University System News:
The Augusta Chronicle
MCG student honored at White House commencement ceremony
By Amanda King
Dr. Rebecca DeCarlo and her fellow Medical College of Georgia classmates didn’t have the opportunity to celebrate graduation like previous classes. A virtual ceremony was held online with slides of each medical school student but the traditional hooding was not conducted. DeCarlo, however, was able to wear the full MCG regalia in Washington, D.C. on Friday afternoon as she was honored at the White House Commencement Ceremony. Only 20 students in the country from high school to graduate school were honored, and DeCarlo was the only medical student, according to a release from MCG. “It is absolutely incredible,” said the Gainesville, Ga., native from the White House. “It was not something I was expecting at all. It’s so surreal.” All of the honorees at the White House are students who have made an impact in the country’s COVID-19 response. DeCarlo, who was a student at MCG’s Southeast Campus, worked with the Coastal Public Health Department to assist with their contact tracing efforts.
See also:
11Alive
Georgia medical school graduate honored by President Trump
WRDW
Georgia graduate honored at the White House for contact tracing work
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia team creates innovative box to help protect workers from virus
By Eric Stirgus, Helena Oliviero
Georgia Tech graduate student Kentez Craig knew the perfect source for advice when working on a device to protect paramedics and health care workers from contracting the novel coronavirus from a patient. His parents. His father, Kenneth, has been a paramedic for 30 years. His mother, Jackie, is a retired paramedic who met her husband when they worked for the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department. The team — Craig, his classmates, faculty and Emory University doctors — created what’s been called a barrier protection device, an intubation box or an “Emo-Tech box” that is being used at Emory hospitals. Other metro Atlanta hospitals are considering using the equipment as well. The box, a clear, polycarbonate material device, allows medical workers to intubate a patient but still be shielded from any respiratory droplets that may infect the worker.
WSAV
3 weeks on the front lines: Georgia Southern grad serves as New York City crisis nurse
By Ashley Williams
Cruising his Citi Bike around the Big Apple through the chilled April air, nurse Tucker Westbrook took in all the sights of what’s normally the country’s most bustling city. Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Central Park — with what little free time he had, the Georgia Southern University (GSU) graduate explored New York City for the first time in his 23 years. But he wasn’t a tourist, and his unusual view of the city was like nothing many had ever seen. “It was like a ghost town, it was surreal and something that I’ll never forget,” Westbrook told WSAV.com NOW. With no professional nursing experience under his belt, Westbrook found himself on a three-week crisis nurse assignment in the biggest COVID-19 hotspot in the United States.
The Tifton Gazette
ABAC, VSU plan to alleviate mental health provider shortage
Alleviating a shortage of mental health providers in rural areas will be one of the goals of a new articulation agreement between Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) and Valdosta State University (VSU). Dr. Matthew Anderson, dean of the ABAC School of Arts and Sciences, said the agreement guarantees qualified ABAC graduates with a bachelor’s degree in Rural Community Development an interview and consideration for acceptance into VSU’s Marriage and Family Therapy master’s degree program.
Albany Herald
UGA ag faculty produce COVID-19 video, materials for farm workers
By Maria M. Lameiras
As the spring harvest approached, members of the Georgia Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association knew they would need assistance to provide important information about COVID-19 safety measures and food handling protocols to workers who make up the majority of the seasonal agricultural workforce, many of whom are native Spanish-speakers. University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and Cooperative Extension faculty responded quickly by producing a COVID-19 safety video in Spanish that could be incorporated into farm employee trainings UGA Extension Southwest District Director Andrea Scarrow, Tift County Extension Agent Justin Hand, and Assistant Professor Laurel Dunn in the UGA Department of Food Science and Technology were a part of the group that spearheaded the effort to quickly produce and distribute the video resources to producers throughout the state.
The Brunswick News
CCGA honors graduates during virtual commencement
By Lauren McDonald
College of Coastal Georgia hosted a virtual commencement event for graduating members of the Class of 2020 Saturday. Streamed on the college’s Facebook and YouTube pages, the spring exercise included addresses from CCGA President Michelle Johnston, Gov. Brian Kemp and student speaker Myles Sandolph. …Kemp, in a message for all students graduating from University System of Georgia colleges and universities, offered his congratulations. “I know you didn’t expect to finish your final semester this way, but quite honestly it makes your accomplishment even more impressive,” Kemp said. “Georgia’s students are resilient and strong. You have shown a determination that will better prepare you for everything that lies ahead.” Several CCGA administrators spoke during the exercise from a stage decorated with the college’s insignia.
WRDW
Graduates find creative ways to celebrate
By Tradesha Woodard
…College graduates decided to get a little creative. Ashley Thurman graduated from Augusta University. She says she imagined a stadium filled with thousands of people, but instead family and friends filled the seats in her back yard. “I’m not at the James Brown Arena walking out on the floor with everybody watching,” said Ashley Thurman, a graduate at Augusta University. Augusta University will hold their virtual commencement ceremony on May 30th. Thurman’s parents decided to host their own, they say they couldn’t have been more proud. After walking across the back porch, Thurman says she realized the moment is not about where you are, but who you share it with.
The New York Times
The Future of College Is Online, and It’s Cheaper
The coronavirus forced a shift to virtual classes, but their continuation could be beneficial even after the pandemic ends.
By Hans Taparia
Mr. Taparia is a clinical associate professor at the New York University Stern School of Business.
Forty years ago, going to college in America was a reliable pathway for upward mobility. Today, it has become yet another 21st-century symbol of privilege for the wealthy. Through this period, tuition rates soared 260 percent, double the rate of inflation. In 2019, the average cost of attending a four-year private college was over $200,000. For a four-year public college, it was over $100,000. To sustain these prices, more students are now admitted from the top 1 percent of the income scale than the entire bottom 40 percent at the top 80 colleges. …The mightiest of institutions are bracing for the worst. There are a few, but instructive, examples of prestigious universities that have already shown the way. Georgia Tech, a top engineering school, launched an online masters in computer science in 2014. The degree costs just $7,000 (one-sixth the cost of its in-person program), and the school now has nearly 10,000 students enrolled, making it the largest computer science program in the country. Notably, the online degree has not cannibalized its on-campus revenue stream. Instead, it has opened up a prestigious degree program to a different population, mostly midcareer applicants looking for a meaningful skills upgrade.
Athens Banner-Herald
ACCA ‘Buddy Calls’ program provides interaction for older adults in quarantine
By Lindsey Derrick
Social distancing has become the new way of life since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Large gatherings with friends are currently a thing of the past and some individuals may be separated from family and loved ones. For those living alone, this can prove to be a lonely existence. It’s even more of a daunting task for older adults who rely on interaction with friends or family. …While the ACCA was remodeling its style of connecting with senior adults, Quinn Peragine, a rising fourth-year medical student at the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership, was brainstorming ideas of how to give back to those heavily affected during the pandemic.
WUGA
Athens News Matters: UGA School of Social Work to Launch Certificate in Substance Use Counseling
By Allison Salerno
This fall, the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work is launching what appears to be the state’s first certification program for substance use counseling. WUGA contributor Allison Salerno filed this report on the certification and the program’s fortuitous timing.
The Red & Black
USG memo details possible fall semester plans
Jacqueline GaNun | News Editor
The University System of Georgia is working on multiple possibilities for reopening in the fall. A 31-page USG memo details four possible plans for the fall: in-person classes with limited social distancing, in-person classes with social distancing, fully online learning and online learning for part of the semester. It’s likely that some social distancing provisions will happen in the fall. The memo, which The Red & Black obtained through an open records request, said universities should fully develop a plan for in-person classes with social distancing expectations, which is what the 26 USG institutions are currently planning for. “Any return to campus in fall 2020 will not be ‘normal’ even if significant social distancing expectations are not present,” the memo said.
Times-Georgian
Program helps UWG freshmen adjust to college
Special to the Times-Georgian
The transition to college can be challenging for first-year students. UWG’s First Year Academic Programs aim to help students with the adjustment. Each year, the University of West Georgia offers nearly 70 courses exclusively for its first-year students. Known as first-year seminars (FYS), these special courses are taught by some of UWG’s most passionate instructors. Many colleges and universities offer FYS courses, but UWG’s approach differs from most. “UWG’s FYS is unique to the University System of Georgia (USG),” said Dr. Ryan Bronkema, director of first-year academic programs. “It is not a ‘how-to-college’ course, but instead, it is a course built around intellectual curiosity and excitement for learning.”
Clayton News-Daily
Clayton State student-athletes continue academic success
From Staff Reports
For the second straight academic year, and fourth semester in a row, Clayton State student-athletes earned a 3.0 GPA department wide. The spring 2020 semester saw several new academic records set by the Lakers. As a department, Laker student-athletes earned a 3.122 GPA, the highest recorded in a single semester in program history. Twenty-two student-athletes earned a perfect 4.0 GPA in the spring, again setting a new program record. In addition, 92 student-athletes, roughly 68 percent of the entire athletics population, averaged a 3.0 or higher, which marks the largest number of student-athletes in one semester to reach a 3.0, up from 85 this past fall.
The Tifton Gazette
Scout Hogan from Douglasville has been selected as the top student in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Dr. Mark Kistler, dean of the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, said Hogan will receive the Award of Distinction. Hogan majors in the ABAC bachelor’s degree in Natural Resource Management with a concentration in Wildlife. She has compiled a 3.91 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Hogan made the prestigious President’s List and the Dean’s List. While competing as a member of the ABAC intercollegiate soccer team, Hogan also served as a tutor, was an active member and officer for the ABAC Wildlife Society and was a key figure when ABAC hosted the 2019 Southeastern Wildlife Conclave.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Colleges must shift focus, resources back on students
Get Schooled by Maureen Downey
Political scientist says homogenization and bureaucratization diminishes higher education
Douglas Young is a professor of political science at the University of North Georgia-Gainesville. In this guest column, Young says too many campuses have become obsessed with homogenization, bureaucratization, research, and money. The end result is that students are less of a priority and more of an afterthought, he says
By Douglas Young
What a blessing to teach college for more than 33 years. Educating folks on government and politics is my life’s work, and it has been such a joy teaching students at the University of North Georgia since 1999 where there are so many fine professors, staff, and administrators. But recent disturbing trends have harmed students across the country. Indeed, on too many campuses there is an obsession with homogenization, bureaucratization, research, and money.
Los Angeles Times
Camera tricks, actor barriers and no fruit platters: Georgia’s recommendations for film sets
By Anousha Sakoui Staff Writer
No more open calls for casting, clear barriers between actors and an end to self-service fruit platters. Those are among the recommendations to film crews that Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp released Friday in the first statewide COVID-19 health and safety guidance for the film industry there. The 11-page document was developed in cooperation with studio and production companies in Georgia and can be used alongside industry-wide labor and management protocols as they are developed, the state said in a statement Friday. Filmmakers and TV creators are closely watching what is happening in Georgia, which is one of the biggest hubs for production in the U.S. and one of the first to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic. It is home to some of Hollywood’s biggest film franchises, including Walt Disney’s Marvel movies, as well as popular TV shows such as Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” It gives an insight into how film sets will need to change for the future. “Every element of what has made Georgia such a unique place for film — landscapes, production facilities, a skilled and growing workforce, with a pipeline of new labor thanks to the Georgia Film Academy and our College and Career Academies — are still in place, just as they were before this global pandemic,” Kemp said in a statement.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tens of thousands of workers face job losses, pay cuts as state trims spending
By James Salzer
They teach philosophy and math, counsel college students, help run campuses, tend to the grounds of state facilities, enforce standards for police officers, keep farmers markets open, staff efforts to help addicts and the mentally ill, do farm work for agriculture research sites and investigate possible tax fraud. And they’re all in jobs that will be eliminated under budget cut plans submitted last week to meet the state’s goal of slashing budgets 14% because of the revenue decline brought on by the coronavirus recession. …In addition, tens of thousands of state employees who keep their jobs would see their salaries cut – in some cases dramatically. … The state provides all or part of the money to fund paychecks for between 200,000 and 300,000 teachers, university staffers and state workers in dozens of agencies — from agriculture and transportation to schools, courts, prisons and law enforcement. …While the spending cuts are a repeat for K-12 schools, the University System is taking a different approach this time. The system was heavily criticized for jacking up tuition and fees and adding staff during the Great Recession at a time when every other agency was scrimping and saving to get by. Looking back at it, current University System Chancellor Steve Wrigley – who at the time was an administrator at the University of Georgia – isn’t sure colleges took the right approach. “Neither of my parents went to college, and I worked my way through Georgia State by filling textile orders in a warehouse and later loading trucks on the midnight sort at UPS,” Wrigley said. “So I do understand the financial challenges students and families face and the Board (of Regents) and I are committed to keeping that in mind as we navigate the challenges ahead.
Albany Herald
General Assembly set to tackle coronavirus-depleted state budget
By Dave Williams and Beau Evans Capitol Beat News Service
Georgia lawmakers will get their first look next week at how deep state agencies must cut their budgets to comply with spending reductions the legislature’s leading budget writers ordered in the wake of the coronavirus. Revised Fiscal 2021 budget proposals the agencies submitted this week would freeze vacant positions, furlough workers, and scale back vital programs and services to achieve $3 billion to $4 billion in cuts to offset the impact of declining tax revenues resulting from the pandemic-driven lockdown of the state’s economy. Starting on Tuesday, Georgia Senate budget subcommittees will begin examining the spending cuts state agency heads have offered. The Senate gets first crack at the revised budget because the state House of Representatives passed a pre-coronavirus version of the budget in mid-March, shortly before the pandemic forced the 2020 legislative session to be temporarily suspended.
Other News:
USA Today
He was negative for the flu but positive he had COVID-19. How his case could help experts.
Jayme Fraser, USA Today Network
Mike McMahon vacationed with his family at Disney World in late January. Back in Boston a few days later, he started to feel lousy. He “couldn’t go from laying on the bed to sitting up without being out of breath,” he said. A flu test came back negative, but an urgent care doctor prescribed Tamiflu anyway. The next day, a different doctor prescribed antibiotics and an inhaler for pneumonia. A second flu test came back negative. It was unclear what had caused his lungs to fill with fluid. “None of it seemed to help,” McMahon said. “I never felt better.” At that point, the U.S. had confirmed only about a dozen coronavirus cases. It would be a month more before Massachusetts reported its first case. McMahon is among thousands of Americans who reported flu-like symptoms but who might’ve instead had COVID-19 — particularly in the early weeks of the pandemic when testing wasn’t yet widely available. …The data show more people than usual reported flu-like symptoms while positive flu tests declined. Meanwhile, pneumonia deaths continued to rise. Typically, all three metrics rise and fall together. That gap, health experts say, is probably COVID-19. Some researchers now hope to use that data to detect and respond to the next big coronavirus outbreak as early as possible.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Latest Atlanta coronavirus news: COVID-19 cases in Georgia pass 43K over Memorial Day weekend
The AJC is keeping track of reported coronavirus deaths and cases across Georgia, as reported by the Department of Public Health. Monday evening, there are at least 1,848 deaths from COVID-19 and 43,400 confirmed cases in the state.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
College Presidents Say Fall Reopening Likely
By Elizabeth Redden
More than half of college presidents (53 percent) said it was “very likely” their institutions would resume in-person classes this fall, and another 31 percent said it was “somewhat likely,” according to a survey of 310 presidents conducted by the American Council on Education. Presidents at public two-year colleges were less likely (38 percent) than presidents of four-year public (53 percent) and four-year private (58 percent) colleges to say it was “very likely” their colleges would resume in-person classes this fall. Of the 230 presidents in the survey whose institutions offer on-campus housing, 51 percent said it was “very likely” their campuses would resume in-person housing operations at some point in the fall semester, and 40 percent said it was “somewhat likely.”
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Does Anthony Fauci Think Colleges Should Reopen? We Asked Him.
By Nell Gluckman
In the past week, universities have begun releasing yet more details about how they plan to bring students, staff, and faculty members back to campus in the coming weeks and months. College presidents have started to roll out the outlines of those plans, with many insisting that their final decisions will be guided by science and advice from public-health professionals. On Friday The Chronicle spoke to one of America’s top public-health officials, Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, about some of the strategies universities have said they’ll employ. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Right now, university leaders are trying to figure out what to do in the fall. Some have said they’ll open, while some are still working out what they’re going to do. What do you think they should be considering at this point? I don’t think it’s going to be one size fits all. I think it’s going to depend on the location of where the particular university or place of higher education is, what the demography of the students is, where they’re coming from. All of these things have to be taken into account. …
Inside Higher Ed
A Bleak Picture for International Enrollment
Colleges prepare for big declines in new international student enrollments due to the coronavirus pandemic. But survey data show that about 90 percent of current students remain in the U.S.
By Elizabeth Redden
As colleges try to plan their fall operations and shape their classes, they face a big question that will largely be answered by forces outside their control: If they do resume in-person classes, will international students be able to join them? The global pandemic is causing widespread uncertainty: routine visa processing is suspended at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. International travel restrictions are in place in many countries. Commercial flight options are limited at best. College administrators say they have little choice but to plan for sizable declines in international students and the tuition revenue they bring. …A recent survey by the Institute of International Education found that 88 percent of colleges expect international enrollment to decrease in the coming year, and 70 percent anticipate that some international students will not be able to come to their campuses for in-person classes this fall. The chances current international students can return to their campuses look much better: colleges reported that 92 percent of their current international students remain in the U.S.
Inside Higher Ed
During an economic recession, people often doubt the value of higher education. A new working paper quantifies the economic value of a four-year degree in the state of Georgia.
By Emma Whitford
A new National Bureau of Economic Research working paper quantifies what many experts have been saying for years: on average, access to public, four-year higher education opportunities greatly improves economic outcomes for students. In the paper, titled “The Economic Impact of Access to Public Four-Year Colleges,” researchers found that enrollment at a public, four-year college in Georgia improved students’ income at age 30 by 20 percent. “Under reasonable assumptions, the marginal student’s enrollment in public four-year university is a break-even proposition 10 years after initial enrollment and has a net present value of nearly $100,000 after 20 years and over $150,000 after 30 years,” the paper said. Researchers compared students in Georgia whose SAT scores hovered above and below the cutoff for admission to one of the state’s four-year public institutions.
Inside Higher Ed
Trump Eyes Restrictions on Foreign Student Work Program
By Elizabeth Redden
The Trump administration is expected to put in place temporary restrictions on a program that allows international students to stay in the U.S. to work for up to three years after graduating while staying on their student visas, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. Administration officials have not yet settled on how to limit the optional practical training program, known as OPT. Proposals include a yearlong suspension with limited exceptions, such as for graduates looking to work in the medical field, or a narrower suspension affecting specific industries.
Inside Higher Ed
NCAA Allows Voluntary Athletics Activities to Begin June 1
By Paul Fain
The National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Division I Council has voted to allow student athletes in all sports to participate in voluntary athletics activities beginning June 1. The NCAA on May 20 had said Division I football and basketball student athletes could begin participating in on-campus voluntary athletics activities next month. “Additionally, countable required athletics activities will be prohibited through June 30 for all basketball and football student-athletes,” the NCAA said in a written statement. “Schools will, however, be permitted to provide football student-athletes with funds equal to what they would receive to cover meals, lodging and expenses (other than tuition/fees and books) through a summer athletics scholarship.”