University System News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia lawmakers hear plan to aid low-income college students
By Eric Stirgus
The chair of the state House of Representatives’ Higher Education Committee made his pitch Wednesday to the group for legislation that would provide financial aid up to $2,500 to some undergraduate college students in Georgia who can’t pay their tuition. House Bill 1435, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, is the latest attempt by Georgia lawmakers to provide a more robust need-based aid program for students attending the state’s public colleges and universities. Georgia is one of only two states that lacks broad need-based financial aid, experts say. The bill proposes aid for students who have completed at least 80% of the credit requirements toward their degree or certificates. The Georgia Student Finance Commission would determine income eligibility.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Senate backs midyear budget with raises, bonuses for teachers, workers
By James Salzer
The Georgia Senate on Thursday passed a nearly $30 billion midyear budget that includes raises and bonuses for about 300,000 state, university and k-12 employees. The Senate plan — which passed 52-0 — also includes the $1.6 billion in state income tax refunds that Gov. Brian Kemp proposed earlier this year because the government ran a surplus in fiscal 2021. The House last month backed a midyear budget that retained Kemp’s priorities and added some chamber goals. The Senate version did as well. Now the House and Senate will negotiate a final deal. The proposal would increase spending by $2.6 billion this fiscal year, which ends June 30.
Times-Georgian
UWG names Rogers its 2022 Academic Recognition Day Scholar
Sarah Grace Rogers, a 2018 graduate and former STAR Student at Heard County High School in Franklin, has been named the University of West Georgia’s Academic Recognition Day Scholar for 2022. Rogers, a native of Ephesus, was honored as part of the University System of Georgia’s program that recognizes students who are Georgia residents and who maintain a 4.0 grade point average. When the 2021 graduate of West Georgia, learned that she had been named UWG’s 2022 recipient, she was “surprised and proud.”
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College to host Preview Days March 5 and April 16; free application in March
From staff reports
Georgia Gwinnett College will give high school and transfer students a glimpse of college life during its in-person Preview Days, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m., on March 5 and April 16. During the preview, members of the GGC family will be on hand to discuss programs of study, admissions, financial aid, student housing and more. Participants will be able to tour the campus and talk to student ambassadors about their experiences at GGC. …For students who apply to GGC in March, application fees will be waived.
Patch
Receiving $10,000 and $5,000 Hammond for Hope Scholarships were life-changers for Kayla Pope and Caroline Davis, respectively, who are both second-year graduate students in the Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDS) program at Georgia Southern University. …The Hammond for Hope Foundation was founded by managing members of Great Dane more than 35 years ago to support education for children with hearing loss. …The scholarships, established in 2017, are part of the company’s ongoing effort to assist those with hearing loss and communication disorders. Each year, two Hammond for Hope Scholarships are awarded to Georgia Southern students working toward graduate degrees in the CSDS program.
Patch
Georgia Southern biology lecturer Elizabeth Sargent, Ph.D., won the 2022 Student Impact Award from Top Hat, a digital platform for teachers and professors to connect with students online, distribute assignments and give in-class quizzes and exams. This national award is given annually to one educator in the United States who excels at connecting and collaborating with students to improve learner outcomes. Sargent said she’s always looking for ways to improve the connection between the students and the content.
The Red & Black
HSA at UGA celebrates Women’s History Month with letters to impactful women
Julianna Washburn
Sheets of patterned scrapbook paper, colored markers and glue sticks sat neatly organized atop a wooden table in a Zell B. Miller Learning Center classroom, waiting to be used. The Hispanic Student Association at the University of Georgia celebrated the first day of Women’s History Month on Tuesday with a meeting centered around “Las mujeres que cambian el mundo,” which translates to “The women that change the world.” In honor of International Women’s Day on March 8 and Women’s History Month, HSA spotlighted Latina trailblazers with a presentation and game of Lotería, where students matched the face of a trailblazer on a card to a name announced at random. This was done in hopes of filling enough spaces to create a pattern and yell “Lotería!” To close out the celebratory meeting, participants crafted cards for women they admire in their life.
WGAU Radio
Volunteers from College of Family and Consumer Sciences
By Cal Powell, UGA Today
Filing taxes can be intimidating, but the University of Georgia can help.
The UGA Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program has provided free tax preparation services to Athens and surrounding areas for over 15 years and recently added a virtual component that allows for statewide access for online tax filing. Last year, with the help of UGA Cooperative Extension and Georgia United Credit Union, UGA VITA reached residents in 70 Georgia counties and contributed an estimated $4 million economic impact based on tax preparation fees and federal refunds. With tax season upon us, College of Family and Consumer Sciences faculty members Lance Palmer and Joan Koonce, who oversee the UGA VITA program, provide some facts and incentives for filing a tax return.
Charlotte Observer
Who are the Charlotte FC TV and radio announcers? Meet the voices on the call
By Mary Ramsey
The start of Charlotte FC’s inaugural season means a new crop of broadcasters will be hitting the airwaves for local broadcasts of the team’s games. Matches will be broadcast by teams of announcers and analysts on WSOC, Telemundo Charlotte, WFNZ and WBT AM/FM. Some are new voices for the Charlotte area, while others were already part of the local sports media scene. Here’s what to know about the team that’ll be on the call for Charlotte FC games for the 2022 season. …JESSICA CHARMAN: COLOR ANALYST A native of Harefield, England, Jessica Charman was a 2018 nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year while playing soccer for Clayton State.
WJBF
AU professor worried about his parents in Ukraine, says his father is looking to help fight
by: Ashley Jones
The chaos erupting in Ukraine due to the Russian invasion is hitting close to home for one local man. Mykola Mamenko is an Assistant physiology professor at Augusta University. He left Ukraine more than 10 years ago, but his parents reside in Kyiv. “In the first few days I was worried, but the more Ukraine resists, the more proud I became of them,” said Assistant Professor, Mykola Mamenko. Augusta University assistant professor Mykel Maminko says the Ukrainian military has a lot of courage. He says, “I think there is something our military can teach the best armies in the world, because with limited resource they managed to stand against an army that is much stronger than theirs.” He says his feelings toward the invasion have been mixed. He feels proud of his nation and how they are handling what’s happening but also worried for his parents who live in Kyiv.
The Macon Newsroom
Teachers in short supply as educator pipeline slows to a trickle in Middle Georgia
Laura Corley, Civic Journalism Fellow
There is a science teacher at Ballard Hudson Middle School who has been on the job since the start of the school year without ever setting foot inside the classroom. An in-person substitute teacher observes students learning and keeps watch over the class while students listen and watch screens playing a live streamed video of the teacher, who lives out of town. An ongoing national shortage of teachers means that students in some districts are more likely to be in classrooms without teachers. The shortage has prompted districts including Bibb County to hire virtual teachers for classes where hiring a traditional in-person teacher has proven to be a particular challenge. The first virtual teachers were hired in Bibb Schools in 2016. That year, the University System of Georgia awarded the fewest number of degrees in education-related programs recorded in the past decade. …The trickling teacher pipeline is unlikely to be an issue that will go away any time soon, said David Biek, dean of the school of education & behavioral sciences at Middle Georgia State University. … Davlin Wilson, a third-year student at Middle Georgia State University, is student-teaching fourth grade math in Bibb County schools. The job, he said, “is not as easy as people think.” … Fort Valley State University had 40 education graduates in 2012 and 32 in 2021. Middle Georgia State University had 99 education graduates in 2013 and 77 in 2021. Georgia College & State University has roughly the same number of graduates as it did a decade ago. Joe Peters, dean of the college of education at GCSU, said the school’s reputation for quality teaching programs has helped spare it from sharp declines in enrollment reported at other universities. The college’s education program has an exemplary rating on the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s website.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta HBCUs: Why we teach critical race theory
By Eric Stirgus
As debate surrounds topic in Georgia, college students embrace these conversations
Kurt Young, political science chair at Clark Atlanta University, said his students are asking more questions about critical race theory these days. It’s happening amid a smoldering national debate on the subject, which has also erupted in Georgia. Critical race theory, typically used in graduate and law schools, examines how race has shaped culture, legal systems and policies to produce unequal outcomes. Republican state lawmakers have introduced several bills in recent weeks that would limit discussions on race in public schools and colleges and, in some cases, impose financial penalties. Young says the controversy has increased interest among his students in critical race theory. …CRT backlash
The pushback against CRT has caused some at HBCUs to speak carefully, or not at all publicly, on the topic. One administrator worried that speaking in support of CRT could anger donors. Faculty members at public universities in Georgia also say colleagues are increasingly wary of speaking on controversial topics such as CRT. A Republican state representative last month asked for information from University System leaders identifying any courses that focus on topics related to critical race theory, such as anti-racism and social justice. System officials are working on a response.
Public’s Response to Police Presence Heavily Tied to Race, Studies Show
by University at Albany, State University of New York
How people respond to police presence is heavily tied to race and racially-charged events, according to two recent studies by Associate Professor Justin Pickett of the University at Albany’s School of Criminal Justice. One study, published in January in the journal Criminology, shows that while most white Americans don’t fear police officers, most African Americans are afraid of police killing them and hurting their family members. The study, “The American Racial Divide in Fear of the Police,” found fear of police was ubiquitous among Black Americans but ubiquitously absent among white Americans. In fact, about half of Black respondents said they would rather by robbed or burglarized than stopped unprovoked by a police officer. “The racial divide in fear was mediated by past experiences with police mistreatment,” according to the study, co-written by Amanda Graham of Georgia Southern University and Francis T. Cullen of the University of Cincinnati.
Athens CEO
UGA Skidaway Institute Hawaii Research Resumes After Pandemic Delay
After a pandemic-induced delay of nearly two years, scientists at the University of Georgia Skidaway Institute of Oceanography have started their 4-year research project to study how dust in the atmosphere is deposited in the ocean and how that affects chemical and biological processes there. The research team of Clifton Buck, Daniel Ohnemus and Christopher Marsay had originally planned to begin collecting aerosol samples in Hawaii in early 2021, but COVID-19 changed all that.
WSB-TV
Grisly experiment at south Georgia swamp leads to “monster” discovery
Biologists in south Georgia set off on a grisly experiment at the Okefenokee Swamp Park that led to some “monster” results. Back in January, biologists with the UGA Coastal Ecology Lab found a dead beaver floating in the swamp. So they did the natural thing that scientists do: Set a camera up next to the carcass to see what monster would rise from the deep to make it a meal. A series of photos taken by the researchers’ spy camera gives a spectacular, up-close look at the giant alligator that eventually snacked on the carcass in its natural habitat. The photos were captured over a period of a couple days in which the alligator snacked on, played with and basked with his prey.
GPB
Legislative committee approves statewide referendum on horse racing
By: Dave Williams
A constitutional amendment asking Georgia voters whether to legalize pari-mutuel betting on horse racing cleared a state Senate committee Wednesday. But some lawmakers worried the horse racing industry could be set up for failure in the Peach State if racetracks are limited to live or simulcast horse racing. The constitutional amendment would prohibit casinos from setting up slot machines and table games at racetracks. Other tracks around the nation have come to rely on income from casino operations for a major portion of their businesses. …Bringing horse racing to Georgia – including the breeding and racing of thoroughbreds – would generate $1.28 billion in annual economic impact and create 15,800 jobs in its first decade, according to a recent study by Georgia Southern University.
The George-Anne
Five women shot at with BB gun after leaving dorm
John Shaw, Correspondent
A group of women had BBs shot at them from a moving vehicle last Tuesday night while walking to the Dining Commons. The University sent out a Safety Alert on Friday warning of, “occupants in moving vehicles launching projectiles at individuals walking or standing along the street.” Kayla Evans, a student at Georgia Southern, told police that she and four of her friends were walking to the Dining Commons from Eagle Village when a white Chevrolet Pickup came down Georgia Avenue, shooting BBs at them from the vehicle. Two of the five friends decided they would not like to press charges, but UPD is still looking for the perpetrator.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Georgia should pay for more AP exams for students
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Economist says investment will lower college costs and promote student success
Ishtiaque Fazlul is a clinical assistant professor of economics at the Education Economics Center in the Coles College of Business at Kennesaw State University. Fazlul is a microeconomist. Among his research areas are determinants of Advanced Placement course and exam-taking behavior.
By Ishtiaque Fazlul
Inflation is taking a huge bite out of the family budget and potentially impacting plans for sending students to college. For years, Georgia families have been able to save on college costs using vehicles like HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships, tax-free 529 plans, Pell Grants and Reach Scholarships. To help even more, Gov. Brian Kemp is looking to reduce fees that students and their families pay each semester. But with the cost of food, housing and transportation skyrocketing, we need to look for even more ways to chop down college expenses for families and taxpayers.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 2)
An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state
CONFIRMED CASES: 1,913,171
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 29,892 | 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.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Common App Again Changes Its Language
More changes to the application are designed to better serve transgender population.
By Scott Jaschik
Last year, the Common Application announced changes to better serve transgender students. The application added a question to provide applicants with the option to share their preferred first name, added a pronoun question that gives students the option to select multiple options or add their pronoun set, and shifted the presentation of a question from “sex” to “legal sex” to reduce student confusion. (Colleges are required to ask students’ legal name and sex to meet reporting laws.) Now the Common App is making additional changes to accommodate transgender applicants. Beginning with the 2022–23 application season, the Common App will add “Mx.” and “other” options for counselor, parent, recommender, teacher and adviser prefix options, as well as add “legal” to the first/given name question label. And beginning in the 2023–24 application season, Common App will add “X” or “another legal sex” as an option in addition to “female” and “male.”
Inside Higher Ed
Law School Admissions Council Acquires Law School Transparency
By Scott Jaschik
The Law School Admission Council on Wednesday announced that it had acquired Law School Transparency, a nonprofit organization dedicated “to providing innovative tools that help aspiring law school students make informed decisions about their legal education future.” As part of this expansion, Law School Transparency’s co-founder and executive director, Kyle McEntee, has joined LSAC’s growing LawHub team as senior director for prelaw solutions.
Inside Higher Ed
Russia-Ukraine War Disrupts Study Abroad
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted some colleges to recall students from study abroad programs; future programs in certain parts of Eastern Europe may also be in jeopardy.
By Josh Moody
As the Russian assault on Ukraine continues, ripple effects are being felt across higher education, particularly in study abroad programs. Colleges are recalling students already in Russia or Ukraine and hitting pause on upcoming study abroad sessions in those countries. Twelve students were at Middlebury College’s school in Russia when the war broke out last week—three from Middlebury and nine from other U.S. colleges, according to Middlebury College spokesperson Sarah Ray. As of Wednesday night, three students had left; the majority will depart Friday, and the last student will leave Russia over the weekend, Ray said. …Similarly, the Council on International Educational Exchange, an international education nonprofit supporting study abroad efforts, announced that it is suspending its spring 2022 programs in St. Petersburg and moving students to other locations in Eastern Europe.