University System News:
Statesboro Herald
Georgia Southern reports no major problems after first 5 days of classes
University to start posting COVID-19 case counts next week, but few so far, says provost
Al Hackle/Staff
Georgia Southern University began fall semester classes Monday with required facemasks, social distancing and other special protective measures. After the first week, the university had seen few confirmed COVID-19 cases, no entire classes quarantined and no drop in enrollment, said GS Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Carl Reiber.
WSB
First full week of fall classes underway at UGA
In-classroom and virtual instruction for students
By Tim Bryant
Today marks the start of the first full week of the fall semester classes that began last Thursday at the University of Georgia. UGA says there are coronavirus mitigation measures in place across the campus in Athens.
From Heather Skyler, UGA Today…
Classes kicked off at the University of Georgia August 20 after months of preparation to ensure students will have a safe and comfortable learning environment. Faculty members and administrators have spent the summer getting ready for students to return to classrooms—in person, online or a hybrid mix.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
51 more students test positive for COVID at Georgia Tech
CORONAVIRUS SCHOOLS & BUSINESS UPDATES
Georgia Tech reported on its website Sunday 51 students have tested positive, its highest single-day total since it began tracking COVID-19 cases in April. More than 300 students and employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since April. Georgia Tech officials noted that many of those who tested positive weren’t on campus when diagnosed. The total does not reflect the severity of the cases. On Saturday, Georgia Tech said 33 positive tests were reported with 17 of those living at a Greek life organization house.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia College’s COVID case spike creates big test for campus
By Eric Stirgus
…Georgia College President Steve Dorman released a video Friday urging students to follow social distancing practices. The student government association president posted a similar message on social media. Administrators plan to have discussions with apartment companies to discourage students from having off-campus gatherings they believe are responsible for most of the cases. … The state’s public college system, which includes Georgia College, has a mask mandate for all its campuses, but many students at the off-campus gatherings are attending without masks, photos show.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC College COVID Tracker: 51 new cases at Georgia Tech
By Eric Stirgus
Here are the latest developments of COVID-19 cases on metro Atlanta’s college campuses and in other parts of Georgia:
Georgia Tech …Mercer University …University of Georgia …Georgia College …Agnes Scott College …Georgia Military College …University of North Georgia …
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA health faculty on COVID-19 policies and testing: Campus is in ‘grave danger’
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
They are calling for increased testing and transparency to protect students and staff
Four leading health policy and public health faculty at the University of Georgia are alarmed at what they consider a flawed and dangerous process for surveillance and management of COVID-19 at UGA. In this guest column, they explain why they believe the situation in Athens is dangerous, and the university administration is being secretive and irresponsible. They also say parents need to be aware of the inadequacy of UGA’s COVID-19 testing regime. (You can see their full titles at the end of the piece.) By Amanda Abraham, Grace Bagwell Adams, W. David Bradford, and Zhuo “Adam” Chen
11Alive
UGA fires back at 300+ signature letter to campus paper critical of reopening
The response points to many actions the university is taking to quickly address cases as they appear and following a letter from faculty saying spread is inevitable.
Author: Christopher Buchanan
Georgia’s most well-known university – and one of the largest – has issued a response to hundreds of faculty members who called reopening its campus “unwise” amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Greg Trevor, who serves as the interim senior executive director of marketing at the University of Georgia provided a statement to 11Alive on Saturday. “It is easy to criticize a plan without having to operationalize one for a community of 50,000 faculty, staff, and students,” it begins. “The surveillance and testing plan put in place by the University of Georgia was thoroughly vetted and recommended by the members of our Medical Oversight Task Force.” …Those words follow a letter to the editor that was sent to the campus paper, The Red and Black, which included more than 300 signatures. …However, Saturday’s response suggests UGA’s rigorous plans were designed to help keep a massive spread from occurring – in no small part because of the speed of the testing. Georgia Tech also implemented a plan meant to catch COVID cases as quickly as possible and isolate those who become ill. Overall, the campus confirmed 33 new cases for Saturday, not including those who may have come into contact with them who have yet to be tested. They’ve had roughly 250 confirmed cases since April though classes only recently returned.
Fox 5 Atlanta
Georgia Tech scientists builds UV light boxes to clean PPEs
A group at Georgia Tech aims to help first responders on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic with some new devices. A team at the school built two portable UV lightboxes, which allow healthcare workers to disinfect their face masks and face shields. Officials say the UVC light can inactivate virus particles and in the right form can make it easier to thoroughly clean equipment.
Columbus CEO
CSU’s Leadership Institute Forum 2020 Begins Today
Staff Report
The Forum, hosted by the Leadership Institute at Columbus State University, will be hosted online from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. each day the week of Aug. 24-28. Thanks to the support of our generous sponsors, The Forum 2020 will be offered at no cost to registrants. The week-long virtual event will feature the following blend of new addresses and interviews, as well as recorded presentations with “greatest hits” from the past 14 years. “A Legacy of Leadership: The Forum Through the Years”: Jim Blanchard, Chairman, JBA Capital, LLC and Ed Helton, Chief of Staff, Columbus State University …
Coastal Courier
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 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, and receive college credits and points toward promotions. The program comprises three courses including a basic course, trainer course and programming course.
Albany CEO
South GeorgiaLEADS Announces Leadership Class of 2020-2021
Staff Report
Thirty-two participants from across South Georgia have committed to investing in the future vitality of the region by participating in the 2020-2021 class of South GeorgiaLEADS. Representing 14 counties of the 21-county region, the desire to engage in the issues facing South Georgia is a consistent passion of this year’s class. At a time when leadership is critical, the Board of Directors of South GeorgiaLEADS, in partnership with Valdosta State University, is proud to announce the participants of this year’s class.
Savannah Morning News
Breaking the sound barrier for children learning to hear during COVID-19
By Polly Powers Stramm
Little Jordyn Sitzler was well on her way learning to speak and hear with her cochlear implants when the COVID-19 quarantine interrupted her journey. For the last year or so, Jordyn and her mother, Ashlee, had been making great strides in the Parent and Infant program offered by the Savannah Speech and Hearing Center, and had plans to enroll in the organization’s Sound Start program as soon as Jordyn turned 2. Sound Start is an oral-deaf preschool for children to pursue a listening and speaking track without the use of sign language or an interpreter. Children must be 2 and must be wearing hearing aids or have cochlear implants. The goal is to prepare the child for eventual mainstream schooling without being placed in a special class or having an interpreter. … The team helping Speech and Hearing clients during this new normal includes two deaf-education teachers, a speech pathologist, an audiologist and numerous student volunteers from Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus.
Douglas Now
SGSC Hawks Baker, Ferguson And Vendola Named 2020 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars
Three student-athletes from the South Georgia State College’s (SGSC) men’s basketball program have been named 2020 Arthur Ashe, Jr. Sports Scholars by “Diverse: Issues in Higher Education” magazine.
Russell Baker of San Antonio, Texas, Will Ferguson of Yulee, Florida, and Antonio Vendola of Fernandina Beach, Florida, were selected for the honor, which recognizes student-athletes from various National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I schools. These Hawks were chosen for their dedication to their sport and their studies, both of which are impressive achievements.
13WMAZ
Georgia College professor leads research in harmful bacteria in local waters
Microbiology Professor Andrei Barkovskii created a course where students test water and marine life for pathogens that cause illness
Author: Pepper Baker
Georgia College Professor Andrei Barkovsii’s passion for the sea and love for scuba diving led to his work in identifying water pathogens. Those are harmful organisms that can cause illness. “After all of my visits to Southeastern Asia in my primary, I learned that water pathogens are on the rise. On the rise and some few events around Georgia and around the states kind of pushed me into developing the course,” he said. He started a research project with Georgia College students identifying harmful bacteria in water samples from Georgia’s coast.
Times-Georgian
Bee experts transfer swarm to quieter part of UWG campus
By Stephanie Allen
New students on campus weren’t the only things buzzing at the University of West Georgia recently when a swarm of bees was found and relocated to the university apiary. UWG Housing maintenance staff noticed a large group of bees had taken up residence in a tree at The Village and local pest control experts only offered options that would destroy the bees.
Morning Ag Clips
New beehives added for veterinary training
New program will give students clinical training experience
Scientists have long known two facts about the world’s bee population: pollinating bees are vital contributors to healthy crops and a thriving ecosystem, and many bee species are under threat of extinction from pollution, disease and other factors. The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine has joined the fight to save the bees by building a set of hives on campus. The new program will give residents and senior veterinary students in clinical training experience caring for these insects and is led by Dr. Joerg Mayer, associate professor of zoological medicine. The addition of bees cements the college’s residency program as the first and only in the country to offer a such a wide spectrum of training, from invertebrate to megavertebrate care — creatures ranging from bees to whales.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Aug. 23, 3 p.m.)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 5,132 | Deaths have been confirmed in 156 counties. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
CONFIRMED CASES: 253,949 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
COVID-19 Roundup: Clusters, Parties and Punishments
This weekend, several colleges and universities delayed move-ins, put classes online and sent students home around the country. Outbreaks continue to spread on open campuses, often linked to parties.
By Lilah Burke
Universities around the country are moving students into residence halls and holding classes, but outbreaks of coronavirus, often linked to parties, continue to spread. One university decided to send students home this weekend, while others delay move-in or crack down on student behavior.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
What Kinds of Information on Covid-19 Cases Can Colleges Legally Share? Experts Weigh In
By Elin Johnson
Earlier this month, officials at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill told the student newspaper that the institution would not share the number of cases in Covid-19 clusters. The reason, they said, was the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. Colleges have cited Ferpa, the federal student-privacy law, and, in some cases, even the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (Hipaa) as a rationale for not publishing coronavirus-case numbers or sharing details about infections on campus. The privacy measures have been invoked in the past as a reason colleges would not disclose information about athletes’ injuries and students’ sexual-misconduct cases. Colleges are withholding information, critics say, that could help members of the community protect themselves. In the midst of the pandemic, that stance has caused tension in college towns and with faculty members who are demanding transparency. Colleges are withholding information, critics say, that could help members of the community protect themselves.
Inside Higher Ed
As more colleges threaten punishment for risky student behavior that can spread the coronavirus, experts suggest either providing students alternatives for safe social interactions or keeping campuses closed.
By Greta Anderson
… College leaders at institutions that already opened their campuses for the fall semester have in fact been placing much of the responsibility and blame for spreading the virus on students. The administrators have done this despite prior warnings about reopening from adolescence and behavioral experts that 18- to 22-year-olds were the least likely age group to follow directions for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Colleges are urging students to wear masks, socially distance and avoid large gatherings on the one hand, but on the other hand are welcoming students back to campuses where some students want to meet new people and party, and others might share alcohol and drugs and hook up. They are encouraged by college officials to engage with one another and enjoy college life but to also be mindful of social distancing directives. Some students may find these mixed messages confusing and contradictory.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
It is fair to fault college students for COVID-19 outbreaks
…Meanwhile, in a week that saw a growing number of colleges reverse course in the wake of Covid-19 outbreaks and move classes online, colleges fearing they might be next scolded students for unsafe socializing. Student-conduct codes were hurriedly revamped to include suspension and expulsion for the most egregious cases. The message was clear: It was students’ behavior that was jeopardizing universities’ painstaking plans to offer a safe, in-person semester.