University System News:
Main Street News
Gwinnett Co. cuts ribbon on entrepreneur center
Gwinnett County officials cut the ribbon for the Gwinnett Entrepreneur Center on Dec. 15. The facility is located on located at 405 North Perry Street in Lawrenceville. In partnership with Georgia Gwinnett College, the center is a county-sponsored venue that supports entrepreneurs and nurtures small business startups. “The entrepreneur center will serve as a safe space to exchange ideas, collaborate, receive mentoring and build a foundation to become the best business leaders possible,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson. “This is an equitable opportunity for small business owners to thrive in a low-cost, central location.”
AllOnGeorgia
The Public Relations Society of America manages CEPR, and the review process follows standards established by the Commission on Public Relations Education. The review process involves practitioners and professors reviewing the program, conducting interviews, and visiting the campus. While one other school has received CEPR recognition within the state, Georgia Southern University is the first university sponsored by the Georgia Chapter of PRSA. According to Lisa Muller, J.D., who coordinated the report and visit, “Much work went into preparing for the review, and we are thrilled to have had such a positive experience. This has been a work in progress, and after several departmental moves around campus, we decided that with our new home in Sanford Hall, it was time to apply.”
Athens Banner-Herald
College Football Playoff makes changes due to spread of COVID-19 that will affect Georgia
By Marc Weiszer
Georgia will have a different College Football Playoff experience in the Orange Bowl due to the surge in COVID-19 cases nationally from the omicron variant that is affecting the sports world and its own program. All press conferences are going virtual in South Florida ahead of the Dec. 31 game against Michigan in a national semifinal in Miami Gardens, Fla., the College Football Playoff announced.
The Moultrie Observer
AT&T Georgia makes $25,000 contribution to assist multicultural programs at ABAC
AT&T Georgia recently made a $25,000 contribution to the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Foundation, Inc., to support Multicultural Programs at ABAC. “At AT&T, we understand the importance of closing the digital divide,” AT&T Georgia Director of External Affairs Gary Sanchez said. “We are proud to support Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College’s Multicultural Educational Program, helping equip traditionally underserved students with resources to reach their academic dreams. When our students succeed, we all succeed.” Olga Contreras-Martinez, director of ABAC’s Multicultural Education Programs, said four programs in her area touch the lives of students every day.
Valdosta Daily Times
VSU: Dual enrollment continues to grow
Enrollment in Valdosta State University’s dual-enrollment program climbed 49.3% between fall semester 2019 (205 students) and fall semester 2021 (306 students). Watching more and more high school students take an interest in pursuing higher education at VSU “has been exciting not only for me but also for the university as a whole,” said Megan Hancock, student services coordinator for VSU’s dual-enrollment program. “This semester’s enrollment is a record breaker.”
WALB
Musician represents South Ga. in the Count Basie Orchestra
By Jennifer Morejon
A musician is representing South Georgia in an international group, The Count Basie Orchestra. Professor and department head of music at Valdosta State University (VSU), Isrea Butler’s instrument of choice is the trombone. Aside from joining the Marines as a musician, he has taught and led various music departments at different universities. Butler has played many of New York City’s top jazz ensembles and Broadway productions.
WGAU
UGA research: parasitic pets can infect humans
By Madison Wilson
Parasitic worms that infect companion animals such as dogs and cats are more likely to make the leap into humans than other worm species, according to new research from the University of Georgia’s Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases. The study also identified three species of worms that don’t currently infect people but have a more than 70% chance of crossing into humans in the future. “The close relationships that we have with pets is the predominant reason why people might become infected with new species of parasitic worms,” said Ania Majewska, lead author of the study and a doctoral graduate from the Odum School of Ecology. “Everyday behaviors like playing with and feeding our pets increase opportunities for those parasites to infect people.”
Produce Processing
New study looking at wild birds’ effect on food safety
Several researchers have studied wild bird species, their proximity to cattle operations and how they relate to foodborne outbreaks in the Western U.S. But little work of this type has been conducted in the Southeastern U.S., where bird species, climate, landscape and livestock operations differ. Through her project, “Understanding and predicting food safety risks posed by wild birds,” Nikki Shariat, Ph.D., with the University of Georgia, hopes to give Southeastern producers a science-based picture of the risks posed by wild birds. As part of the research, she also plans to collect data on how Salmonella and/or Campylobacter found in bird feces might be influenced by nearby beef and poultry operations and other landscape factors.
Other News:
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated Dec. 22)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,322,940
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 26,179 | 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.
WALB
Georgia Gov. Kemp backs Juneteenth as official state holiday
By The Associated Press
Gov. Brian Kemp is supporting a plan to add Juneteenth as a mandatory 13th holiday for Georgia state employees. Lawmakers are likely to consider it after they convene in January. President Joe Biden signed a law earlier this year making Juneteenth a federal holiday. The holiday marks when some enslaved Black people in Texas became among the last in Confederacy to learn they were free.
AccessWDUN
US economy grew at 2.3% rate in Q3, up from earlier estimate
By The Associated Press
The U.S. economy grew at a 2.3% rate in the third quarter, slightly better than previously thought, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. But prospects for a solid rebound going forward are being clouded by the rapid spread of the latest variant of the coronavirus. The third and final look at the performance of the gross domestic product, the nation’s total output of goods and services, was higher than last month’s estimate of 2.1% growth.
Savannah Business Journal
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities (GCDD) will host its annual Advocacy Days Jan. 26, Feb. 16, and March 16 in 2022 to connect people with their legislators and to get elected officials in touch with their constituents who have disabilities. The topic for the Jan. 26 Advocacy Day is “Addressing the Direct Support Professional Workforce Shortage,” where GCDD advocates will speak on the issue about the current lack of direct support professional workers, which has a great impact on the disability community in Georgia. This demand is outpacing the supply of available workers. Vacancy rates and voluntary turnover is high among direct support professionals. Low wages and limited benefits, minimal training, ineffective supervision, and few opportunities for career growth, combined with the growing complexity of work, are barriers to creating a stable workforce.
WALB
GaDOE creates electric vehicle career pathway for students
By Kim McCullough
On Monday, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) announced they are creating a career pathway that will teach students the skills to enter the electric vehicle industry, according to Richard Woods, state schools superintendent. This comes after Gov. Brian Kemp announced a $5 billion, 7,500-job investment by the electric vehicle manufacturer, Rivian, Inc. It’s known as the largest economic development project in Georgia history. “As educators, it is our responsibility to prepare students for successful futures — so it’s essential that we mount a rapid response to emerging workforce needs within the state of Georgia,” Woods said. “The development of a new Electric Vehicle Career Pathway will continue to expand the career pipeline and ensure Georgia students have the opportunity to benefit from Rivian’s investment in our state.”
WTOC
Georgia seeing spike in COVID cases as omicron takes over
The number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 has risen almost 50% in Georgia in the last month, and the number of infections continues to accelerate. In the face of the increase, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms reinstated an indoor mask mandate in the city. It comes as the city’s incoming mayor, Andre Dickens, tested positive for COVID. He reports feeling well and having mild symptoms. Infections and worries are rising as the extra-contagious omicron variant of coronavirus becomes the dominant strain across the U.S. after racing ahead of others.
Higher Education News:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
College campuses across the US react as Omicron variant threatens spring semester
By Hilary Burns
Already, a handful of campuses, including Harvard University, Emerson College in Boston, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, DePaul University in Chicago, the College of New Jersey and Stanford University in California and are transitioning some January operations and courses to remote formats while other schools consider such a move.
EdSurge
The Still-Evolving Future of University Credentials
By Sean Gallagher
Five years ago, I published a book on the future of university credentials, making some predictions about what seemed likely to come next in the market for degrees and emerging forms of alternative college credentials. In this time of uncertainty amidst a growing pandemic, it seems worth taking a minute to see how accurate those predictions were and to provide an update, considering the unexpected and unprecedented developments of the past few years. To start off, it’s worth thinking back to 2016. Education policy leaders at the federal level and beyond were exploring the growing role of competency-based education and non-traditional providers—and calls were growing for stronger connections between universities and the world of employment.
Florida Trend
University system eyes $800 million facilities plan
A report from the state university system suggests $800 million in facilities money that could be sought during the 2022 legislative session should be divvied up to cover roughly half of each school’s needs. The system’s Board of Governors last month proposed making the funding request amid a discussion about aging buildings. Only Florida Polytechnic University, the state’s most recently-built school, is not reporting a need for deferred maintenance projects. The board’s Facilities Committee will meet Jan. 5 to consider approval of the budget request.
Forbes
7 Ways Professors Can Promote Equity In The Classroom
By Janice Gassam Asare
College campuses were designed to be beacons of hope in this world; a place where minds can come together to be developed and shaped in ways that will impact the world. Despite all the advantages of a society with higher levels of education, there are not enough conversations being had about how to ensure that those within college classrooms feel safe, nurtured, and valued. The public conversation often centers around the lack of diversity within the academy; the public tenure battle that involved Nikole Hannah-Jones intensified these conversations. But what can be done to ensure that students from racialized backgrounds feel safe and are able to be supported within higher education? Here are seven ways that colleges and universities can create safe, supportive, equitable, and inclusive environments for all students.
Georgia Recorder
Biden extends student loan repayment pause three more months
By Jacob Fischler and Ariana Figueroa
President Joe Biden will continue a pandemic-spurred pause on student loan repayments until May 1, he said Wednesday. Loan repayments were set to restart Jan. 31, following months of the U.S. Education Department not requiring payments during the pandemic. Biden told the department to extend the moratorium initially placed by President Donald Trump’s administration. It was the third extension Biden has directed. Trump’s administration froze requirements to repay student loans in the pandemic’s early days in March 2020. Upon taking office, Biden extended the pause for six months, saying that many borrowers in the pandemic-rocked economy were still having difficulty paying.
The story also appeared in The Washington Post
Diverse: Issues In Higher Education
JEDI is Trending in Higher Education. But HBCUs Have Modeled it all Along
By Ashley Herr-Perrin
Systemic racism and its role in the financial strangulation of many HBCUs has finally been exposed as a prominent thorn of injustice in America’s higher education system. Due to long-standing inequities and discriminatory funding practices, HBCUs have been left far behind in securing sustainable resources when compared with Predominately White Institutions (PWIs). Ironically, the survival of many HBCUs has been jeopardized by the same systemic racism that other colleges and universities are claiming to confront through diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice (JEDI) initiatives. The Biden Administration’s Build Back Better plan would be a significant step in beginning to repair the consequences of systemic racism in higher education, but whether or not Congressional support will be rallied remains to be seen.
Inside Higher Ed
Appeals Court Rules for Ex-President of Michigan State in Nassar Case
By Scott Jaschik
A three-judge panel of the Michigan Court of Appeals ruled this week that Lou Anna K. Simon, the former president of Michigan State University, should not face criminal charges for allegedly lying to investigators about what she knew about the abuse charges made against Larry Nassar, MLive reported. Simon resigned as Michigan State president in January 2018, days after hearing dozens of women recount the sexual abuse at the hands of Nassar during his sentencing. She was charged in November 2018.
The Associated Press
Ivy Tech stops withholding transcripts to those owing money
Ivy Tech Community College has ended a policy that withheld transcripts from students who owe the statewide college money. Under the previous policy, some Ivy Tech students who wanted to transfer to a four-year school were unable to do because Ivy Tech withheld transcripts from students owing the college any money. But under its new policy Ivy Tech now makes transcripts available to all students, WFYI-TV reported. Dominic Chase, Ivy Tech’s chief financial officer, said the new policy affects about 80,000 students at the college’s more than 20 campuses around Indiana. Chase said many students denied access to their transcripts owed as little as $5. Although debt to the college is not forgiven, the policy is intended to encourage students to meet their educational goals by eliminating obstacles.
The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
Huge Racial Disparities Among Medical Residents in Specific Fields
The Association of American Medical Colleges has released new data on medical residents in the United States. Data are for graduates of MD-granting U.S. and Canadian schools and graduates of international medical schools. International medical school graduates include both U.S. citizens and non-U.S. citizens who graduated from any medical school outside the United States and Canada. Overall, 50.0 percent of active U.S.-citizen medical residents in 2020-21 reported they were White, 21.8 percent self-identified as Asian, 7.8 percent were Hispanic, 5.8 identified as Black or African American, less than 1 percent were American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander. Additionally, 17.2 percent of active medical residents were non-U.S. citizens in 2020-21.
The Washington Post
UCLA, Yale, Duke among colleges planning to start January with remote instruction as omicron surges
By Susan Svrluga
Columbia University, Duke University and the University of California at Los Angeles will start with remote classes in January, part of a growing number of colleges choosing a temporary pivot online as coronavirus cases rise and the omicron variant spreads nationally. Yale University will delay the start of the spring semester, hold classes online for the first few weeks, and shorten spring break by a week. The semester will begin Jan. 25 for Yale College and the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, school leaders announced, and in-person classes are scheduled to resume Feb. 7.
The story also appeared in Inside Higher Ed.