University System News:
Athens CEO
UGA President Commits an Additional $250,000 to Emergency Funds for Students in Need
Staff Report
As the University of Georgia prepares for students to return for class on August 20, President Jere W. Morehead has committed $250,000 in private discretionary support to two emergency funds benefitting students who are experiencing critical and unexpected financial difficulties. President Morehead has directed $150,000 to the Undergraduate Student Emergency Fund and $100,000 to the Graduate Student Emergency Fund. This is on top of $650,000 allocated to the funds by Morehead and the trustees of the UGA Foundation in the spring.
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA president, university system chancellor defend reopening plans criticized by faculty
By Lee Shearer
University of Georgia President Jere Morehead and University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley defended UGA and university system re-opening plans in letters to UGA faculty groups Tuesday. The faculty senates of the Mary Frances Early College of Education and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences last week adopted resolutions questioning those plans and saying some aspects could even be life-threatening. UGA has spent millions of dollars on safety measures, including more than 2,000 Plexiglas barriers being installed on campus, buying 60,000 digital thermometers and 150,000 face coverings, Morehead noted. UGA plans to conduct 24,000 COVID-19 tests on volunteer students, faculty and staff by Thanksgiving, he said, averaging 300 a day.
Patch
Instruction Offered In Various Forms This Fall At University Of N. Georgia
Desks positioned six feet apart, faculty members and students clad in masks for face-to-face instruction, rotating schedules among changes
Desks positioned 6 feet apart, faculty members and students clad in masks for face-to-face instruction, and a rotating schedule for class attendance will be part of the new collegiate experience this fall at the University of North Georgia (UNG). “Our main objectives are to keep as much face-to-face instruction as possible while ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, faculty and staff,” said Dr. Chaudron Gille, provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs. “With those two goals in mind, our campuses have devised different ways to teach students, which include a mix of in-person, online and hybrid instruction.” For fall 2020, course schedules will be marked with an instructional modality for each class.
11Alive
The ‘senior senior:’ 81-year-old becomes Georgia Gwinnett College’s oldest graduate
Unlike his much-younger classmates, Prescott Lawrence didn’t seek a college education out of necessity.
Author: Brittany Kleinpeter
At 81 years old, Prescott Lawrence has all the life experience anyone would ever need. A dream that took more than a decade to achieve, Lawrence will receive his college degree this weekend from Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC). On Saturday, Lawrence will become the oldest student to ever graduate from the college earning his degree in business administration with a concentration in management information systems. He said he didn’t seek a college degree out of necessity, but out of the desire to keep his mind sharp. …On the topic of his age, the soon-to-be graduate said age is just a number. …Lawrence spent decades serving in the U.S. military and worked several more jobs before deciding it was time to get his degree. The father of four, grandfather of 13, and great grandfather of 18 said he couldn’t have done it without his family by his side.
Multi-Housing News
XFD Real Estate Purchases Georgia Student Housing for $45M
The buyer partnered with Ash Real Estate, Saxum Real Estate and Anchor Real Estate Capital for this acquisition.
By Sergiu Inizian
XFD Real Estate Partners has acquired Cottage Row, a 1,087-bed student housing community in Statesboro, Ga. According to public records, Rialto Capital sold the property for $45.2 million. The buyer received a five-year, $32.7 million acquisition loan from Ameris Bank. According to XFD, the Cottage Row deal represents the largest student housing sale in the market since 2016. The buyer partnered with Ash Real Estate, Saxum Real Estate and Anchor Real Estate Capital for this acquisition. …Located at 17358 GA-67 S., the community is 2 miles from Georgia Southern University.
Inside Higher Ed
Lessons in Leverage in the Time of Coronavirus
Those with leverage are using it. Those without it must find new ways to influence those who hold power.
By John Warner
The opening of college campuses to face-to-face instruction has become increasingly contentious the closer we get to the actual date for the start of class….According to data from the C2 Initiative, as of July 31, 2.5% of institutions they track plan for fully in-person, 21% are primarily in person, 16% are hybrid, 4.7% are fully online, 24% primarily online, with the largest proportion, 26%, still TBD. The rationale for in-person instruction, that schools cannot operate without the revenue students bring with their bodies to campus, is becoming more and more plain ….The University System of Georgia is experiencing what I would call extortion at the hands of the company to which it outsourced the construction and operation of its dormitories. This process involved the creation of debt that the USOG agreed to secure through the “Student Housing Fee revenue.” Corvias, the company who took over the operations of the dorms, made it clear to the USOG that it would be collecting that money whether students were present or not.
WALB
By Paige Dauer
A 670-piece popsicle stick replica of the Georgia Southwestern softball field. It’s a gift that captivates a years-long friendship between the Canes and one honorary member of the team. Senior first baseman, Lauren Kuerzi and Becca Burnette have been like-family for years. …So, the reason Becca gifted Kuerzi with this replica of the Canes softball field is really quite simple. “Because I love her,” said Becca. “It really showed me how much she loved me and being out here. This is like our biggest thing in common. So, for her to put that and ball together, knowing how much that means to me, meant a lot to me,” said Kuerzi. Kuerzi’s sophomore year, Becca got her own Canes softball jersey, officially becoming an honorary member of the team. …Over the years Becca has become an invaluable part of their team.
MSN
AU Jaguars team up with school for reading program in local youth
Nick Proto
The season didn’t end the way the Augusta University Jaguars were hoping it would. While at the national tournament in Tennessee, they found out the rest of the season was canceled, but classes continued, and the team showed why they’re called student-athletes. The Jaguars are used to on-court success, but this year it’s what they did off the court that got them national recognition. The team earned the Team Academic Excellence Award given out by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. “It’s a great thing. We were able to get the GPA needed. We had three players get selected on the team as well,” Jags head coach Dip Metress said. Metress says despite these trying times, his team was still able to stay focused on their schoolwork, even from all over the world. …And the College of Education and basketball team joined forces to start Augusta Reading – a program to encourage local kids to pick up a book.
WALB
A state of the art indoor training facility has just been completed at Georgia Southwestern
By Paige Dauer
It’s the first of its kind in the Peach Belt Conference. This state of the art indoor training facility is up and operating at Georgia Southwestern State University. This facility is catered for the softball, baseball, and soccer teams. Head Softball Coach, Nicole Levering said it’ll only elevate their game both on the field and with recruiting.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
College counselor: Drop ACT/SAT requirement or risk losing thousands of qualified Georgia applicants
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
More than 1,300 campuses are test-optional in response to pandemic, but not Georgia public colleges
As owner of Grand Fit Educational Consulting, Allison Grandits works with Georgia high school students in their college search. That process has been made harder by the University System of Georgia’s resistance to making the ACT and SAT optional for seniors applying to college amid the COVID-19 pandemic, she says. More than 1,300 campuses across the country have gone test-optional as a result of the difficulties in securing testing dates and disruptions to schooling. Parents have told me it’s been a nightmare to register their kids for tests, due to a shortage of testing sites…Many admissions directors at Georgia’s public colleges share Grandits’ concerns that USG’s refusal to waive testing will lower the quantity and quality of applicants and deter top out-of-state students from considering Georgia schools. …Grandits shares a letter she sent to Tristan Denley, chief academic officer of the University System of Georgia, and USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley detailing those challenges. She holds an undergraduate degree in psychology and a master’s in professional school counseling from the University of Georgia and a post-graduate certificate in college consulting from the University of California- Irvine.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia surpasses 200,000 coronavirus cases, nears 4,000 deaths
By J. Scott Trubey
The state of Georgia on Wednesday surpassed 200,000 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, becoming just the fifth state in the U.S. to reach the somber milestone. Georgia also is likely to eclipse 4,000 cumulative deaths this week, as fatalities from COVID-19 have risen in the wake of a prolonged surge in new infections. Data from the state Department of Public Health show a net increase of 3,765 cases and 63 deaths on Wednesday. Cases of the virus appear to have plateaued at a high level after weeks of exponential growth, and hospitals remain strained.
Fox32 Chicago
CDC forecast shows nearly 20,000 more Americans could die of COVID-19 by Aug. 22
By Kelly Taylor Hayes
A new ensemble forecast by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States estimates that new U.S. deaths attributed to the novel coronavirus could increase to 11,000 people per week by Aug. 22. The CDC forecast shows that total U.S. deaths from COVID-19 could reach 173,000 by Aug. 22 — with a possible range between 168,000 to 182,000. More than 155,000 people have died from COVID-19, according to Aug. 3 data by Johns Hopkins University.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Aug. 5, 3 p.m.)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 3,984 | 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: 201,713 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
COVID-19 Roundup: Colleges Shift Strategy in Waves
Institutions in New Jersey and Massachusetts revert to mostly virtual instruction; Purdue’s president sees “zero lethal risk” to students; instructional and living alternatives crop up.
By Doug Lederman
The number of colleges reversing previously announced plans to bring many of their students back to campus this fall has continued to climb this week, with some going entirely virtual for the semester and others starting the semester online and delaying students’ return (at least for now). Meanwhile, significant numbers of institutions are sticking to their plans to reopen their physical campuses — and some of their leaders are doing s
Inside Higher Ed
Student Aid Administrators Recommend Improvements
By Kery Murakami
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid should be further simplified by automatically including more data from IRS filings, including exploring whether wage information from W-2s could be used, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators said Wednesday. The group issued 13 recommendations on making the financial aid application process more streamlined and transparent, based on 10 policy papers it commissioned.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
CED Provides Recommendations for Higher Education Reform After COVID-19
by Sarah Wood
A new brief from the Committee for Economic Development of the Conference Board (CED) provides recommendations to policymakers for how to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the higher education system. The brief, “Developing the Future Workforce: Revitalizing Postsecondary Education and Training After COVID-19,” lays out the challenges faced by institutions during the pandemic and recommends ways to improve postsecondary education and workforce training in a post-pandemic society.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Its Local Health Department Urged a Virtual Fall. UNC Is Reopening Anyway.
By Francie Diep
The Orange County, N.C., health department asked the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill last week to move the campus online for the fall semester, but the university has declined to take the health department’s recommendations, moving forward with in-person operations. “If students begin to move back on campus next week, we could quickly become a hot spot for new cases, as thousands of students from all across the country/world merge onto the UNC campus,” wrote Quintana Stewart, Orange County’s health director, in a memo to UNC’s chancellor, provost, and vice chancellor, dated July 29. Stewart’s major recommendations were for the university to restrict on-campus housing only to those students who need it most, so that everyone can have a single room, and for the university to hold all classes online for the fall. Barring a move to a virtual fall, Stewart recommended the university teach online-only for the first five weeks of the semester to give the department and university additional time to monitor the coronavirus’s spread after students’ return.
Inside Higher Ed
Taking a Stand and Sitting It Out
Football players in the Pac-12 Conference are unconvinced by their institutions’ coronavirus safety measures and are refusing to play until demands for safer health policies and racial justice are met.
By Greta Anderson
The National Collegiate Athletic Association and its Division I conferences have become the most recent focal point of the movement against racial injustice at American colleges and universities. A growing chorus of Black athletes has in recent days leveled charges that the college sports system is exploiting their talent and labor during the coronavirus pandemic. The pandemic has disproportionately damaged the physical health and economic well-being of people of color, and it has infected many college athletes across the country as they return to campuses ahead of other students to prepare for the fall sports season. These issues are weighing on the consciousness of athletes who say their institutions are treating them as second-class students for entertainment purposes and to raise revenue. As a result, the athletes have started to organize in ways scholars say is unseen in the history of college sports.
Inside Higher Ed
By Scott Jaschik
Inside Higher Ed is pleased to release today our latest print-on-demand compilation, “The New Normal: Finding Efficiencies & Managing Expenses.” You may download a copy here, free.