University System News:
WGAU Radio
USG schedules listening sessions in search for next Chancellor
Steve Wrigley is retiring
By Tim Bryant
The first of five “listening sessions” organized by the state Board of Regents will take place this week. Three of the five sessions will be open to the public. The virtual public meetings set for Thursday, Friday, and next Monday are designed to help with the search for the next Chancellor of the University System of Georgia. The current Chancellor, former University of Georgia administrator Steve Wrigley, announced his pending retirement earlier this year.
From the USG website…
The Regents Search Advisory Group has scheduled listening sessions to receive input from students, faculty, staff and the public on its search for the next chancellor of the University System of Georgia.
WRDW
Don’t lose caution as states lift some COVID-19 restrictions, doctors say
By Kennedi Harris
We’re seeing warmer weather, and even some COVID-19 restrictions being lifted. And yes, it’s giving us all a taste of what we use to know pre-pandemic, but health experts say all of these things could give us a false sense of security. “There just seems to be less COVID-19 out there. We’re seeing across the country and especially across Georgia, as well as in Richmond County, sustained drops in the number of hospitalizations,” Dr. Rodger MacArthur said. Dr. Macarthur, an infectious disease expert at the Medical College of Georgia says trending down numbers are a very good sign.
WGAU Radio
UGA pre-med student helps clinic with COVID protocols
“Quintessential college thing…”
By Sara Freeland, UGA Today
For Victoria Fonzi, college is about the little moments with friends—cooking dumplings or stir fry together (pre-pandemic) and then debating the meaning of life. “That’s the quintessential college thing too—to be able to talk about philosophical things and explore your beliefs,” she said. Fonzi, a Foundation Fellow who is majoring in cellular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, is also pursuing a master’s degree in public health through the Double Dawgs program. A future physician, she’s tried to make the most of her time at UGA. …While it wasn’t part of the initial plan, she helped to develop COVID-19 procedures. Her job was figuring out the most logical ways for staff to take care of patients coming in for normal visits while also accommodating COVID-19 testing. She also helped with making sure all the clinic locations had the correct supplies to do testing and paperwork. This semester, she’s working one day a week at the clinic helping with vaccine workflow. In particular, she’s overseeing paperwork requirements—and making sure vaccines are recorded on registries for the clinic, state of Georgia and electronic medical records—and then creating a system for the other clinic locations to follow for the paperwork. The goal is to figure out the most efficient way to get the most people vaccinated in the shortest amount of time.
Fox 5 Atlanta
Clayton State University meets the vaccination needs of its students
By Christine Sperow
Teaching students is complicated enough during the pandemic. One metro Atlanta university is actively taking on another challenge: Getting the campus community vaccinated too. Clayton State University already had the necessary refrigeration in-house to properly store the vaccines on campus when they arrived. When the New Year arrived the school was prepared and ready to get shots in arms. …They started last month and have since gotten shots in the arms in more than 600 people.
Griffin Daily News
Gordon State announces Regina Lewis-Ward Empowerment Scholarship
By Staff Reports
The Gordon State College Foundation, Inc. is pleased to announce the Regina Lewis-Ward Empowerment Scholarship, which has been established by Georgia House of Representatives member Regina Lewis-Ward. Serving Georgia’s District 109, which covers parts of the GSC’s 14-county primary service region, Lewis-Ward’s generosity has led to this scholarship being created for the students at Gordon State College. This ongoing $1,000 scholarship will be awarded each fall semester to a deserving student.
Georgia Trend
Macon | Bibb County: Growth at Every Corner
Education, new industry and healthcare.
…Higher Education
The activity at Middle Georgia Regional – along with Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport less than 80 miles away – means there’s a tremendous need for airline and airport workers in the region. Middle Georgia State University (MGSU) is filling that need with programs that train for nearly every position an airline needs, including pilots. …Not only does MGSU train top-tier airport staff, it does so at a fraction of the cost of private universities, especially for students eligible for the HOPE scholarship. The School of Aviation has operations in five Middle Georgia cities, including a satellite location at the Macon Downtown Airport, providing even more hands-on training for its students. Bentley describes the program with a simple slogan: “from the classroom to the cockpit.”
The Red & Black
UGA cancels summer 2021 study abroad programs
Sydney Dangremond | Breaking News Reporter
In a statement released Monday morning, the University of Georgia canceled all remaining faculty-led summer 2021 study abroad programs. All Maymester 2021 study abroad programs were previously cancelled on Feb. 15.
The George-Anne
A brief history of Black figures at Georgia Southern
Alejandro De La Fuente, Correspondent
First Black Students:
During the fall of 1965, the first Black students walked onto the Georgia Southern campus, which at the time had only taught white students in its 59-year history. …The university unbelievably was entirely more accommodating than the city of Statesboro. Educated students and faculty tended to practice their bigotry subversively while the city hurled threats, objects and offensive language at the new Black students. Nevertheless, Black students came to GS and completed their studies. The first African American students, Catherine Davis; Clavelia Brinson; Arlene Daughtry; and Ulysee Mosley, arrived in the fall of 1965. Davis and Daughtry both graduated with a BA in Sociology. Brinson graduated with a BS in Education Health and Physical Education; while, Mosley graduated with a BA in Psychology. Davis and Mosley earned the honor of being the first and second Black graduates, respectively.
Middle Georgia CEO (video)
Dr. Neil Rigole on the First Doctoral Program at Middle Georgia State University
Dr. Neil Rigole with Middle Georgia State University talks about the first doctoral program at MGA – Doctor Of Science In Information Technology. This program will begin in the summer of 2021.
Albany Herald
UGA students offer free tax preparation service
By Cal Powell CAES News
University of Georgia students are again helping Georgia taxpayers by offering free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. UGA has partnered with Georgia United Credit Union in the VITA program since 2005. The program is designed to provide free tax preparation assistance to individuals and families with low to moderate income, those with disabilities and the elderly. Through the service-learning course, financial planning majors from the College of Family and Consumer Sciences and accounting majors from the Terry College of Business are certified as tax preparers by the IRS and earn academic credit for their involvement.
News Break
More than 2,000 without power in Augusta
More than 2,000 homes are without power in Augusta Monday evening. According to Georgia Power’s outage map, there are two separate outages, one centered around the Augusta University Summerville campus and another centered around Augusta West Pkwy.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 1)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 15,148 | Deaths have been confirmed in every county. This figure does not include additional cases that the DPH reports as suspected COVID-19-related deaths. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
CONFIRMED CASES: 819,730 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Through Feb. 15, only 44 percent of people using the Common Application submitted SAT or ACT scores. Last year’s total was 77 percent.
By Scott Jaschik
Only 44 percent of those who applied to college through the Common Application through Feb. 15 submitted SAT or ACT scores. That represents a substantial decline from last year (comparing only colleges that used the Common App both years), when the total through Feb. 15, 2020, was 77 percent. A memo to Common App members from Jenny Rickard, CEO of the Common App, said that “not surprisingly, given the difficulties students faced in accessing testing sites during the pandemic and members’ flexible policies around test score submission, the share of applications submitted with test scores fell significantly from the prior year.” The Common App processes applications from more than one million students a year.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why Haven’t More Colleges Closed?
Prognosticators predicted mass shutterings. That hasn’t happened, but other enormous changes are underway.
By Rebecca S. Natow
Last spring’s abrupt, pandemic-induced pivot to virtual learning led to tremendous financial disruption for colleges. The educational technology came with a lofty price tag. So did retrofitting campuses to comply with public-health guidance, with needs for plexiglass dividers, extra campus cleanings, and personal protective equipment — to say nothing of smartphone screening apps and the cost of Covid testing itself. There were housing refunds to process, reduced revenues from flat or even decreased tuition pricing, and widespread enrollment declines. State governments threatened enormous funding cuts, and sometimes followed through, exacerbating a troubling pre-pandemic trend. The economic losses have been steep — one estimate comes in at $183 billion — and although the federal government has provided stimulus funding with more likely on the way, the amount seems certain to fall far short of the $120 billion advocates sought. …Observers were quick to grasp the enormousness of Covid’s effects on our sector. Last March, Moody’s Investors Service downgraded its financial outlook for higher ed, citing the pandemic as a cause for the change. …Colleges have also reduced or transformed certain programs and practices in response to evolving environments — as well as to reduce their costs. For example, over the years, the proportion of tenure-line faculty has declined while the proportion of lower-cost contingent faculty has increased. Colleges have also eliminated or restructured departments and degree programs to make their offerings more marketable to prospective students. In short, institutions have proved they are willing to make adjustments, reorganizations, and even substantial cuts to lower expenses and keep up with market demand. This willingness to adapt has no doubt been a factor in keeping many colleges financially afloat.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
U. of Illinois Saliva Test Gets Green Light From FDA
By Andy Thomason
The University of Illinois’s innovative saliva test, which it has deployed successfully on its campuses, has gotten the green light for emergency use from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Chicago Tribune reports. According to the newspaper, the move clears the way for the expansion of the test across Illinois, including to the state’s other colleges.