University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Clayton State University president to retire in 2021
By Eric Stirgus
One of the Atlanta region’s largest universities will soon begin the search for its next leader. Clayton State University President Tim Hynes will retire at the end of June 2021, the university announced Wednesday morning. Hynes, 70, has been president for nearly 12 years and has worked in leadership roles at various University System of Georgia schools for 25 years. The average tenure of a college president is about six years.
See also:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Clayton State University president to retire in 2021
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia colleges report downed trees, power outages after Zeta passes through
By Eric Stirgus
Several technical colleges closed Thursday
…The storm’s high winds led to downed trees and power outages on Georgia’s Tech’s campus. Tech is delaying opening today until 10 a.m. Power outages were also reported on the Dunwoody and Clarkston campuses of Georgia State University, a school spokesperson said. Other colleges, including the University of West Georgia and Clayton State University have also delayed opening Thursday until 10 a.m. Georgia Gwinnett College, which is closed Thursday, reported minor debris damage on its campus from downed trees. …Several schools within the Technical College System of Georgia also closed Thursday, including Lanier, North Georgia, …
Savannah Morning News
For the second consecutive year, a team of Georgia Southern University Parker College of Business logistics students won the Intermodal Association of North America’s (IANA) National Academic Challenge, an academic competition that supports instruction designed to educate logistics and intermodal transportation students. Alecia Breen, Ana Ortiz-Contreras and David Hudgins outscored the other teams with their team presentation about determining fleet allocation and sizing decisions for a ground shipping company with services at 12 large marine ports in the U.S. The team had to consider dimensions of uncertainty for import and export volumes at the ports related to shifting supply chain strategies, effects of the global pandemic on intermodal freight and tariffs stemming from the trade war between the U.S. and China. It was the first time Ortiz-Contreras competed in the IANA Academic Challenge, which is hosted by the University of North Florida.
WALB
GSW fraternity brothers shave their heads, raise money for breast cancer survivors
By Bobby Poitevint
Some fraternity brothers at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) are gearing up to shave their heads. Don’t worry, it’s all for a good cause. The brothers are from GSW’s fraternity Kappa Sigma and are keeping a decades-long tradition alive. “This is our annual Shave to Save. We do it every year, every year we’ve done it. We raise money for a woman from the Americus community with breast cancer,” said Zach Martin, the president of the fraternity. So far, the fraternity brothers have raised around $800, but are hoping to raise $1,000.
WSAV
GSU students learn real life lesson in reality TV
by: Patty Turner
For Film & TV students at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, you could say that this year’s lesson in TV production became very “real.” Each year, Dr. Dean Cummings challenges his Multi-Media & Film Production students with creating a TV show pilot. But because of the coronavirus, they were presented a new challenge. How to produce a show when no one could be in the same room together. They had to do it virtually. That’s when they got very creative and decided to make the TV show a Reality Show. Here’s how the professor and the students describe their collaboration in today’s challenging time.
Valdosta Daily Times
VSU sculpture joins mask movement
Masks are mandatory for all students, faculty, staff and visitors at Valdosta State University — and it appears that policy now applies to at least one member of the campus outdoor art collection. Standing nine feet tall and made of painted steel, Fenris — also known as Fenrir, Fenric and Fenrisulfer — is located outside VSU’s Odum Library. The sculpture was installed on campus a little more than eight years ago, university officials said in a statement. Fenris’ mask was created by Dr. Colette Drouillard, an associate professor in VSU’s Department of Library and Information Studies.
MSN
AU cranks out saliva tests on path toward COVID-19 vaccine
Brady Trapnell
At the drive-thru testing site, Augusta University Health is taking hundreds of saliva samples a day, working out the kinks and preparing for potentially more cases. Dr. Ravindra Kolhe with the GEM Lab at the Medical College of Georgia says his saliva tests have passed his test. They’re ready for whatever may come. “We have secured around 100,000 tests for the community, and we are still doing a thousand plus tests every day,” he said. So far, they’ve done 9,000+ saliva tests at their drive-thru testing site.
Georgia Health News
UGA reports lower numbers of new COVID infections
The University of Georgia’s reported COVID-19 cases fell to 64 last week, down from 84 the previous week and 96 the week before that. Clarke County and some of its neighboring counties also showed overall improving numbers as well compared to a week ago, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, and only two area school systems reported more than 100 students in quarantine at the end of last week.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC College COVID Tracker: Georgia Tech sees uptick in cases
By Eric Stirgus
Georgia Tech officials are paying close attention to what they recently described as a “slight uptick” in positive COVID-19 cases on campus. Georgia Tech has had 60 reported positive student cases in the last seven days, according to data posted on its website. Thirty-five of those students lived on campus. There were 30 positive student cases in the seven days beforehand. “We have just four weeks left in the semester, and we have noticed some complacency setting in. A slight uptick in positive tests confirms these observations,” Georgia Tech officials said in a message to students. “Our success may have led to some relaxing, but this is no time to take a break. This is the time to redouble our efforts. Stay vigilant — for the good of yourself and those around you.” University of Georgia reports fewer cases
Inside Higher Ed
Chief Health Officers Draw Attention
Chief health officers can help craft and lend credibility to colleges’ pandemic response, but they don’t come cheaply.
By Emma Whitford
Since the pandemic began, Preeti Malani’s name has appeared in news articles, television segments and thousands of in-boxes. Her comments are consistent and confident. She debunks COVID-19 myths, provides updates on the University of Michigan’s pandemic response plans and urges students to get out of their rooms and spend time outside. Malani is the chief health officer at the University of Michigan, a role she’s held since 2017. She’s one of a small but growing number of chief health officers at colleges and universities. Malani, like many chief health officers, serves as the public face of the University of Michigan’s pandemic response. As the pandemic drags on, some colleges have considered adding chief health officers to their executive teams. Their goal would be to lead campus health and safety strategies, build out connections with state and local hospitals, connect with health agencies, and communicate with credibility to students, employees and parents. …Colleges need someone who can speak with authority on health and pandemic-related topics, said Richard Skinner, senior consultant at Harris Search Associates and former president of Clayton State University in Atlanta. He recently co-wrote a white paper advocating for the inclusion of a chief health officer in college cabinets.
11Alive
School closings for Thursday due to Zeta
11Alive will update this story if more districts make announcements.
Several school districts have announced that they will either be doing virtual learning or cancelling school on Thursday, Oct 29, 2020. See the full list on our school closings page:
Georgia Gwinnett College – All offices, facilities closed. Scheduled classes will be held online.
Kennesaw State University – Delayed till 10am
University of West Georgia – delayed until 10 a.m.
Middle Georgia CEO
MGA Theatre Cochran Presents Pandemic-Influenced Play Created By Students
Staff Report
The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting live theatre perhaps more than any other art form. Social distancing makes it difficult – impossible in many cases – for audiences to gather in theaters to watch live performances. Production choices are limited when stage actors must stay six feet apart and wear face coverings. Faced with these challenges, a Middle Georgia State University theatre instructor came up with a creative solution for this fall’s production. MGA Theatre Cochran, based on the Cochran Campus, is presenting The Distance Between Us, a play created by and for students. Dr. John Iverson, adjunct theater instructor, developed the script using dialogue from interviews he conducted with MGA students who will perform in the play.
WFXL
Georgia Southwestern host debate for candidates Sanford Bishop and Don Cole
by Typhani Gray
On Wednesday, a debate was held at Georgia Southwestern University for both candidates running for Georgia’s second congressional seat for the US House of Representatives. The candidates up for election include Sanford Bishop and his opponent Don Cole. Sanford Bishop and Don Cole spoke on their platforms, and also answered questions written by Georgia Southwestern students, and a political science professor Jason Berggren.
The Red & Black
Virtual UGA guest lecture hijacked with death threats, racial slurs directed toward professors
Foster Steinbeck | News Assistant
UPDATE: President Morehead responded to the disrupted Zoom call on Oct. 28 and sent an email to all Franklin College members. “The vitriol spewed forth in last night’s Zoom lecture targeting members of our University community—specifically our Latinx, Black and LGBTQ members—is despicable,” Morehead wrote. “I abhor this disgusting behavior and stand with those across campus who were subjected to this outrageous act.”
Harvard associate professor Lorgia Garcia Peña’s fears came true on Tuesday night when her guest lecture about violence against women of color was Zoombombed.
11Alive
Former UGA football, NFL star dies
Orr was a three-year letterman for the Bulldogs (1955-56-57) and became a successful wide receiver for 13 years in the NFL.
Former University of Georgia football and National Football League star Jimmy Orr died Tuesday at his home in Brunswick. He was 85. Orr was a three-year letterman for the Bulldogs (1955-56-57) and became a star wide receiver for 13 years in the NFL playing with the Pittsburgh Steelers (1958-60) and Baltimore Colts (1961-70), the university said.
Fox5 Atlanta
UGA researchers study post-coronavirus immunity questions
By Beth Galvin
Spencer Pierce contracted COVID-19 back in March, just as the country was learning about this new virus and its strange symptoms. “The most concerning part was the losing of taste and smell,” the Athens 27-year-old says. “The rest was an achy, bad headache, just felt like a really bad flu/cold.” Pierce never took a COVID-19 diagnostic test. Still, he knows he had the virus because researchers found antibodies against it in his blood. So, do those antibodies mean he is protected going forward, or could Pierce get re-infected down the road? Dr. Ted Ross, Ph.D., Director of the Center for Vaccines and Immunology and a Professor of Infectious Diseases at the University of Georgia says there are still many unanswered questions about what happens after someone is exposed to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. …Using blood and saliva samples collected from Pierce and other volunteers, Ross is heading up a two-year nationwide study to see whether exposure to the virus or a vaccine, once its ready, offers us some level of natural protection against reinfection.
Tifton CEO
Lasseter Tractor Company Loans John Deere Tractor to ABAC
Staff Report
With a record number of students enrolled in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College this year, the J.G. Woodroof Farm is an integral component of the teaching schedule. That farming operation teaching laboratory will be better equipped this fall semester thanks to the one-year loan of a John Deere 8335R tractor from Lasseter Tractor Company’s Tifton office.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia explores wastewater testing to predict COVID-19 outbreaks
By Nedra Rhone
Each week from 6 a.m. Monday to 6 a.m. Tuesday, utility workers in Athens collect samples from two of the largest water treatment plants in Athens-Clarke County. At the University of Georgia’s Environmental Health Science Lab, scientists test the samples for COVID-19. In late October, the data posted online each week brought concerning news — concentrations of the virus had increased. While reported cases in the county remained stable, the upward trend could indicate changes in the release of the virus into the community from asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic infections.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Oct. 28)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 7,876 | 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: 355,025 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Leadership Development Programs Play Key Role in Training Higher Ed Leaders
by Lois Elfman
“There is not a guidebook on how to be a college president. You really can only learn from other presidents,” says Dr. Berenecea Johnson Eanes, president of York College, part of the City University of New York system (CUNY). Eanes is an alumna of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ (AASCU) Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI). “AASCU and MLI has given me a chance to learn from some of the most dynamic leaders in the country,” says Eanes. “It made the difference in my next step. Some people in academia envision themselves in leadership positions. And for individuals desirous of enhancing their knowledge and leadership skills, there are leadership development programs such the American Council on Education (ACE) Fellows Program and the MLI. “The ACE Fellows Program is really committed to diversifying the pipeline of leadership,” says Dr. Sherri Hughes, ACE assistant vice president for professional learning, and director of the ACE Fellows Program. “We encourage colleges and universities to identify diverse candidates for the program.”
Inside Higher Ed
Cal State Enrollment Reached All-Time High
By Greta Anderson
A record number of students are enrolled in the California State University system’s 23 campuses during the fall 2020 semester, system officials announced in a press release Monday. The system enrolled 485,549 students this fall, an all-time high, and surpassed its previous enrollment record of 484,297 during the fall 2017 semester, the release said. Fall 2020 enrollment is up 3,620 students from fall 2019, when the system enrolled 481,929 students, the release said. Part of the reason for the system’s record enrollment this semester is an all-time high retention rate among first-year students who started at Cal State campuses during 2019, the release said. About 85 percent of these students returned to campus for the fall 2020 semester, according to system officials.
Inside Higher Ed
‘There Are So Few That Have Made Their Way’
Black campus leaders say their careers can be deeply rewarding, even as they are taxing. So why are Black employees so sharply underrepresented at the top ranks of the higher education ecosystem?
By Emma Whitford
Robert Kelly had what he calls “one of the experiences that we hope students have when they go to college.” He graduated in 1994 from Loyola University in Maryland — then called Loyola College — and soon after earned a master’s degree in education administration from the University of Vermont and later a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland. His career in higher education administration took him to Seattle University, Loyola University in Chicago and Union College in New York. Today, he’s back at Loyola Maryland as special assistant to the president. Throughout his career, Kelly found himself one of few Black administrators on campus. …Black and African American employees make up less than 10 percent of higher education professionals, according to the latest data from the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. The annual survey includes demographic information for midlevel college employees in academic affairs, athletics, external affairs, facilities, information technology and other areas. White employees account for more than three-quarters of all higher education professionals. Among administrators and executive leadership, this disparity is even greater. CUPA-HR’s report shows that less than 8 percent of administrators are Black or African American, and more than 80 percent are white. Higher education professionals and faculty do not reflect the overall population of undergraduates or the shifting demographics in the United States.