University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Gov. Kemp’s signature gives UGA athletes a chance to cash in
By Chip Towers
History was made at Sanford Stadium on Thursday morning. What it will look like years from now — or even later this year — is not entirely clear. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed into law Thursday the state’s first name, image and likeness bill. Passed by the state legislature in March, House Bill 617 will allow college athletes in the state to make money off the use of their name while maintaining their eligibility as an amateur college athlete. That the ceremony took place in UGA’s recruiting lounge in the west end of its football stadium was no accident. Kemp told reporters there he hoped the new law would help coach Kirby Smart win a national championship with the Bulldogs.
The story also appeared:
WJBF
Georgia governor to sign bill allowing college athletes to be paid
247Sports
Kirby Smart addresses Georgia’s NIL legislation
GPB
Georgia Teen’s Lapel Pins Make A Point For Vaccine
By: Andy Miller
Edie Grice, 19, got the idea while talking with her father. If people receive an “I voted’’ sticker for voting, she wondered, why shouldn’t they have something to represent being vaccinated? Edie, a junior psychology major at Georgia Southern University, and her father, journalist DeWayne Grice, have been strong promoters of COVID vaccinations in the Statesboro area. So Edie, with her interest in art, designed a lapel pin that would celebrate being vaccinated for COVID-19. The concept quickly became reality after she connected with a company that could make the pins.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU scholarship endowment to benefit students facing homelessness, food insecurity
In life, Ellen Long constantly supported others, whether it was by introducing more women to the field of engineering, providing much-needed support to students experiencing homelessness or mentoring women early in their careers. Today, her legacy continues through the Ellen Long Honors CARE Engineering Scholarship Endowment, established by Shepherd “Shep” Long to honor his late wife. The scholarship benefits students in KSU’s Keeping Sights Upward Journey Honors College who demonstrate acute financial need. The gift, bolstered by an ongoing 150% endowment matching program established last year by Rosemary and John Brown and the KSU Foundation, brings the Longs’ total giving to more than $200,000 since 2016.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia earmark proposals near $100M despite few requests from Republicans
By Tia Mitchell
Eight members of Georgia’s U.S. House delegation, including all six Democrats, have collectively submitted requests for almost $97 million through a process called earmarking to fund projects ranging from public safety communications in the tiny town of Pelham to a “deck park” that would span across Atlanta’s Downtown Connector. Meanwhile, all but two Georgia Republicans decided not to participate, forgoing the chance to funnel dollars to their districts in the name of good government. Earmarks are a chance for members to request federal funding for local, district-based projects.
…Loudermilk, from Cassville, made six requests totaling $31.3 million. Carter, from Pooler, submitted three projects worth a combined $9.4 million. His requests include programs through Georgia Tech and Georgia Southern University that operate within Carter’s 1st Congressional District and $2.9 million for a beachline improvement project on St. Simon Island.
Earmark requests for Georgia
A list of projects submitted by Georgia’s U.S. House delegation with price tags above $1 million.
U.S. Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux, D-Suwanee
$1.5 million for Georgia Gwinnett College to support STEM living learning communities
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler
$5 million for the Georgia Institute of Technology for a coastal equity and resilience hub
$2.9 million for Glynn County for the Johnson Rocks Revetment Project on St. Simon Island
$1.5 million for an Army holistic health and fitness program at Georgia Southern University
Fox28 Savannah
Georgia Tech-Savannah returns to hosting in-person OSHA courses
by Nicholas Papadimas
Georgia Tech-Savannah is set to return to hosting in-person Occupational Safety and Health Standards (OSHA) courses, according to a release. These courses are scheduled to take place from June – October 2021 and focus on OSHA principles and applications for people working in maritime, construction and general industry. As one of only four OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, Georgia Tech-Savannah offers training for the construction and general industries from Savannah to South Carolina, northern Florida, and beyond.
Six Mile Post
Declining enrollment leads to new positions
Alexis Johnson
In mid-March of 2020, numerous colleges across the nation transitioned to online learning almost overnight, shutting down public access to institutions indefinitely. Due to the outbreak of the coronavirus and the abundance of cases, professors’ and students’ routines changed in the classroom and at home. Even as colleges and universities expanded in-person instruction this spring, undergraduate enrollment continued to decline. According to current preliminary data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, enrollment across all institution types fell by 2.9 percent this term compared with last spring. These early numbers reveal similar declines to fall of 2020 when enrollment fell by 3.3 percent consecutively overall. In fall of 2019, GHC suffered a slight -1.7 percent decrease in enrollment but reported record graduation numbers and a new economic impact of over $181 million.
Athens CEO
Paul Chambers on AT&T’s Support of the University of Georgia
Paul Chambers, Regional Director of External Affairs for AT&T, talks about supporting the University of Georgia with their services and by giving back.
MSN
What do local experts say about COVID-19 vaccinations for kids?
Brady Trapnell
Big news in the nation’s vaccine rollout: The Food and Drug Administration is getting ready to give the all-clear to vaccinate people younger than 16. The agency says the Pfizer vaccine will soon be authorized for kids 12 to 15 with some eligible for the shot as early as next week. Now to answer the question all parents are asking: Is it safe? We spoke with local experts at Augusta University Health. They say they are in the process of reviewing the data. Pfizer says that the kids in their study handled it well. But our hospitals are sorting this out all while trying to manage growing vaccine hesitancy.
The Red & Black
UGA, Athens communities consider Georgia gun legislation
Sydney Fordice | Contributor
Georgia’s 2021 legislative session and federal executive orders involving gun laws have prompted discussion among University of Georgia students and the Athens community. No legislation either promoting or restricting access to guns passed the Georgia General Assembly during this year’s session, leaving state legislators at a stalemate. Despite this, the debate around gun access continues to rage in the state.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Coronavirus in Georgia: COVID-19 Dashboard
Latest stats and the news on the coronavirus outbreak
Q: What is the latest on confirmed and probable coronavirus cases in Georgia?
883,418 TOTAL CONFIRMED CASES
1,105,855 TOTAL INCLUDING PROBABLE CASES
Q: What is the latest on coronavirus deaths in Georgia?
17,625 TOTAL CONFIRMED DEATHS
20,273 TOTAL INCLUDING PROBABLE DEATHS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC poll: 1 in 4 Georgians say they won’t get the coronavirus vaccine
By Greg Bluestein
A new Atlanta Journal-Constitution poll highlights the sharp challenges confronting public health officials battling apathy and all-out resistance as they scramble to inoculate as many Georgians as possible with lifesaving coronavirus vaccines. The survey also found growing confidence among Georgians that normalcy is returning, with majorities saying they would feel safe going out to eat or traveling by air. About 51% of the registered voters who responded to the poll said they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Among those who have not been vaccinated, the poll found one-third of them are in a wait-and-see mode and that half don’t intend to get vaccinated.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Promoting Financial Transparency for Students
Bills were introduced in Congress last week that are intended to make it easier for students to understand the cost of college and how they can pay for it.
By Alexis Gravely
Four bipartisan bills were introduced in Congress last week that all aim to increase the transparency of information that students receive about the cost of and payment for college throughout their postsecondary education — a change that experts and advocates say would be helpful but still wouldn’t solve the student debt crisis.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
At Some Colleges, Remote Work Could Be Here to Stay
By Lindsay Ellis
For months, colleges have weighed the risks and rewards of bringing students back to campuses disrupted by Covid-19. Now they’re considering what to do about their employees. Committees at colleges and universities across the country are evaluating the future of work, asking to what extent staff and some faculty members could remain virtual and what that would mean for life on campus and off. There are broad implications, for example, for recruiting and campus density.
Inside Higher Ed
Courts Skeptical on COVID-19 Tuition Lawsuits
Judges have dismissed many of the cases seeking refunds for shifts to virtual learning, but some are going to trial, and at least two colleges have settled.
By Doug Lederman
In the year since COVID-19 forced most colleges and universities to shut their physical campuses, lawyers have filed more than 300 cases on behalf of students and parents demanding refunds of tuition for educations they deemed to be either substandard or not what they were promised. While judges have dismissed many of those cases, finding them to be without merit or to fail to state a legitimate legal claim, dozens of other courts have given the plaintiffs preliminary victories by allowing the lawsuits to go to trial — and at least two colleges have agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle lawsuits.