University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia’s $100 billion teacher pension system on a financial roll
By James Salzer
When COVID-19 hit Georgia in March 2020, the stock market tanked and so did the assets of the pension system relied on by 400,000 public educators and retirees. Buster Evans, executive director of the Teacher Retirement System, felt sick to his stomach as billions of dollars — on paper — were lost. But a year-and-a-half later the TRS is valued at about $103 billion after seeing a 58% jump in value due to gains from stocks and other investments. At the end of June, it reported having 92% of the assets needed to pay future benefits, a big improvement from recent years. The huge increase will probably have a political effect: It could dampen talk during the 2022 session of the General Assembly about making changes to the pension system, something some Republican lawmakers have pushed for in recent years.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College awarded $249K chemistry faculty grant from national foundation
From staff reports
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Science and Technology faculty members a $249,000 grant to fund groundbreaking undergraduate research that could lead to new chemical products like insecticides and antibiotics that have a more benign environmental impact. The Chemistry division of the NFS bestowed the award under its Research in Undergraduate Institutions (RUI) program, which only funded 19 awards in the fiscal year ending in September and is the only RUI award made to any institution in the state of Georgia this year.
Middle Georgia CEO
MGA’s Dr. Kevin Floyd Receives Ben Bauman Award For Excellence
Dr. Kevin Floyd, associate dean and professor of information technology at Middle Georgia State University, received the Ben Bauman Award for Excellence at the recently held 61st annual International Conference for the International Association for Computer Information Systems (IACIS). The Ben Bauman Award recognizes excellence and service of faculty to their profession, university, and community. Floyd’s teaching interests include web technologies, database design and development, leadership in IT, and research methods. He has published numerous articles in the areas of cybersecurity, leadership and ethics, and instructional technology. He has presented his research findings at conferences nationally and internationally. At MGA, Floyd’s professional accomplishments include working and mentoring junior faculty with research projects and teaching best practices, helping lead the development of the University’s graduate programs – a Master of Science and a Doctor of Science in Information Technology. Under his leadership, the University has received the Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CD) designation from the National Security Agency (NSA).
Henry Herald
Former Georgia chief justice Harold Melton assumes Sanders Chair at UGA law school
By Heidi Murphy
UGA News Service
Harold D. Melton, who previously served as the chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court, has been named the holder of the Carl E. Sanders Chair in Political Leadership at the University of Georgia School of Law. In this role, he will teach a seminar during the spring 2022 semester titled “Representing the State.” The course will address legal and professional issues that arise when one works as a lawyer for the state.
SaportaReport
Clean 13: Georgia Water Coalition’s honorees include ‘scientist, educator, mentor’
By David Pendered
A scientist working to groom Black scientists at Savannah State University was recognized Tuesday with a 2021 Clean 13 award from the Georgia Water Coalition. One measure of Dionne Hoskins-Brown’s success is in the numbers: 13 grads went on to earn masters degrees; three have pursued doctorate degrees after completing a program sponsored by NOAA that’s intended to foster Black students who may want to put their skills to work at NOAA. When Hoskins-Brown describes her work in the Department of Marine and Environment Science, success is much more than numbers. It’s about opening pathways that may be totally new to arriving students –
Growing America
History Room at ABAC to be Named for Chason
A man who has made some history at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will be in the spotlight on Nov. 5 when ABAC dedicates the History Room in Tift Hall in honor of longtime Director of Public Relations Mike Chason. “During the past 42 years, Mike Chason has put in countless hours for the betterment of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College,” ABAC President David Bridges said. “He is the official historian of the college, and it is quite fitting that we dedicate the History Room in his honor.” Bridges said the ground floor room in the historic ABAC administration building will become the Michael D. Chason ABAC History Room in an 11 a.m. ceremony on Nov. 5. The public is invited to attend.
The Red & Black
UGA students work to clear trash from Oconee River
Alex Anteau
On Tuesday, students from Marguerite Brickman’s Basic Concepts in Biology honors course at the University of Georgia gathered in the parking lot of the Oconee River Greenway. Tuesday’s class would be a little different than usual. Together, the students would be emptying a trash trap located near the delta of one of the river’s tributaries, Trail Creek. The Bandalong Litter Trap is a device designed to reduce plastic waste in the ocean. Most of the garbage that gets to the ocean does so through small waterways, like Trail Creek, so stopping trash closer to its source reduces the amount of waste that could eventually make its way out into open water. This particular trap was temporarily donated to UGA’s Office of Sustainability by Storm Water Systems, a UGA alumni-founded company which is dedicated to removing litter, debris and pollutants from the world’s waterways, according to its website.
Georgia Recorder
Georgia congressional Democrats, students call for more federal HBCU support
By: Ross Williams
As the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s agenda works its way through Congress, Georgia’s Democratic representatives are calling for more money for historically Black colleges and universities. “As the American Jobs and Families Plans have morphed into reconciliation legislation, President Biden’s proposed $45 billion for educational institutions including HBCUs has been downsized to $2 billion in the House’s version of reconciliation legislation,” Rep. Nikema Williams’ office wrote. “This will leave more work to do to make lasting investments in HBCU infrastructure.” Williams’ name is at the top of an Oct. 19 letter sent to Virginia Democratic Rep. Bobby Scott, who chairs the House Committee on Education and Labor, urging him to take up a bill called the IGNITE HBCU Excellence Act in the committee. …The problems are exacerbated by a lack of funding compared with schools that offer comparable academic rigor — according to HBCUmoney.com, the total endowment for all HBCUs is about $2 billion, while 55 non-HBCUs have endowments over that amount, including Georgia Tech, with $2.1 billion and Emory University with nearly $8 billion. …My son went to Savannah State College, and he went back last week for the homecoming, and he said there were so many alumni, they were just so proud, but it’s so few students now.”
WFXG
Augusta University hosts COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy panel
By Eliza Kruczynski
Augusta University partnered with Peach State Health Plan to host its third “Bridging the Gap on COVID-19 Vaccine” panel discussion Wednesday morning. Local and state leaders joined health officials to educate the community about the vaccine. According to the CDC, 57% of the population is vaccinated, but that still leaves a large amount of people who haven’t gotten their shots. During this discussion, officials say a lot of what they’ve been hearing is those who are hesitant want more time, trust and communication.
Inside Higher Ed
By Doug Lederman
…Cathy Cox, former president of Young Harris College, in Georgia, has been chosen as president of Georgia College & State University.
WSAV
Savannah State University hosts upcoming event, ‘Breast Cancer in Virtual Reality’
by: Steven Poeling
In observance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Savannah State University’s Visual Immersive Tangible Applications Learning (VITAL) Research Lab plans to host the event “Breast Cancer in Virtual Reality.” Attendees will view how breast cancer alters surrounding tissue in virtual reality, and experience in real-time how the lymph nodes, surrounding muscle, and fat tissues are affected.
Patch
Georgia Southern University: Disc Golf Course Coming To Georgia Southern’s Armstrong Campus
An idea inspired by social distancing during the pandemic is coming to fruition with the installation of a disc golf course on the Armstrong Campus in Savannah. Opening later this year, the new disc golf course will consist of nine holes that can be played from multiple tee spots to provide an 18-hole course experience. Sean Willett, assistant director of Intramurals and Club Sports on the Armstrong Campus, proposed the project as he considered new activities to offer students while indoor recreation was infeasible due to COVID-19 precautions. He was excited by the overwhelming encouragement he received for this project.
Athens Banner-Herald
Seven hurt, including five UGA students, in two-vehicle crash on West Broad Street in Athens
Wayne Ford
Five University of Georgia students and two other area residents were injured in a two-vehicle crash Tuesday on West Broad Street, according to the Georgia State Patrol. The wreck occurred about 9:35 a.m. on West Broad Street near the Alps Road intersection, the Patrol reported. The students were in a westbound 2003 Chevrolet Trailblazer when the driver failed to yield the right of way while making a left turn into the Taco Bell, according to the report. …The crash is still under investigation, but charges are pending against the driver of the Trailblazer, the Patrol said.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Streets, buildings on Georgia Tech campus closed for hours due to ‘possible leak’
By Mandi Albright
The area around State and Fowler streets at Ferst Drive on the Georgia Tech campus were closed for five hours Wednesday due to a “possible leak” of some kind, according to campus police. The streets were shut down around 5:30 p.m. and did not reopen until 10:45 p.m., police said on Twitter. Authorities did not confirm the leak or say what might have caused it. The Petit, Ford ES&T and Whitaker buildings were also closed, police said. That area includes Russ Chandler Stadium.
Savannah Morning News
What do Georgia’s tenure changes mean for professors at the state’s public universities?
Will Peebles
The Georgia Board of Regents recently approved changes to post-tenure review guidelines, and critics say it will make firing tenured faculty members easier and bringing new talent to the University System of Georgia more difficult. Before the changes, the firing of a tenured professor would include a peer review process with other faculty. But now, professors at 25 of Georgia’s 26 public universities, including Savannah State University and Georgia Southern University, can be fired after failing two consecutive annual reviews. Additionally, if a professor fails to complete an improvement plan after a performance review, an institution can fire them for that alone. Georgia Gwinnett College is the only state school not subject to the guidelines, as the college does not award tenure. Broadly, the USG requirements for tenure include excellence in teaching and instruction, academic achievement and service to the institution, profession or community. But the changes add another facet to the evaluation of tenured faculty: student success.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Oct. 20)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,255,291
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 24,160 | 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.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia graduation rate held steady through pandemic
By Ty Tagami
After rising for eight years, Georgia’s high school graduation rate flattened last spring, with the class of 2021 graduating at a marginally lower rate than the class of 2020. State school Superintendent Richard Woods applauded the 83.7% rate, down from 83.8%, saying schools held their ground despite the extraordinary hardships for teachers and students. “Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, I am pleased to see Georgia’s graduation rate holding steady,” Woods said in a written statement. “Combined with the class of 2021′s increases in ACT and SAT scores, this is an encouraging indicator about the work being done in public schools.” Georgia’s ACT and SAT scores rose with the class of 2021. …It was an unusual year, with many colleges and universities making those tests optional.
Higher Education News:
The Center Square
This Is the Most Educated City in Georgia
Samuel Stebbins, 24/7 Wall St. via The Center Square
The average cost of a college education in the United States is $35,720 a year — three times higher than it was two decades ago. While rising tuition costs are discouraging many Americans from enrolling, a college education is an investment that can broaden access to career opportunities, improve job security, and increase earning potential. Nationwide, an estimated 32.1% of American adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or higher. Educational attainment rates vary considerably across the country, however, and in every state, there is at least one city where the share of adults with a bachelor’s degree is higher than the national average. In Georgia, Dunwoody, a city of about 49,400 people, ranks as the best educated place. An estimated 72.2% of adults in the area have a bachelor’s degree or higher, compared to the 31.3% bachelor’s degree attainment rate across the state as a whole.