University System News:
Georgia Trend
Columbus State positively impacts the region’s economy
by Mary Ann DeMuth
As Columbus State University (CSU) prepares for fall classes to begin next month, a recent study confirmed the institution’s positive impact on the West Georgia region. Commissioned by the University System of Georgia (USG) and conducted by University of Georgia’s Selig Center for Economic Growth, the study revealed CSU had a $272.7 million regional economic impact in fiscal year 2020. That translates to an additional 21 cents for every dollar CSU spent. The annual study’s 2020 findings were consistent with those from 2019 in spite of pandemic-related fiscal and operational disruptions last year. CSU generated 2,823 jobs in FY20, a third of which were on campus and the remaining two-thirds were community based. On average, CSU’s spending led to the creation of two additional off-campus jobs for each on-campus job.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
AJC On Campus: UGA, GSU report record giving; CAU clears student balances
By Eric Stirgus
With less than a month left before the fall semester begins, Georgia colleges and universities are racing to get students vaccinated to reduce the spread of COVID-19 on their campuses this fall. We took a look at the vaccination effort, what some schools are doing to help students who’ve struggled academically during the pandemic and an effort to get the University System of Georgia’s workforce back to pre-pandemic levels. Here’s a recap, a little bit about a special art collection coming to Atlanta’s Black colleges and the records fundraising efforts for some schools in this edition of AJC On Campus. Georgia colleges rush to get students vaccinated as semester nears …Georgia employees ask state leaders to restore budgets, back hazard pay …UGA, Georgia State report record donations …How much is that USG degree worth? …Summer credit recovery …Georgia Gwinnett’s care pantry …Best colleges for vets …UGA’s 40 under 40
Douglas Now
BOBBY BOWDEN, FORMER SGC AND FSU HEAD COACH, DIAGNOSED WITH PANCREATIC CANCER
Written by Robert Preston
Bobby Bowden, 91, one of the winningest college football coaches of all time whose head coaching career began in Douglas at South Georgia College in 1955, has been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. According to reports, his son, Terry, head football coach at Louisiana-Monroe, has stated that the Bowden family recognizes that they may have Coach Bowden for just a matter of months. Coach Bowden has successfully battled cancer three times in the past and went through a debilitating bout with COVID-19 in October. Despite age and the challenges he has faced as his health has declined, Bowden and his wife, Anne, have returned to Douglas each year for the annual Bowden Reunion at South Georgia State College, a gathering with his former players. Bowden has never forgotten his roots in Douglas and has been a tremendous ambassador for both Douglas and South Georgia State College. Bowden coached the then-Tigers from 1955-1958; he also served as athletic director, head basketball coach, and head baseball coach. He went 22-11 at SGC, winning three state titles and tying for a fourth. He left SGC when the school ended the football program in 1958.
The Brunswick News
College launches central hub for online classes
By Lauren McDonald
College of Coastal Georgia announced last week the launch of new Coastal Online program, a central hub for connecting current and prospective students with online degree programs. Coastal Online is a one-stop-shop where students can apply, enroll and engage in a number of programs that are designed specifically for 100 percent online delivery. This means all course requirements can be met in the online format. Joe Lodmell, director of the college’s Camden Center, is coordinating the rollout of Coastal Online.
accessWDUN
UNG students participating in summer language immersion program
By Austin Eller Anchor/Reporter
Some students at the University of North Georgia are learning a school years’ worth of a critical foreign language in just a six-week timeframe. The annual summer program, called the Summer Language Institute, kicked off in June and features six weeks of immersion and cultural teachings in Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Korean or Russian. The program was first held in 2008, but this year marks a return to normalcy, as the 2020 SLI program was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Juman Albukhari, associate professor in Arabic at UNG, students live on campus during the SLI, and are encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the language and culture that they are studying.
The Red & Black
North of the Arch event to welcome students back to Athens
Lilly Kersh
To welcome students to Athens, the University of Georgia Office of Government Relations has partnered with the Athens Downtown Development Authority and the UGA Office of Student Affairs to host the fifth annual North of the Arch event on Aug. 16 from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. The event gives students the chance to explore the businesses of downtown Athens and win prizes. Students can pick up a map of participating businesses at the College Square Plaza, located on College Avenue between East Clayton Street and East Broad Street, as well as a list of clues that will act as a guide to different locations. North of the Arch was designed to introduce freshmen to downtown Athens, said director of business services for ADDA Linda Ford, but that is not the case this year.
The Atlanta Business Chronicle
Courses, certifications keep entrepreneurs sharp and successful
By Randy Southerland – Contributing Writer
Starting a new business and keeping it going has never been easy. To improve the odds of success, today’s metro Atlanta entrepreneurs have access to classes and certification programs. For the cost-conscious and time-strapped entrepreneur and small business owner, short-term programs offer similar skills and knowledge to traditional MBA-degree programs. Unlike an MBA, students in non-degree courses can choose their curriculum. …Another stop for local entrepreneurs is The University of Georgia’s Small Business Development Center, a state-supported agency with satellite offices. SBDC online and in-person course material offers skills entrepreneurs can use immediately in their business, said Allan Adams, state director. The center also provides consulting services and its SBDCGrowSmart, for leaders of companies at least two years old and with annual revenues of at least $300,000.
11Alive
Feel the heat: Students track impact of extreme heat in Atlanta neighborhoods
UrbanHeatATL is tracking the range of city temperatures, exploring how heat extremes disproportionately affect the most vulnerable
Author: Liza Lucas
Staying cool as temperatures rise can be a struggle during Atlanta’s summer. Now Georgia Tech and Spelman College scholars are teaming up to take a closer, scientific look at the impact of high city temperatures and why some neighborhoods feel the heat more than others. 11Alive’s Liza Lucas joined Spelman student Maya Griffin as she walked through the Vine City area tracking temperatures for UrbanHeatATL.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Is cantaloupe juice the next big thing? Yes, if UGA scientists succeed
By Nancy Clanton
Researchers at University of Georgia are studying new products made from watermelons and cantaloupes
Scientists at the University of Georgia are using their melons in more ways than one. Researchers in the Department of Food Science and Technology at the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are conducting studies to find new products made from watermelons and cantaloupes.
Marietta Daily Journal
Grass in the Olympic Stadium developed by UGA in Tifton
The Summer Olympics may be in Japan this year, but Team USA was on home turf when they took the field for the Opening Ceremony. The Japan National Stadium’s field is currently sodded with TifSport Bermudagrass, developed in South Georgia. One of many grass varieties created and tested at the University of Georgia’s Tifton Campus, TifSport is a dense, medium- to fine-textured grass bred to withstand the high traffic sports fields see while tolerating herbicides. In a couple days, the field will be resodded with Tifton grass, inspired by UGA’s Tifway, a hybrid bermudagrass that can stand up to heat, sun and wear and tear from sports. …UGA’s Tifton campus is world renowned for its turfgrass research, with scientists like Glenn Burton leading innovation in turf since the 1950s.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated July 23)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 18,663 | 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: 917,915
WFXG
Gov. Kemp discusses COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates
During his visit to Augusta Friday, Gov. Brian Kemp talked about COVID-19 cases and vaccination rates. As cases begin to rise and the Delta Variant becomes more prevalent, businesses and municipalities have begun to talk about reinstating mask mandates. Locally, Augusta University Health is now requiring masks once again inside facilities. Gov. Kemp says there won’t be a statewide mask mandate. “Well we are not going to have a statewide mask mandate. Dr. Tumi and I believe that they do not work. They did not work with the AIDs vaccine and they’re not going to work with the corona vaccine.”
Higher Education News:
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
by Rebecca Kelliher
The overwhelming majority of undergraduates aged 18 to 24 and their families (89%) still believe a college degree opens doors despite the hefty cost, according to the 2021 survey “How America Pays for College” from student loan lender Sallie Mae. Yet the recently released survey also found that fewer families this year finished the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to get help paying for that sought-after degree. Some experts point out, however, that the report’s focus on so-called traditional age students does not include two key groups: students over the age of 24 and those who choose not to enroll in college. Without that broader sample, they argue the survey overlooks almost 40% of today’s undergraduates, not including those who do not go to college likely because they cannot afford it.
Inside Higher Ed
They are smaller than they used to be (by colleges’ choice) and are mostly outside. But many colleges fear the Delta variant could change things for the worse.
By Scott Jaschik
…Campus tours are back, but most of them differ from how they were before. They are smaller, and officials believe that’s making them more personalized. They frequently require preregistration and sometimes a health assessment (by those on the tour, in advance). … Shoring Up Online Materials
Gil Rogers, executive vice president of strategic partnerships, marketing and outreach at PlatformQ Education, a company that helps colleges with their virtual engagement and events, said that interest in “shoring up” virtual events remains high, even as college resume in-person events. Last year, colleges were scrambling to get material online for prospective students. This year, institutions feel they have to provide a real experience online.