Griffin Daily News
GSC celebrates spring 2022 commencements
By Karolina Philmon Marketing Manager Gordon State College
For the first time since 2019, Gordon State College held on Friday its spring commencement in-person on the Barnesville campus’ Lambdin Green. The day consisted of two commencement ceremonies split between three schools with a total of 252 graduates and 264 total degrees recognized for their baccalaureate and associate degrees.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
By Laura Newpoff – Contributor
When William “Joey” Smith arrived at the University of West Georgia (UWG) 16 years ago, the institution was making a push to offer more quantitative classes in economics to help students understand the forces behind an economy’s fluctuations. The effort came at a time when businesses began to realize the information available on the internet offered unprecedented data collection and analysis opportunities, now commonly referred to as “Big Data.” This new area of focus started with a SAS certificate program, which consisted of four classes: Introductory Business Statistics, Business Statistics 2, Forecasting and Econometrics. The classes pushed business students beyond the basics of statistics and into data management, programming logic, research methods and research development.
The Albany Herald
Rachael Price receives top faculty award at ABAC
Rachael Price, an associate professor in the School of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as the 2022 recipient of the W. Bruce and Rosalyn Ray Donaldson Award for Teaching Excellence at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. The award continues a tradition of faculty recognition which began at ABAC in 1965. The purpose of the award is to publicly recognize superior instruction and exemplary service to the college by honoring one faculty member each year, as chosen by a special committee of faculty and students.
WGAU Radio
UGA creates Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture
“I am excited about the synergies it will create in growing research and innovation”
By Sam Fahmy, UGA Today
The University of Georgia is leveraging faculty expertise and strengthening industry ties through a new Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture whose research and outreach will help sustainably feed a growing global population. The creation of the institute complements investments from the university and the state of Georgia in new faculty, seed grant funding and equipment. “The Institute for Integrative Precision Agriculture will be a key component of UGA’s future efforts to advance agriculture and economic development in the state of Georgia,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “I am excited about the synergies it will create in growing research and innovation, cultivating industry partnerships and expanding learning opportunities for our students.”
Griffin Daily News
GSC celebrates Highlander EDGE Award winners
By Karolina Philmon Gsc Marketing Manager
Gordon State College presents the 2022 Highlander EDGE Awards to students faculty and staff.
Gordon State College recently presented its 2022 Highlander EDGE Awards. “Each year this particular event perfectly exemplifies why all of us here at Gordon State College, the faculty and staff, do the work that we do. It’s to prepare our students for a transformed life,” said GSC Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. C. Jeffery Knighton.
Newswise
Standard test for multiple myeloma provides clues of a rare, more deadly type
by Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University
A test for the common blood cancer multiple myeloma also holds clear clues that the patient has one of the most uncommon and deadly forms of this cancer, investigators say. While there is a specific test for this rare IgD multiple myeloma, the clues from standard testing are sufficient to rapidly initiate aggressive treatment to reduce or prevent kidney destruction by the excessive number of circulating proteins called light chains it produces, says Dr. Gurmukh Singh, vice chair of clinical affairs for the Department of Pathology at the Medical College of Georgia. Specific testing for IgD myeloma is available at a handful of reference labs across the country, but takes extra time and expense that may not be necessary and likely will delay the start of treatment, Singh says.
Americus Times-Recorder
GSW’s College of Education receives successful accreditation review
By Ken Gustafson
The College of Education (COE) at Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) proudly announces a successful accreditation review and site visitor report from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) after meeting in early May. The COE met all six Georgia standards and received two areas of strength for technology and clinical practice.
The Times-Georgian
UWG prof, other experts provide economic outlook for Coweta
Special To The Times-Georgian
The University of West Georgia hosted the inaugural “Economic Outlook: Newnan” on Monday, with business, government and community leaders from Coweta County gathering to discuss the local economy and what to expect in the coming year.
Statesboro Herald
GS Men’s Golf punches ticket to national finals
Josh Aubrey
The Georgia Southern Eagle golf team had to sweat things out a little down the stretch, but ultimately they were able to finish fifth in Wednesday’s final round of the NCAA Regionals in New Haven, Conn. With that finish, the Eagles advance to the national finals for the second time in the last three seasons.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College men’s tennis rolls into national semifinals
From Staff Reports
A 4-0 victory has advanced the top-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College men’s tennis team into the semifinal round of the 2022 NAIA National Championships. Thursday morning’s quarterfinal triumph came against No. 9 seed University of Northwestern Ohio at the Mobile (Ala.) Tennis Center.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College women’s tennis Final Four-bound
From Staff Reports
The top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College women’s tennis team relied on a balanced performance to defeat No. 9 seed Lindsey Wilson College (Ky.) 4-0 in the quarterfinals of the 2022 NAIA National Championship from the Mobile (Ala.) Tennis Center. …The strong play carried over into singles as GGC players won the first set on all six courts. …Moments later, Fernandez won by identical 6-3 set scores at No. 5 singles to secure GGC’s victory.
Marietta Daily Journal
Son of Georgia coaching great Landers added to KSU women’s staff
Staff reports
Drew Landers joined the Kennesaw State women’s basketball coaching staff as an assistant, while Dominique St. Louis will be the team’s new director of basketball operations. The announcement was made Wednesday. Landers, the son of former longtime Georgia women’s basketball coach Andy Landers, brings seven years of experience at the Division I level, including the past two seasons as an assistant coach at USC Upstate. With the Spartans, he handled recruiting on the national level, as well as scouting, player development and assisting with travel.
Higher Ed Dive
Attacks on new UW-Madison chancellor show how culture wars have come for college presidents
Experts say GOP rhetoric on selection of UCLA law dean Jennifer Mnookin undermines higher ed’s autonomy and mission to serve the public good.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Wisconsin Republicans who are heaping criticism on the new chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-Madison — a career academic — reflect escalating rhetoric against self-governance and other established higher education practices, leadership experts say. This emboldened anti-academic movement has policy consequences in state houses and practical implications for those charged with making universities run smoothly, they say. Higher ed is being treated less and less as a public good. And likely, fewer prospective presidents are willing to step up to take these executive jobs amid the political squalls, especially at high-profile public institutions. …New partisanship
College presidential searches elsewhere have long been politicized, with chief executive jobs sometimes serving as landing pads for outgoing politicians. Sonny Perdue, a former Republican governor of Georgia and Trump administration official, recently took over the University System of Georgia amid heavy student and faculty criticism. Perdue does not have any higher ed administrative experience.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Why Mark Cuban’s take on college inefficiencies falls short
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
A Georgia professor explains why the business model Cuban suggests won’t work
Matthew Boedy is an assistant professor of rhetoric and composition at the University of North Georgia and president of the Georgia Conference of the American Association of University Professors. In a guest column, Boedy writes about his recent Twitter debate with American billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban on higher education today and how it needs to change. …In short, what Cuban is after is a low-cost school. It’s not a new concept in higher education. And it’s a concept bound to get more eyeballs from lawmakers and state overseers, such as our Board of Regents. Our state, like so many others, faces what experts have called an enrollment cliff — a stark reduction in the number of births and so opportunities for enrollment. And, of course, complaints about student loans and tuition are a bipartisan talking point.
Higher Education News:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Investment managers: How we advise college endowments looking to divest from fossil fuels
By Hilary Burns – Editor, The National Observer: Higher Education Edition,
College and university endowments are playing a balancing act right now, weighing the need for positive returns amid high inflation with ongoing pressure from faculty and students to divest from fossil fuels. More universities have stepped away from fossil-fuel investments in recent years as campus communities have ramped up calls to college leaders to address climate change through their investment portfolios. Recently, the University of Maine system said it was planning to divest from fossil fuels by 2030 and the nonprofit Climate Defense Project has been partnering with student groups across the country in recent months to help advocate for divestment through legal complaints and protests.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Colleges Should Spend Covid-Relief Funds on Mental-Health Support, Education Department Says
By Kate Hidalgo Bellows
On Thursday, the U.S. Department of Education urged colleges to use remaining grants from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund to support student, faculty, and staff mental health. The fund, part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, injected nearly $40 billion into colleges nationwide last year to help them recover from the pandemic. Colleges had also received about $36 billion in prior relief packages. …Colleges were initially instructed to use the funding for student financial aid and basic-needs support, among other things. As some colleges still have funds remaining, this guidance clarifies that mental health is an allowable expense.
…Question 4: How can my institution use HEERF grants to create long-lasting mental health and substance use support for students, faculty, and staff?
Task force: Although HEERF grants are a one-time infusion of funds, initial investments in high-impact mental health projects can be made now. Ongoing support after initial success with HEERF grants will be provided through philanthropic efforts, local partnerships, or other funding sources. For example, HEERF grants can be used to pay for staff or contractor work to coordinate, plan, or implement services that continue to support student, faculty, and staff mental health throughout the pandemic and beyond. Such uses may include identifying and filling gaps in existing services, conducting needs assessmennt surverys, coordinating a cross-institution task force to better serve community’s needs, developing a long-term plan to establish a counseling center and training and hiring long-term staff focused on supporting mental helath and substance use disorders.
Example: University System of Georgia created a systemwide task force to develop a comprehensive plan for long-term solutions to adress mental health challenges and provide mental health services at their institutions.
Story also appeared in:
Inside Higher Ed
A New Source for Mental Health Funds
The Education Department released guidance on how colleges can use HEERF money to address rising mental health needs among faculty, students and staff.
Higher Ed Dive
Use COVID-19 relief money to address mental health, Ed Dept urges colleges
The Washington Post
Reeling from suicides, college athletes press NCAA: ‘This is a crisis’
At least five college athletes have died by suicide in recent months, sparking calls for more support from the NCAA.
By Molly Hensley-Clancy
… At least four more NCAA athletes have died by suicide in the two months since Meyer’s death, three of them young women. Intile, who now runs for Oregon State, said the fear has only grown. …But the deaths of Meyer and the other athletes have shaken the close-knit community of elite college sports, sparking fear and anxiety, according to athletes and others working in college sports. …Intile, other current and former college athletes and advocates told The Washington Post they see the moment as a mental health crisis for college athletes. The factors that have exacerbated it — the pandemic, social media, the rising pressures on young people — are shared by many college students, experts say. But the deaths of Meyer and the other athletes have shaken the close-knit community of elite college sports, sparking fear and anxiety, according to athletes and others working in college sports.
Inside Higher Ed
Tuition Discounts Hit Another Record High
Tuition discount rates at private colleges reached a record high of 54.5 percent, according to a new NACUBO study. That signals that financial aid is available—but also that pricing is arbitrary.
By Josh Moody
The average tuition discount at private nonprofit colleges hit another record high last year, according to a new National Association of College and University Business Officers study. Discount rates for first-time undergraduates reached 54.5 percent, according to preliminary estimates from the 2021 NACUBO Tuition Discounting Study, released Thursday. That number is up from the previous year’s record high of 53.9 percent. Simplified, that means colleges forego about $54.50 for every $100 charged for tuition.
Inside Higher Ed
Students Seek Stronger Connections With Professors but Rarely Take the Lead
Professors could be better about building relationships with students, many of whom hope for assistance with career planning and networking. But students may not realize their role in connecting.
By Melissa Ezarik
…According to the latest Student Voice survey, conducted by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse with support from Kaplan, taking advantage of office hours isn’t common. Of the 2,000 undergraduates surveyed in mid-April, 28 percent say they never visit with professors during office hours, and among those who have done so, 55 percent say they visit just once or twice a semester. Students who want professors to help them find a job or make connections in their field are no more likely than others to be visiting with professors outside class.
Inside Higher Ed
Flow of Chinese Students Will Peak in 5 Years
Study predicts more students from India and Vietnam will seek an education in Western countries.
By Pola Lem for Times Higher Education
The number of Chinese students pursuing degrees abroad will likely “peak within five years, and then enter a track of stagnation or even slight decline,” a study says. The largest sending country for overseas learners, China has experienced robust growth in recent decades, fueling demand for university degrees in countries such as the U.S. and Britain, with some institutions leaning heavily on international student fees. But Western countries could soon see demand from Chinese students drop, despite a trend toward easing border restrictions. Although student flows have recovered somewhat since COVID-19 severely limited international travel, analysts are pessimistic about the likelihood of student mobility figures continuing to climb much further.
Inside Higher Ed
A Strategy for Onboarding New Campus Leaders
Patrick Sanaghan describes the importance of establishing a learning network to help new presidents and other top administrators get to know the institution and gain vital feedback.
By Patrick Sanaghan
In my work as a consultant, I, along with my colleagues, have developed a strategic onboarding design—or, as we prefer to frame it, a highly effective integration design or learning network—for presidents and other senior leaders who are starting a new position. As we discuss in our book From Presidential Transition to Integration, it is a powerful notion and can really help a new leader accomplish several things during the first month on the job that are crucial to their success, notably: To learn the real story of the institution, from some of the most credible, wisest and most trusted people on the campus.
To begin to build the relational capital that is vital to their success with key stakeholders and leaders.
To create an ongoing group that will provide them with honest feedback and a pulse for the campus throughout their first year and potentially beyond.
Higher Ed Dive
Ed tech startup Class to acquire virtual classroom tool from Blackboard
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
Dive Brief:
Class Technologies, a startup that incorporates teaching and learning tools into Zoom, announced Thursday that it entered an agreement to acquire Blackboard Collaborate, a virtual classroom platform. The companies did not disclose the terms of the deal, which is expected to close in late June. However, one investor close to the transaction told TechCrunch that Blackboard Collaborate is being bought for $210 million. Upon closing, Blackboard Collaborate will be renamed Class Collaborate, and Class will bring over about 60 new employees. Class and Blackboard Collaborate will together serve more than 1,750 colleges, K-12 schools, and corporate learning and development teams. Anthology, which currently owns Blackboard Collaborate, says the transaction will allow the company to focus more resources on improving its flagship learning management system, Blackboard Learn Ultra.