University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
2 Georgia schools land on list of top 50 colleges and universities in 2020
By Courtney Kueppers
On the list from education research firm Quacquarelli Symonds, Emory University and Georgia Tech ranked in the top 50
Two Georgia universities got a nod on a first-of-its kind list of the top 50 colleges and universities in the United States. The list was published by education research firm Quacquarelli Symonds, which annually publishes a list of the best universities worldwide, but this is the first time the company broke out the schools in the United States. In its comparison of schools from sea to shining sea, QS included Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology in the top 50. …After crunching the data, QS ranked Emory at No. 27 on the list and Georgia Tech at No. 32. …Meanwhile, Tech scored 60.4 with its highest marks in research opportunities.
MSN
Augusta University Graduates watched their commencement ceremony online
Tradesha Woodard
It’s not the day the class of 2020 envisioned. Graduates from Augusta University watched their commencement ceremony online today…Augusta University held a virtual ceremony for their 2020 graduates. Many of them say it’s not the graduation they were expecting, but they say their hard work didn’t go unseen. “Even though it wasn’t what we imagined, it was everything that we worked for so it’s special in that regard,” said Smeragliulo. President Brooks Keel says while a virtual ceremony won’t be the same as an in-person ceremony, it allows them to recognize and celebrate students hard work. Some students say that’s what this ceremony was all about.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA, Georgia Tech move forward on employee return to campus
By Eric Stirgus
The University of Georgia and Georgia Tech are moving forward with phased plans to return employees back to their campuses, in some cases as soon as next week. …UGA and Georgia Tech have the two largest work forces of any public colleges or universities in the state, with more than 18,000 employees, according to state data. UGA is first with about 11,000 employees. Georgia Tech wrote in a 30-page plan it submitted to the University System of Georgia that all of its police officers would return to their normal 8-hour shifts by Sunday. The plan calls for various percentages of employees in different departments returning to work at different times throughout June, July and August. …UGA’s plan, announced in a letter Thursday, calls for a phased return for many employees, starting June 15. Vice presidents, deans and department heads will determine when workers can return to campus. UGA’s plan would also follow state and federal health guidelines.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia State reopening for athletes on June 1
From Staff Reports
The Georgia State Department of Athletics announced Friday, in accordance with the University System of Georgia, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s office and public health officials, its plan to start reopening on Monday, June 1. A maximum of 64 football players will be allowed to voluntarily return to campus on Monday. The safety of student-athletes and staff will remain the No. 1 priority and policies will include:
WALB
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) President David Bridges and staff are making plans for students to return to the familiar campus setting when Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College opens the fall semester Aug. 12. But officials say that students should not expect business as usual. “Our institutional priority is to return to face-to-face instruction, but it will be far from a return to normal,” said Bridges, the longest-serving president among the 26 colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia (USG). “We are taking extensive measures for the safety of our students and our employees in the classrooms, the offices, the residence halls, and the dining hall. Right now, we are going through an extraordinary planning process,” Bridges said.
The Bell Ringer
AU town hall scheduled for June 2 to discuss fall return and budget
Jenna Ingalls |
Staff writer
Augusta University’s President Brooks Keel is hosting another virtual town hall meeting on June 2 at 2 p.m. to address the action plan and budget submitted May 25 and the university’s strategy for returning to campus in the fall. In an email from May 29, Keel’s office said the town hall meeting would “provide updates on potential budget cuts, plans to come back to campus and plans for fall semester.” In a town hall meeting held on April 30, Dr. Keel and Provost Gretchen Caughman discussed some of the budget plans for the fall. The Atlanta Journal Constitution earlier this week released the proposed budget plans University System of Georgia schools, including Augusta University.
WGXA
Middle Georgia colleges could see millions of dollars in cuts to state funding
by Erin Wise
As the state of Georgia proposes a 14 percent budget cut across the board, Middle Georgia colleges could be feeling the effects of millions of dollars of cut funding from the state. …According to the proposed FY 2021 state budget, other colleges in the Middle Georgia regions could see even greater cuts from state funding:
Fort Valley State University is set to see a reduction of $3.4 million in state funding with 18 positions either eliminated or held vacant.
Middle Georgia State University could see a loss of over $5.1 million with 32 positions either eliminated or held vacant.
Georgia College and State University could see a reduction in state funding over $5.7 million with 21 positions either eliminated or held vacant.
Gordon State College is set to see a loss of over $1.9 million in state funding with the possibility of 26 positions eliminated or held vacant.
Forbes
Foreign Student Enrollment At U.S. Universities May Plummet This Fall
Preston Cooper, Contributor –
I am a Visiting Fellow at the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity, where I study the economics of higher education.
The Trump administration is preparing to restrict a program that allows international students at U.S. universities to work in the country after they graduate, according to press reports. The move is sure to discourage foreign students from enrolling at American colleges. It comes on the heels of the COVID-19 pandemic, which was already projected to reduce international student enrollment by up to 25%. While the administration’s initiative is aimed at helping domestic college students by protecting them from foreign competition, reducing international student enrollment may end up hurting American students instead. With hundreds of globally-ranked research universities, the United States is a top destination for foreign students looking for a college education. American universities are usually happy to welcome them, since they fork over tuition well in excess of what domestic students pay. A collapse in international student enrollment may be devastating for the finances of some universities.
News Wise
Charles Parrott, associate professor in the Department of Theater & Performance Studies at Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, GA, has been selected as a 2020 Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR)–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awardee. The award consists of a plaque and $1,000 for the recipient’s work with undergraduate researchers. …The CUR–Arts and Humanities Faculty Mentor Awards were established in 2018 through an endowment by 2012 CUR Fellow Joyce Kinkead (Utah State University) to nurture undergraduate research, scholarship, and creative inquiry in arts and humanities disciplines. …The Council on Undergraduate Research supports faculty development for high-quality undergraduate student-faculty collaborative research and scholarship.
Albany Herald
A strange, difficult time to study medicine
By Andi Clements For Georgia Health News
Ally Freeman, who’s pursuing her doctorate in physical therapy at Georgia Southern University in Savannah, used to spend about nine hours a week getting hands-on experience in a classroom or a lab. That was before the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted daily life around the globe as governments and private businesses try to contain the spread of the virus. Freeman and other students working on degrees in the medical field now find themselves in a predicament they could not have anticipated. With restrictions on human interaction, they can’t do some of the things they would normally be doing to gain proficiency.
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA College of Education alumni producing face shields for health care workers
By Kathryn Kao
It’s been just over a month since the Sugiuchi household started using their 3D printers to create free face shields for medical workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, Chris and Deirdre Sugiuchi, alumni of the University of Georgia Mary Frances Early College of Education, have created over 1,800 face shields for dozens of hospitals, clinics, health centers and organizations in Georgia, including the police department in Watkinsville. “We had no idea we would still be making face shields at this point,” said Deirdre, who received her master’s degree in instructional technology and her specialist degree in English education. “Just the other day, we got an email from a surgery center in Athens. They had ordered face shields commercially, but they didn’t come in. So, that’s the type of thing that health care professionals are having to deal with.”
Times-Georgian
UWG alumna, medical historian chronicles pandemics for CDC
By Julie Lineback
In the early days of the pandemic — when it became apparent that Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) was going to be a large-scale global public health issue — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) David J. Sencer Museum began to collect items so they wouldn’t be lost to future researchers.
Powering Engineering International
Engineers highlight COVID-19 utility challenges
The COVID-19 pandemic shows how “more than ever, the reliable, resilient and cost-effective delivery of electrical energy is critical for our society”.
That’s according to Frank Lambert, president of the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers and principal research engineer at Georgia Tech’s Center for Distributed Energy. Lambert was speaking following the publication by the IEEE of a free new white paper titled ‘Sharing Knowledge on Electrical Energy Industry’s First Response to COVID-19‘, which is designed to share insights to assist utilities and operators meet the challenges posed by the pandemic. “The team’s quick action to share knowledge on the industry’s first response is helping to ensure the reliable and safe distribution of electricity to communities worldwide,” Lambert added.
Morning AgClips
UGA Extension helps Georgia Grown connect to consumers
Held at Coolray Field, event was third in series of events being held around metro Atlanta
Like the moments before a race begins, dozens of staff with Georgia Grown and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension prepared to load thousands of pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables into hundreds of waiting cars and trucks stretched out in long lines at the Gwinnett Georgia Grown to Go event in Lawrenceville, Georgia, on May 27, even before the 3 p.m. start time. Held at Coolray Field, the event was the third in a series of events being held around metro Atlanta to give consumers a chance to purchase produce straight from the farm — and to give farmers the opportunity to sell crops that have seen the marketplace narrow due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Georgia should dump one-size-fits-all assessment of teacher candidates
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Professor says Educators’ Teacher Performance Assessment hasn’t proven valuable or effective
If standardization is not good for students, is it any better for teachers? Eric Wearne takes that up today in a guest column where he urges an end to a mandated performance assessment for teacher candidates that he deems ineffective and without any evidentiary justification. Wearne is an associate professor with the Education Economics Center at Kennesaw State University. He spent seven years as an assistant and associate professor of education in the teacher preparation program at Georgia Gwinnett College, as well as several years as a state-level official at the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement.
Other News:
The Augusta Chronicle
Analysis: Cases of COVID-19 and deaths doubled as Georgia reopened and testing took off
By Tom Corwin
Since Georgia began lifting restrictions six weeks ago, the number of cases of COVID-19 and deaths have doubled as testing has nearly quadrupled. But even if there is a second surge, the health system will be better prepared and equipped to face it. The number of cases and deaths from COVID-19 in Georgia have doubled since the state began loosening restrictions six weeks ago and testing quadrupled, according to an analysis by The Augusta Chronicle. But hospitalizations and particularly the number of patients in intensive care have declined, and the rate at which tests turn up positive cases has dropped dramatically, Augusta physicians said. There is still a need to maintain smart social distancing practices to keep the trend going, but if there is a surge, health systems are much better equipped to face it now, physicians said. From April 24, when some Georgia businesses were allowed to reopen, through Friday, the number of COVID-19 cases increased from 22,491 to more than 45,000, an increase of just over 100%, according to a Chronicle analysis of data from the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A look at major coronavirus developments during the past week
By Helena Oliviero
Gov. Brian Kemp continued to lift restrictions that were aimed at containing the coronavirus, signing an executive order that clears the way for larger gatherings and allows bars and nightclubs in Georgia to reopen if they follow guidelines. Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence returned to Atlanta on Friday to highlight the state’s reopening strategy, marking his second visit to Georgia in a week. And state figures showed an increase in week-to-week cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. Here is a look at major coronavirus developments during the past week. Bars, clubs allowed to reopen Kemp’s executive order permits gatherings of more than 25 people starting Monday as long as the groups of people and establishments adhere to social distancing and sanitation guidelines.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Latest Atlanta coronavirus news: Bars, clubs allowed to reopen today
OVERNIGHT
The AJC is keeping track of coronavirus deaths and cases across Georgia, as reported by the Department of Public Health. This evening, there are at least 2,053 deaths and 47,063 confirmed cases as of Sunday evening.
Higher Education News:
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Survey: More Than Half of Universities Plan to Reopen in the Fall
by Jessica Ruf
More than half of university presidents are “very likely” to allow in-person classes for at least some period of time this fall, says a recently released American Council on Education (ACE) survey. The survey, which polled 310 college presidents and closed May 11, also revealed that more than half of leaders at residential universities say they are “very likely” to reopen campus housing for at least some portion of the fall term. With much uncertainty continuing to cloud the future of the higher education landscape because of the COVID-19 pandemic, ACE last month began a year-long “Pulse Point” survey series to compile a month-by-month record of how higher education leaders’ thought processes are evolving alongside the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges Woo Students With Bargain Tuition Rates
This spring many colleges announced tuition deals for students in response to the pandemic, and they’re seeing it pay off with growing application numbers.
By Emma Whitford
The pandemic has caused many students to hit pause on their education while colleges work to determine whether they can reopen for in-person instruction this fall. Uncertain enrollments and potentially high summer melt have driven colleges to announce a variety of tuition discounts and scholarship programs to entice prospective students and to keep those already enrolled. Whether the programs will pay off is still to be determined.
Inside Higher Ed
Some social science departments are suspending or limiting graduate cohorts to free up money and faculty attention for students affected by the pandemic. But some question the decision, pointing to need for more social scientists in a public health crisis, not fewer.
By Colleen Flaherty
Graduate programs are struggling to support students whose lives and research have been upended by COVID-19. Many students now need more time — and funding — to finish their dissertations or rethink them entirely. One solution? Suspending or reducing Ph.D. program admissions for fall 2021, to conserve resources for current cohorts. Suzanne Ortega, president of the Council of Graduate Schools, said that between the effects of COVID-19 on university budgets and continued uncertainty about the future, “it’s very difficult to predict what graduate school admissions and enrollment will look like for 2021.” Some universities are giving individual programs flexibility as to the size of their cohorts, however, she said.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why the Fall Will Be a Liability Minefield
Colleges face lawsuits at every turn, and waivers won’t protect them
By Alexander C. Kafka
With students, faculty, and staff returning to many campuses, this fall will be a Covid-19 liability minefield even under the best of circumstances. Look what colleges are up against. Start with the mind-boggling public-health logistics of educational and residential life, and possibly of some athletics and other extracurriculars. Add the ebb and flow of off-campus students, visitors, and dining and retail personnel. Bring into the decision-making and approval loops administrators, the faculty, trustees, and layers of unions. Pressure-cook your plans in a matter of months with incomplete and evolving public-health recommendations. Then get the word out effectively before everyone arrives on campus. College leaders may think they can eliminate liability with the stroke of a pen: Just have people sign waivers. That’s a seductive fantasy. No waiver can resolve all those headaches, according to a dozen lawyers who work with colleges.
Politico
States — Not Universities — Should Decide When Campuses Reopen
Universities will gain financially from reopening, but it’s the surrounding community that will bear the costs of an outbreak on campus.
By ROBERT HECHT and SHAN SOE-LIN
Universities across the U.S., especially residential institutions of higher education, are under tremendous financial strain plus pressure from students, parents and alumni to open in-person this fall. For university officials, the costs of not re-opening are enormous: Many colleges may not survive without revenue from dormitory living and tuition if they opt for pure on-line teaching. So far, most campuses appear to be leaning toward reopening. Over 65 percent of the 600 institutions tracked by the Chronicle of Higher Education report that they “plan to reopen in-person.” While some public universities, like the giant California State University system, have announced that they will conduct classes online in the fall, many others, including elite institutions such as Harvard, MIT, Yale, and Stanford, are still weighing their options.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
As George Floyd Protests Rock Cities, Students and Presidents Condemn Systemic Racism
By Andy Thomason
The nationwide anguish over the death of George Floyd — who was shown on video last week struggling to breathe as a Minneapolis police officer pinned his neck to the ground for nearly nine minutes — rocked American cities over the weekend. Amid peaceful protests, sometimes violent responses by the police, and some looting, higher-education leaders sought to assure their communities that they, too, were bearing witness to the historic events.
Inside Higher Ed
College Leaders Respond to Death of George Floyd
By Lilah Burke
College presidents and officials responded this weekend to nationwide protests and unrest after a white Minneapolis police officer allegedly murdered George Floyd, a black man, using a choke hold while Floyd was facedown and handcuffed. Four officers at the event have been fired and one, who was recorded kneeling on Floyd’s neck until and after he became unresponsive, has been charged with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. P. Barry Butler, president of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, said he condemned the killing of Floyd and implored the community to seek out opportunities for kindness.
Albany Herald
NCAA releases campus-return guidelines
Field Level Media
A week after the NCAA voted to lift a moratorium on athletic activities and allow for teams to open facilities as early as this coming Monday, the organization on Friday released its guidelines for helping schools allow athletes back on campus during a pandemic. The guidelines — officially called the Resocialization of Collegiate Sport: Action Plan Considerations — include social distancing, disinfecting commonly used areas and surfaces, staying home when feeling sick, and self-quarantining before returning to campus, along with other recommendations consistent with public health guidelines. Numerous schools have been working on plans to allow student-athletes to return to campus facilities, such as testing and taking the temperature of athletes, coaches and staff, social distancing and cleaning and disinfecting facilities.
Inside Higher Ed
Higher Ed Groups Ask Congress for Billions
By Lilah Burke
Eighty-four higher education organizations signed and sent a letter Friday to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer reiterating a request for an additional $46.6 billion for institutions and their students to help recover from the coronavirus pandemic. A first letter, signed by 40 organizations, that detailed the request was sent April 9. Institutions were given roughly $14 billion from Congress by the CARES Act, passed in March, with roughly $6 billion required to be given directly to students in need.
Inside Higher Ed
Borrower-Defense Rule Saved by Trump Veto but Still Faces Fight in Court
By Kery Murakami
U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’s controversial borrower-defense rule cleared one hurdle with President Trump’s veto Friday evening of a congressional resolution that would have undone it. But the rule, which would make it harder for borrowers to have their student debt forgiven if they were defrauded by their colleges, still faces a legal challenge before it is due to go into effect July 1. Still ongoing is a suit challenging the law in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, brought in February by the Project on Predatory Student Lending and Public Citizen Litigation Group on behalf of the New York Legal Assistance Group. “The rule is terrible. It is bad policy and it is legally indefensible, and students are going to defeat it in court,” Eileen Connor, the Project on Predatory Lending’s legal director, said in a statement Sunday. As for the political obstacle, advocates acknowledged an override is not expected, even though 10 Republican senators and six members of the House joined Democrats in passing the resolution opposing the rule.
Inside Higher Ed
Trump Proclamation Bars Entry of Certain Chinese Students
By Elizabeth Redden
President Trump issued a proclamation Friday barring entry of Chinese graduate students and researchers affiliated with universities connected to the Chinese military. The proclamation, which does not affect Chinese undergraduate students, bars entry for any Chinese national applying for F or J visas to study or conduct research in the U.S. “who either receives funding from or who currently is employed by, studies at, or conducts research at or on behalf of, or has been employed by, studied at, or conducted research at or on behalf of, an entity in the PRC [People’s Republic of China] that implements or supports the PRC’s ‘military-civil fusion strategy.’” The proclamation defines this strategy as “actions by or at the behest of the PRC to acquire and divert foreign technologies, specifically critical and emerging technologies, to incorporate into and advance the PRC’s military capabilities.”