University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia colleges work on plan to improve mental health on campuses
By Eric Strigus
The University System of Georgia is working on a plan to address mental health for students as many of them have limited access to such services during the coronavirus pandemic. System officials plan to expand clinical resources to ensure all students have access to psychiatric care by telephone and clinical counseling services. The system is also starting a 24/7 hotline and well-being support programs. Additionally, about $1.7 million in mini-grants will be available to campuses to support mental health and wellness services. Gov. Brian Kemp in August allocated $11.5 million of the Governors Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funding, set aside by the federal CARES Act, to support mental health and student support services within the system.
See also: AllOnGeorgia
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
KSU fall enrollment makes it second largest university in Georgia
By Kristal Dixon
Kennesaw State is celebrating a milestone this semester after its student population swelled to more than 41,000 students, making it the second largest university in Georgia. KSU’s fall enrollment is 41,181 students, according to numbers released last week by the University System of Georgia. It’s a 9% increase from its enrollment in fall 2019. In 2010, fall enrollment was just 23,000. Only Georgia State University eclipses Kennesaw State with its enrollment of 53,743 students.
Savannah Morning News
Georgia Southern ranked in top five for student enrollment, SSU stands out for female enrollment
By Lee Shearer
Ten years ago, the University of Georgia was the largest university in the state with 34,677 students. But as of this year, UGA is the fourth-largest despite a record enrollment of 39,147. Georgia State University has been the state’s largest for several years, after the Atlanta school’s merger with the state’s largest two-year college. Now, both Georgia Tech and Kennesaw State University have passed UGA in enrollment after a decade of explosive growth, according to figures released this week by the University System of Georgia, comprising the state’s 26 public colleges and universities. Georgia Southern enrollment is the fifth largest in the state at 26,949, an increase of 3.4% since the fall of 2019. Savannah State, with 3,488 students, dipped 5.4% from its fall 2019 enrollment figure.
See also: Statesboro Herald and Fox 28.
CBS Atlanta
Clayton County To Provide Free COVID Testing For Clayton State University Students Only
By Staff Reports
Clayton County Board of Commissioners, Clayton County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES), and Clayton State University (CSU) have partnered to offer free COVID Testing to students of Clayton State University prior to leaving for the Thanksgiving Holiday break. Those students who wish to be tested prior to leaving campus may do so by registering at the link provided on the information card given to students.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Campus free-speech bill first pre-file for 2021 Georgia legislative session
By Dave Williams
Supporters say the first legislation pre-filed in advance of the 2021 General Assembly session would strike a blow for free speech on Georgia college campuses. But opponents say the “Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act” could lead to discrimination. House Bill 1, pre-filed on Monday by Georgia Rep. Josh Bonner, R-Fayetteville, reintroduces a bill the state Senate’s Republican majority passed last March 32-21 along party lines. The legislation cleared a committee in the House of Representatives but failed to get a floor vote during the final hectic week of the 2020 General Assembly session in June. The FORUM Act would bar the practice of establishing “speech zones” effectively limiting where student groups could convene on campuses. It also would eliminate speech codes in state law by protecting what students can say and protect students’ right to free association for the expression of ideas.
The Washington Post
The lowest-paid workers in higher education are suffering the highest job losses
By Danielle Douglas-Gabriel and Alyssa Fowers
Eugenia Bradford believed her job was safe. After all, she was the only administrative assistant for college advising services at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Who else would schedule appointments or supervise work-study students if she were gone? But weeks before the fall semester began in August, Bradford’s boss told her the department was downsizing and her position would be eliminated. The university offered to pay her through mid-October, but after that she was on her own. No more health insurance. No more peace of mind.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Make sure COVID doesn’t come home for holidays with your college student
By Maureen Downey
If your Thanksgiving plans include a returning college student, a Harvard infectious disease expert suggests an addition to your holiday table — warm sweaters. That’s because William Hanage advises families, especially those in milder climates like Georgia, to consider eating and holding festivities outdoors to reduce the risk of COVID-19. If that’s not possible, Hanage urges them to throw open a window to improve ventilation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week predicted 260,000 to 282,000 coronavirus deaths by Dec. 5.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Nov. 16)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 8,471 | Deaths have been confirmed in all counties but one (Taliaferro). County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
CONFIRMED CASES: 387,930 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia public schools see fewer kindergartners, more high schoolers
By Ty Tagami
The number of children signing up for Georgia kindergarten classes plummeted this school year, a trend education officials say is a likely reaction to schooling during a pandemic and which has potential consequences for funding next year. Enrollment also dropped in first through fifth grades but not by as much, according to new enrollment data published by the Georgia Department of Education. At the same time, the number of students in high school increased. There are likely multiple colliding trends that are driving the unusual and conflicting numbers, from a baby bust during the Great Recession to the difficulty younger students have attending class online, a common mode for school during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Grady High students voting this week on new name for Atlanta school
By Vanessa McCray
Grady High School students will vote this week on what their school’s new name should be. The Atlanta school board had been poised to decide on a new name at a meeting earlier this month but paused to give students time to weigh in. The electronic poll opened Monday and will close Friday. Students can rank three proposed names: Ida B. Wells High School, Midtown High School, or Piedmont High School. A committee appointed by the school board chairman last spring had recommended that the school be renamed after Wells, a civil rights activist and Black journalist who died in 1931. Four of the committee’s seven members had favored the name.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gwinnett extends deadline to choose learning option for next semester
By: Alia Malik
Gwinnett County Public Schools is giving families a two-week extension to choose whether their children will be learning in person or remotely next semester. The initial deadline was Sunday. The new deadline is Nov. 29. The semester begins Jan. 6. Families are asked to select their preference online through the parent portal. Those who have already made a selection can change it until the new deadline, according to a school district news release. Any updated preferences will be shown the following school day.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Richmond County schools move to online learning due to COVID-19 cases
By Imani Dennis
Richmond County students are switching out their masks and backpacks for pajamas starting Monday. The school board decided to close schools Nov. 12, citing an increase in COVID activity at the campuses, transportation department and the central office.
Higher Education News
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Plummeting Community-College Enrollments: Inside the Numbers
By Audrey Williams June
One enrollment trend has become increasingly clear since the global pandemic began: Students just aren’t showing up at community colleges. Reports of sharp declines in the number of students at public two-year institutions date back to the summer, when data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center showed a drop of nearly 6 percent from a year earlier. Early in the fall semester, things looked even worse, with the plunge deepening to 7.5 percent from the previous year. Then as now, community colleges continued to suffer the most of all institution types, and they didn’t benefit from typical countercyclical trends. Community colleges often see an influx of new students looking to retool their skills during economic downturns. But that has yet to happen, in part because of the widespread health risks from the pandemic. The latest enrollment data from the center, released in mid-November, show that the downward trend hasn’t let up, with the drop in attendance from a year ago now standing at 9.5 percent.
Inside Higher Education
Cutting the In-Person Semester Short
By Lilah Burke
The United States is entering its worst period for COVID-19 infections to date. On Friday, the nation set a new record for daily infections, reporting more than 184,000 in one day. Experts have long predicted that the winter would be worse for infections, leading to more outbreaks across the country. And they also predicted that the wave would not bypass American colleges and universities. In response to skyrocketing cases this week and last, higher ed institutions have been transitioning to online learning in great numbers. This past week alone, at least 20 institutions announced they will be switching to online learning for the remainder of their semesters. Those colleges cited both rising cases around the country and new infections on their campuses as reasons for the change.
The Augusta Chronicle
Survey: Borrowers Not Ready for Student Loan Payment Restart
By Ana Heloski
When the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began taking a toll on the economy and Americans’ finances earlier this year, monthly payments were paused automatically for more than 42 million federal student loan. When the deadly COVID-19 pandemic began taking a toll on the economy and Americans’ finances earlier this year, monthly payments were paused automatically for more than 42 million federal student loan borrowers. Now, with payments scheduled to resume in January, nearly half of those with federal debt say they aren’t confident that they’ll be able to pay, according to a new NerdWallet survey.