University System News:
WSAV
Kimberly Ballard-Washington named new Savannah State president
Kimberly Ballard-Washington, who has served as the interim president of Savannah State University for nearly two years, is taking over the role permanently, effective immediately.
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U.S. New & World Report
Interim Savannah State Leader Named Permanent President
Georgia’s Board of Regents has named Kimberly Ballard-Washington as the permanent president of Savannah State University.
Times Union
Interim Savannah State leader named permanent president
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia public colleges encourage but won’t require COVID vaccines this fall
By Eric Stirgus
Masks not required for fully vaccinated people in campus facilities
Students and employees at public universities in Georgia will be “strongly encouraged,” but not required, to get the COVID-19 vaccine for the fall semester. University System of Georgia Chancellor Steve Wrigley sent guidance Thursday to the 26 presidents of those colleges and universities with the recommendation and others involving social distancing on the campuses.
Douglas Now
BIRDIES FOR BUCKS GOLF CLASSIC RAISES OVER $15,000 FOR SGSC STUDENTS
The James M. Dye Foundation’s second Birdies for Bucks Golf Classic was another tremendous success and will have a direct impact on South Georgia State College students seeking to earn a college degree. The event, held April 23 at the Okefenokee Country Club, raised over $15,000 for the Foundation’s Gap Fund Program. “I am so proud of the success of this year’s tournament,” said SGSC President Dr. Ingrid Thompson-Sellers. “The support received from sponsors, players, and volunteers is a testimony to the area’s commitment to both SGSC and student success.” The Foundation’s Gap Fund Program provides mini-grants to students who encounter an outstanding tuition and fee balance after exhausting all other sources of financial aid.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s Own honors 7 Atlanta nurses with digital signs
By Nancy Clanton
Credit union features one health care worker each day this week
This is the week the world shows nurses how much they are appreciated. Nurses Week discounts and freebies abound, as do awards and other honors. Each day this week, Georgia’s Own has honored an Atlanta area nurse by featuring them on a digital sign covering the length of two basketball courts and nearly 500 feet in the air. …The credit union reached out to its employees to find deserving nurses to be featured on the company’s digital sign along the top of the 100 Peachtree building, formerly the Equitable building. …Jamie Luttrull
As a clinical development specialist at Northside Hospital in Cherokee, Jamie Luttrull provides instruction and guidance to empower nurses to be the best they can be. Luttrull grew up in Kennesaw, received her undergraduate degree in prenursing from the University of Georgia and then obtained her nursing degree from the Medical College of Georgia, so she is a true peach. …Alisa Moore
A pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Alisa Moore is driven by the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of children and their families. After graduating from UGA and receiving her nursing degree from MCG, Alisa began working in the pediatric oncology unit at Children’s.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
Free Master’s Degrees for Students Who Agree to Teach in High-Need Public Schools
Albany State University, the historically Black educational institution in Georgia, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, has established the Robert Noyce Teachers Scholarship. Under the program, 12 students will be able to earn a graduate degree from Albany State at no cost to them. The ASU Noyce Teaching Fellows program is open to graduates with a bachelor’s degree in a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) field, who have never been employed as a teacher, and are willing to teach in a high-need public school for a minimum of 4 years.
Douglas Now
SGSC OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INAUGURAL BS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY CLASS
The generosity of individual donors and corporate partners has enabled South Georgia State College to dedicate scholarship funds to the inaugural class pursuing SGSC’s new Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering Technology (BSMET) degree. Recipients of the $2,000 first-year scholarship award will be entering freshman in the fall of 2021 who have applied and been accepted into SGSC and the BSMET program. Designed to prepare students with a wide range of technical manufacturing design, development, operation and evaluation skills, the BSMET program will provide a concentration in engineering, mathematics and science in addition to core curriculum courses.
WRBL
The Bo Bartlett Center reaches more students than ever before after moving AMYS program virtually
by: Karyssa D’Agostino
The COVID-19 pandemic put a stop to in-person outreach for students across Muscogee and Harris County. Making one local center rethink how to keep their Art Makes You Smart program alive and well. Mike McFalls Interim Director of The Bo Bartlett Center at Columbus State University said when they realized the in-person program would not be an option they had to figure out how to reach students virtually.
Ledger-Enquirer
Columbus State University unveils library renovations. Here’s a quick tour
By Darrell Roaden
Columbus State University celebrated renovations to its Simon Schwob Memorial Library at a ribbon-cutting ceremony May 12, 2021. Renovations started in May 2019 and finished in May 2020. The Schwob Memorial Library was built in 1971.
Albany Herald
ASU set to kick off summer camp season
From staff reports
Kicking off the annual summer camp season, Albany State University has announced plans for what it is calling “safe, fun and enriching summer camp opportunities” for children K-12. Camps include:
Cotton Grower
Tropical Spiderwort Already Present in Georgia Cotton Fields
By Stanley Culpepper, Dr. Stanley Culpepper is Extension Weed Specialist with the University of Georgia
Over the past few seasons, tropical spiderwort has regained its status as a major pest for many Georgia cotton farmers. To control this weed, one must understand the importance of placing residual herbicides strategically throughout the growing season beginning at planting.
Albany Herald
Former UGA professor sentenced to prison
From staff reports
A former University of Georgia professor who admitted to authorities that he possessed hundreds of images of child pornography was sentenced to federal prison and will have to register as a sex offender for life. James Edward Monogan III, 39, of Athens, was sentenced to serve 90 months in a federal prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release and more than $40,000 in fines by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal. In addition, Monogan will be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration Act. Monogan previously pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. There is no parole in the federal system.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated May 13)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 17,765 | 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: 888,784 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
‘We’ve turned a corner’ | CDC eases guidance on indoor masks for fully vaccinated
By Tim Darnell
Metro physician says new guidance is ‘more than welcome news’
The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued new guidance Thursday allowing COVID-vaccinated people to ditch their masks indoors in many instances. The CDC is still calling for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings such as buses, planes and hospitals but eased restrictions for reopening workplaces and schools.
WSVN
Within CDC, there’s debate about how to best advise Americans on masks
The day after the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention came out with its much-awaited updated mask guidance in late April, email inboxes at the federal agency were buzzing with a link to a Trevor Noah monologue. In his self-described “viral rant,” the comedian ripped apart the new guidance as “too complicated” and “unreadable.” “I know science is difficult and this is a novel virus and all of that, but who’s running messaging at the CDC?” Noah asked. As CDC staff passed around a link to the April 27 monologue, a federal official told CNN, the message was clear: Noah was kind of right. “Some people were like, ‘he has a point,’ ” the official said. Federal officials tell CNN there is debate within the CDC over whether the agency, in this post-vaccination world, needs to tweak its mask guidance — making it more clear and also less strict, giving more incentive for people to get a Covid-19 shot.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Defining Higher Education’s Value: The Key Podcast
By Doug Lederman
What’s the value of a postsecondary credential? And do colleges and their academic programs provide a good return on investment to students? This week’s episode of The Key, Inside Higher Ed’s news and analysis podcast, addresses those questions by exploring the release of a new report from the Postsecondary Value Commission, a high-powered panel of policy makers, college leaders, researchers and others. The report proposes a new way of judging whether colleges and programs are providing a good return on investment to their students — with a particular focus on whether they’re ensuring equity.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Impacted Black Enrollments in Higher Education
A new report from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center finds that in the first three months of the 2021 spring semester undergraduate enrollments are in their steepest declines so far since the pandemic began. Community college enrollments fell by double digits for the first time in this pandemic. Graduate enrollments, on the other hand, continue to grow. The report found that Black undergraduate enrollments are down 8.8 percent from the spring 2020 semester. Whites, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans all had enrollment declines, but not as steep as was the case for Black Americans. In graduate programs, all racial and ethnic groups saw an increase in enrollments from spring 2020 to spring 2021. Black enrollments are up 10.4 percent. This is more than double the increase for Whites. Hispanic Americans have shown a 14.2 percent increase in enrollments in graduate programs.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
Faculty at HBCUs Face a Large Pay Gap Compared to Their Peers at Predominently White Institutions
A new report from the National Education Association presents a snapshot of faculty in higher education and their compensation just prior to the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Once the pandemic hit, colleges and universities announced furloughs, temporary layoffs, cut salaries, and eliminated many faculty positions. So, next year’s report may present an entirely different situation than the number presented here. The report finds a large pay gap for faculty who teach at historically Black colleges and universities compared to their colleagues at predominantly White institutions. The salaries paid to HBCU faculty are lower than the salaries paid to faculty elsewhere, and the gap persists across institution types.