University System News:
Education Dive
Access to public universities linked to higher earnings, degree completion
Natalie Schwartz
Dive Brief:
Students who enroll in public universities have higher household incomes by around age 30 than do those who were largely unable to access these institutions, according to a new working paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which examined trends in Georgia. The researchers compared students who barely met the standardized test score threshold for attendance at one of 17 public, four-year institutions in the University System of Georgia they studied, to students who narrowly missed it. The former group was much more likely to attend a Georgia public university and complete a bachelor’s degree, they found. The paper adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that the benefits of attending a public university outweigh the costs of attendance.
University Business
History in real-time: How colleges are chronicling coronavirus
‘Nothing is too mundane to share,’ university librarian says
By: Matt Zalaznick
A lack of archival documentation of the 1918 flu pandemic at the University of North Georgia motivated campus librarians to ensure the community’s coronavirus experiences were preserved for future generations. The university’s Special Collections & Archives staff last week launched the “Documenting COVID-19 in Northeast Georgia” project to collect stories, images, videos and voice recordings that document the coronavirus’ impacts on life in the community. “So much of our world and daily life changed almost overnight,” says Allison Galloup, the special collection and digital initiatives librarian. “We want to know how our friends and neighbors responded to these monumental changes.” The library is asking faculty, staff, alumni and Northeast Georgia residents to submit “slice-of-life” stories, such as window visits with elderly family members, Zoom meetings and socially distant birthday celebrations.
Semiconductor Digest
Why Restarting the Global Economy Won’t be Easy
Shannon Davis
As the world contemplates ending a massive lockdown implemented in response to COVID-19, Vinod Singhal is considering what will happen when we hit the play button and the engines that drive industry and trade squeal back to life again. Singhal, who studies operations strategy and supply chain management at the Georgia Institute of Technology, has a few ideas on how to ease the transition to the new reality. But this pandemic makes it hard to predict what that reality will be.
Athens CEO
Researchers Study Teleworking Effects during COVID-19
Tyler Wilkins
The COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing protocols resulted in many workers conducting business from home, altering the environments in which they work at a moment’s notice and allowing organizations to continue their operations. What are the effects of this rapid transition to working remotely? That’s what researchers at the University of Georgia and the University of South Florida are trying to figure out. There is not a lot of translational research on the topic, according to Kristen Shockley, associate professor of psychology in UGA’s Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. She and her collaborators plan to develop a best-practices guide based on their research that will help organizations when employees transition to working from home. “There were so many people who, all of a sudden, had to transition to remote work,” said Shockley, director of the Integrating Work into Life Lab. “Working remotely is going to extend beyond just COVID-19. People worked remotely before, and people will work remotely after, so we’re hoping [our study] has broad applicability moving forward.”
The Augusta Chronicle
Saliva testing for COVID-19 could be a better and easier alternative
By Tom Corwin
Saliva testing at Medical College of Georgia for the virus that causes COVID-19 is still being evaluated for real-world conditions but offers a number of potential advantages over swab collection. As Dr. Ravindra Kolhe brings out rack after rack of sealed plastic tubes inside a cooler at Medical College of Georgia, it is apparent that some are brownish or even pinkish, which is part of the problem he is trying to solve. Kolhe, director of the Georgia Esoteric and Molecular Laboratory at MCG at Augusta University, is trying to create criteria for collecting those saliva samples that will be approved by the Food and Drug Administration and potentially offer a better alternative for testing for the virus that causes COVID-19.
Metro Atlanta CEO
Clayton State University Named a Top Campus for Instruction during COVID-19
Clayton State University has been named one of the best campuses in nation to offer affordable online and in-class instruction, especially as the COVID-19 situation continues. The university has been listed as a Tier 1 school for its ability to navigate the health crisis and offer a valuable education, according to education research firm Education To Career. With more than 3,500 students, Clayton State was recognized for excelling at traditional and online learning thanks to the following criteria:
WRDW
Respiratory therapists help virus patients catch their breaths again
By Brady Trapnell
As reopening continues across the area, patients are still battling inside AU’s COVID-19 unit. And a team of respiratory therapists is with them as close to the frontlines as you can get. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness and these therapists at Augusta University Health are working right in the airway. “The respiratory therapists were nervous. They didn’t know what to expect,” Jennifer Anderson, director of respiratory care at AU said. Anderson’s team is treating the virus where it causes the most damage, probably as up close and personal as you can get.
Georgia Health News
Georgia’s COVID-19 reporting needs a major reboot
COMMENTARY
By Aaron D. Levine
The national media have latched on to a recent Georgia Department of Public Health (GaDPH) chart that plotted dates in a confusing and potentially misleading order to mock the state and suggest it is cooking the books. Whether political considerations are interfering with public health reporting is an open question. What is clear, however, is that this poorly designed chart is illustrative of a larger problem. The combination of obvious mistakes and questionable reporting decisions has called the state’s credibility into question and jeopardized trust in its COVID-19 data and the policies that rely on these data. As a result, Georgia desperately needs a COVID-19 reporting reboot. Mistakes range from an unreadable chart that plotted COVID-19 cases on a scale that went back to 1970 to a chart that listed “FEMALE” and “Female” COVID-19 patients separately. At times, the errors have been more serious, with the number of total cases or total deaths increasing and then later decreasing. Beyond these clear mistakes, the judgment demonstrated in designing the state’s reporting is worrisome as well.
(Aaron D. Levine is an associate professor in the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, where he conducts research and teaches on a range of issues related to bioethics and science policy.)
Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern planning for in-person classes in the fall, student-athletes back in June
By McClain Baxley
Georgia Southern has adjusted its fiscal year 2021 budget and made contingency plans for returning to on-campus classes for the fall 2020 semester, Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero said in an interview with the Savannah Morning News on Wednesday, May 27. “We are going to be open and the stage of our openness will depend on the progress and where we are with COVID-19,” Marrero said. “But we’ll put in all safety protocols.” GS has been conducting online classes since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, and all of its summer classes are fully online. While not an ideal situation, Marrero praised the university’s faculty, staff and students for adapting to the change. In addition to the positive outlook on having students return for in-person classes in August, Marrero said that he hopes GS will follow suit with the NCAA allowing voluntary workouts for student-athletes beginning June 8.
Savannah Morning News
By McClain Baxley
Bob DeBesse has made several trips to Texas to be with his family the past few months. From his mother passing away to seeing his 9-month-old grandson, the offensive coordinator is grateful for this bonding time with his family that otherwise would have been spent on the recruiting trail. Through this pandemic and uncertainty, DeBesse and the rest of the Georgia Southern football staff spend their days talking with recruits, holding team meetings on Zoom and finding time to unwind with family. “There will be a lot to look back on,” DeBesse said during a videoconference call with media on Tuesday, May 26. “During this particular time, we all will have our cherished stories.” The conversations between the coaching staff and players are going on as if the season will be kicking off Sept. 5 at Boise State. The NCAA said schools can allow student-athletes to return to campus June 8, but as of Tuesday, GS has not approved a date for players to return.
The Augusta Chronicle
‘It’s got to take a lifestyle change.’ UGA works on approach for athletes return to campus
By Marc Weiszer
The University of Georgia is taking a methodical approach when it comes to its athletes returning to campus next month. Only football players will be in the first wave back even though the SEC gave the go-ahead last week for all of its athletes to begin voluntary workouts starting on June 8. “We’re focused on one sport and one facility,” athletic director Greg McGarity said. “Our efforts are all focused on that because we all realize that we have one chance to get it right. If we don’t get it right then every other sport is at risk. It’s imperative we get football right.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Five ways to get low-income students back to college during COVID-19
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Bleak economy could force poorer students to give up on college
The economic free fall triggered by the coronavirus pandemic could destroy the college dreams of America’s low-income students, who have fewer resources to insulate them. In a guest column, two higher education experts discuss lower-income students and their potential return to higher education. They urge campuses to consider policies and practices to make things easier for those students. Matthew J. Mayhew is the William Ray and Marie Adamson Flesher professor of educational administration at Ohio State University. Gregory C. Wolniak is associate professor of higher education at the University of Georgia. By Matthew J. Mayhew and Gregory C. Wolniak
The Signal
Congratulations Class of 2020: Georgia universities celebrate GAIPSEC graduates
By Brooklyn Valera
On May 19, the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium held a commencement ceremony via Zoom to honor the spring 2020 graduates. According to their website, GAIPSEC “is a project of the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State” that provides secondary education to students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The commencement consisted of a collection of the nine GAIPSEC programs, including the Columbus State GOALS Program, the East Georgia State College CHOICE Program, Georgia Southern University Eagle Academy, the Georgia State IDEAL Program and the University of Georgia Destination Dawgs. Susanna Miller-Raines, the GAIPSEC statewide coordinator, hosted the commencement.
Valdosta Today
USG Council Leadership Award goes to VSU’s Jacob Bell
VSU’s Jacob Bell Recognized for Strong Leadership, Commitment to USG Students
Each year the Student Advisory Council of the University System of Georgia (USG) anonymously votes to recognize one of its members with the prestigious Regent Willis J. Potts Student Advisory Council Leadership Award. This year’s recipient is Valdosta State University’s Jacob R. Bell of Bristol, Georgia. The Regent Willis J. Potts Student Advisory Council Leadership Award is named in honor of Willis J. Potts, who was appointed to the Board of Regents of the USG in 2006 by former Gov. Sonny Perdue. He served through 2012 and was highly regarded for his leadership, service, and commitment to Georgia students. Bell’s openness, honesty, respect for others, enthusiasm for higher education, working knowledge of USG policies and procedures, and active participation in Student Advisory Council activities and Board of Regents meetings were instrumental in helping him win the award.
WRBL
CSU’s Bruce Andrews Wins PBC’s “Attacker Of The Year”
by: Rex Castillo
The Columbus State Esports team can add some hardware to their trophy case. In the inaugural Peach Belt Conference Esports Awards, Bruce Andrews won the “Attacker Of The Year” award for his performance in the League Of Legends regular season. During the season Andrews racked up 181 kills for his team. Unfortunately, like many collegiate sports, their season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is an individual award but this is a huge win for the CSU Esports program. This kind of honor brings legitimacy for Esports athletes and the talent on the Cougars roster.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Online event to highlight UGA exhibit on women’s rights
By Courtney Kueppers
The Atlanta Preservation Center will finish its run of online programming with a trip to UGA’s Hargrett Library
Since the beginning of April, the Atlanta Preservation Center has held weekly virtual events, taking attendees inside historic spaces around the city and state, from downtown’s Healy Building to the beloved Plaza Theatre. Now, APC will wrap up its virtual event series — a sort of substitute for this year’s canceled Phoenix Flies programming — with a trip to the University of Georgia’s Hargrett Library. On Thursday evening, the library’s rare book and manuscript exhibition coordinator, Jan Hebbard will lead a virtual tour of the exhibit “The Strategies of Suffrage: Mobilizing a Nation for Women’s Rights.” “This event will include tour stops inside the exhibition, as well as guest commentary from the UGA students who curated the show and help to lead tours of the gallery space,” according to an Eventbrite posting for the event.
Other News:
Columbus Ledger-Enquirer
What’s next for Georgia? Learning ‘how to live with the virus,’ Kemp says on Columbus tour
By Nick Wooten
Gov. Brian Kemp told reporters in Columbus Wednesday that Georgians must learn to live with the novel coronavirus and a reclosing of the state’s economy would be unlikely. “It was never to keep our economy shut down until the virus is gone,” he said. “And if the virus comes back, I don’t see us shutting down our economy anymore. We’ve got to figure out how to live with the virus. There are some very smart people doing that every day. …We’re going to figure that out, but we’re definitely not at the point where the virus is in the rearview mirror.” Kemp’s comments come as new cases appear to be rising in Georgia while current hospitalization rates across the state remain low compared to numbers one month ago.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Latest Atlanta coronavirus news: Georgia deaths pass 1,900
Deaths from COVID-19 in Georgia at 1,933; there are 44,638 confirmed cases
6:45 a.m.: Gov. Brian Kemp has indicated he’ll extend coronavirus restrictions on businesses and restaurants that are set to soon expire. Greg Bluestein and Ligaya Figueras report. He could also outline new guidelines that allow bars, nightclubs and live performance venues to reopen.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The New Communication Plan? Overcommunication
In the midst of a pandemic, there’s no such thing as too much transparency
By Lee Gardner, Emma Dill, Emma Pettit, and Michael Vasquez
…How much to say, when to say it, and to whom, are key questions for higher education leaders as they approach the high-stakes gamble of whether to reopen their campuses in the fall. While the students, faculty, and staff members who’ve experienced months of disruption — and local businesses who depend on lively campuses — would love to see that happen, reopening will present big risks. A failure to communicate effectively now may cause confusion and suspicion. If things go wrong, resulting in a wave of infections and even death, shattered public trust may stain a college’s reputation for decades. Already this summer, college leaders must exert exquisite control over how they communicate about their plans, balancing rosy promises of a fall on campus with a clear commitment to the highest standard of care. Playing down the dangers could, come fall, turn a challenge into a fiasco.
Inside Higher Ed
The University of Kentucky announced it will not lay off staff as part of its 2021 budget. Experts doubt that many universities can do the same.
By Emma Whitford
As the spring semester comes to a close and the initial wave of revenue loss, belt-tightening and staff reductions subsides, colleges are looking ahead to next year’s budget. Many colleges say that 2021 budgets will feature layoffs to account for revenue shortfalls. The University of Kentucky is bucking that trend. Kentucky said last week that its 2021 budget would not include any “reductions in force,” a sharp contrast to an April announcement that the university predicted 1,700 furloughs as a result of the pandemic. Instead, the university is planning to weather its estimated $70 million revenue shortfall through a hiring freeze, changes to employee retirement fund contributions and by delaying an expansion of its family leave policy. Additional furloughs are also still on the table, though none are planned at the moment. But the university hasn’t had to furlough so many employees, said Jay Blanton, a spokesperson for the university. To date, 700 clinical employees at UK Healthcare have been furloughed, in addition to nearly 300 university staff in dental clinics, dining services and parking — just over half of the university’s expected temporary staff reductions. More so than a budgetary necessity, Blanton said the employees were furloughed because “there simply isn’t work to be done at the current time.
The Guardian
‘Students like the flexibility’: why online universities are here to stay
With the coronavirus pandemic radically reshaping the education system, universities may never be the same again
The coronavirus pandemic has forced UK universities to rapidly shift online, and no date has been confirmed for campuses to reopen. With the second coronavirus peak projected to take place in autumn, many institutions are already planning to move at least their first semester online. Whatever happens, universities are not going to look how their students expect for some time. So if universities are online, will students still come? New research suggests that 20% of students are reconsidering plans to start university in the autumn – a possible 120,000 student shortfall. Yet so far, the University and College Admissions Service reports that very few have reneged on their offers. And for those already at university, a National Union of Students survey found that almost half of students were happy with their online learning.
Inside Higher Ed
Mitch Daniels Among Presidents to Testify Before Senate on Reopening
By Kery Murakami
The presidents of Purdue and Brown Universities and Lane College will testify before the U.S. Senate’s health and education committee next Thursday on “how students can safely go to their college or university this fall,” the committee announced. In addition to Purdue’s Mitch Daniels, Brown’s Christina Paxson and Lane’s Logan Hampton, Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, will testify.
Inside Higher Ed
Proposed Legislation Would Bar Chinese STEM Graduate Students
By Elizabeth Redden
Two Republican senators and a Republican congressman introduced legislation on Wednesday that would bar Chinese nationals from receiving student or research visas to the United States for graduate or postgraduate studies in science, technology, engineering or mathematics fields. Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee and Representative David Kustoff, also of Tennessee, announced their proposals, which they framed as intended to combat espionage and intellectual property theft on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party.
The New York Times
Remember the MOOCs? After Near-Death, They’re Booming
The pioneering online learning networks offer hard-earned lessons for what works and what doesn’t with online education.
By Steve Lohr
…“Crises lead to accelerations, and this is best chance ever for online learning,” said Sebastian Thrun, a co-founder and chairman of Udacity. Coursera, Udacity and edX sprang up nearly a decade ago as high-profile university experiments known as MOOCs, for massive open online courses. They were portrayed as tech-fueled insurgents destined to disrupt the antiquated ways of traditional higher education. But few people completed courses, grappling with the same challenges now facing students forced into distance learning because of the pandemic. Screen fatigue sets in, and attention strays. The sites even became a punchline among academics: “Remember the MOOCs?”
Education Dive
Brightspot Strategy’s new survey of college students shows how the impact of Covid-19 has impacted first-generation, low income and minority students in several academic, social and support areas
A new survey of students at four-year colleges by brightspot strategy, which works with colleges to transform their student experience by better connecting their people, programs, and places shows that students have a slightly less favorable view of their college experience after the Covid-19 outbreak, increasingly view their college as not worth the money but nonetheless are planning to return for fall classes.
Science
U.S. lawmakers unveil bold $100 billion plan to remake NSF
By Jeffrey Mervis
The National Science Foundation (NSF) would get a sweeping remake—including a new name, a huge infusion of cash, and responsibility for maintaining U.S. global leadership in innovation—under bipartisan bills that have just been introduced in both houses of Congress. Many scientific leaders are thrilled that the bills call for giving NSF an additional $100 billion over 5 years to carry out its new duties. But some worry the legislation, if enacted, could compromise NSF’s historical mission to explore the frontiers of knowledge without regard to possible commercial applications. The Endless Frontiers Act (S. 3832) proposes a major reorganization of NSF, creating a technology directorate that, within 4 years, would grow to more than four times the size of the entire agency’s existing $8 billion budget. NSF would be renamed the National Science and Technology Foundation, and both the science and technology arms would be led by a deputy reporting to the NSF director. (NSF now has a single deputy director; the slot has been unfilled since 2014.)
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges Applaud Proposal to Expand National Science Foundation
By Kery Murakami
The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities praised the introduction of a bipartisan bill in the U.S. Congress that would dramatically expand the National Science Foundation and pump $100 billion into the agency over five years to increase research in areas like artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics and advanced manufacturing. Under the Endless Frontiers Act, the NSF would be renamed the National Science and Technology Foundation. The new agency would have two deputy directors — one to oversee the NSF’s current operations and another to lead a new technology directorate to advance technology in 10 areas as the U.S. faces greater competition from China and other countries.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Covid-19 Census Could Cost College Towns Millions
By Danielle McLean
… Census and college leaders are still holding out hope that they can capture an accurate count. The Census Bureau has extended the July 31 self-response deadline to October 31, giving itself more time to achieve that goal. For the first time ever, Census forms can be submitted online. One slice of students will be counted, no matter what: Those who live on campus are automatically tallied as living there. But most students live off campus. And while the Census Bureau quickly advised in March that students should report their address as if they were still studying on campus, some experts fear that the message may be lost. Many students who left campus in March may never return to their college homes or even to the campus, said Gloria Betcher, chair of the University Communities Council of the National League of Cities. So it is hard to see how an accurate count of a typical college town’s population would be possible, she added. …For many cities and towns, a Census undercount could mean losing out on millions of dollars in federal funds.