University System News:
AllOnGeorgia
GSU: From ‘no knowledge’ to graduating professional
Staff Reports
A few years ago, Corey Bergfield of Augusta, Georgia, was just like many other high school students. He was combing through college programs trying to pick a career path. Then, he stumbled upon information on computer science, a rapidly growing field with booming opportunities for young professionals. “I started out with actually no knowledge of coding at all,” said Bergfield. After dabbling with what he described as a “drag and drop” coding program, Bergfield started looking at schools with a strong foundation within this field. He chose Georgia Southern University.
Staff Reports
This week, approximately 2,100 undergraduate and graduate students from Georgia Southern University’s Statesboro, Armstrong and Liberty campuses received associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral degrees in three Fall 2021 Commencement ceremonies. Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero welcomed the graduates and their families to the University’s Fall Commencement ceremonies, held at the Savannah Convention Center in Savannah on Dec. 11, and the Allen E. Paulson Stadium in Statesboro on Dec. 13 and 14. He commended the graduates on their achievements and tenacity.
The Red & Black
Georgia Museum of Natural History to reopen in 2022 with new exhibit
By Alex Anteau
At the Georgia Museum of Natural History, every day is a bones day. On Dec. 7, curators Nikki Castleberry and Nicole Pontzer stand in the gallery space of the Georgia Museum of Natural History as they discuss the layout of the room. Glass display cases are open, spotlights are off and animal specimens lie waiting to be put into position. Today, Nikki and Nicole are the only ones in the space, but not for long. On Jan. 10, 2022, the museum plans to reopen its doors to the public for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to shut down, with an exhibit spotlighting the state’s many diverse ecosystems called “This Place We Call Georgia.”
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA to enhance access to archives on Linnentown, other Athens urban renewal projects
Staff Reports
Two new projects at the University of Georgia will enhance access, both online and in-person, to students, researchers and members of the community to learn more about the history of urban renewal and housing policy in Athens and across Georgia. The policy of urban renewal in the United States, which lasted from 1954 to 1974, provided federal funding to municipalities to use eminent domain to acquire property for public redevelopment projects, in some cases displacing residents. Years after funding for urban renewal ended in 1974, federally authorized urban redevelopment projects continued to take place across Georgia and the country.
11alive
UGA sees decline in COVID cases at end of semester
By Jessica Brown
The University of Georgia is seeing a decline in the number of COVID cases on campus in its last week of the fall 2021 semester. According to UGA, COVID cases reported on campus have remained low, dropping 25% from the previous week. Around Labor Day, COVID cases at the university reached a high peak but cases have since dropped by 96%, UGA said in a release.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Dec. 15)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,301,663
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 26,007 | 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 Brunswick News
COVID cases on the rise as CDC warns of new variant
By Hank Rowland
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta issued an advisory Wednesday warning that cases of the omicron variant of COVID-19 are on the rise across the nation. As of Wednesday, the recently new variant had not shown up in anyone submitting to the COVID-19 test in the Coastal Health District, which includes Glynn, McIntosh and Camden counties. But that doesn’t mean it is not here, stresses Ginger Heidel, risk communicator for the eight-county Coastal Health District.
WMAZ
New electric truck plant to come to east Atlanta could employ 7,500 people
A new battery and assembly plant will be built east of Atlanta and may provide jobs for people in Central Georgia, sources briefed on the decision told the Associated Press. According to a release, electric truck maker Rivian Automotive will announce Thursday that it’s building a $5 billion plant. It’s projected to employ 7,500 workers.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Are Sonny Perdue chancellor hopes still alive?
By Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein and Tia Mitchell
Will Gov. Brian Kemp still back Sonny Perdue to lead Georgia’s higher education system, even as his first-cousin David Perdue tries to unseat Kemp in the Republican primary? It’s one of the biggest questions that Kemp will have to answer soon—and it’s not as cut-and-dry as you might think. Multiple people close to Kemp say he still might pick Sonny Perdue for the coveted post, in part because he feels duty-bound to stick to his initial decision. At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer for Kemp to withdraw his support for Sonny Perdue, since one of the original benefits of backing the former governor was the hope that it could keep the former President Donald Trump at bay—and perhaps persuade his famous cousin to stay on the sidelines of a GOP primary.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Pandemic accelerates a decline in campus-based child care
By Kelly Field
During the first few months of the pandemic, Stephanie Dotson, a student at Long Beach City College, tried to study from home with her 3-year-old daughter. It wasn’t easy. “You’re trying to take care of your kid and the professor is talking,” she said. “Thank goodness for the mute button.” Then, last winter, a spot opened up in the campus day care. It was only half-day, so she still had to cram her classes into a three-hour window, but at least she got some uninterrupted study time. “It was a big, big relief,” she said.
Diverse Issues in Education
Institutions recognized for creating partnerships centered on workforce development
By Walter Hudson
Five institutions are the recipients of grants provided by The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) and Coalition of Urban Serving Universities (USU) that will be used to create partnerships with local community organizations and businesses aimed at providing students with the skills they’ll need to successfully enter the workforce upon graduation. The schools recognized with financial support include University of California, Riverside; Florida International University, San Jose State University; University of Texas at Arlington, and University of Texas at El Paso.
Inside Higher Ed
Associations team up on transfer statement
By Emma Whitford
Three higher education associations—the American Council on Education, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers—published a new statement Wednesday that outlines “sound, equity-minded” policies for accommodating transfer students. The three associations, which first co-signed the statement in 2001 and last updated it in 2017, were motivated to update it this year to reflect new challenges brought on by the pandemic, according to an ACE spokesperson. The most recent version recommends that colleges and universities use consistent standards to evaluate transfer credits, remove unnecessary barriers to accessing transcripts and self-audit their transfer policies.
Inside Higher Ed
Growing cyberthreats, surging insurance costs
By Suzanne Smalley
Higher education institutions seeking cybersecurity insurance today are not unlike homeowners living on the water in a hurricane-prone coastal community: the riskier the environment, the harder it is to get insured. For both community colleges and four-year institutions, cyberthreats are now very pronounced, and that reality has led to more institutions facing cyberinsurance premium hikes of as much as 400 percent—or even discovering they are uninsurable. An estimated 82 colleges and public school districts have been the victims of cyberattacks so far this year, disrupting learning at more than 1,000 individual institutions and schools across the country, according to the cybersecurity company Emsisoft.
Washington Post
Colleges move exams online, urge boosters as coronavirus cases rise and omicron fears grow
By Susan Svrluga and Lauren Lumpkin
Colleges around the country are worrying about outbreaks of the coronavirus, leading some to pivot online and cancel events, and others to abruptly change rules on campus in the waning days of the fall semester. At Cornell University, where cases of the omicron variant have been confirmed and many more are suspected, more than 1,100 students tested positive for the virus this week. The spike led school officials to switch final exams online, close libraries, and call off activities, including a ceremony for December graduates.