University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Supreme Court rules for former Ga. college student in free speech case
By Eric Stirgus
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday ruled against Georgia Gwinnett College in a legal dispute that raised long-standing complaints, particularly from conservatives and religious organizations, that colleges often find ways to discourage or prohibit them from sharing their viewpoints on campus. The court ruled 8-1 that former student Chike Uzuegbunam can seek nominal damages even though the college has since made changes it believes makes it easier for any group to hold an event on its campus. Justice Clarence Thomas wrote the majority opinion.
See also:
WABE
High Court Revives Ex-Student’s Suit Against Georgia Gwinnett College
InsiderAdvantage
Christians Win Lawsuit Against Georgia College
Inside Higher Ed
Supreme Court Sides With Students in Speech Zone Case
Groups focused on speech rights and religious liberties celebrated the ruling, which hinged on question of whether claims for nominal damages were sufficient to keep case from becoming moot.
Albany Herald
Albany State alumna selected as ambassador to Republic of China
From staff reports
Albany State University alumni are making a difference all over the world. Recently, Candice Pitts (’04), a Belizean educator, politician and diplomat, was appointed the ambassador to the Republic of China (Taiwan) representing Belize. “Serving as an ambassador is a high honor,” ASU President Marion Fedrick said in an ASU news release. “I am confident Dr. Pitts will excel in this responsibility. I am incredibly proud she chose Albany State University as an international student. What a privilege it is to know that ASU is where she built the educational foundation that prepared her for this incredible journey.”
The Augusta Chronicle
Young Augustan continues family tradition of helping her community
Miguel Legoas
Skylar Moses spent much of her childhood assisting her family in helping people, but now she is leading the mission herself. “I’ve always done community service since I’ve been 10,” Moses said. “My mom … she always got me involved with it, and so I wanted to do it myself this time.” The 20-year-old Augusta University student organized her own giveback project in front of Sacred Heart Cultural Center on Sunday afternoon. With the help of her friends, she gave out bags of toiletries and other necessities along with sandwiches and water bottles to the homeless. They also took donations for their cause from supporters like Ryne Cox, an Augusta assistant district attorney.
WABE
UNG Nursing Students Help Fill Staffing Gap By Giving COVID-19 Vaccines
Martha Dalton
Nursing students at the University of North Georgia’s Gainesville campus thought they would complete their clinical experience virtually this semester due to the pandemic. Instead, they’re getting experience in the field and they’re helping fill a staffing need by administering COVID-19 vaccines. “We started the semester the second week of January, and I had no clinical sites for them,” said UNG nursing professor Nina Myer. She prepared her 83 students to learn remotely this spring. Then, her department received a request. Alan Satterfield, the public health director for Georgia’s second region (Northeast Georgia), needed more staff to help distribute COVID vaccines. Myer jumped at the chance. “Of course, it was music to my ears,” she said. “I immediately began coordinating.” Myer assigned her students to six different health departments to administer vaccines.
WJCL
Georgia Southern student designs vaccination pins
Dave Williams, Reporter
A Georgia Southern student comes up with a unique way to show proof that you’ve been fully vaccinated. As more and more people are getting their second and final dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, they now have a neat way of showing off that fact. The “V” for Victory over COVID pins are now available for sale online and at select Statesboro area vaccination locations. And it’s all the brainchild of Georgia Southern student Edie Grace Grice, who used her skills as an artist to design the pins.
Tifton CEO
Pandemic Expands Need for ABAC Nursing Students
Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the shortage of nurses in America has become more acute. Dr. Jeffrey Ross, Dean of the School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, says ABAC is ready to come to the rescue. “During the 2020 fall semester, there were more students enrolled in nursing classes at ABAC than at any other time in our history,” Ross said. “Currently, we have more students in the RN-BSN program than we have had since the program began.” Dr. Amy Willis, Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs, said 326 students were enrolled in associate degree nursing classes at ABAC Tifton and ABAC Bainbridge during the fall term. That figure tops the 304 students who were enrolled in classes at the two locations in 2019. A total of 895 ABAC students pursued nursing degrees in the fall semester, many of those taking core curriculum classes to prepare them to enter the nursing program. Fifty-nine students in that total enrolled in ABAC’s bachelor’s degree program in nursing.
The George-Anne
Georgia Southern officials announce 20 positive COVID-19 ahead of its ninth week
Mitch Smith, Managing Editor for Print
Georgia Southern officials reported a week of decreased positive COVID-19 cases, reporting 20 cases during the eighth week of this spring semester. After completing the eighth full week of classes in the spring semester, “the report below indicates a continued decrease of total cases from the previous week with 5 university-confirmed cases and 15 self-reported cases last week.” said a disclaimer on the GS’ reporting website.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA compliance investigates allegation by coach of payments to players
By Chip Towers
The University of Georgia is aware of allegations made by Valdosta High School coach Rush Propst that both the Bulldogs and Alabama routinely pay football players hundreds of thousands of dollars to play for them. That’s according to the person who secretly recorded Propst making those accusations. Michael “Nub” Nelson, former director of the Valdosta Touchdown Club, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that UGA was provided with a copy of those recordings this past Friday and that he has was interviewed by school compliance officials on Saturday.
Other News:
Statesboro Herald
Georgia daily case numbers see 5-month low
Bulloch cases stay low, but 52nd death reported
JIM HEALY/staff
Georgia recorded fewer than 1,000 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday and Monday — the first time in five months the state had fewer than 1,000 confirmed cases on each of two consecutive days. At the same time Bulloch County recorded only 12 new cases since Friday, but did report its 52nd death. Public Safety/Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn said a 76-year-old woman with prior health issues died from COVID on Saturday. Across the state, there were 954 new cases on Sunday and 752 on Monday. It was the first time since Oct. 5–6 that Georgia had seen two consecutive days with less than 1,000 cases. Also, Monday was the lowest single-day total since Sept. 28. The state’s total number of confirmed cases is now up to 829,077.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CDC releases new COVID guidelines for vaccinated people
By Tim Darnell
White House says it wasn’t involved in developing latest guidelines
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that people who have been vaccinated for the coronavirus can gather with those who are at low risk for COVID without masks, but they should still cover their faces in public. The nation’s health experts, political and business leaders, and everyday Americans have been waiting on the CDC’s new guidelines on safe activities for people who have been vaccinated and when they can return to normal life. The new guidelines include recommendations for how and when a fully vaccinated individual can visit with other people who are fully vaccinated and with other people who are not vaccinated. The agency said the guidelines are “a first step toward returning to everyday activities in our communities.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 8)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 15,640 | 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: 829,077 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
President Biden ordered the Education Department to re-examine former education secretary Betsy DeVos’s controversial rule on campus sexual misconduct.
By Kery Murakami
President Biden on Monday ordered Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to re-examine his predecessor Betsy DeVos’s controversial rule strengthening the rights of those accused of sexual harassment or assault on the nation’s campuses. And, raising the hopes of the rule’s critics, Biden said in his order that Cardona should consider “suspending, revising, or rescinding” it. To mark International Women’s Day, Biden signed an executive order spelling out that it’s his administration’s policy “that all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex.” And discrimination, he said, includes sexual harassment and violence, as well as discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
Inside Higher Ed
‘MOOCs Failed, Short Courses Won’
Education-technology company Coursera launched a bid to become a publicly traded company last week, giving industry experts a glimpse at its financial inner workings. The company is losing money, but it might be finding a way to monetize MOOCs.
By Lindsay McKenzie
Online learning platform Coursera filed an application last week to become a publicly traded company and sell shares on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol COUR. The initial public offering was long anticipated by industry analysts but is notable because few education-technology companies have taken the plunge. Most fail to reach the scale of companies such as Chegg and 2U, two publicly traded companies that announced their IPOs eight and seven years ago, respectively. “The Coursera IPO has been the most anticipated capital event of the last few years among ed-tech prognosticators,” said Daniel Pianko, managing director of University Ventures, an investment firm focused on global higher education. “There is no logical buyer of Coursera, so an IPO is the natural way for investors to achieve a return on their investment.”
Inside Higher Ed
Tech conference on fairness, transparency and accountability cancels Google as a sponsor over concerns about the company’s fairness, transparency and accountability.
By Colleen Flaherty
The Association for Computing Machinery nixed Google as a sponsor for the fourth annual Conference on Fairness, Accountability and Transparency, happening this week online. The association had been facing pressure to address recent events at Google — namely the departure of two female computer scientists who called out bias in artificial intelligence and within the company. Conference sponsorship co-chair Michael Ekstrand, assistant professor of computer science at Boise State University, said via email Monday that the event’s Executive Committee “concluded it was in the best interests of the community to pause the sponsorship relationship with Google while we revisit the sponsorship policy.” This means that Google is not included as a sponsor for the conference, he continued, “but has no other impact — researchers employed by Google are welcome to attend and present their work at the conference.”