University System News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Hank Huckaby, served in some of Georgia’s highest offices, dies at 79.
By Phil Kloer
Henry “Hank” Huckaby, couldn’t seem to extricate himself from tough state jobs and even once famously took a pay cut to take one. He served the state of Georgia in a wide range of positions over several decades. When asked to become chancellor of the University System of Georgia, he explained the attraction. “Being a Georgia boy who got his degrees in the university system, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be doing this,” Huckaby told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution n 2011. “I like challenges, and the jobs I’ve had in state government have been challenging. This is what I enjoy doing. Hank Huckaby, 79, died Wednesday after suffering a stroke last week.

This story also appeared in The Capitol Beat, The Associated Press and The Athens Banner-Herald.

Northwest Georgia News
University System of Georgia holding the line on tuition
By Dave Williams
Students at Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities won’t be hit with a tuition increase this fall for the second year in a row. The University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents voted Tuesday, April 13, to hold the line on tuition during the 2021-22 school year. The vote marked the fourth time in the last six years the system has not increased tuition. The impact of the coronavirus pandemic was a key factor in the decision not to raise tuition during the coming year, Tracey Cook, the system’s executive vice chancellor for strategy and fiscal affairs, told board members before Tuesday’s vote, April 13.

This story also appeared in All on Georgia.

Tifton Gazette
No Tuition Increase at ABAC for Upcoming Academic Year
Staff Reports
For the second straight year and the fourth time in the last six years, there will be no tuition increase for students attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for the 2021-22 academic year. ABAC President David Bridges applauded the decision by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) on Tuesday. “On behalf of our students and their parents, I want to say thank you to the members of the Board for taking this stance during a year when the pandemic has turned our entire world upside down,” Bridges, the longest serving president among the 26 colleges and universities in the USG, said.  “ABAC has always prided itself on offering a life-changing education at a reasonable cost.  We will continue to do that.” The Board also voted to approve a recommendation of no increases to any mandatory fees for the 2021-2022 academic year.

WMGT 41
FVSU has new ways to reach minority farmers
By Lizbeth Gutierrez
Agricultural professors at Fort Valley State University are working to help minority farmers. Professors say they have seen an increase in help needed following the start of the pandemic. Using their mobile information technology unit, they can help. The unit, which contains a 25 station computer lab, has helped reach farmers all over Georgia. The technology helps to teach farmers new skills, including record-keeping, USDA programming and filling out the census. FVSU’s main goal is to keep farmers in the area.

MSN Money
New cybersecurity Ph.D. program comes to Augusta University students
By William Rioux
As students walk into the Georgia Cyber Center, a new career opportunity is waiting. It’s an opportunity that will transform the future of cybersecurity in our area. Now students in AU’s School of Computer and Cybersecurity will be able to get a Ph.D. in the field. This program is revolutionary for our area and it’s designed to prepare students for top-ranking positions in research institutions, government agencies, and tech start-ups. School officials say they hope this program prepares students to get into our local organizations.

WALB
VSU creates new Online College for Career Advancement
By Jennifer Morejon
Valdosta State University (VSU) is starting a new online college with eight degree programs. The pilot program was approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The new college is designed for adult learners wanting to advance their careers.

WFXG
AU students use music to bring people together during the pandemic
By Hannah Cotter
Music has become an outlet for many throughout the course of the COVID-19 pandemic; and for some, a lifeline. A group of students at Augusta University is using it to connect with the community in an organization called Music in Medicine. Vunya Srinivasa, Kathy Li and Natasha Ramaswamy are three of the club’s new E-board members. The trio says the pandemic put a pause on their live performances, but it’s inspired them to think more creatively. Their latest project: sending ‘Virtual Love Letters’ to nursing homes.

WTVM
Miracle Riders announce ride dates for 2021
By Olivia Gunn
The Miracle Riders announced this year’s ride dates to raise money to support their efforts to help save children’s lives. The riders have been around for years and last year, they raised enough money for Piedmont Columbus Regional to purchase a neonatal transport vehicle. After years of helping local medical causes, the Miracle Riders are partnering with Columbus State University (CSU) to raise money for the university’s pediatric nursing program. The Miracle Riders have raised nearly $2 million over the past 11 years. The ride begins Sept. 3. The riders will leave from CSU and visit all 50 states.

WRBL
First Black Superintendent of Columbus is finally getting the recognition she deserves
By Michaela Leggett
A history unknown is a history repeated, which is why a local artist is painting a portrait of Mary Lee Bussey, the first superintendent of Columbus Black Schools. Steven Tette, a realist painter, was commissioned to paint an oil portrait of Bussey by former Columbus State University history professor Judy Purnell. Bussey originally came to Columbus in 1950 as the Jean’s Supervisor for African American schools. She served as supervisor until 1968 when the Jean program ended and school integration began. Bussey was not recognized as a superintendent because she was African American and African American schools were not recognized as “real” schools either, Purnell explained. Tette told News 3 what happens in the education world can sometimes reflect what goes on in the everyday world. “What happens in education kind of mirrors what’s happening in society. It’s a resistance for inclusion and we all know that diversity makes most things turn, especially the nation.”

WALB
VSU will not mandate vaccinations for fall semester
By Jennifer Morejon
Some colleges and universities around the nation will have a new prerequisite for the fall semester, the COVID-19 vaccine. They hope to return to a normal semester and keep everyone safe. Right now, vaccines will not be required for students or staff at Valdosta State University (VSU). University leaders said any change to that would come under University System of Georgia guidance, who consults with the Georgia Department of Public Health. School officials said they’ll continue enforcing safety protocols that have been proven effective because of their low infection rate.

Dahlonega Nugget
UNG town halls will explore science behind COVID-19 vaccines
By News Staff
The University of North Georgia will host a town hall meeting on April 19 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. with UNG biology lecturer Dr. Amy Anderson in the Hoag Student Center Room 342 on the Dahlonega campus. Up to 42 people can take part in person due to social distancing. Register via Zoom to attend this meeting online. “UNG Community Conversations: Truths About Vaccines” will feature UNG biology faculty members discussing the science behind the vaccines. The events are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services COVID-19 Public Education Campaign.

11 Alive
‘So far we know of no issues’ | UGA says nearly 200 doses of J&J shot given on campus before temporary suspension
By Jessica Brown
The University Health Center at the University of Georgia said 188 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine had already been administered when it temporarily suspended the vaccine “out of an abundance of caution” on Monday. The health center received its first shipment of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine last week, which was approximately 5,000 doses, according to a release. Since then, the health center announced it will follow the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendation to temporarily halt the use of the J&J shot. “So far we know of no issues,” said UGA’s Medical Oversight Task Force. The UHC also announced Wednesday it extended invitations to all faculty, staff and students to schedule their COVID-19 vaccine appointments.

Other News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated April 14)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is keeping track of reported coronavirus deaths and cases across Georgia according to the Department of Public Health. See details in the map below. See the DPH’s guide to their data for more information about definitions. CONFIRMED DEATHS: 17,072 | 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: 864,895 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.

Statesboro Herald
No ‘one and done’ for city employee COVID shot clinic
By Al Hackle/Staff
Statesboro’s city government has had to change its plans for a COVID-19 vaccination clinic for city employees and their family members because of the nationwide pause in use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. City Manager Charles Penny had announced more than a week ago that a clinic offering that single-dose, or “one and done” vaccine just for the city government’s employees and their dependents would be held at City Hall this coming Monday. After the CDC and FDA halted administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week because of a rare blood-clotting side effect, city Public Information Officer Layne Phillips said the employee clinic will still be held but now with the Moderna vaccine.

Higher Education News:

Diverse Issues in Higher Education
For Colleges and Universities, Reopening Plans Must Meet Students’ Mental Health Needs
By Tracie Lowe, Charmaine Troy, Kimberly Walker, Althea Counts
As more people across the nation become eligible for COVID-19 vaccines, colleges and universities are evaluating the feasibility of bringing students safely back to campus. Of course, access to vaccines and healthcare, as well as protective measures like preventative testing and contact tracing are all top priorities, but administrators must also prepare to meet the mental health needs of their campuses most vulnerable students.

Inside Higher Ed
The Remote College Experience: More Than Just Zoom Fatigue
By JP Flores
As a senior studying cellular and molecular biology at Occidental College in northeast Los Angeles, I look back and think of the time I’ve spent giving tours, heading several clubs and organizations, serving in student government, presenting my biochemistry research at conferences nationwide, playing NCAA Division III baseball, and getting to know my professors personally. Along with all the opportunities I’ve had to bolster my résumé and advance my career, this small liberal arts college has enabled me to develop my racial and cultural identities, integral to my growth as a person and an aspiring scientist. However, for my more junior peers at Occidental and across the nation, the COVID-19 pandemic has cast a shadow and frozen access to these key relationship-building opportunities.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Survey Reveals Full-time Faculty Suffer Losses from COVID-19
By Pearl Stewart
The number of full-time faculty decreased at most U.S. colleges and universities and full-time faculty wages, adjusted for inflation, also decreased at most institutions, based on the latest Faculty Compensation Survey conducted by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP). The 2020-21 survey, which ended in March, included 929 U.S. colleges and universities providing employment data for nearly 380,000 full-time faculty members as well as senior administrators at nearly 600 institutions. A key finding among the survey results was that real wages for full-time faculty decreased for the first time since the Great Recession, and average wage growth for all ranks of full-time faculty was the lowest since the AAUP began tracking annual wage growth in 1972.

Inside Higher Ed
Pre- and Post-COVID, Technology Is Reshaping Admissions Forever
By Ardis Kadiu
There’s been a lot of talk about how the business model of higher ed will change in the wake of the pandemic as predicting enrollment becomes more challenging, impacting colleges’ and universities’ overall fiscal well-being. According to a report from McKinsey & Company, four-year public institutions reap 26 percent of their revenues from tuition and fees, while four-year private nonprofit institutions collect 35 percent of revenues from those same areas. But enrollment is changing, making those numbers an unreliable source of revenue.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Saint Joseph’s College Issues $50 Fines to Students Violating Face Mask Requirement
By Arrman Kyaw
Saint Joseph’s College is fining $50 to students who violate the school’s face mask policy, making the school the first Maine college to have this kind of rule, WMTW reported. The school has issued 21 tickets in two weeks. Saint Joseph’s officials said they are committed to student safety.