University System News:
Savannah Morning News
Reversing course, University System of Georgia will require masks on campus
By Lee Shearer
The University of Georgia and other Georgia public colleges such as Georgia Southern University and Savannah State University will require everyone on campus to wear face masks beginning July 15. The university system announced the new rule on its Twitter account Monday evening, along with other, stronger health protective measures system administrators say schools must implement when, they hope, in-person classes can resume in August. Those who don’t obey face university disciplinary proceedings. USG also posted in more detail on its website.
Star Tribune
In reversal, Georgia universities to now mandate masks
By Jeff Amy Associated Press
Georgia’s 26 public universities and colleges will mandate campus-wide mask wearing after the state university system reversed itself on Monday. The University System of Georgia had previously told schools they should “strongly encourage” students and others to wear masks, but said that the system’s 26 universities couldn’t mandate face coverings for their 330,000 students despite concerns about COVID-19 transmission. Masks became a central point of contention in part because all the universities, at the behest of regents, are planning face-to-face instruction for all students beginning in August.
WTVM
Group comes together to ‘Cover Columbus’ as Ga. universities will require face coverings
By Samantha Serbin
The University System of Georgia announced face masks will now be required inside campus buildings, including Columbus State University, beginning July 15. If students, faculty or even visitors are inside a campus building, they will be required to wear a mask in addition to social distancing. According to the new rule, you won’t have to wear a mask inside personal rooms, in a closed office, or outside if you’re social distancing. Face masks are a new normal, and are now a requirement at Georgia universities. An official statement put out by the university system says people will have to wear coverings inside campus facilities. Anyone not wearing a face covering will be either asked to wear one or leave the area. “I am all for it,” said CSU graduate Caroline White. “I think it’s all about protecting our most vulnerable. We know this disease affects people in many different ways.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA football players buy an 8-year-old girl a cookie in an act of kindness that’s gone viral
By Courtney Kueppers
There are a lot of extra things to take into consideration when venturing out in public amid a pandemic and not least among them: Will there be a bathroom to use when nature calls? These days it’s not as easy to find an available public restroom when you may need one. A Georgia family found themselves in this predicament last month. Christie Williams Myers and her family were doing some exploring in Athens and wandering around the University of Georgia campus when her 8-year-old daughter, Avery, needed a bathroom. They darted into a downtown Subway and Avery made a beeline for the bathroom. However, according to a Facebook post, an employee got Myers’ attention to tell her the bathrooms weren’t open to the public: paying customers only. “I didn’t have my wallet with me,” she wrote in the Facebook post. “And I told him I was sorry, I didn’t have my wallet and we would leave.” However, Avery was in luck. According to Myers’ post, “Without hesitation these 2 young men spoke up and said they would buy a cookie for Avery so she could be a ‘paying customer’ so she could use the restroom.” Myers said it wasn’t until she started talking to them that she found out they were both members of the UGA football team.
Albany CEO
Georgia Southwestern State University Named #1 Best Online RN to BSN Program in Georgia
Staff Report
Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) has been recognized as having the #1 Best Online RN to BSN Program in Georgia by RegisteredNursing.org in its 4th Annual Nursing School Program Rankings. This prestigious ranking is based on GSW’s nursing program’s graduation rate, tuition and fees, quality of faculty, acceptance rate, and accreditations. RN to BSN programs allow registered nurses (RNs) to advance their career, earn a higher salary, and assume more leadership and responsibility in the workplace by earning a baccalaureate degree in nursing.
Niche
2020 Best Colleges with Mechanical Engineering Degrees in Georgia
Explore the best colleges with mechanical engineering degrees. Find the mechanical engineering colleges that are right for you.
Georgia Institute of Technology, Overall Niche Grade – Acceptance Rate 22%, Net Price $16,950, SAT Range 1390-1540; University of Georgia, Overall Niche Grade – Acceptance Rate 49%, Net Price $15,539, SAT Range 1240-1410; Georgia Southern University, Overall Niche Grade – Acceptance Rate 68%, Net Price $15,435, SAT Range 1060-1200; Kennesaw State University, Overall Niche Grade – Acceptance Rate 58%, Net Price $17,618, SAT Range 1080-1270
Inside Higher Ed
COVID-19 Roundup: More Universities Announce Online Plans
Rutgers, Harvard, Princeton and Georgetown announce mostly online fall terms while ICE says international students cannot study fully online and remain in U.S. Georgia system reverses course on masks.
By IHE Staff
…Here is an update of developments on COVID-19’s impact on higher education: …The University System of Georgia, which had faced intense pressure from employees and some students, announced late Monday that it would in fact require “require all faculty, staff, students, and visitors to wear an appropriate face covering while inside campus facilities/buildings where six feet social distancing may not always be possible.” The United Campus Workers of Georgia had circulated a petition and faculty members at Georgia Institute of Technology had criticized the system’s approach of recommending but not requiring masks in campus buildings. In reversing course Monday, the system cited “recent changes” in guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but it was not clear which guidance its officials were referring to. Georgia’s governor, Brian Kemp, has vocally opposed the widespread imposition of requirements like the wearing of face masks, even as COVID-19 cases have spiked in the state.
Savannah Morning News
What college classes could look like at Georgia Southern this fall based on new recommendations
By McClain Baxley
The Georgia Southern administration has expanded on the university’s reopening plan by giving details on the classroom delivery recommendations phase, according to a document obtained by the Savannah Morning News. The 10-page document, from the Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, is dated June 24. It describes guidelines for faculty and staff , including three types of curriculum delivery or ways to teach in the fall semester, and four “tiers” of scheduling. The instruction approaches are face-to-face, which means there would be a set meeting time; hybrid, which is a mix of virtual and in-person meetings; and fully online. “Although we have additional course definitions (F, P, & T), we feel that these designations still might fall within the scope of primarily synchronous course delivery,” the document reads. “E (Entirely at a Distance) and H (Hybrid delivery) would remain for those split delivery and asynchronous primary models, respectively.”
The Times-Georgian
UWG plans another virtual graduation
By Stephanie Allen
University of West Georgia will hold summer commencement online, but the school promises the class there will be an in-person ceremony in the future. Classes at UWG and all public universities in Georgia were moved online during Spring semester due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The same is true for the Summer semester.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech freshman move-in day, from parents’ perspective
By Ken Sugiura
At about 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dusty Ross and her husband, Greg, said their good-byes and left Georgia Tech for dinner at the Varsity. They were leaving behind their eldest son, Tech freshman walk-on John Ross, and Tech freshman running back Jahmyr Gibbs, a family friend who has lived with the Rosses for the past three years and is considered family. Dusty and Greg had just finished an afternoon of moving them into their dormitory to begin voluntary workouts, a prelude to required summer training and then preseason practice. Dropping children off at college is an emotion-fraught moment at any time for a parent. Doing so in the midst of a global pandemic would seem only to heighten any anxieties. Yet, Dusty Ross said that she returned home to Dalton with nary a restless moment. “To leave our kids the first time is hard, and you throw in all that’s going on in the world, that amplifies it, and I slept very well last night,” Ross told the AJC on Monday. “I have no worries. I feel like they’re in good hands.”
Connect Savannah
Now is the worst time to shrink the sociology curriculum
By Ned Rinalducci
Dr. Ned Rinalducci is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Georgia Southern University.
I HAVE been pleased to see so many trying so hard to learn more about systemic racism, anti-racism, white privilege, and how we can collectively change the system. Amazon is out of stock of some of the most popular books on these topics. There is a hunger for knowledge and understanding that gives me hope for the future. However, one need only spend a little time on social media to see how many people remain ill-informed about these topics. I’ve also been surprised by how many college educated people seem to know so little about systemic racism, resulting in defensiveness and denial. It tells me their institution of higher education failed them.
The Union-Recorder
University historian Bob Wilson adds new chapters
Rick Millians
Bob Wilson is in a “fairly celebratory” mood these days. The Georgia College Professor Emeritus of History and University Historian has finished chronicling 25 years at the school. It’s a period during which he says the school underwent its “most amazing transformation” in history. The new book text is in the hands of the designers, and he is hopeful it will be out in the fall. The proposed title is “Georgia College 1889 to 2014: 125 Years of a Liberal Public Arts University.” He added three new chapters to the school’s history, breaking them down by the presidents during that time: Edward Speir, Rosemary DePaolo and Dorothy Leland. He also added an epilogue about current president Steve Dorman, as well as updating earlier parts of the book with new information and photographs.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A growing number of Georgia cities require masks over Kemp’s objection
By Greg Bluestein and Ben Brasch
ATHENS — There’s a growing revolt among cities upset that Georgia isn’t doing enough to contain the coronavirus. And Gov. Brian Kemp isn’t yet doing anything to stop it. A week after Savannah became the first Georgia city to require the use of face masks, two other local governments joined their ranks. East Point lawmakers approved restrictions on Monday and officials in Kemp’s hometown of Athens followed suit on Tuesday. Several others have scheduled votes later this week. The requirements could come into conflict with a statewide order from Kemp that “strongly encourages” – but does not mandate – the use of masks and bans local governments from enacting stricter or more lenient measure to fight the disease.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
BREAKING: Atlanta to mandate face masks to contain coronavirus
By Greg Bluestein
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms said she would sign an order Wednesday requiring the use of masks in the city, joining a chorus of local governments who are going beyond Gov. Brian Kemp’s order that encourages but not mandates the use of face coverings. “Atlanta is going to do it today because the fact of the matter is that COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on our city, specifically black and brown communities with higher death rates,” Bottoms said on MSNBC. “We’ll never be able to reopen our schools and our economy if we don’t take some responsibility for what we can do as leaders.” A spate of Georgia cities are moving to require the use of face masks to contain the coronavirus after Savannah became the first local government to adopt a mandate last week.
Albany Herald
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp launches campaign for COVID-19 safety awareness
By Beau Evans Capitol Beat News Service
Gov. Brian Kemp’s office has launched a marketing campaign for Georgia businesses to show they are keeping up good social distancing, sanitizing and masking practices amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The voluntary campaign comes as Kemp and state health officials continue urging Georgians to wear masks in public, though the governor has steered clear of issuing any mandatory mask-wearing order. Kemp has faced mounting pressure from health experts and many local officials to take more mandatory measures on masks after steadily loosening restrictions on businesses and social gatherings since May. He was scheduled Tuesday for conference calls with President Donald Trump and governors to discuss the coronavirus response, as well as with local government officials, business owners and faith-based leaders to talk about Georgia’s health guidelines.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated July 7, 3 p.m.)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 2,899 | County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated. CONFIRMED CASES: 100,470 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Insurance Costs on the Rise for Colleges
As colleges renewed insurance policies this month, many faced steep price increases due to the pandemic, natural disasters, sexual misconduct and athletics scandals.
By Emma Whitford
Over the Fourth of July weekend, Jean Demchak’s work didn’t stop. The popular July 1 renewal date for college insurance policies had just passed, and she met with several institutions to review their policies for the next year. As the meetings wrapped up, she asked if her clients had any quotes to summarize the year and the renewal process. “Let’s not do this again next year,” one said. “It’s been a shitty year,” said another. Demchak is managing director and global education and public entity leader at Marsh Inc., an insurance brokerage and risk management firm. The insurance market for higher education has hardened over the past several years, and the coronavirus pandemic has added a new strain on underwriters and policy holders alike. “Our work has absolutely increased tenfold because of the work around COVID,” Demchak said. Premiums for higher education clients rose between 20 and 40 percent this year, said Bret Murray, who leads higher education strategy at Risks Strategies Company, a national insurance brokerage and risk management firm.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
This Will Be One of the Worst Months in the History of Higher Education
Layoffs, declarations of financial exigency, and closures are imminent. Here’s who’s most at risk.
By Robert Kelchen
Summer is usually a period of relative calm for most of American higher education, but this one is different. Faculty members are increasingly indignant about the prospect of being forced back on campus in the fall; administrators are quietly scrambling behind the scenes to do contingency planning. These disruptions are just the beginning. Whether colleges are willing to admit it or not, chaos will be greeting many of them in the coming weeks, and wishful thinking will not be enough to avoid it. Most colleges have been optimistically pitching a return to campus for students, even if they acknowledge the experience will be much different than normal. The Chronicle’s tracker of colleges’ fall plans currently shows that about 60 percent of colleges are planning for an in-person fall, while less than 10 percent are planning for a mainly online fall. … By the end of July, most colleges will have announced plans for a primarily online fall term, with only critical classes being held in person and limited residence-hall capacity for students who do not have other safe options. The need to prepare for the fall is beginning to outweigh any potential benefits of outwaiting competitors, especially as students expect a better online experience this fall than what they received under emergency conditions in the spring. Wealthy liberal-arts colleges in rural areas that can afford frequent virus testing and cash-strapped colleges desperate for survival are likely to be the main holdouts.
Inside Higher Ed
What Worked This Spring? Well-Designed and -Delivered Courses
Professors and students alike viewed their remote learning experience most favorably this spring when their courses incorporated more “best practices.” That’s the path to making the inevitable virtual education better this fall.
By Doug Lederman
The conventional wisdom holds that most students and instructors alike were deeply dissatisfied with their experiences with emergency remote learning this spring. Numerous surveys of students and parents have said as much, and many college leaders seem to be taking those attitudes to heart in their planning for fall. In announcing that they will return as much as possible to in-person instruction, more than a few have cited dissatisfaction with virtual learning as a factor, along with significant financial and cultural reasons. As is often the case, though, a more thorough and nuanced look tells a somewhat different story. Two new studies out today add to our understanding of how students and professors viewed their experiences with remote learning last spring after colleges were forced to close their campuses in response to COVID-19.
Inside Higher Ed
Call for Greater Scrutiny of Online Ed
By Lindsay McKenzie
As many colleges prepare to continue teaching at least partially online this fall, student advocacy groups such as the Institute for College Access and Success (TICAS) are ramping up calls for greater scrutiny of the modality. “How to Monitor the Risks of Online Education,” recently published by TICAS, describes the unprecedented shift to online education that took place in the spring as a “massive experiment with unknown consequences.” “It is challenging to assess the quality of online education,” the report said. “Key sources of data on colleges do not identify whether programs are online, making it impossible for students to make informed choices or for regulators to identify potential problems. Changes in data collection are needed to protect students, including data on the graduation rates, loan defaults and other outcomes of online students.”
bbc.com
Coronavirus: How the pandemic is changing fraternities and sororities
By Victoria Bisset BBC News
Fraternities and sororities form a central part of the university experience for many US students. But a coronavirus outbreak at the University of Washington in Seattle has raised questions about the pressures the pandemic places on the organisations. At least 128 students living in fraternity accommodation at the university have tested positive for Covid-19, as well as nine of their close contacts. This number could rise, as more than 1,300 tests have been conducted during the past week. So what challenges does coronavirus pose for fraternities and sororities – collectively known as “the Greek life” – and how are they preparing for the new academic year?
Inside Higher Ed
Reopening Campuses, Racial Disparities
As the Trump administration pushes for colleges and schools to reopen, Congress heard a call to do so without worsening the pandemic’s racial impacts.
By Kery Murakami
As the Trump administration leaned on governors to reopen their states’ schools and a U.S. House subcommittee debated whether to give colleges the additional billions they say they need, the head of the University of Southern California’s Race and Equity Center urged lawmakers to take steps to make sure resuming campus learning does not worsen disparate impacts the coronavirus pandemic has had on communities of color. With Congress beginning to consider another coronavirus relief package, Shaun R. Harper called on the House higher education subcommittee to earmark money for colleges to protect front-line campus workers such as custodians and food service workers who are disproportionately Black and Latino.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
The Diversity Conversation Colleges Aren’t Having
By Karin Fischer
… Many students from overseas have an incomplete or inaccurate understanding of race and racial identity in America. Their perspectives can be shaped by stereotypes of African Americans and other minorities in popular culture or reflect very different perspectives on race and ethnicity in their home countries. For some, coming to the United States is the first time they are told they are “Black” or “brown” or “Asian.” Yet, few colleges pay specific attention to the gaps in international students’ awareness of race or to the culture shock they can experience at suddenly being viewed through a racial lens. Of more than a dozen international students or graduates who spoke to The Chronicle, none could recall having substantive discussions of race as part of their international orientation. Though their institutions may have offered diversity education broadly, that did not take into account the differences in foreign students’ backgrounds or experience. Instead, students said, they were left to figure things out on their own. This could be a critical blind spot for colleges as Black Lives Matter protests bring new attention, nationally and globally, to America’s struggles with racism. International students make up about 6 percent of the American college population — and at some institutions their share is much larger. If they are left out of the diversity conversation, they may hesitate to speak up about race for fear of being misunderstood. And, since education isn’t solely about what happens in classrooms, they may be denied an important learning opportunity.