University System News:
The Augusta Chronicle
Students see some positives in changes at Augusta University due to virus
By Tom Corwin
Students returned Monday to Augusta University Summerville Campus to an altered atmosphere of masks and social distancing but also some positives. Sitting across from each other at a table in the Jaguar Student Activities Center, Tristian Gibbons and Jordan Newton were both excited to be back Monday at Augusta University, even if it was difficult to tell behind their masks. “Other than we have to wear masks, it’s not very different,” said Newton, 19. And there are actually some positive aspects to it, said Gibbons, 19. “The classes are smaller” because of social distancing requirements, he said. “It’s more personal,” Newton added. Despite the altered atmosphere as the Summerville Campus opened, with a requirement to wear masks inside buildings and stay 6 feet apart when possible, students and faculty have been pretty good at rolling with the changes, said Dr. Scott Thorp, the chair of the Department of Art and Design.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia college students return to changed campuses
By Eric Stirgus, Ty Tagami
Students returned Monday for their first day of classes at several public Georgia colleges and universities, but it was much quieter on the campuses than a typical back-to-school opening day. The schools ended in-person instruction in March for the final two months of the spring semester when the coronavirus pandemic began impacting Georgia. Since then, the schools have implemented structural and policy changes to prevent the spread of COVID-19, such as face mask requirements in classrooms and other spaces. There were substantially fewer students on campuses Monday as a result of the changes. …The most important goals, officials said, were to create some sense of normalcy and to avoid an outbreak of the disease. Administrators at the two schools, and others that reopened Monday, reported no major increase in COVID-19 cases. The schools have the option of doing their own on-site testing, working with community organizations and state public health officials. Students were asked to self-screen for disease symptoms before coming to class.
WJCL
New students move into dorms at Georgia Southern University
Dave Williams
Once again, it’s move in day at Georgia Southern University, but as you might imagine, it looked a lot different than normal. It’s the annual rite of August at Georgia Southern’s Statesboro campus. New students are moving into their living quarters as they get ready to embark on the next chapter of their lives. However, this year’s move in experience is unlike anything they’ve ever had at Georgia Southern in the past. Because of the ongoing pandemic, there is no longer just the massive one day move in for over 3,000 students, it’s scaled down considerably. …And while change can always be tough, the students seem to be impressed with how things are going.
The Griffin Daily News
Gordon State receives additional PPE supplies
By Staff Reports
After spending the summer semester online and the majority of the employees working remotely, Gordon State College recently resumed normal operating hours as the institution prepares for the first day of fall semester, which begins on Aug. 12. Gordon also received additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and other supplies the Georgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA) provided for The University System of Georgia (USG) to distribute to its 26 institutions ahead of this month’s return to on-campus instruction. The GSC campus will be open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for regular business hours and strongly urges students and guests to make an appointment through the website (https://www.gordonstate.edu/departments). Gordon State will offer classes in three formats (in-person, hybrid or online).
The Red & Black
Faculty and staff return to UGA campus during Phase 3 of reopening
Gabriela Miranda | News Assistant
Starting on Monday, the University of Georgia began phase three of its reopening plan. All faculty and staff members can return to campus unless approved for telework. All onsite research projects will continue if researchers and staff can comply with social distancing and other health precautions, according to UGA’s Plans for a Phased Return to Full Operations. All students are required to complete a training module and sign an acknowledgement survey before classes resume regarding “how to return safely to campus amid the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a Monday ArchNews email. The training is now available to students through eLearning Commons. …The fall semester starts Aug. 20. Students living on campus will begin moving into the dorms on Aug. 14.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New Georgia Tech students move in, with pandemic precautions
By Tyler Estep
Georgia Tech president Ángel Cabrera stands atop the hill outside Glenn Hall, gold bicycle helmet in hand and a grin underneath his mask. It’s an unusual, pandemic-era move-in day for first-year students and, for an hour now, Cabrera has been attempting to hop on his bike and pedal to another part of campus to see how things are going. But he keeps stopping to help folks. …At Georgia Tech, Saturday’s move-in day included a drive-thru check-in at the rec center parking deck, complete with temperature scans. New students and their families were given appointment times and actually moved into their dorms at a staggered pace.
Athens CEO
UGA Libraries Reopen with Safety Measures in Place
Camie Williams
The University of Georgia Libraries will open to the public Aug. 10 with measures in place to promote the health and safety of faculty, staff and students. The reopening comes as UGA prepares to welcome students for fall classes beginning Aug. 20. Most library locations, including the Main Library and Science Library, will reopen to the public with limited hours during the week of Aug. 10 and expand service hours when classes resume. Beginning Aug. 20, the Main Library, Science Library and Miller Learning Center will be open until midnight most weekdays with earlier closure times on the weekends. The closing times allow cleaning crews to meet campus guidelines for disinfecting high-touch surfaces in the Libraries’ study spaces.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
College professor: I don’t think all students will be safe on campus
GET SCHOOLED BLOG By Maureen Downey,
Faculty member warns students are returning without sufficient testing and distancing to protect them
In a guest column today, Matthew Boedy, an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia, shares concerns about the safety of students and staff on public campuses, which started reopening today and will continue over the next two weeks. Boedy says students and staff are at risk returning to Georgia colleges, especially without widespread testing before they come back to bustling campuses and communal living. Clayton State University and Georgia Gwinnett College began their fall semester classes today.
By Matthew Boedy
It’s time to decide: is your Georgia higher education campus safe?
Patch
Waters College Of Health Professions To Offer Certificate, College Credits For Soldiers
The Waters College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University is helping soldiers with a new program.
The Waters College of Health Professions at Georgia Southern University is helping soldiers with the 3rd Infantry Division (ID) rank up their readiness by offering a new Tactical Athlete Certificate (TAC) program. This program is designed to help soldiers improve their performance, avoid musculoskeletal injuries in physical training, receive college credits and points toward promotions. The program comprises three courses including a basic course, trainer course and programming course. “The Tactical Athlete Certificate is a beneficial program for both the military as a whole and the individual soldier,” said Nancy Henderson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. “The military gains more knowledgeable soldiers who can develop science-based and comprehensive physical training plans, and the individual soldier benefits by receiving college credits, which can help them as they advance in their military careers.”
Tifton CEO
Run for the Nurses at ABAC on October 24th
Staff Report
Registration is now open for the Run for the Nurses on Oct. 24 at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Originally scheduled for April 4 but delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Run for the Nurses begins with the half marathon at 7 a.m. followed by the 5K at 8 a.m. …“This event is a special initiative that raises funds for The Lisa Purvis Allison Spirit of Nursing Scholarship,” Fisher said. “Lisa passed away shortly after graduating from ABAC’s nursing school in 2009, and this scholarship honors her legacy and supports future generations of nursing students here at ABAC.”
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU Professor wins Most Influential Paper Award at international conference
A decade after co-authoring a research paper on self-adapting software systems, Kennesaw State University software engineering professor Paola Spoletini has been awarded the Most Influential Paper Award by the 2020 IEEE International Requirements Engineering Conference. The paper, titled “Fuzzy Goals for Requirements-Driven Adaptation,” qualified for the honor for demonstrating the “single largest impact on the requirements engineering community over the past 10 years.” Originally submitted to the RE 2010 conference in Sydney, Australia, it has been cited more frequently than all other papers submitted that year. She co-wrote the paper with colleagues Liliana Pasquale and Luciano Baresi.
WJCL
Eagle Fund To Be Renamed in Honor of the Legendary Erk Russell
Erk Russell Fund is the Athletic Foundation’s annual fund
Frank Sulkowski
The Georgia Southern University Athletic Foundation’s annual fund, formerly known as the Eagle Fund, is being rebranded and renamed as the Erk Russell Fund in honor of the legendary football coach who helped put the University on the national map. The Erk Russell Fund will focus on annual fund gifts in support of the Georgia Southern student-athlete experience.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
3 more Georgia Tech athletes test positive for COVID-19
By Ken Sugiura
From July 30 to Monday, three Georgia Tech athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 out of 222 tests. That raises the total to 11 the total number of Yellow Jackets athletes who have been found to have the coronavirus since they began returning to campus for voluntary workouts June 15. The data was provided to the AJC by a Tech spokesman. The most recent update continues a low rate of infection in recent weeks. In the roughly three weeks before, one Tech athlete had tested positive out of 46 tests.
Smart Cities World
Georgia Smart Communities Challenge winners announced
Georgia Smart said it welcomes communities of any size within the state to apply for technical and financial assistance that will help them to envision, explore, and plan for their smart future.
Clayton County, and the cities of Sandy Springs, Savannah, and Valdosta have been named 2020 winning communities of Georgia Tech’s Georgia Smart Communities Challenge (Georgia Smart). Georgia Smart is an award-winning programme that enables smart local development within Georgia through use of innovation to improve communities.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Aug. 10, 3 p.m.)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 4,229 | Deaths have been confirmed in 153 counties. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
CONFIRMED CASES: 219,025 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Monitoring Vital Signs for COVID-19
One university is planning to use wearable technology to track early signs of COVID on its campus. Privacy experts have a few concerns.
By Lilah Burke
For colleges that are hoping to fill their residence halls and run in-person classes this fall, nothing seems off the table. Miles of PlexiGlas, personal air filtration, socializing in pods; the list goes on. Now, at least one college has announced that it will be deploying and encouraging wearable technology that will collect vital signs from students, faculty and staff. But how the product will fare in a campus environment, and whether the university can assuage privacy concerns, still remains to be seen.
AP News
No parties, no trips: Colleges set COVID-19 rules for fall
By Michael Hill
As they struggle to salvage some semblance of a campus experience this fall, U.S. colleges are requiring promises from students to help contain the coronavirus — no keg parties, no long road trips and no outside guests on campus. No kidding. Administrators warn that failure to wear masks, practice social distancing and avoid mass gatherings could bring serious consequences, including getting booted from school. Critics question whether it’s realistic to demand that college students not act like typical college students. But the push illustrates the high stakes for universities planning to welcome at least some students back. Wide-scale COVID-19 testing, quarantines and plexiglass barriers in classrooms won’t work if too many students misbehave.
Inside Higher Ed
Student Debt’s Impact on Human Capital, Long-Run Finances
By Paul Fain
Increased student loan availability raises student debt levels, but also improves degree completion, earnings later in life and student loan repayment, a new working paper found, while having no effect on homeownership or other types of debt. Rapidly increasing student debt levels is a hot topic of concern for policymakers. And some previous research has found long-term financial impacts from increased student loan burdens, including a correlation with a decreased likelihood of owning a home. However, the new working paper, which seeks to “provide a comprehensive picture of the short‐ and longer‐run effects of increased student borrowing” and was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, did not find any negative effects on borrowers’ homeownership or repayment of other types of debt. And among borrowers whose student debt was constrained by federal loan limits, the study found improvements in degree completion, post-college earnings and student loan repayment.
Inside Higher Ed
Federal Appeals Court: Title IX Protects Transgender Students
By Greta Anderson
The United States Supreme Court’s historic June 15 decision about LGBTQ workers’ rights had its first impact on how courts define sex discrimination at colleges. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit concluded that Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the law prohibiting sex discrimination at federally funded institutions, also protects transgender students from discrimination based on their identity, said the court’s Aug. 7 decision, written by Judge Beverly Martin.
Albany Herald
Trump calls on college football games to resume amid coronavirus pandemic
By Maegan Vazquez and Nikki Carvajal, CNN
President Donald Trump is calling for college football games to resume this season, as athletic conferences consider canceling or postponing play due to the coronavirus pandemic. “The student-athletes have been working too hard for their season to be cancelled,” the President tweeted on Monday, adding the hashtag #WeWantToPlay. Another tweet simply said: “Play College Football!” Trump’s calls for college football to resume come amid a larger push by his administration to get academic institutions — both in primary and higher education — to reopen in the fall. They also come amid reports that two of the “Power Five” conferences — the Big Ten and Pac-12 — are expected to cancel their 2020 football season games, according to reports from multiple sports news outlets.