USG e-clips for April 1, 2022

University System News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sonny Perdue takes the helm as University System of Georgia chancellor

By Eric Stirgus

Former two-term Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue on Friday spent his first day as chancellor of the University System of Georgia — a position he’s called a “capstone to a career of public service.” Perdue visited Georgia Gwinnett College for a ceremony to formally celebrate the selection of the college’s president, Jann Joseph. Joseph became the college’s president in July 2019, but the COVID-19 pandemic delayed her investiture ceremony. It was a homecoming of sorts for Perdue, who signed the law in 2005 creating the college.

Athens CEO

AU/UGA Medical Partnership, St. Mary’s Fill All Positions in Internal Medicine Residency Program

Staff Report

The Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership Internal Medicine Residency Program at St. Mary’s is pleased to welcome its seventh class of internal medicine residents in Athens. The new residents will begin practicing at St. Mary’s Health Care System on July 1 under the supervision of advanced resident physicians and physician faculty from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, as well as area community-based teaching faculty. In addition to providing supervised patient care in Athens, their 3-year residency involves ongoing education and rural healthcare rotations in Greene County. Residency is the final step in a physician’s education before becoming a fully licensed and independent practitioner.

See also:

Gwinnett Daily Post

PHOTOS: Georgia Gwinnett College students research and track local bird populations

Augusta CEO

Augusta University’s Greenblatt Library Renovation to Begin April 4th

Milledge Austin

Beginning Monday, April 4, the Robert B. Greenblatt, M.D. Library on the Health Sciences Campus at Augusta University will begin the second phase of a major renovation project that totals $4.9 million. The new phase of the project includes plans for a new main entrance to the library from Laney-Walker Boulevard and doubles the number of group study spaces on the second floor to 12 (each with eight seats and a conference table). The renovation also features a one-stop shop for student support services, as well as creating the infrastructure for a possible new dining option for students, faculty and staff. “This significant investment in the Greenblatt Library on the medical campus demonstrates Augusta’s commitment to the vital space libraries provide for the university community,” said Brad Warren, Augusta University’s dean of libraries.

Hannibal

HLGU shotgun sports finishes eighth at ACUI Collegiate Championships

Staff Report

The Hannibal-LaGrange University shotgun sports team competed in the ACUI Collegiate Clay Target Championships and came in eighth place out of 28 teams. “We had a good performance at Nationals this year,” said HLGU coach Nathan Hammock. “The conditions we encountered on Tuesday during trap and trap doubles were tough. The team fought for every target during those events and for that I am very proud of them.” Georgia Southern University won the ACUI Collegiate Championships, with Liberty University placing second and Texas State University placing third.

Home Army

Division human resource training focuses on Soldier wellness

Maj. Chinyere Sturghill, 3rd Infantry Division

The 3rd Infantry Division human resource Soldiers conducted Soldier wellness training from March 21-24 on Fort Stewart. This training was selected specifically for its emphasis on taking care of Soldiers. The training also built resilience and improved focus and creativity for the HR Soldiers, making them better able to support Soldiers and build unit readiness. “The training was necessary to challenge how Soldiers think,” said Lt. Col. Kevin Caesar, head of HR for 3rd ID. “HR professionals in their daily duties receive and process numerous Soldier-related concerns.” To improve Soldier support, Caesar directed the training center on Soldier wellness. The training began with the 3rd ID finance office informing Soldiers about the saving deposit program. Then a representative from the Army Community Service program discussed personal finances, benefits of the Thrift Savings Program and the importance of effective home station administration when Soldiers are deployed forward. In addition, Mr. Keenan Gamble, the scholarship and enrollment officer for the Army ROTC program at Georgia Southern University, talked to attendees about the Green to Gold Scholarship program and submission requirements.

Bio Market Insights

US EPA Designates $2M to 11 Food Waste AD Projects

by Daniela Castim

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has assigned $2 million (€1.84 million) to 11 organisations in order to divert food waste from landfills by expanding nationwide anaerobic digestion (AD) capacity. According to the EPA, almost half the funds will be given to projects or recipients located in underserved communities. Specifically, the Agency considered the effects of this initiative on people of colour, low-income, tribal and indigenous populations, and other vulnerable populations. …Each chosen organisation will be granted an estimate of $150,000-200,000 (€138,000-184,000) over two years. The selected projects are:

• Georgia Southern University, Research and Services Foundation – Statesboro, Georgia: Plans to lead a feasibility study to advance the understanding of how AD capacity at pulp and paper mills can be leveraged for the treatment of food waste from university campuses.

SaportaReport

Georgia oysters: Big hopes hang in balance of commercially farmed oysters

David Pendered

The Legislature passed House Bill 501 in 2019 to enable the commercial oyster sector to expand. Then the pandemic arrived. With the crash in restaurant trade came a collapse of interest among potential oyster farmers to take on a new risk. Plans to promote the opening of commercial oyster hatcheries are behind schedule, though the state continues to operate its facility. New signs of life in the industry have emerged. Two significant signs that state officials intend to reenergize the oyster industry emerged from the council meeting. The first is the council’s non-binding recommendation to state environmental officials and scientists: “Encourage the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the University of Georgia Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Office to continue gathering information related to the state’s oyster hatchery rules, regulations, and laws. Request that DNR and the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant Office return to the Rural Development Council during the fall of 2022 with comprehensive legislative recommendations to increase economic opportunities in the oyster industry while continuing to meet obligations to ensure public health standards.” The second sign is the response to lawmakers from DNR and UGA officials. They concurred that they can meet the deadline to submit a wish list of legislation to promote the oyster industry.

Albany Herald

Leaders in poultry, policy 2022 inductees into Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame

By Maria M. Lameiras CAES News

A pioneer in poultry and a producer who has been a strong advocate in agricultural policy will be inducted into the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame on April 9 during the 66th University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Alumni Association Awards here. The honorees are the late J. Henry Massey, who earned both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in poultry science at CAES, a steadfast leader in the poultry science industry in Georgia, and Georgia Farm Bureau President and third-generation farmer Tom McCall, a 1980 animal science CAES alumnus. Established in 1972, the Georgia Agricultural Hall of Fame honors individuals making unusual and extraordinary contributions to agriculture and agribusiness industries in the state.

Georgia Trend

Southwest: Small Communities Shine

By Randy Southerland

Southwest Georgia has gained momentum since the start of the pandemic — ask any economic development leader in the region. This highly rural area of the state has attracted newcomers and expanded local businesses to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars in new investments. More business means more jobs and the need for more workers to fill them. Southwest county developers are taking the labor shortage in stride, digging into workforce development to sustain the growth. …Meeting demand with labor is the key to sustaining the Southwest’s communities, says Cynthia Tori, a Valdosta State University economics professor. “We had a really tight labor market [in 2020], and we continue to have a very tight labor market even though our labor-force size has increased,” Tori says. “We’ve seen an uptick in wages because of this lack of availability of labor, which is good on one hand, but on the other it really does squeeze profits for our local businesses.” …Workforce development in Southwest Georgia starts earlier than college. Deron Rehberg is the county coordinator for the University of Georgia agriculture and 4-H extension offices in Grady and Thomas County. Their programs work with middle and high schoolers to introduce them to several local food industries as well as careers in family and consumer sciences. “It’s all about relationships,” Rehberg says. “These programs exist for those students that are not planning to head off to college. They show students that they can then go into the industry base here and go right into the workforce with minimal transition. Looking at the prospects for the rest of 2022, forecasters predict another year of positive growth for the region, especially in workforce development.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Local golf: Tour Championship begins new HOPE Shot Scholarship

By Stan Awtrey

The Tour Championship created a HOPE Shot Scholarship as part of a record charitable donation of $3.7 million generated from the 2021 tournament. The HOPE Shot Scholarship will award $5,000 to honorees on behalf of the Tour Championship. A tournament tradition that began in 2008 allows one boy and one girl from the First Tee of Metro Atlanta to hit the opening tee shot to start the event. Marcus Leonard and Tatum Thompson, the 2021 honorees, were the surprise recipients of the first scholarships. A plaque of all previous honorees was unveiled at a ceremony at East Lake Golf Club.

Two UGA squads placed fifth at Liz Murphey Classic

The Georgia women fielded two teams in the 50th Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic, and they ended up tied for fifth. The No. 31-ranked Bulldogs had a 901 from their first and second teams, including an impressive 292 from the No. 2 team in the final round.

WGAU Radio

UGA students will work Masters Tournament in Augusta

First full attendance in two years

By Tim Bryant

They are gearing up for golf in Augusta, where 10 University of Georgia students will work as hospitality interns during next week’s Masters Tournament.

From Chris Starrs, UGA Media Relations…

As millions of viewers tune in to watch the Masters Championship at Augusta National Golf Club, 10 University of Georgia student interns will be on site, working in the kitchen. The students are part of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences’ nascent Hospitality and Food Industry Management program, and they will serve as line cooks and food expediters for the scores of banquets, meals and events throughout Masters Week, happenings that are often just as noteworthy as the golf itself. This is the first time students from the HFIM program — which was established in 2019 — will have the chance to work in one of the sports world’s most historic and celebrated sites.

Albany Herald

PHOTOS: Albany State University Graduate Faculty Research Colloquium

Photos contributed by Reginald Christian

Albany State University held its Graduate Faculty Research Colloquium on Thursday, March 31, 2022.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Jolt: See Sonny Perdue’s resume for his new $524,000 job as chancellor

By Patricia Murphy, Greg Bluestein, Tia Mitchell

News and analysis from the politics team at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Sonny Perdue officially takes over as the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia today, starting the $524,000-per-year job after a contentious, year-long effort by Gov. Brian Kemp to position him to get it. Perdue has been mostly mum about what he plans to do in the powerful post overseeing the state of Georgia’s colleges and universities, or even why he sought it at all. We found part of the answer yesterday when Perdue’s job application and resume for the job were posted publicly, the results of an open records request from self-described “citizen journalist” Brian Bannon and first spotted by Abraham Kenmore of the Augusta Chronicle.

The Augusta Chronicle

See Sonny Perdue’s application to be chancellor of University System of Georgia

Abraham Kenmore

Former Gov. Sonny Perdue’s application to be chancellor of the University System of Georgia is now public, courtesy of an open records request from a citizen journalist. The application includes a two-page cover letter and a four-page biography, and was shared publicly through MuckRock, which allows users to file and share public record requests. The documents were requested by Brian Bannon. “If you are like most people, I imagine you have mused to yourself or openly to others, “why does Sonny Perdue want this job?” That a valid and important question, to which I gladly respond,” Perdue wrote at the beginning of his cover letter. “While I am keenly interested in serving as your next Chancellor, I cannot say that I pursued or ‘wanted’ this job. When I was initially approached to measure my interest, I simply said that I wanted the University System of Georgia to secure the best Chancellor available.” Perdue goes on to discuss his own background in the State Senate working on the HOPE Scholarship before elaborating on key issues for USG.

Columbus CEO

Bordelon Departs CSU for Provost’s Role at University of Houston-Downtown

The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) announced today that Columbus State University’s Dr. Deborah E. Bordelon, who currently serves as provost and executive vice president, has accepted the role of senior vice president for academic affairs and provost. Bordelon’s final day as Columbus State’s provost will be May 31. In her new position, Bordelon will serve as UHD’s chief academic officer and work collaboratively with the president, vice presidents and deans to further the academic mission of the institution. “As both a university president and a two-time provost myself, I can say that any institution where Deborah Bordelon serves is fortunate to have her,” CSU President Chris Markwood said. “During our tenure together here at Columbus State, I have relied on her trusted counsel, and our university has benefited from her thoughtful leadership, collegiality and growth mindset.” Under her leadership, Columbus State developed and implemented several new programs, such as the BS/MS in Robotics Engineering, Master of Public Health, and three Nexus degrees in Film Production, Cybersecurity of FinTech, and Public Safety. She led the efforts to integrate the Momentum Approach across the campus and coordinated the development of the five-year Academic Master Plan with an emphasis on student success and economic development.

WGAU Radio

24-hour “Giving Day” at UGA

“When Bulldogs come together, our wins extend beyond the football field”

By Tim Bryant

Today is Giving Day at UGA: a 24-hour, University-wide fundraising effort is underway, with the goal of 1,785 donations. That’s a number that was chosen in honor of the year the University of Georgia received its charter.

From UGA Today…

Schools, colleges and units across campus will reach out to UGA alumni and friends, special giveaways will occur throughout the day, social media will keep Bulldogs updated with live results and supporters will be contacted by notable Bulldogs looking for their support. “When Bulldogs come together, our wins extend beyond the football field and into the very heart of what UGA stands for: a better quality of life for everyone,” said Kirby Smart, UGA head football coach, in a video promoting Georgia Giving Day. The university will measure the campaign’s success through gifts: The goal is 1,785, in honor of UGA’s charter year. A $50,000 gift to the university will be unlocked once the goal has been met.

The Red & Black

UGA Young Democrats and College Republicans face off once again in annual ‘Great Debate’

Maddie Brechtel

The University of Georgia Young Democrats and College Republicans debated a range of issues once again in their annual Great Debate on Wednesday night, hosted by the College Republicans. The event was Sponsored by Georgia Political Review, who also live streamed the event. The debate moderators were Matthew Li, the current operations director of the GPR and Marshall Berton, the former operations director of the GPR. The UGA College Republicans were represented by Brady Holbrook, Chairman Josh Gregory and Vice Chairman Emanuel Hernaiz. The Young Democrats were represented by Executive Director Ellie Wade, Membership Director Max Johnson and President Arianna Mbunwe. …The debate covered seven topics: environment, foreign policy, education, economy, public health and healthcare, racial justice and social policy.

Marietta Daily Journal

CAES students get new views on industry during Georgia ag tour

Carlton Fletcher, The Albany Herald, Ga.

Red barns, green pastures and the sound of roosters crowing at the crack of dawn. These are the images that come to mind when agriculture comes up, but ask the students who climbed aboard the charter bus for the 2022 Spring Break Tour through Georgia Agriculture, and what they say will broaden your perspective. Each year, students in the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences explore the state’s largest industry in a way that many will never experience. Starting in the northern hills and trailing through the Piedmont region all the way to the sandy Coastal Plain, students tour a diverse range of agricultural operations and organizations and meet the people behind the scenes. This year, 13 students visited 24 different farms and organizations, getting an intimate look at all aspects of the industry, from research and engineering to marketing and education.

41 WMGT

Georgia College psychology students study impact of Covid-19 on college students

Georgia College Psychology students have been studying the impact Covid-19 has had on college students.

By Lizbeth Gutierrez

Georgia College Psychology students have been studying the impact Covid-19 has had on college students.

The students surveyed 154 students and found loneliness increased during the pandemic.

Emma Kraby is one of five students involved in the research. She says they were specifically looking at what life was like for students during quarantine. “We didn’t ask students specifically why they were feeling lonely or why their mental health might have been suffering,” she said. “I know based on my experience and the experience of my peers, a lot of it was being in quarantine, being away from your friends that you were used to seeing every day in school.” The survey was given to mostly female students. All of the data collected is from the fall semester of 2020 to the fall semester of 2021. “We found a strong negative correlation between the two, such that as loneliness increased mental health decreased,” Kraby said. Maryelle Michael is also a senior at Georgia College who helped with the research. She says they found people began exercising more during the pandemic.

Morning AgClips

Georgia Cotton Commission approves 2023 research

Will fund 20 projects that will be conducted by UGA researchers and extension specialists

The Georgia Cotton Commission Board of Directors approved $770,924 in research for the 2023 crop year during the March board meeting. The money will fund 20 projects that will be conducted by University of Georgia researchers and extension specialists. Projects range from funding for the UGA cotton team to research on resistant weeds, evaluating the economics of conservation production, monitoring water use efficiency, and many more. The goal of this producer-funded research is to help cotton producers by conducting research that can either raise yields, promote efficiency or open new markets.

The Brunswick News

Business leaders discuss workplace diversity

By Gordon Jackson

If business leaders want to attract a talented pool of job applicants, they need to do a better job ensuring their company’s employees reflect the diversity of the communities they live in. That was just one of the messages sent to a group of more than 100 business leaders who gathered Wednesday at the Ritz Theatre for a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Summit hosted by University of Georgia’s J.W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development. The summit’s panel explained how individuals can adopt diversity, equity and inclusion concepts into their own leadership, their business/organization’s values and culture, and the broader community context. The intent is to improve understanding leading to positive change and unity in the community and workplace. The four panelists were Phil Polk, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Lead for the National Center for Civil and Human Rights; Sung Hui Lewis, educator in the Glynn County Public School System; Norma Marquez-Barahona, vice-president for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion for Soft Path Systems; and Quinton Staples, director of Diversity Initiatives at the College of Coastal Georgia.

WGAU Radio

UGA Alzheimer’s Center works to help rural health care systems

CARE is the University’s Cognitive Aging Research and Education Center

By Lauren Baggett, UGA Today

When they first joined the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Georgia College of Public Health, Lisa Renzi-Hammond and Jenay Beer were pursuing individual lines of research focused on helping people live better as they age. Renzi-Hammond studies how diet and lifestyle can prevent neurodegenerative diseases like dementia. Beer specializes in assistive technologies that could help older adults, in particular those with cognitive impairment, and their families cope with health challenges. Over time, the seed of an idea began to form, an idea to innovate Alzheimer’s and dementia care – to combine the best of prevention education, care technologies and post-diagnosis support in one place and make it accessible to people beyond the borders of the UGA campus. As a part of a collaborative effort in 2019, the Cognitive Aging Research and Education Center, or CARE Center, was born.

WABE

UGA to receive funding for Parkinson’s research; What Atlanta can learn from Detroit’s bike share program; Mary Frances Early reflects on her journey to combat segregation

The University of Georgia is receiving $5 million in federal funding for Parkinson’s research. Anumantha Kanthasamy, a professor, researcher, and the John H. “Johnny” Isakson Chair for Parkinson’s Research and Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar at UGA, discusses how the funding will be used. Plus, Adriel Thornton, the executive director of MoGo, a Detroit-based nonprofit bike share system, talks with Rose about transportation models and best practices that have worked in the Motor City that could work in metro Atlanta. Lastly, in honor of Women’s History Month, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Mary Frances Early, the first African American student to earn a degree from the University of Georgia.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia farmers paying price for Ukraine invasion

By Christopher Quinn

Fuel, fertilizer up by double digits

Joe Boddiford planted 2,300 acres of corn, cotton and peanuts this year in Screven County in southeast Georgia. But a war 5,000 miles away will determine, in large part, whether his harvest is a financial success. Costs have skyrocketed for Boddiford and other Georgia farmers since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Russia is a top exporter of products that keep the agricultural world in balance — fuel and fertilizers. And, while the U.S. doesn’t buy much of that from Russia, that doesn’t mean American farmers don’t feel the pinch. Economic sanctions that were levied to punish Russia’s aggression, along with closed ports, have stanched the flow of that country’s products into world markets. Because of that, other suppliers have seen increasing demand, which is causing prices to shoot up globally. …University of Georgia agricultural economists Amanda Smith and Yangxuan Liu estimate that farmers’ costs to grow corn will rise from $356 to $460 per acre; for cotton from $465 to $623; for peanuts from $615 to $663; and for wheat from $217 to $346. And that’s on unirrigated land. It costs more for irrigated land because it takes fuel or electricity to run water pumps.

Science and Technology News

Researchers protecting solar technologies from cyberattack

New study highlights sensor system designed to protect solar farms from hackers.

New research from the University of Georgia suggests a novel approach to safeguarding one possible target of a cyberattack – the nation’s solar farms. In a study published in IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid, a team in UGA’s College of Engineering introduced a sensor system that monitors a key electrical component of solar farms for signs of cyber-intrusion in real-time.

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Reporter’s Notebook: University-affiliated innovation districts gain momentum

By Ashley Fahey – Editor, The National Observer: Real Estate Edition,

Attempting to seize a moment of opportunity within tech and innovation, universities are teaming up with the private sector to build out new districts within, or immediately adjacent to, their campuses. Long concentrated in places like Silicon Valley, Boston and the Bay Area, it now seems every city and university — public or private, small or large — is looking to build out academic programs and supportive real estate development focused on innovation. It’s a sector clearly booming. Employment in biotechnology research and development saw 11.5% annual growth in January, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Meanwhile, the U.S. has seen an annual increase of about 5,000 biological and biomedical engineering graduates between 2015 to 2020. The growth and capital in sectors like bioscience are fueling new multimillion-dollar innovation districts, usually affiliated with a major research or medical university. Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, working with Dallas-based Trammell Crow Co., will soon break ground on a biosciences and health innovation district in the city’s West Midtown submarket. That project, Science Square, could measure 2.2 million square feet at full buildout, which would be twice as large as Technology Square, another innovation district Georgia Tech spearheaded that’s reaped major economic success for midtown Atlanta.

NBC News

A college professor called the police on two students who were late for class. Their story is going viral on TikTok.

Georgia State University said it is “looking into the situation.”

By Morgan Sung

A Black college professor called the police on two Black students for arriving to class late at Perimeter College at Georgia State University, prompting outrage from the students’ peers on TikTok. TikTok creator and college student Bria Blake posted about the incident on Wednesday evening. In the video, which has over 116,000 likes, she says two of her classmates, known as Taylor and Kamryn, were two minutes late to an English class. The professor, whom Blake names as Carissa Gray, asked them to leave because they were late. Gray did not immediately respond to NBC News’ request for comment. Taylor and Kamryn were not immediately available for comment. Blake also did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Georgia State University said it is “looking into the situation.” …According to Blake’s retelling, Taylor said that they as students “paid to be here” and refused to leave. Gray then left the room and returned with two armed police officers, Blake said.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Opinion: GOP lawmakers ignore student concerns over education bills

Get Schooled with Maureen Downey

Senate committee declined testimony from Savannah teens on divisive concepts bill

This legislative session has seen a rise in high school and college students showing up at the Capitol to comment on proposed new laws affecting their education, a trend that doesn’t appear welcomed by Republican leadership. With their slate of bills limiting class discussions of race and racism as well as what books can be in school libraries, Republicans maintain their only interest is helping students. Yet they appear unwilling to hear from students who attend committee meetings or engage with them on the legislation. This is the same General Assembly passing new laws forcing school boards to be more transparent and responsive to the public, saying that people showing up at local school board meetings and complaining about library books deserve a forum. …On Monday, eight high school students traveled from Savannah to address House Bill 1084 at the Senate Education and Youth Committee. HB 1084 bans the teaching of divisive concepts, drawing on a 2020 executive order by then-President Donald Trump that identified divisive concepts and banned them from federal worker training. As required, the Savannah teens signed up for the public comment portion, prepared their testimony and arrived six hours early, but Chair Chuck Payne, R-Dalton, refused to hear them out. “We don’t have time. We have to move on,” he said, provoking criticism from Democratic committee members. “When I went out in the hall and saw tears streaming down the faces of students that our colleagues are acting like are pawns in a game, I knew we had to let them tell their stories,” said state Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta. She and other Democrats gathered the following day with the students in the Capitol so they could finally be heard.

Toward the goal of highlighting student voices, Georgia members of Fair Fight University are sending a letter to the leaders and members of the General Assembly. Fair Fight University is a student organization that advocates for fair elections and increased voter engagement. It has chapters on colleges across the state.

Here is their letter: …

Signed:

Fair Fight University, Georgia Institute of Technology Chapter

Isaiah Thompson & Nyla Duhon

Fair Fight University, University of Georgia Chapter

Grace Hall & Niclas Hammontree

Other News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated March 31)

An updated count of coronavirus deaths and cases reported across the state

CONFIRMED CASES: 1,938,336 | Note: The DPH reports that starting on March 30 and into the next several days, it expects to clear a backlog of cases from a laboratory that were not previously recorded. DPH noted that the majority of these cases were from December 2021 and January 2022, and do not represent a spike of new cases in late March.

CONFIRMED DEATHS: 31,097 | 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:

Atlanta Business Chronicle

Campus of the future: Colleges are rethinking, shrinking real estate as students, workers demand more flexibility

By Hilary Burns and Ashley Fahey

…In fact, many campuses, especially those lacking endless endowment resources, are opting for fewer buildings with more use cases today after the pandemic revealed the student desire for remote learning and employee preference for remote work. That means that more schools are posting land and facilities for sale and benefitting from a hot real estate market, experts said, a strategy that in many ways directly contradicts the campus building boom in the years leading up to the pandemic. Universities historically have purchased land at every opportunity, especially during periods of economic strength, said Kevin Slesh, managing director at Chicago-based commercial real estate firm Vestian. “Universities are starting to say, well, we probably don’t need all of the real estate we’ve land banked,” said Slesh, who recently led real estate efforts at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and now heads up Vestian’s recently formed higher-education and public-institution practice. “Land is probably one of the things that pops into the top of everyone’s head as an asset, especially in a time when the markets suggest that land and properties are unbelievably expensive compared to where they were before Covid.”

Diverse Issues in Higher Education

HBCU Leaders Will Address Institutions’ Futures at Inaugural Convening

Rebecca Kelliher

From May 31 to June 2, scholars, practitioners, industry leaders, and administrators seeking to strengthen historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) will gather at an inaugural convening in Charlotte, North Carolina. Diverse is a media sponsor. Titled “Ideation, Innovation, & Collaboration: The Future of HBCUs,” the convening will tackle what self-agency and sustainability at HBCUs can look like. The Higher Education Leadership Foundation (HELF), which focuses on fortifying HBCU leadership, organized the convening in response to the greater national attention on HBCUs yet the existential pressures that many still face.

Inside Higher Ed

Guidance on Accreditation for Governing Boards

By Doug Lederman

With accreditation under intensified scrutiny from state legislators and other quarters, two national associations have issued a joint statement reminding governing boards of the importance of higher education’s quality assurance system and the role they should play in it. The Joint Advisory Statement on Accreditation & Governing Boards 2022, from the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, refreshes a 2009 statement the two groups issued at another time when accreditation had taken heat, then from the Bush administration’s Spellings Commission on the Future of Higher Education.

Inside Higher Ed

Consumer Protection Agency Sanctions Edfinancial Services

By Scott Jaschik

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Wednesday sanctioned Edfinancial Services, a student loan servicer, for making deceptive statements to student loan borrowers and misrepresenting their forgiveness and repayment options to them. Edfinancial “deceived borrowers with Federal Family Education Loan Program loans about their eligibility for Public Service Loan Forgiveness,” the bureau said. The bureau is ordering the company to contact all affected borrowers, provide them with accurate information and pay a $1 million civil penalty. Edfinancial Services released a statement this morning that said it “strenuously” rejected the allegations.

Inside Higher Ed

Congress Takes Aim at NCAA’s Gender Equity Issues

By Josh Moody

Dissatisfied with the NCAA’s lack of progress on gender equity in college athletics, a trio of congresswomen on Thursday introduced legislation to create a commission to conduct an in-depth study of gender equity issues across all NCAA-sanctioned sports in all three divisions. Titled the Gender Equity in College Sports Commission Act, the bill aims to create a 16-member bipartisan group that will present a report detailing the NCAA’s gender equity issues and offer policy recommendations. The bill was introduced by Democratic congresswomen Carolyn B. Maloney, Jackie Speier and Mikie Sherrill, who represent New York, California and New Jersey, respectively.

GHC Inform

GHC EMAIL DIGEST (FACULTY & STAFF)

USG e-clips for April 1, 2022