University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Regents picks finalist for Georgia State’s next president
By Eric Stirgus
Candidate Brian Blake is in line to become its first Black president
A higher education leader with administrative experience at several top universities is in line to become the president of the state’s largest public university and the first Black person to hold the position. The Georgia Board of Regents announced Thursday that Brian Blake is its finalist to become Georgia State University’s next president. The board also agreed Thursday to select T. Ramon Stuart, provost and vice president of academic affairs at Fort Valley State University, as the next president of Clayton State University. Blake is currently the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at George Washington University, located in the nation’s capital, a position he’s held since October 2019.
See also:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
M. Brian Blake named finalist for Georgia State University president
AllOnGeorgia
GSU Grad Student Researches Different Planting Treatment Effects on Tybee Island Sand Dunes
The sand dunes of Tybee Island have taken a beating in recent hurricane seasons. Georgia Southern University biology graduate student Shannon Matzke is researching ways to combat the destruction of the dunes for her restoration project by collecting data on the effects of various planting techniques to see which technique best increases the longevity of the dunes. As a part of the project, Matzke collects monthly data on the growth and survival of plants, as well as on the sand accumulation associated with different planting densities and groups of species. She also spends time analyzing data, exploring new techniques and tools to use in the field, researching dunes and vegetation, and conducting outreach for the project.
yahoo!news
College students gain historic preservation experience on Jekyll
Lauren Mcdonald, The Brunswick News, Ga.
What some described as “strategic demolition” and “revealing history,” others called sledgehammering. All were descriptions provided for the work that a group of college students recently completed at Chicota Cottage on Jekyll Island, where they helped remove broken concrete in a courtyard of the historic structure. The project was one of many the historic preservation maymester class took part in during the two-week course, which wrapped up Friday. The program annually brings a group of University of Georgia students to Jekyll for a fast-paced, action-packed class that teaches participants about the kind of preservation work that goes into maintaining historic structures, like those that dot Jekyll Island.
Tifton CEO
Willis Selected for E. Lanier Carson Leadership Award at ABAC
Dr. Amy Willis has been selected as the 2021 recipient of the E. Lanier Carson Leadership Award at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. Willis serves as Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs and Registrar at ABAC. Established in 1973 as the Carlton Award for Administrative Excellence, the purpose of the E. Lanier Carson Leadership Award is to recognize leadership contributions of an ABAC administrator who is not eligible for one of the faculty or staff awards. Each year the recipient is selected by a campus-wide committee.
WGAU Radio
UGA researchers report results of prostate cancer study
New study published by Scientific Reports
By Tim Bryant and Leigh Beeson, UGA Today
Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men, according to the American Cancer Society. It’s also one of the trickiest cancers to diagnose and treat. But new research from the University of Georgia has identified a protein that appears to prevent the cancer from spreading to and colonizing the bone, providing a new target for future therapeutics.
Douglas Now
SGSC PHI THETA KAPPA CHAPTERS EARN REGIONAL, INTERNATIONAL AWARDS
The South Georgia State College Phi Theta Kappa chapters, Kappa Sigma and Alpha Rho Omega, were honored with a host of awards at the honor society’s virtual international convention, Catalyst, during spring semester. The Kappa Sigma chapter won a Distinguished Honors in Action project award which was one of just 52 chapters out of a total of 1,300 Phi Theta Kappa chapters worldwide to be recognized. The chapter also earned a spot in the Top 100 chapters list, as well as a Distinguished Chapter recognition out of 27 chapters from the 1,300 chapters in Phi Theta Kappa.
Savannah Morning News
Critical Race Theory is simply thinking critically about racism, not a ‘dangerous ideology’
Naysayers attempt to keep students from using highly valued critical thinking skills when considering race, diversity, equity and Inclusion
Jane PageFor Savannah Morning News
This is an op-ed by Jane Page, a retired professor of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading at Georgia Southern University and a Unitarian Universalist minister.
The recent proclamations by many leaders regarding banning the teaching of Critical Race Theory as well as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our schools is disturbing and misleading. One high-ranking state official weighed in before the Cherokee County ban with a letter to the Georgia Board of Education calling Critical Race Theory a “dangerous ideology,” and encouraged them to consider banning any curriculum related to it. This shows either a deep misunderstanding of Critical Race Theory or a real attempt to keep students from using the highly valued critical thinking skills when thinking about race, diversity, equity and Inclusion. Why would we want to discourage critical thinking about anything?
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated June 9)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 18,226 | 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: 898,381 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
WSB-TV
Gov. Kemp says his decision to reopen small businesses is helping Georgia’s economy roar back
By WSBTV.com News Staff
Nearly 14 months after the pandemic lockdown hammered Georgia’s economy, new numbers show that economy is now roaring back. New tax revenue numbers show Georgia’s economy is climbing out of the hole caused by the pandemic. Tax revenues are up 68 percent over the same time last year and the state could have a nearly $3 billion budget surplus. Governor Brian Kemp says that’s a testament to Georgia’s small businesses.
Higher Education News:
The Brunswick News
Carter introduces legislation to ban Critical Race Theory
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter, R-1, introduced legislation Wednesday to ban Critical Race Theory or any other teaching methodology that promotes or causes a racial divide or lack of unity in the military. “I’m introducing this legislation to ensure our military members can focus on their mission, not the agenda of the radical Left,” Carter said. Carter’s Military Education and Values Act directs the Secretary of Defense to issue guidance that would, among other things, ban the usage of any teaching methodology that promotes or causes a racial divide or lack of equality and provide an updated notice that all races within the military will be treated equally.
Inside Higher Ed
What’s the Federal Role in Assessing College ‘Value’?
By Doug Lederman
Students and state and federal governments alike are asking increasingly hard questions about the return on their investment in postsecondary education, as tuitions and debt grow. In this week’s episode of The Key, Inside Higher Ed’s news and analysis podcast, three experts with a diverse set of perspectives discuss the government role in ensuring value from academic institutions and programs. Among the topics they explore: the complexity of any attempt to formally measure postsecondary value, the importance of focusing on historically underrepresented students and the centrality of the federal role in holding colleges accountable.
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges and universities are raising wages for their lowest-paid employees.
By Lilah Burke
Earlier this year, President Biden proposed legislation that, if passed, would have created a $15 national minimum wage. Despite support from fellow Democrats, the minimum wage raise failed to become law. However, some universities have continued to raise their own minimum wages to $15. This year, a number of institutions, including Clarke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Rochester and the University of Kentucky, have released plans to bring their own institutional minimum wage to $15. These institutions don’t represent the first to reach this milestone. Other colleges and universities already have such a minimum wage, either by choice or by the laws of their jurisdictions.
Inside Higher Ed
AAUP Sanctions 6 Colleges Over Shared Governance Concerns
By Colleen Flaherty
The American Association of University Professors’ governing council voted Wednesday to add six separate institutions to its list of institutions sanctioned for alleged violations of shared governance. All the colleges were included in the AAUP’s recent report about shared governance and faculty rights during the COVID-19 pandemic. They are Canisius College, Keuka College and Medaille College, all in New York, and Marian University in Wisconsin, National University in California and Wittenberg University in Ohio. AAUP sanctions signal that the association has determined an administration or governing board violated widely accepted standards of college and university governance, as articulated in the group’s Statement on Government of Colleges and Universities. Most of the colleges listed said they disagreed with the findings in AAUP’s recent report and that they acted in the best interest of their institutions throughout the pandemic.