Start This March
Dhawal Shah
Founder of Class Central
Eight years ago, universities like MIT and Stanford first opened up free online courses to the public. Today, close to 1000 schools around the world have created thousands of free online courses, popularly known as Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs. I’ve compiled this list of 650+ such free online courses that you can start this month. For this, I leveraged Class Central’s database of over 15,000 online courses. I’ve also included each course’s average rating. I’ve sorted these courses into the following categories based on their difficulty level: Beginner Intermediate Advanced Courses that are being offered for the first time are marked as [NEW].
Beginner: Introduction to Computing using Python from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(3)
Intermediate: Computer Networking from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(6); Software Development Process from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(5); Software Architecture & Design from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★★(2); Database Systems Concepts & Design from Georgia Institute of Technology ★★★★☆(1); Cybersecurity and Mobility from University System of Georgia ★☆☆☆☆(1) …
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Hard Choices Presidents Will Have to Make
Refund tuition or room and board? Freeze hiring or cut benefits? Here’s what they’re thinking so far.
By Paul N. Friga
Colleges and university leaders are working overtime to take care of their students and faculty and staff members amid the greatest crisis ever facing higher education. As the coronavirus pandemic spreads more widely across the country, most institutions are thoughtfully considering their situations, conducting scenario planning, and developing strategies accordingly. A survey of presidents conducted in late March reveals that 70 percent expect revenue decreases of 10 percent or more on their campuses. As a result, a large majority are freezing hiring, and more than half expect to lay off staff and implement furloughs. Perhaps just as importantly, nearly all presidents say they expect to examine their processes and make changes to how people do their work, academically and administratively. While the majority of respondents, 64 percent, are optimistic that the coronavirus will generally resolve over the summer and that campuses will return to normalcy in the fall, 36 percent of the presidents think that serious disruption awaits us come September. One president went so far as to suggest that he anticipates his campus remaining in virtual-instruction mode for all of fiscal 2021.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
‘Zoomed Out’: Why ‘Live’ Teaching Isn’t Always the Best
By Beckie Supiano
This week:
Does it seem like you now conduct most aspects of your life on Zoom? I explain how that’s added to experts’ discomfort with videoconferencing as the default mode of remote instruction.
Have you found a creative way to engage students online? To cover the pandemic in your course? We’re collecting readers’ stories. I round up some recent Chronicle stories on teaching and learning in this interrupted semester.
Very Online
In a recent interview, a professor used an expression I’d never heard before, but I immediately knew what it meant. The expression was “Zoomed out,” and Adriano Udani, an associate professor of political science at the University of Missouri at St. Louis, was describing the way his students feel about the transition to emergency online teaching. Zoom, of course, is the videoconferencing program many colleges have made available to professors thrown into the deep end of online instruction. And they’re not the only ones Zooming: In these days of social distancing, Zoom is the new home of everything from preschool circle time to office brainstorming sessions to long-distance happy hours. Udani’s students are in a master’s of public administration program and often have jobs and families to manage, too, he said. They are taking classes at night. But they really wanted to be taking them in person.
Inside Higher Ed
Accessibility Suffers During Pandemic
Students with disabilities and their advocates say access to equitable education has been abandoned in the scramble to move classes online.
By Greta Anderson
In the quick shift by colleges from in-person to online instruction in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the needs of students with disabilities can sometimes be overlooked. Students who are deaf or hard of hearing, have low vision or are blind, those with learning disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or a physical disability that requires use of a computer keyboard instead of a mouse, students with mental illnesses or various other challenges, have been put on the backburner “en masse,” as instructors scramble to transfer two months’ worth of teaching content to a digital format, said Cyndi Wiley, digital accessibility coordinator for Iowa State University’s Information Technology Services. Wiley said although some faculty members may have discussed digital accessibility in the past, they might not be aware of the importance of ensuring it for all students and may not understand that it goes beyond making special accommodations for individual students that specifically request it. Some faculty members might just be overwhelmed by the pressure to rapidly convert to online classes and overlook accessibility, Wiley said. She said institutions can and should “do better” by making investments in software that continuously provides alternative, accessible material formats for students with any disabilities.
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges Continue to Churn Through Refund Plans
As colleges come up with plans to refund room and board, some are better received than others.
By Emma Whitford
It’s been nearly a month since colleges began to close their residence halls in response to the new coronavirus outbreak, but many are still figuring out exactly how to address room and board refunds. Some colleges, such as Smith College, Harvard University and Amherst College, announced almost immediately that students would receive prorated room and board refunds. Many others have come up with partial refund plans in the following weeks, which have been met with praise by some students and with lawsuits and petitions by others.
Inside Higher Ed
Attracting Students Amid the Coronavirus
Through adopting test-optional admissions and other policies, and online events, colleges strive to reach students.
By Scott Jaschik
Throughout the country, colleges are facing a serious challenge: how to recruit students in an uncertain environment without being able to show off their campuses (at least in person). Some colleges are changing policies — there was a major push in the last week for test-optional admissions. Some of the colleges are only switching for a year or two or three. Other colleges are also adopting a range of policies to make it easier for students to say yes to an offer of admission in a very uncertain time. And colleges are moving to make online content and one-on-one virtual meetings good enough to persuade students to enroll.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Medical Students Were Sidelined by Coronavirus. Now They’re Volunteering to Battle the Pandemic.
By Katherine Mangan
[Updated (4/4/2020, 12:56 p.m.) with guidance from the American Medical Association.]
One highlight of David S. Edelman’s medical training at Columbia University was providing free medical care to homeless and uninsured patients in the basement of a Harlem church. That was before the coronavirus pandemic turned the world upside down. In mid-March, Columbia’s medical school, like others nationwide, pulled fourth-year medical students from their rotations in hospitals and clinics. The goal was both to keep them safe and to protect the rapidly diminishing supply of respirator masks and other protective equipment. As the number of cases of Covid-19 in New York City threatened to overwhelm its hospitals, sidelined students just months from graduation were growing increasingly frustrated.
Inside Higher Ed
What to do when professors can’t teach? Some administrators and instructors are making plans for unprecedented illness and even death among faculty members.
By Lilah Burke
“The absenteeism of professors is not a new issue,” said Chuck Staben, former president of the University of Idaho and current professor there. “What is a new issue is the scale of what we’re potentially facing.” In the face of rising coronavirus cases, the scale of professor absenteeism could be much larger than anything colleges have seen in recent decades. The devil’s arithmetic isn’t hard to follow. Some models have predicted over 40 percent of the American public will get COVID-19. Nineteen percent of cases need to be hospitalized, and 6 percent need intensive care. The White House predicts now 100,000 to 240,000 deaths, at best, from the new coronavirus. At least four prominent faculty members already have passed away. Some academic leaders have begun to ask how to prepare for what seems increasingly inevitable. What happens if professors, on a never-before-seen scale, get too sick to teach? What happens if they die?
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Meharry Medical College Enters Global Race for an Antiviral Drug to Treat COVID-19
by B. Denise Hawkins
As the coronavirus rages around the world, scientists are in a race to develop a vaccine to prevent COVID-19, the infectious respiratory disease caused by the virus, and a drug to treat patients already infected with the virus. Researchers are working overtime, even as the number of coronavirus cases has crossed 1.2 million and deaths due to it have crossed 65,000 as of April 5, according to Johns Hopkins University. But even if a vaccine were available today, “it would take at least 12-18 months to put it into the arm of a person who needs to be protected from COVID-19,” says Dr. Donald Alcendor, an infectious disease specialist doing research in molecular biology, neuroscience and virology at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. The road from lab creation, to clinical trials, to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval, and ultimately, patient use, is long, expensive, and at times, bumpy. With a patent pending for Meharry’s work on a drug reagent that could someday treat the Zika virus, Alcendor, its principal investigator, is no stranger to the ebb and flow of the research journey.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
U of Pittsburgh Scientists Say They’ve Developed a Potential Coronavirus Vaccine
Scientists at the University of Pittsburgh said they’ve found a potential vaccine for the new coronavirus, reported the New York Post, citing the scientists’ study published Thursday in EBioMedicine, which is published by The Lancet. The scientists believe the vaccine could be rolled out quickly enough to “significantly impact the spread of disease,” they said in their study. They said they were able to quickly develop a vaccine because they had already done significant research on similar coronaviruses, SARS and MERS.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
During the Pandemic, Some Universities Are Aiding Small Businesses Around Campus
Some wealthy universities are helping small businesses around their campuses keep afloat as the coronavirus pandemic hits these enterprises’ bottom line, said a Bloomberg report on Crain’s New York Business. For instance, Colgate University, Williams College and Yale University have waived rent on commercial spaces they own. Columbia University in New York has done the same for dozens of businesses, including for the iconic Tom’s Restaurant, which was featured on the TV show Seinfeld. The report quoted CoStar Group, a firm that tracks commercial real estate data, as saying that American colleges own about 20 million square feet of retail space.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Fairness in the Age of Betsy DeVos
The education secretary says taxpayers shouldn’t help students who try to game loan forgiveness. But what about the students who play by the rules?
By Eric Kelderman
…Fairness, to DeVos, means shielding colleges and taxpayers from what she has described as burdensome regulations and unscrupulous students. At the same time, the Education Department has resisted forgiving the loans of students, like Armour, who were left without degrees after their college closed suddenly. It’s not fair, DeVos has argued, for students to get “free money.” In a written statement, a department spokeswoman said the Trump administration’s approach to loan forgiveness “corrects the overreach of the prior administration” and “restores fairness and due process.” In addition, she said, measures limiting loan forgiveness will save taxpayers an estimated $16 billion over 10 years.
Inside Higher Ed
State Senator Funds College in Potential Conflict of Interest
By Lilah Burke
Erik Simonson, a Minnesota state senator, has caught flak for introducing a bill that would secure $1 million in state infrastructure bonds for Lake Superior College a few weeks before he started a new job there, The Star Tribune has reported. Simonson is now the executive director of continuing education and customized training at Lake Superior. Though government ethics experts said the situation represents a conflict of interest, Simonson disputes the assertion, saying that the Duluth college is in his district and he applied for many jobs once he realized his current one was ending. The thought that funding the college might be a conflict of interest “didn’t cross [his] mind.” He applied for the role in late November.
Inside Higher Ed
2 Minnesota Institutions Pursue Shared President
By Rick Seltzer
Two single-sex institutions in Minnesota are moving toward having only one president. The College of St. Benedict and St. John’s University expect to announce a search for a new joint president later in the year, the St. Cloud Times reported, citing a Thursday memo. The idea still needs legal, governance and accreditor sign-off. Each institution would maintain a separate identity under the plan. They currently share academic programming.
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Albany Herald
Governor offers consumer best practices to prevent coronavirus spread
From staff reports
Gov. Brian Kemp joined the American Transaction Processors Coalition, Georgia Retail Association, and Georgia Food Industry Association Sunday in issuing guidance regarding the use of PIN numbers and other best practices at points of purchase as Georgia continues to fight the spread of COVID-19. Consumer Tips:
Forsyth County News
New CDC guidelines recommend Americans wear face masks in public
The Associated Press
President Donald Trump announced new federal guidelines Friday recommending that Americans wear face coverings when in public to help fight the spread of the new coronavirus. The president immediately said he had no intention of following that advice himself, saying, “I’m choosing not to do it.” The new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages people, especially in areas hit hard by the spread of the coronavirus, to use rudimentary coverings like T-shirts, bandannas and non-medical masks to cover their faces while outdoors. The president exempted himself from his administration’s own guidelines, saying he could not envision himself covering his face while sitting in the Oval Office greeting world leaders. “It’s a recommendation, they recommend it,” Trump said. “I just don’t want to wear one myself.” The new guidance, announced as states are bracing for critical shortfalls like those that other parts of the world have experienced, raises concern that it could cause a sudden run on masks.
WSB TV
CDC granted $500 million for surveillance, data collection system to fight coronavirus
The details of how exactly the CDC will conduct the system are still unclear.
By Samantha Manning
The massive stimulus package signed by President Donald Trump last week includes $500 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to gather electronic information to track the spread of the coronavirus. The money will be used for a “public health surveillance and data collection system.” Analytics companies have already shown how tracking cell phone data can show where people are gathering, in some cases revealing clusters of people ignoring social distancing orders. “The CDC is trying to track the spread of the virus and we basically support that but we do also see privacy risks,” Marc Rotenberg, president of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said.
Savannah Morning News
Defying Georgia governor, Savannah mayor extends city’s state-of-emergency orders through April 30
By Nick Robertson
Following the release of Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s statewide shelter-in-place order on Thursday, April 2, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson expressed deep frustration that Kemp’s announcement nullifies many measures taken locally over the past two weeks to counter the coronavirus threat. He is seeking legal remedies to maintain Savannah’s more comprehensive emergency ordinances. On Friday, April 3, Johnson extended Savannah’s state-of-emergency measures through April 30, regardless of what impacts Kemp’s less-restrictive Thursday order may have on the city’s COVID-19 response. The statewide shelter-in-place declaration is set to expire on April 13. Although Johnson says that Kemp’s order legally supplants Savannah’s local state-of-emergency declaration — first issued on March 19, and since amended with additional restrictions — the mayor is working with municipal attorneys and staff to consider options for maintaining his stricter ordinances. “I’m beyond disappointed and confused,” Johnson said of Kemp’s actions when reached by phone on Friday afternoon. “I’m really more disappointed for our residents, who are absolutely confused.”
The Brunswick News
More testing unmasks more confirmed COVID-19 cases
As predicted in March by health officials, more testing is unmasking more cases of COVID-19 in the Coastal Health District and elsewhere around the state. The total number of confirmed cases in the eight-county district jumped from 115 to 124 Friday evening, with Chatham showing the highest number and largest increase. Cases in the Chatham County-Savannah area leaped from 58 to 65, an increase of seven. Liberty County also showed an increase, climbing from seven to nine.
The Brunswick News
Rapid testing for coronavirus starts in Albany, Atlanta
By Beau Evans Capitol Beat News Service
Testing for coronavirus is poised for a big boost in some Georgia hospitals that have begun shifting to in-house rapid tests able to dramatically reduce the turnaround time for results. Staff at Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital in Albany, which has been hit hard by the virus, brought a new diagnostic test online Thursday night that returns results “in a matter of hours,” said Dr. Steve Kitchen, the hospital’s chief medical officer. Previously, test results for Phoebe Putney patients typically took four days to turn around once they were sent to a commercial lab, Quest Diagnostics. The quicker return time should help hospital staff track down patients not showing any symptoms, send people home faster who test negative and save supplies of crucial protective gear, Kitchen said.
Albany Herald
Albany medical practices turn to internet, phone to treat patients during coronavirus crisis
By Alan Mauldin
Hospitals aren’t the only medical providers dealing with the changed landscape brought about by COVID-19. Area residents still need care for things from seasonal allergies to treatment for chronic conditions to just routine checkups. And with the threat of the coronavirus, practices are looking at ways to keep patients and employees safe by handling many routine appointments online. “We currently are doing 90 percent of our work by telephone or videoconferencing,” Dr. Charles Gebhardt, president of Medical Associates of Albany, said.
Albany Herald
‘Super surge:’ Atlanta doctor braces for COVID-19’s worst days
By Beau Evans Capitol Beat News Service
Denial, fear, anxiety and worry have been the constant companions of Dr. Colleen Kraft and her colleagues at Emory University Hospital in recent weeks. Coronavirus has pummeled the physical resources and mental toughness of hospital staff, and the patient “super surge,” as Kraft describes it, has not even arrived yet. “We have all collectively and individually gone through that grief cycle,” said Kraft, an associate chief medical officer at the hospital who gave a video briefing for reporters Friday. As of noon Friday, more than 5,800 people in Georgia had tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel strain of coronavirus that has sparked a global pandemic. It has killed 184 Georgians. Hospitals are grinding across the state under the reality of dwindling amounts of protective gear and bed space for critically sick patients. State health officials say the peak period for hospital capacity is likely still three weeks away, on April 23.
Albany Herald
State, regional officials help with Cuthbert COVID-19 crisis
From Staff Reports
State House District 151 Rep. Gerald Greene requested assistance from Gov. Brian Kemp to help with the Cuthbert hospital and nursing home. Greene was notified of an emergency situation at the hospital and nursing home on Friday by Scott Steiner, CEO of the Albany-based Phoebe Putney Health System. Greene and officials that included Kemp, Public Health officials in Atlanta, the National Guard, Homeland Security, Phoebe officials and Cuthbert Mayor Steve Whatley were able to meet the crisis quickly. Southwest Georgia Regional Medical Center in Cuthbert is currently on diversion for inpatient admissions and ambulance traffic due to available staffing. Five patients in the hospital were transferred to Phoebe in Albany on Friday. “The emergency center at SGRMC remains operational in order to stabilize and treat on an outpatient basis,” Kim Gilman, the Cuthbert hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, said in a news release. “Temporarily, anyone who needs to be admitted will be transferred to another appropriate hospital.”
Albany Herald
Phoebe officials work hard to keep up with demand for essential supplies
By Carlton Fletcher
Scott Steiner looks amazingly refreshed, given the fact that he and the 4,500 employees in the Phoebe Putney Health System he presides over are heading into their fifth week of treating COVID-19 patients in a part of the state that has been deemed a “hot spot” by health care officials. With 40 deaths and 1,320 positive cases of the virus so far, it’s a designation well-deserved. But after working 16-hour days for most of the previous four weeks-plus, Steiner actually took a rare day off Saturday, recharging his batteries after seeing the regional hospital come under siege of a pandemic that has shown no signs of abating. As he sat and talked with a visitor on the steps outside the hospital, Steiner — who has made “transparency” a watchword of his administration — held little back as he talked about various aspects of the pandemic and its impact on a community he admits “was like home to my wife and me the first time we visited.”
Albany Herald
3D printer companies step in to fill hospitals’ desperate need for face shields
By Chauncey Alcorn, CNN Business
Doctors and nurses on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic are in desperate need of face shields, crucial equipment to prevent the spread of the virus. But they’re in extreme short supply. That’s why tech companies are stepping up to help. The transparent, plastic headgear resembling a welding mask protects medical professionals from infection while they’re treating patients suffering from the deadly and highly-contagious disease. Hospital administrators responsible for acquiring personal protective equipment (PPE) for their staff say proper face shields are even harder to find these days than the surgical masks being horded by panic-buying consumers. …3D printer makers like Carbon, Prusa Research and Formlabs 3D Systems, have recently ramped up production to help meet face shield demand. “Our production will go from 7,500 [face shields] this week to 15,000 next week,” Carbon President and CEO Ellen Kullman told CNN Business on Wednesday. “Between us and our partners, we’ll have close to 18,000 face shields out. I think this number is going to grow considerably.”
Albany Herald
BP is offering a discount on gas for health care workers
By Alicia Lee, CNN
BP is offering a discount of 50 cents off per gallon for first responders and health care workers the next time they fill up at BP or Amoco gas stations in the US. “Thank you for being on the front lines and keeping our communities healthy and safe,” BP says on its website, “We are honored to be supporting you and helping you get where you need to go.” To obtain the discount, first responders and health care workers can visit bp.com/local heroes. They will be asked to verify their identity through the website ID.me and will then receive a discount code via text or email that they can enter at the pump.
The Washington Post
All across the United States, the coronavirus is killing more men than women, data show
By Chris Mooney, Sarah Kaplan and Brady Dennis
As New York City erupts in coronavirus infections and deaths, Kaedrea Jackson has noticed something peculiar during her shifts inside the emergency department at Mount Sinai Morningside hospital. “It seems there are more men coming in with really severe illness,” said Jackson, an emergency physician. “In general, I’ve seen more male patients. And when they do come in, they are at a sicker state.” She and her colleagues on the front line of the pandemic have had little time to ponder why covid-19 seems deadlier for men than women — a phenomenon she could not recall happening with other diseases, such as the flu. “I don’t think there’s anything that’s very clear that shows me the etiology of why it’s been more males,” she said. Coronavirus data reported by more than a dozen states and the nation’s largest city support Jackson’s experience.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta-area farmers adapt to coronavirus
By Jozsef Papp
Larry Cook and his family have been farming for almost 60 years but have never faced a challenge quite like the one affecting the nation now. “This has been the worst for everybody,” Cook said. “We are just doing the best we can do.” Cook is a partner at Cook’s Farm in Trenton, S.C., where they grow and sell peaches and strawberries. He said the farm is doing OK, but he is concerned about the constant changes caused by the spread of the coronavirus. ″ We just hope we can move out products, move our peaches and stuff like that,” he said. “We hope that this doesn’t get serious and nobody can come to the market to buy.” Cook said the demand for food has also been a difficult problem to adjust to. Right now, the farm doesn’t have enough strawberries to satisfy the need, and he hopes people understand they are trying to supply the market. The biggest concern for Cook is not being able to sell his product.
Savannah Morning News
CARES act provision encourages nonprofit donations in 2020
By Katie Nussbaum
Along with providing relief in the form of one-time stimulus checks, or Economic Impact Payments, for individuals and forgivable loans for small businesses, the historic $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES act) also aims to help the country’s nonprofit organizations. Signed by President Donald Trump on March 27, the CARES act allows taxpayers to deduct up to $300 in charitable donations from their taxable income for donations made in 2020. “From the nonprofit side, if a lot of people choose to do it, it’ll be God send, because you can imagine the nonprofits that work directly with providing food, shelter and emergency funds for utilities those kinds of nonprofits are having a huge drain on their resources because of all the unemployed people who are desperate,” said Susan Clifford, principal at Hancock Askew & Co. Taxpayers will be able to claim the deduction on their tax forms next year and won’t have to go through the process of itemizing it. “The point of this is to try and encourage people to actually help because of the problem and do an additional $300 than they might otherwise do,” Clifford said. “If everybody did it, it would be huge to nonprofits across the county.”
Albany Herald
New dates for 2020 Masters, Tour Championship announced in revamped golf schedule
By Will Hammock
Golf’s governing bodies around the world came together Monday for a revamped 2020 schedule that includes two major events in Georgia, the Masters and the Tour Championship. The new schedule, forced by coronavirus pandemic delays, has the Masters at Augusta National from Nov. 12-15 and the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club from Sept. 3-7. The other two majors are Aug. 6-9 for the PGA Championship and Sept. 17-20 for the U.S. Open. The Open Championship, scheduled for this summer in England, is canceled this year because of the coronavirus, it was announced Monday.