University System News:
Insider Advantage
Senate committee hears from state’s higher education leaders as budget work continues
by Cindy Morley
Dr. Steve Wrigley, Chancellor of the University System of Georgia, told state lawmakers Monday that while the state’s colleges and universities anticipate taking a big hit financially because of the COVID-19 outbreak, they will not raise tuition in the upcoming Fall. “We will definitely feel a huge impact because of COVID-19 and proposed budget cuts,” Wrigley told members of the Senate Appropriations Higher Education Subcommittee Monday. “But we have made the decision not to raise tuition. That’s just the right thing for us to do right now. We also refunded a couple of hundred million to students for housing and dining, and we also felt that was the right thing to do.” According to Wrigley, the University System of Georgia is expecting a loss of $350 million in revenues. USG received about $157 million in federal funds as part of the CARES Act to help offset the $350 million loss, leaving a gap of about $180 million to $200 million. A 14 percent in the budget would amount to about $361 million.
Alton Telegraph
Georgia budget gap passes $850 million as revenues again lag
Jeff Amy, Associated Press
With a month left in the current budget year, Georgia’s shortfall widened to more than $850 million in May. Figures released Monday showed less of a decrease for May collections than in April, when revenues fell by more than $1 billion because the income tax deadline was postponed to July. But revenue still fell sharply, showing a state economy where people and companies are earning less. People bought less stuff in May than a year ago, including less gasoline and fewer cars, and stayed in fewer hotel rooms. Overall revenue collections were down 10% for the month. The biggest single source of state revenue, sales tax, was down 13%. …Lawmakers return Monday with their main focus on crafting spending plans by June 30. Senators continued budget hearings Monday, with University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley saying that plans to cut more than 2,000 current workers and vacant positions were designed to be strategic, protecting students and in-demand programs “I’m confident we can manage through it, but I don’t want to pretend the cuts won’t be difficult to manage,” Wrigley told a subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Strategies for Success Teaching
Pandemic creates university administrative challenges
What a time in higher education due to COVID-19. The spring semester with the dramatic shift to online classes has ended and virtual graduation ceremonies held. But what plans are being considered for the start of the school year next fall? I asked Dr. David Bulla, professor and chair of the Department of Communications at Augusta University, to share his outlook from an administrator’s perspective. Bulla, a Civil War historian, taught at Iowa State University and Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates prior to joining the faculty at Augusta University.
by David W. Bulla
The first challenge is the novel coronavirus itself.
Once we return to face-to-face classes, how do we discourage students who exhibit virus symptoms not to attend class? How do we notify the classmates of students who have tested positive? We’re working on that policy right now.
WFXG
Georgia Cyber Center gaining momentum from teaming agreements
By Jacob Peklo
You’ve heard the word collaboration used a lot surrounding the Georgia Cyber Center. Teams and partnerships are the key to growing its reach across the nation, and even across the globe. “It’s very complementary, it’s very collaborative,” said Rob Dennis, the executive director of corporate relations for Augusta University. “If I say coordinated, it could be contrived in some respect, but really it is coordinated in how we work with one another.” Dennis has worked with Augusta University across many of its campuses for years. But now, his time is mostly spent building teams up at the Georgia Cyber Center. “With the tenant mix we have in the building right now, we become a very attractive partner to work with as they work to make proposals and meet the requirements of those proposals,” said Dennis. Teaming up with companies across the nation and globe for training and project execution has opened up even more opportunities. “This instance has provided an opportunity to show just how seamlessly the university system and the technical college system of Georgia can work together to benefit industry,” said Dennis.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Spivey Hall reimagines anniversary season amid pandemic
By Jon Ross
When Sam Dixon, executive and artistic director of Spivey Hall, announced the organization’s 30th anniversary season in early March, he had no way of knowing that, by the end of the week, the performing arts center would be shuttered indefinitely. Season 29 effectively ended March 15 due to closures brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, eliminating a host of spring performances at the 400-seat recital hall on the campus of Clayton State University. Dixon has released a new strategy for the venue’s 30th birthday season, which was to begin in September with classical pianist Kenny Broberg. For the coming season, Dixon will produce concerts a la carte, with a heavy reliance on video, reconceptualizing the season lineup with public health constraints. …Developing the path forward for Spivey Hall’s 30th season involved numerous Microsoft Teams meetings among Dixon’s staff, Zoom consultations with the leaders of other performing arts organizations in the University System of Georgia, and a close look at Spivey Hall audiences.
Albany Herald
UGA Extension to present gardening workshop for educators
By Josh Paine
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension will offer a free, online school garden symposium for educators starting at 10 a.m. on June 16. Four one-hour presentations will be presented on the following topics: Fruit in the school garden; Seed saving; Vermiculture; Using the Great Georgia Pollinator Census with school gardens. Participating teachers will learn four presentation-related activities that they can take back to the classroom with them, according to Griffin, who is organizing the workshop. There will be time during the webinar for questions and networking.
Other News:
WSB-TV
State health director warns Georgians not to let down their guard over COVID-19
By: Dave Huddleston
The latest numbers from the Georgia Department of Public Health show 52,497 people have contracted COVID-19 across the state, and the state’s health commissioner is warning people not to let down their guard over the virus. Dr. Kathleen Toomey said just because the state is opening back up does not mean the coronavirus isn’t still out there. “We’ve flatten the curve, but that doesn’t mean the virus went away,” Toomey told Channel 2’s Dave Huddleston. Toomey said even though the numbers are lower, thousands can still get sick, and hundreds can still die from COVID-19. “The virus is still in our communities. We’re still having community transmission and really need to protect ourselves and others,” she said.
Georgia Health News
National scorecard shows state improving on COVID-19 fight
Data on COVID-19 can be confusing, sometimes even conflicting, and state reports of cases in Georgia have created an unusual level of controversy. Nevertheless, a national scorecard on COVID trends shows that Georgia is making progress on combating the virus. The “How We Reopen Safely’’ chart from COVID Exit Strategy, using data from the CDC and the COVID Tracking Project, puts Georgia in the “making progress’’ category as of Monday. The report shows 18 states classified as “trending poorly,’’ a category that Georgia was in late last week. …The Peach State is now meeting 66 percent of its testing target, the website reports. Its number of daily confirmed COVID-19 cases, as reported by the Georgia Department of Public Health, is trending downward.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
UPDATED June 8, 3pm: The Department of Public Health’s coronavirus page now updates once a day at 3 p.m.
DEATHS: 2,208 | Deaths confirmed in 138 counties. For 2 deaths, the county is unknown, and for 32 deaths, the residence was determined to be out-of-state. CONFIRMED CASES: 52,497 | A case’s county is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated. Cases have been confirmed in every county. For 1,322 cases, the county is unknown. For 2,502 cases, the residence was determined to be out-of-state.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Faculty Interventions Can Help Student Success
By Madeline St. Amour
A new research paper shows that feedback and interventions from professors can have positive impacts on student success. The paper, “My Professor Cares: Experimental Evidence on the Role of Faculty Engagement,” was published this month in the National Bureau of Economic Research. It was authored by Scott E. Carrell, a professor of economics at the University of California, Davis, and Michal Kurlaender, a professor in the School of Education at UC Davis. The researchers conducted several experiments, starting with a small pilot on an introductory microeconomics course, according to the brief. The premise was then scaled up to more than 43 classes and 4,000 students at a university. In the experiments, faculty sent “strategically timed” emails to students that included information about how to succeed in the class, the student’s current standing and a reminder of when the professor was available.
Inside Higher Ed
College administrators continue to lay plans for the fall. Hybrid models, longer days and shortened semesters are among the popular planning options.
By Lilah Burke
With unrest and protests against police brutality now having spread to most major American cities, what was once the big story in higher education — the coming fall term and its implications — has faded to the background. But in that background, things continue to move. And colleges and universities continue to lay plans and make announcements about their coming terms. Changing the academic calendar has been a popular option for administrators who are hoping to reopen campuses. Many institutions, including Michigan State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and Miami University of Ohio have followed the trend set by others, such as the University of Notre Dame, for a fall semester that either ends or goes online by Thanksgiving. Sending students home early can help avoid the second wave of coronavirus cases predicted by some experts, administrators said. Most of these universities also have chosen to forgo a fall break, typically held in October, this coming school year.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
After Years of Delays, Colleges Are Quickly Acting on Protesters’ Demands
By Katherine Mangan
For years, protesters have pleaded with the University of Kentucky to remove a fresco that depicts slaves working in a tobacco field. The colorful artwork, displayed in a prominent university hall, sanitizes the brutal treatment slaves endured and reminds students of their ancestors’ painful past, critics have said. On Friday the university’s president, Eli Capilouto, said it’s coming down. The reason? All of the committees, plans and conversations about the controversial mural haven’t worked, he wrote. And those failed efforts “have been a roadblock to reconciliation, rather than a path toward healing.” …Over the past few weeks, some campus leaders have agreed to cut ties with the local police while others have rescinded admissions offers over racist social-media posts. The swift responses stand in stark contrast to the decades of delays and foot-dragging that have dogged previous protests over symbols and actions seen as racist.