University System News

University Business

Now is the time to totally transform remedial education

By Yolanda Watson Spiva and Maxine Roberts 

It’s widely understood that the pandemic has intensified racial disparities across many dimensions of our society, including employment, health and education. Public universities and community colleges—which serve a large share of racially minoritized and low-income students—saw significant enrollment declines last fall. This does not bode well for racial and socioeconomic disparities in education attainment. As higher education institutions look to strengthen their equity efforts, remedial education reform is crucial. Early barriers prevent students from building momentum that can propel them to graduation. … The University System of Georgia shows how quickly the needle can move.

 

Patch.com

UNG education degree program earns literacy award
The University of North Georgia’s (UNG) elementary and special education degree program has received National Recognition with Distinction from the International Literacy Association (ILA). UNG is the first undergraduate program to earn this honor and one of three total since it was first awarded in 2019.

Metter Advertiser

Innovation Center helps young agribusinesses find their footing

It was the location for a boat dealership and then housed the city’s public works department. 

And now, the South Terrell Street facility, known as the Georgia Grown Innovation Center, is home to a broad spectrum of agribusiness companies in their earliest stages of development. The concept of a business incubator was first introduced to Metter City Council in the spring of 2019. The thought was that businesses would come to Metter to receive services provided through a partnership with Georgia Southern University and that, once firmly established, these businesses would invest in local real estate and call Metter home.

Patch.com

Doctoral students learn anatomy from body donors

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) students at the University of North Georgia (UNG) begin their time in the program by examining donated cadavers to learn about human anatomy, but they also gain respect for the donors. This summer, eight third-year DPT students serve as teaching assistants in the anatomy class taught by Dr. Eunse Park, an assistant professor of physical therapy who oversees the Movement Science Lab at UNG. Regan Rhodes of Statesboro, Georgia, is one of the assistants.

WGAU

UGA engineering students develop plan for Fort Pulaski

By Aaron Cox

A trio of University of Georgia engineering students have found a way to maintain the Fort Pulaski National Monument site as a viable destination for park visitors for the foreseeable future. Sea level rise, severe storms, and more frequent flooding have made it difficult for the wastewater in the park’s septic drain fields to filter out through the soil. “That could mean contaminated water is rising up onto the ground, and that’s not safe for humans or the environment in general,” said Sarah Pierce, a recently graduated senior who worked on the project.

Tifton CEO

ABAC president receives honorary agricultural education pin

Dr. David Bridges, president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, received an honorary agricultural education pin at the recent pinning ceremony for graduates of the agricultural education program at ABAC. “That was a real honor for me,” Bridges said.  “The agricultural education program continues to grow, and I am happy that ABAC is making a concerted effort to alleviate the shortage of teachers in agricultural education across the state and the nation.”

Emanuel County Live

Farm Bureau awards scholarship

Grace McBride of Twin City was recently awarded the 2021 Dolan E. Brown Memorial Scholarship by Emanuel County Farm Bureau. McBride is a 2021 honor graduate of Emanuel County Institute. … McBride will be attending Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College to earn a bachelor’s degree in agriculture education.

Law.com

UGA law grad wins first case at Ga. Supreme Court before taking the bar exam

By Katheryn Tucker

“The way this came down, it gives a great opportunity for future survivors to get into court,” Devin Mashman said. “We’re just over the moon about it.”

Aiken Standard

Savannah River Ecology Lab celebrates 70 years of science, stewardship

By Colin Demarest

The Savannah River Ecology Laboratory on Wednesday marked 70 years of scientific excellence with a ceremony at the Savannah River Site Museum, where guests had the chance to learn more about the lab and its extensive body of work… The ecology lab sprung from the foundational work of Eugene Odum, a zoology professor at the University of Georgia. Odum – later dubbed the father of modern ecology – and others studied the land and environment selected for what was then known as the Savannah River Plant.

Gainesville Times

‘Dream crazy big.’ This new mural depicts Gainesville legends and leaders

By Kelsey Podo

Over the course of several days, local artists, children and art faculty and students from the University of North Georgia have breathed new life behind the Midtown Villages at Melrose. With the stroke of their brushes, familiar faces of prominent Gainesville figures have begun to take shape, now forever gazing upon those who live in the public housing apartments.

The Washington Post

Colleges want students to get a coronavirus vaccine. But they’re split on requiring the shots.

By Nick Anderson, Susan Svrluga, Isaac Stanley-Becker, Lauren Lumpkin and Maria Aguilar

Indiana University, a flagship institution in a staunchly Republican state, will require its more than 100,000 students and employees to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus as it turns the page on a strange pandemic school year. “This is saving lives, it’s as simple as that,” said university President Michael A. McRobbie. “And it will enable us to have a normal fall semester.”… At Georgia State University, one official mused on the hurdles of mounting a public-health campaign for vaccination without a vaccine mandate from the University System of Georgia.

Other News

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated June 23)
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: 18,426 | 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: 901,723 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

Report proposes higher education COVID-19 recovery policies

By Sarah Wood

In a year defined by a deadly pandemic, economic crisis and racial injustice, colleges and universities were forced to reevaluate their practices, structures and delivery models. As the United States transitions to a recovery phase, New America and the State Higher Education Executive Officers (SHEEO) sought to further understand the overall impact of these crises on the education sector.

Higher Education News

Tampa Bay Times

Florida university faculty, students to be surveyed on beliefs

In his continued push against the “indoctrination” of students, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed legislation that will require public universities and colleges to survey students, faculty and staff about their beliefs and viewpoints to support “intellectual diversity.”

 

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Private colleges look to diversify enrollment by recruiting nontraditional students

By Hilary Burns

Spending two years at a community college and transferring to a four-year public college or university has long been considered the most affordable way to earn a bachelor’s degree. But the tide is starting to shift, as private colleges open their doors wider to nontraditional students.

Inside Higher Ed

A ‘broken board culture’

By Sara Weissman

An Alameda County civil grand jury report lambasted the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees for maintaining poor shared governance practices, interfering in hiring decisions, holding secretive meetings, infighting, showing racial insensitivity and fostering an overall culture of incivility toward each other, administrators and staff.

Inside Higher Ed

A tuition gamble that is paying off

By Emma Whitford