University System News:
Albany Herald
State universities post gains in enrollment for fall 2020
By Alan Mauldin
Fall enrollment figures for Georgia colleges show an overall increase in enrollment of 2.4%, and local universities also have experienced a bump in the number of students on campus. In Albany, Albany State University’s enrollment increased to 6,509 for the fall semester this year compared to 6,122 the previous fall, a 6.3% increase, according to a report released by the University System of Georgia. Enrollment at Georgia Southwestern State University was up 7.2% from the previous year, increasing from 2,950 to 3,162 students. Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College had an increase of 1.6%, with 3,990 enrolled for the fall 2020 semester. Statewide, enrollment in the system’s 26 institutions grew to 341,485, up from 333,507 in the fall of 2019.
Athens CEO
UGA Surpasses Testing Goal for Fall Semester
Greg Trevor
The University of Georgia set a goal for its voluntary surveillance testing program to administer more than 24,000 COVID-19 tests to faculty, staff and students by Thanksgiving. However, when the pre-Thanksgiving push wrapped up last week, 29,927 tests had been conducted over the course of the Fall Semester, far exceeding original plans. In addition, for the fourth consecutive week, UGA set another record high for participation in its surveillance testing program, with 5,083 asymptomatic individuals tested at Legion Field and in pop-up satellite sites across campus during the week of November 16-20. Of those who participated, 38 tested positive, for a positivity rate of 0.75%.
The Red & Black
UGA study finds each college graduate adds nearly $2 million to Georgia’s GDP
Jake Drukman | City News Editor
A study performed by the University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth found that the lifetime earnings of each new four-year college graduate in the state will increase its gross domestic product by almost $2 million. The research assumed each graduate would work for 40 years after earning a bachelor’s degree. The study found that the economic benefit to the state’s economy would be $1,992,065 over that time period. The student who earned a degree still benefits the most from it, however. About 61% of the value of a bachelor’s degree goes directly to the graduate, while the other 39% goes to the graduate’s employer, community and state, according to the study
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Students with homeless, foster care backgrounds find footing with KSU program
By Kristal Dixon
Starting a college education is a big transition for any student, but the experience can be overwhelming for a person who may not have a concrete family support system. That’s where Kennesaw State University’s ASCEND program steps in. ASCEND provides a variety of services for students who have backgrounds with homelessness, food insecurity or the foster care system. Kennesaw State opened a dedicated living space this year on its Marietta campus for students in the program. The home for the ASCEND program is one of 12 KSU living-learning villages on both campuses, which groups students of a similar background into the same area of on-campus housing.
Albany Herald
From staff reports
After receiving life-changing news concerning the health of her father, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College student Katelyn Watson knew her future had to involve the health care field. With her recent acceptance to the University of Georgia PharmD program, that future will continue to unfold when she transitions from ABAC to UGA in fall 2021. …Watson began taking ABAC classes through the dual enrollment program before she graduated as the Valedictorian of Turner County High School in 2019. She decided to finish her bachelor’s degree in biology at ABAC because of her love of the campus and the trusting relationships she forged with her ABAC professors.
WTOC
Therapy goat lends a helping hoof to Georgia Southern students
By Dal Cannady
A Georgia Southern professor is trying something new to train the next generation of teachers. It involves a pet that’s become part of her lesson. Moonpie is a Nigerian Dwarf goat. Professor Tonya Cooper says she uses Moonpie to show the up and coming teachers how to introduce goats and other animals into special needs and other classes to help. She says Moonpie is more docile than other support animals.
WGAU
UGA researchers work to help Ga pecan growers meet demand
Georgia is nation’s leading pecan producer
By Allison Fortner
The international popularity of pecans is trending upward, but more reliable measures for guaranteeing quality during storage are needed to meet demand in Georgia, the top state for pecan production. A review conducted by University of Georgia researchers identified scientific principles behind postharvest storage and handling techniques for pecans and revealed the need for a mathematical model to help producers predict quality under various conditions. This research will help U.S. pecan producers improve quality and increase shelf life.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia State University to study COVID-19 research participation in Black communities
A $1.3 million grant could help Georgia State University play a role in better understanding why predominantly Black communities in Atlanta aren’t participating in COVID-19 research studies. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded an interdisciplinary team at GSU’s School of Public Health the two-year grant through its RADx Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) program “to better understand barriers and motivations for participating in COVID-19 research among Black communities in Atlanta,” according to the school. GSU is one of 55 institutions to receive an NIH award through the program. The team’s aim is to examine what kinds of things preclude people from participating in COVID-19 serostudies, which survey a large number of people for the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 antibody through a minimally invasive test, such as a finger prick.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Is the Pandemic Pushing a Wave of Presidents Out? Not Yet
By Eric Kelderman
The coronavirus pandemic has created a set of historic challenges for leaders in higher education. They’ve had to respond to threats to college finances and enrollment; cut faculty, staff, programs, and sports teams; orchestrate the logistical burdens of testing for the virus; and house those infected — all while navigating the uncertainty of when and how this strange, often remote, era will end. That might seem like enough to persuade an unusual number of college presidents to consider retiring. A number of the nation’s best-known leaders have announced their resignations this calendar year, including Mark P. Becker of Georgia State University, Michael A. McRobbie of Indiana University at Bloomington, and John Thrasher of Florida State University. But overall, the number of campus and system presidents stepping down appears to be within the normal range.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Grade inflation debate: A for effort or A for everybody?
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Schools and colleges were advised to grade with compassion and grace during pandemic
The debate over grade inflation and whether As and Bs are now handed out like Costco samples is drawing more attention amid COVID-19. In their ongoing analysis of college grades over time, Chris Healy of Furman University and Stuart Rojstaczer of Duke documented the disappearance of the once durable and respectable C and the surfeit of As and Bs on college transcripts. …On the K-12 front, more than a few teachers met the news that Georgia hit an all-time high school graduation record this year with skepticism. Those teachers noted the pandemic likely gave students a boost in their grades, along with a reprieve from state end-of-course tests that could have lowered their GPAs. In the spring when the pandemic shifted thousands of classes online, teachers were encouraged to grade with “grace.” For example, Georgia State University advised its faculty: “Your students have experienced serious disruption in their lives and may encounter inadequate technology, financial exigencies, and other barriers to effective learning. We need to be thoughtful, flexible, and above all, compassionate toward our students and ourselves as we navigate these uncharted waters together.”
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Nov. 29)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
DEATHS: 8,778 | 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: 420,601 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ga. virus rates likely a third higher than official tally, AJC analysis finds
By J. Scott Trubey
Antigen tests absent in some state calculations. ‘It distorts the picture,’ says one expert.
In early November, the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) started publishing daily counts of “probable” coronavirus cases detected by rapid antigen tests on its closely watched COVID-19 dashboard. But as more and more Georgians rely on antigen tests, DPH’s dashboard still doesn’t include daily results for these tests in its statewide- or county- level charts and maps of positive cases. Nor do antigen positives figure into the calculations for state and county new case rates on the dashboard, which school systems, businesses and families rely on to assess risk. The lack of consistent reporting on a website that state leaders have pitched to residents as their go-to place for the latest data, critics say, provides an incomplete rendering of the virus’ march through Georgia as cases climb.
accessWDUN
Fauci: US may see ‘surge upon surge’ of virus in weeks ahead
By The Associated Press
The nation’s top infectious disease expert said Sunday that the U.S. may see “surge upon a surge” of the coronavirus in the weeks after Thanksgiving, and he does not expect current recommendations around social distancing to be relaxed before Christmas. Meanwhile, in a major reversal, New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio said the nation’s largest school system will reopen to in-person learning and increase the number of days a week many children attend class. The announcement came just 11 days after the Democratic mayor said schools would shut down because of rising COVID-19 cases. “We feel confident that we can keep schools safe,” he said. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told ABC’s “This Week” that the level of infection in the U.S. would not “all of a sudden turn around.”
Higher Education News:
ABC News
US colleges mull new virus protocols for students’ return
As coronavirus cases are surging around the country, some colleges and universities are rethinking some of their plans for next semester
By Lisa Rathke Associated Press
… The coronavirus presented huge challenges for the fall semester for U.S. colleges that opened the academic year with in-person learning, including some that took a battering from outbreaks. Those not joining the growing number that will offer only virtual learning are assessing how they would bring students back after the winter holidays while the country faces crushing rates of virus infections. Schools that are bringing students back are adjusting testing protocols, introducing new screenings, and eliminating spring breaks to discourage students from traveling to help keep campuses open. Other schools big and small think it’s still possible to keep a pandemic-era residential college experience.
The Citizen
Rep. Bonner files college campus free speech legislation
By The Citizen
State Representative Josh Bonner (R-Fayetteville) has pre-filed House Bill 1, which will be known as the Forming Open and Robust University Minds (FORUM) Act. The FORUM Act is a policy that seeks to protect free speech, while also respecting the principles of academic freedom. “Free speech is a non-partisan issue,” said Rep. Bonner. “Our public universities are meant to be safe forums where ideas could be debated, but over the years, the ability of students to exercise their First Amendment rights has been greatly diminished. The FORUM Act would help protect and clarify those rights and hold our government accountable if they are suppressed. By implementing constitutional standards on free expression, schools can minimize the risk of costly litigation and create an environment where free speech and academic inquiry can thrive.”
Inside Higher Ed
It’s still not clear who will emerge from a political game of musical chairs to replace Lamar Alexander as the top Republican on the Senate’s education committee, but it could be Rand Paul.
By Kery Murakami
Could Rand Paul, who once advocated eliminating the Education Department, really become the Senate’s top voice on higher education? It’s not the most likely outcome in the jockeying expected before the end of the year or at the beginning of next year over who will replace retiring senator Lamar Alexander as the top Republican on the Senate’s education committee. But it’s also a distinct possibility depending on how a scandal involving another senator plays out, and higher education lobbyists and policy experts are privately concerned.
Inside Higher Ed
Students are again seeking pass-fail options for this anything-but-normal fall. Institutions are far less lenient than they were in the spring — with some exceptions.
By Colleen Flaherty
Many colleges adopted pass-fail grading policies in the spring term to give students breathing room amid COVID-19 disruptions. Students are again lobbying for such policies for the term that’s swiftly coming to a close. Some institutions gave their students this grace months ago. Some have heeded more recent calls for it. Yet on the whole, students seeking pass-fail policies this term are encountering much more opposition from their institutions, including from faculty members. Opponents of extended pass-fail policies don’t try to argue that this turned out to be a typical fall term. But they say that pass-fail grading policies can do more harm than good in terms of student success. Some also say that policies that involve letting students change their grades far into the semester are unethical. Proponents of fall pass-fail still encourage students to do as well as they can but want to give them options.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
New study: Jobs that pay well require more than degrees
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Georgetown researchers find communication and teamwork among the five most in-demand skill sets
Students today are advised to develop skills that cannot be overtaken by automation. An analysis last year by Oxford Economics, for example, predicted that 20 million manufacturing jobs across the globe could be replaced by robots by 2030. That evolving job market is prompting more students to decide college is a surer passage to financial stability than blue collar careers. A new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce finds that, in addition to education credentials, students would do well to hone their communication skills. The report, “Workplace Basics: The Competencies Employers Want,” ranks the cognitive competencies that yield the highest economic rewards. Communication, team work, sales and customer service, leadership, and problem solving and complex thinking are the five most in-demand competencies across the labor market, while strength and coordination are the least in demand. (The report defines communication broadly, including written and oral communication with clients and colleagues, the ability to express yourself effectively in speaking and writing and listening and reading.)