University System News:
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Northeast Georgia Medical Center prepares for more resident graduates
By Natalie Sadler
Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s first class of 19 internal medicine residents recently graduated from the hospital’s residency program. The program, which initially offered residencies in general surgery and internal medicine, now provides three additional specialties. With the addition of family medicine, emergency medicine and psychiatry, NGMC’s residency has boomed since its creation in 2019. There are now 150 residents in the program, and the hospital system hopes to have 200 residents across its five specialty areas by 2024. This would make NGMC one of the largest graduate medical education programs in the state… Officials at NGHS decided to pursue graduate medical education in 2016 after former Gov. Nathan Deal, the Georgia State Legislature and the Georgia Board of Regents approved the Graduate Medical Education program.
WRGA
WRGA Interviews New GHC President Mike Hobbs
By Ethan Garrett
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) named Dr. Mike Hobbs president of Georgia Highlands College (GHC), on July 1st, 2022. Hobbs served as vice president for student affairs and athletic director at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham, Ala. Dr. Dana Nichols, GHC’s chief academic officer, and provost has served as the college’s interim president since President Don Green left in July 2021. “Dr. Hobbs has a demonstrated ability to connect with today’s students and successfully support them toward graduation. That vision, combined with his experience in admissions and student affairs, will help more Georgia Highlands students achieve a college education and grow the college’s reach in Northwest Georgia,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “Thanks to an already solid faculty and staff, Georgia Highlands has a bright future ahead. As we welcome Dr. Hobbs to Georgia, I also want to thank Dr. Nichols for her leadership and service in the interim.”
Albany Herald
Georgia State University pledges to prepare future educators with tech skills
By Angela Turk
Georgia State University announced it has signed the EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge, committing to prepare educators with the skills to successfully use technology for learning in face-to-face, hybrid and online classrooms. “Georgia State University education faculty prepare teachers and other school professionals to use technology in service to all learners, supporting their digital competency and learning,” Carla Tanguay, assistant dean for educator preparation and accreditation in Georgia State’s College of Education & Human Development, said in a news release. The EPPs for Digital Equity and Transformation Pledge is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Education and the International Society for Technology in Education.
Forsyth County News
UNG reports that the college’s economic impact exceeds $755 million
From staff reports
The impact includes $722.8 million in spending and jobs and an additional $32.4 million impact attributed to capital construction projects.
Griffin Daily News
John and Virginia Newton scholarship recipients announced
By Staff
The 2022 recipients of the John and Virginia Newton scholarships are Kiersten Giles and Aziyah Harps, according to committee members. Giles is an honor graduate of Griffin High School and is enrolled to attend the University of Georgia, where she plans to study psychology and marketing, with the ultimate goal of pursuing a career in marketing and promotion.
Moultrie Observer
Reception for New ABAC president on August 4 in Tift Hall
Staff Reports
A reception for Dr. Tracy Brundage, the incoming president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, will take place on Aug. 4 from 4-6 p.m. in Tift Hall. The reception is open to the campus and the community. Brundage, now the president at Keystone (Pa.) College, takes office on Aug. 1 as the 11th president in the 114-year history of ABAC. Dr. David Bridges, who began the 17th year of his ABAC tenure on July 1, will retire on July 31. “I am very excited and look forward to working with the entire ABAC community,” Brundage said. “ABAC has a long and distinguished history of educational service in Georgia, and I am proud to have a chance to be a part of that legacy.
The Times Georgian
UWG continues to expand its Newnan campus
By Staff
With locations in Carrollton, Newnan and Douglasville, the University of West Georgia is a cornerstone of and major regional partner for the local communities it serves. As the university continues to grow and thrive, its Newnan campus build-out continues to steam forward. This historic space, originally constructed in 1925 as Newnan Hospital, is nearly 90,000 square feet. The new build-out of the warm shell will activate close to 5,600 additional square feet. The space, formerly a nursing dormitory area, is intentionally patterned around a comprehensive and exceptional student experience.
Dalton Daily Citizen
Growings On: Hands-on livestock education programming available again
By Staff
Operating with the understanding that “life is not risk free” is a prudent approach. A growing sense that the risks associated with COVID-19 infection have diminished has allowed some activities to more closely resemble pre-pandemic appearance. A number of livestock-oriented training programs provided by University of Georgia Extension have returned to “face-to-face” operation. Most programs were offered through virtual delivery while participant safety was a major concern. Some may continue to offer some online access. The Master Cattlemen’s program delivers a practical, science-based production management curriculum to Georgia’s beef producers. University of Georgia Extension agents work with industry experts to deliver classes on beef cattle topics such as nutrition, facilities, forages, economics, marketing, foreign animal diseases, agro-terrorism, general herd health, external parasites, reproduction, Beef Quality Assurance, sire selection, record keeping and Georgia Cattlemen’s Association goals. Participants meet one night a week for eight weeks. Attendees learn and discuss current issues, meet industry experts and network with area producers.
Americus Times Recorder
By Tracy K. Hall
The University of Small Business Development Center with the UGA Department of Food Science at the University of Georgia are partnering to host Starting a New Food Product Business – Two Day Workshop on Thursday and Friday, July 21st &22nd at the Georgia Museum of Agriculture in Tifton.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Bulldogs poised to ‘defy the odds’ in 2022 football season
By Chip Towers
Vince Dooley is the most recent Georgia football coach to attempt to defend a national championship. He will turn 90 years old in September, the day after the Bulldogs open the season against Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He will tell you that repeating as a national champion is hard. “Crazy hard.” That’s why so few programs have done it, barely a handful in what’s defined as the modern era of college football.
Albany Herald
Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame announces 2022 inductees
From Staff Reports
All-Atlantic Coast Conference football standouts Andrew Gardner and Joshua Nesbitt, three-time tennis All-American Guillermo Gomez and head basketball coach Paul Hewitt, who led Georgia Tech to the brink of an NCAA championship, have been elected to the Georgia Tech Sports Hall of Fame as part of its Class of 2022. The Class of 2022 also includes ACC Softball Player of the Year Whitney (Haller) Stripling, NCAA Champion high hurdler Shantia Moss and diving All-American Evan Stowers.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Anthem, Northside Hospital reach contract deal
By Andy Miller
Following months of dispute in court, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield and Northside have reached an agreement. Hundreds of thousands of metro Atlanta residents with Anthem insurance have now been assured full network access with Northside Hospital facilities and doctors, as the two sides announced a new contract agreement Tuesday. The dispute between Georgia’s largest insurer and Northside had dragged on since last year. But a Fulton County judge had spared patients from losing network access Jan. 1 by issuing an injunction, keeping the contract in place while Northside and Anthem worked out a deal. At the time, an estimated 400,000 metro Atlanta patients with Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance had recently used Northside hospitals, clinics and doctors. But a deal still proved elusive, and in April, Judge Rachelle Carnesale ruled that Northside and Anthem had to take their contract battle to the state department of insurance for settlement.
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta plays prominent role in American Cancer Society’s future
Though the American Cancer Society (ACS) sold its headquarters building in downtown Atlanta last year, the city continues to play a significant role in the organization’s future. Atlanta is home to the ACS’s discovery center — the “brain trust” that helps to analyze national cancer trends to set the organization’s priorities, including for research, screening and advocacy, said Karen Knudsen, CEO of the ACS. In an interview with Atlanta Business Chronicle for the New Cancer Quest project, Knudsen said being home to the group’s brain trust, means Atlanta is also home to all the scientists that are employed by ACS.
The Wall Street Journal
U.S. Inflation Hits New Four-Decade High of 9.1%
By Gabriel T. Rubin
U.S. consumer inflation accelerated to 9.1% in June, a pace not seen in more than four decades, adding pressure on the Federal Reserve to act more aggressively to slow rapid price increases throughout the economy.
Higher Education News:
Albany Herald
Student loan interest accumulation could change under a proposed rule. Here’s what it means for you
By Katie Lobosco
The Biden administration has a plan to slow interest from adding to borrowers’ federal student loan debt balances. A proposed change to a federal rule announced earlier this month would limit the number of ways interest adds to the principal balance — known as capitalization. The change could go into effect as early as next summer after a formal review process takes place. Federal student loans would still carry interest at a fixed rate that is set annually by law. The move wouldn’t result in any cancellation of debt either. But the change could keep some student loan balances from spiraling upward, which can happen even when a borrower is making regular payments.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Community Colleges, Rural, and Minority Serving Institutions Among Recipients of HEERF Grants
By Rebecca Kelliher
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced Wednesday that 244 colleges and universities have been awarded the final $198 million in federal grants through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). “These funds were reserved for institutions with the greatest unmet needs to ensure that they could stay open and keep students enrolled to get their degrees,” said First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, who is also a community college professor, during a Wednesday press conference on the news. “Today, I am thrilled to announce the nearly 250 winners of these funds, including over 100 community colleges.”
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
New Study Directly Connects Student Belonging with Academic Wellness
By Liann Herder
When faculty are empowered with equity-based resources and when student voices and experiences are centered, students and faculty experience a greater sense of belonging at their institution and academic outcomes are improved. These are the findings in Increasing Equity in Student Experience: Findings from a National Collaborative, the most recent report from the Student Experience Project (SEP), a coalition of universities, leadership, faculty, researchers, and national organizations who are committed to equitizing and improving higher education, including the Association of Public & Land Grant Universities.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Stakeholders Reflect On Issues Highlighted During BIPOC Mental Health Month
By Jon Edelman
The past several years have been difficult for the mental health of Americans of all backgrounds. But the burdens of the COVID-19 pandemic and consistent reports of police violence – dubbed a “racism pandemic” by the president of the American Psychological Association – have fallen more heavily on Americans who are Black, Indigenous, or other people of color (BIPOC). July is BIPOC Mental Health Awareness Month and medical organizations, advocacy groups, and the U.S. government are highlighting the unique mental health needs of BIPOC people and trying to find solutions.
Edex Live
By Juveria Tabassum
The University Grants Commission (UGC) issued a list of guidelines and standards to ensure accessible education for disabled students in Higher Education Institutions (HEI). The recommendations were listed by an expert committee that was constituted by the UGC Chairman, M Jagadesh Kumar and the final document is called Accessibility Guidelines and Standards for Higher Education Institutions and Universities. The guidelines have specified a Need Assessment Process to be undertaken by HEIs in order to assess the requirements of Persons With Disabilities (PwD) who join their campus, and provide appropriate support.
Higher Ed Dive
Faculty members support open access, don’t trust research fraud protections, survey finds
By Laura Spitalniak
Faculty members see the role of libraries becoming more diverse, voiced interest in open-access publication models and are concerned about research fraud protections, according to the results from a recent survey from Ithaka S+R, a research nonprofit. Among faculty, 84% said it was highly important for a college to buy scholarly research resources, largely consistent with responses since 2003. Just under 80% of respondents said it is important for the library to provide a physical space or access to tech resources for student learning. Only about one in five faculty members are confident enough protections exist in academic publishing to prevent research fraud. While the majority of respondents said they do not believe academic fraud is on the rise, they indicated strong support for mandated disclosure of funding sources and registering research questions prior to analysis.
Higher Ed Dive
How much federal coronavirus relief funding has gone to colleges in each state?
By Rick Seltzer
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $198 million in coronavirus emergency relief grants to colleges from the American Rescue Plan. Announced July 13, it was the last batch of funding to go out under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF. HEERF was funded by three packages Congress passed earlier in the pandemic, the last of which was the American Rescue Plan. Grants funded by the American Rescue Plan totaled almost $40 billion. Across all three pieces of legislation, HEERF grants add up to more than $76 billion.
Higher Ed Dive
244 colleges to split final $198M in coronavirus relief funding
By Rick Seltzer
The U.S. Department of Education is routing the final $198 million it has left to award in coronavirus emergency relief funding to 244 colleges, it said Wednesday. Nearly 90% of the new round of grants is slated for historically Black colleges and universities, minority-serving institutions, community colleges, rural institutions and colleges serving a large number of low-income students. Most institutions receiving the relief funding must send half of it directly to high-need students. Colleges have been able to use remaining funds from the grants — called institutional funds — for priorities ranging from student retention programs to efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Inside Higher Ed
Evolving Faculty Views on Teaching, Publishing and Technology
By Susan D’Agostino
A new report took the temperature of thousands of U.S. faculty members. Among the findings: a high regard for conferences, even when delivered virtually; a rise in open educational resources; and a decrease in scholarly funding. Against the backdrop of an evolving public health crisis and altered political landscape in recent years, no one will be surprised that faculty members at American colleges and universities have changed some of their day-to-day tasks and views related to research, teaching and publishing. Many of these views are shared in a report published today by Ithaka S+R that last year took the temperature of 7,615 faculty members at four-year colleges and universities offering bachelor’s degrees or higher.
Inside Higher Ed
Bills to Address Mental Health, Addiction on Campus Pass House
By Meghan Brink
Two bipartisan bills targeting mental health and substance abuse passed the House. They would create new policies for campuses to carry out evidence-based programs to address the rising mental health crisis. The demand for mental health services by college students and faculty members has increased immensely since the start of the pandemic. Two bipartisan bills recently passed in the House of Representatives seek to address this growing crisis by helping colleges create evidence-based policies and procedures to address mental health and addiction on campuses. Both bills were passed in the House with bipartisan support and have been introduced in the Senate, where similar support is expected.
Inside Higher Ed
‘The Cheapest Form of Terrorism’
By Sara Weissman
A rash of bomb threats has disrupted higher ed institutions—especially community colleges—across the country this summer. A series of bomb threats this week targeted college campuses across the country, many of them community colleges. While no bombs have been found, the threats come amid a surge of such menaces this summer, which are concerning to law enforcement officials and college leaders, who say they’re disruptive to campus life and disturbing to students and employees.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
This Professor Was Investigated for an ‘Offensive’ Land Acknowledgment. Now He’s Suing
By Wyatt Myskow
A computer-science professor is suing the University of Washington for allegedly violating his First Amendment rights and retaliating against him after he included a land acknowledgment in a course syllabus that one administrator deemed “offensive.” The lawsuit, filed by Stuart Reges and supported by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, is the latest example of a faculty member’s contention that a college’s efforts to be inclusive infringe on academic freedom.
U.S. NEWS
What Students With Mental Health Challenges Should Consider in the College Search
By Elizabeth Stone
Know your mental health needs, what your prospective college offers and whether it’s a good fit. You’re at the end of your junior year of high school with a list of colleges that interest you because of their history department, the great hiking trails in the nearby mountains or their football team. You’ve also faced some mental health challenges, and the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t help. And maybe you wonder if your preferred colleges will meet your mental health needs. The answer is reassuring: Most colleges have counseling centers and provide accommodations for documented mental and physical health issues, learning differences and other areas where students may need assistance. Administrators recognize that anxiety, depression and substance abuse among students are on the rise, and the need for these services has increased.