The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia universities aim to support freshman class upended by pandemic
By Vanessa McCray, Ty Tagami
Some public colleges and universities in metro Atlanta are offering extra help this summer to prep first-year students for the fall semester amid concerns that the pandemic left many high school students unprepared for higher education. Georgia Gwinnett College is offering expanded orientation sessions to help students adjust to campus life. Kennesaw State University offers a two-week summer program so freshmen complete an economics class before the fall start. The pandemic “left an indelible mark,” according to Sonny Perdue, the University System of Georgia’s recently named chancellor. “Many of our students lost ground during the pandemic, and we are seeing the consequences of that in our entering classes,” he told faculty in a May letter.
WSB TV
First lady, Secretary Cardona to stop in Athens as part of education tour
By WSBTV.com News Staff
Channel 2 Action News has learned Georgia will be the last stop for first lady Jill Biden on Thursday during a tri-state tour with Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. The two-day tour, which the first lady’s office announced Tuesday, also gives her and Cardona a chance to highlight programs that are paid for by President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief program. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan set aside $122 billion to help schools safely reopen and stay open during the pandemic, and addresses students’ academic and mental health needs. …From Michigan, they will head to Athens to visit another Horizons National program, this one at the University of Georgia and serving students from Barnett Shoals Elementary School. The first lady’s schedule has her arriving at UGA shortly before 2 p.m.
WRBL
Episode 59 of The Chuck Williams Show features CSU Interim President, Dr. John Fuchko II
Dr. Fuchko took over July 1 as the interim president of Columbus State University. He sits down for this episode of The Chuck Williams Show to talk about his responsibilities in the interim role. The wide-ranging discussion touches on his family — he and his wife have 12 children — and his career. He also discusses how he will approach some difficult financial decisions he will have to make at CSU.
yahoo!news
Augusta University president on growth of cybersecurity field
Augusta University president Dr. Brooks Keel talks about their cyber programs and the growth in interest that they’ve seen over past decade.
Statesboro Herald
Study: East Georgia has $63.9M economic impact
From staff reports
East Georgia State College announced last week the school had a $63.9 million economic impact for fiscal year 2021 on the area economy. As a whole, the University System of Georgia contributed a total of $19.3 billion to Georgia’s economy between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021. This is a $700,000 million or 3.8% increase over the previous year. “(East Georgia) has been a major driver to the local and state economy for nearly 50 years since its first graduating class in 1973,” said David Schecter, president at East Georgia State College. “The multiplier effect of having a successful college in our community cannot be underestimated and we are thankful for the local support we have received over the years to keep us strong.
Fox13 Seattle
75% of US teens aren’t getting recommended daily exercise, particularly females, study finds
By Kelly Hayes
Three out of every four U.S. teenagers aren’t getting enough exercise, and the issue was found to be even more prominent among females, according to a recent study. The research, published in the Journal of Adolescence by researchers at the University of Georgia, suggests that improving the environment at school — including a student’s sense of safety and support — could actually play a role in increasing teens’ physical activity. The study analyzed data from a statewide survey of over 360,000 Georgia high school students. The survey included questions about physical activity levels and school climate, of which there were eight characteristics: school connectedness, peer social support, adult social support, cultural acceptance, physical environment, school safety, peer victimization (bullying), and school support environment.
MSN
Large doses of iron help men beat prostate cancer
By Danny Halpin via SWNS
Large doses of iron could be used to kill off drug-resistant prostate cancer cells, scientists believe. Sometimes prostate cancer growth is fueled by sex hormones such as testosterone. There are a variety of treatments and whilst these usually work at first, some cancers develop resistance after 18-24 months and that limits dramatically the available options. However, a team of scientists led by Dr. Chunhong Yan of the Medical College of Georgia is hoping to use iron to fight this stubborn disease in a process called ferroptosis. Iron is important for red blood cells carrying oxygen around the body but large amounts of it can be lethal to cells.
Mirage News
Burning woody biomass in power plants could reduce carbon
According to a new study by researchers in the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, replacing coal in Georgia’s power plants with woody biomass could not only meet Georgia’s power needs, but reduce carbon emissions. The research calculated both economic and environmental factors to provide a comprehensive picture of the impact of replacing coal with timber for a 50-year period. As one of the largest consumers of coal in the Southeast, Georgia burns over 7 million tons each year. This accounts for nearly two-thirds of all carbon emissions from Georgia’s power sector. Replacing coal with another fuel source could reduce those emissions by 43%, according to Farhad Hossain Masum, a Ph.D. graduate and first author of the study.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Gwinnett Technical College offering Georgia Film Academy courses this fall
Courses provide education in the digital entertainment and creative industries
From Staff Reports
Looking for a chance to launch a career in the digital entertainment, film and television industry? Gwinnett Technical College can help.
Georgia Recorder
How to Clean Up Georgia Power’s Dirty Energy Plan
Commentary
Mark Putnam (undergraduate student at Georgia Tech studying biomedical engineering), Noah Guthrie (undergraduate in creative writing at Berry College, and as a volunteer for the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, David Weber (master’s student at the University of Georgia studying wildlife management and ecology. He is also a coordinator for Sunrise Athens)
On July 21st, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) will vote on a new energy plan, outlining how Georgia Power will generate our electricity over the next 20 years. The plan will have huge implications on some of our most pressing issues relating to public health, the economy, and the environment. Unfortunately, the current proposal from Georgia Power falls far short in addressing the social and environmental damages of fossil fuels. Their plan aims to keep us heavily reliant on fossil fuels and puts Georgia Power behind in reaching its parent company’s commitment to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. However, there is still time for the PSC to step in Earlier this month, 19 youth and student-led environmental organizations from across the state came together to demand a better plan for the people of Georgia. We submitted a joint statement to the PSC, urging the commissioners to adopt important amendments to further expand clean, renewable energy in our state. As young people in this state, we are the ones who will face the long-term impacts of the actions Georgia Power takes today.
The Brunswick News
Cops: Armed CCGA student in dorm taken to hospital
By Larry Hobbs
A College of Coastal Georgia student was armed and “threatening to shoot” inside a dorm room on campus Monday night, according to Brunswick police. The situation was resolved “peacefully,” college officials said.
Other News:
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
COVID-19: Georgia’s summer surge is here
By Helena Oliviero, Ariel Hart, Katherine Landergan
Cases are rising, hospitals are straining but few want to skip summer activities
Here we go again. A new strain of the coronavirus is driving a fresh surge of cases in Georgia, with much of the state and all of metro Atlanta experiencing high levels of COVID-19 transmission, according to federal data. COVID hospitalizations in Georgia are also on the rise, more than triple the number since spring, with emergency rooms overflowing again. But this time, more than just the strain of the virus is new. For the first time, a COVID-19 surge is meeting a post-pandemic attitude.
Crossings TV
Tips for Staying COVID-safe This Summer
By Dr. Bora Shin
Pediatrician, KCS Health Center & Children’s Health of Orange County (completed the residency program in pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia in 2017)
Picnics, camping, beach trips, pool parties – these are all part of summer fun in California. To make sure your vacations, family gatherings and summer celebrations stay COVID free, I’m sharing a few tips and precautions to keep you and your family safer. I know we may be tired of pandemic restrictions and we are ready to celebrate and have fun, but these tips are especially important this summer. As of early July, 38 of California’s 58 counties were experiencing high case rates and hospitalizations and a recent study found that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced life expectancy of Californians by about three years. A few precautions now can save you or your loved ones from serious illness, a hospital stay, or worse.
GET VACCINATED AND BOOSTED WHEN ELIGIBLE …
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
The Different Types of Potential Learners and What They Want
As most colleges see their historical pool of students shrink, here’s a framework for understanding what motivates potential learners from 16 to 65 and what they want from institutions.
By Doug Lederman
Rare is the college or university that doesn’t need to be thinking about where its future students might come from. Most colleges—be they enrollment-driven four-year colleges that have historically focused on the stagnant or shrinking pipeline of students right out of high school, or community colleges struggling to persuade workers to forgo $18-an-hour jobs for more training—face an uncertain enrollment future. But it’s one thing for an institution to know in theory that it must identify new pools of prospective students or develop a strategy to meet the growing demand for “lifelong learning”—and quite another to really understand what different kinds of learners want and which groups a particular college is best positioned to serve, in a way that’s consistent with its mission. One framework for doing so was laid out here at this week’s annual meeting of the National Association of College and University Business Officers. Samantha Fisher, who leads the North American education practice for the business and technology consulting firm Accenture, laid out a new way of thinking about students for a group of administrators responsible for keeping their colleges’ budgets healthy.
Higher Ed Dive
These policies can rescue stranded credits and help colleges retain students
A new report rounds up state and institutional policies designed to help students regain full access to their credits.
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
In January, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced that, effective immediately, the State University of New York system was no longer withholding transcripts from students who owed outstanding balances. The move benefited thousands of students. Transcript holds prevent students from receiving official copies of their academic records. If students can’t afford to pay their debts, their credits become stranded and they are left with no way to formally document their previous learning for employers or other colleges where they might want to enroll. New York is part of a wave of states and institutions enacting policies to help students regain access to stranded credits, according to a new report from Ithaka S+R, a nonprofit research firm focused on higher education. An estimated 6.6 million students in the U.S. have stranded credits, according to 2020 Ithaka S+R research. While the federal government’s guidance no longer promotes transcript withholding, the U.S. Department of Education has not released an updated directive on the subject, leaving the issue to states and institutions.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Higher Ed Is Looking to Refill Jobs. But It’s Finding a ‘Shallow and Weak’ Candidate Pool.
By Megan Zahneis
While higher education has largely recovered nearly all of its pandemic-associated job losses, the task of recruiting and hiring administrators and staff members has become a daunting one, according to a Chronicle survey of college leaders, hiring managers, and administrators that was conducted with support from the Huron Consulting Group. Nearly 80 percent of the 720 respondents said their campus has more open positions this year than last, and 84 percent said that hiring for administrative and staff jobs has been more difficult in the last year. Those positions are harder than ever to fill, too: 78 percent of leaders said their campus had received fewer applications for open jobs in the last year, and 82 percent agreed that they’d fielded fewer applications from qualified candidates. Said one person who took the survey: “The pools have been shallow and weak.” At the same time, candidates have upped their salary demands.
Higher Ed Dive
What federal policy changes will matter for college business officers?
At its annual meeting, the National Association of College and University Business Officers flagged federal court cases and regulations to monitor.
Rick Seltzer, Senior Editor
With the midterm elections fast approaching, Congress is unlikely to pass much in the next few months that will substantially change conditions for higher education, according to a session at the National Association of College and University Business Officers’ annual meeting. Democrats are working on spending legislation that would increase the maximum size of the Pell Grant by $500, to $7,395. It would also expand federal financial aid to immigrants who are protected from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and provide some extra money for areas like community colleges, federal work-study and workforce training. And lawmakers may be moving toward a legislative fix for what’s known as the 85-15 rule, which doesn’t allow Veterans Affairs benefits to go to students if they enroll in a college program where more than 85% of students receive VA funding to pay for college. Recent guidance has caused confusion in the sector and prompted some colleges to indicate the rule could hurt their ability to accept veterans.
Higher Ed Dive
Here are the colleges receiving the last $198 million in coronavirus emergency relief
This searchable chart shows institution names and the funding amounts they will receive.
Rick Seltzer, Senior Editor
Last week, the U.S. Department of Education said it was sending the final $198 million of coronavirus emergency relief funding to over 200 colleges. But a list of those colleges wasn’t immediately available. Officials have now provided that list, which we’ve made searchable below. It’s a small sliver of the $76 billion allocated through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, or HEERF, but it’s still useful to see where this particular portion of money is going. The Ed Department has said it’s largely earmarked for institutions that have unmet needs, like community colleges, rural institutions, and colleges that have lost enrollment during the pandemic. Some institutions appear more than once on the list. That’s because they could apply for and receive funds for multiple uses, according to an Ed Department spokesperson.
Inside Higher Ed
Democrats Want Public Service Loan Waiver Made Permanent
However, without support from congressional Republicans, questions remain on whether it can pass before the Oct. 1 deadline for the temporary PSLF waiver.
By Meghan Brink
Some members of Congress are trying to codify changes to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that would make it easier for teachers, social workers and other public service workers to get debt relief. The Simplifying and Strengthening PSLF Act would codify many of the changes made through the temporary PSLF waiver that streamlined the application process for borrowers while also shortening the length of time a borrower must work in public service from 10 to five years. The waiver was announced by the Biden administration in late 2021 and was designed to eliminate bureaucratic red tape that made the program confusing and inaccessible to eligible borrowers working in public service jobs like teaching, nursing or military service. The waiver is only temporary, however, and is set to expire at the end of October.
Higher Ed Dive
Court pushes back hearing over $6B borrower defense settlement
The delay comes after four institutions argued that the deal between the Education Department and student borrowers would harm their reputations.
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
A federal court has delayed a hearing that would decide whether to preliminarily approve a $6 billion proposed settlement between the U.S. Department of Education and student loan borrowers who allege their colleges misled them. Last month, the Ed Department announced it had struck a settlement proposal that would automatically forgive the federal student loans of roughly 200,000 borrowers. The deal would resolve a class-action lawsuit that accuses the agency of improperly handling borrower defense to repayment claims, which allow defrauded students to have their loans forgiven.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Tribal Colleges and Universities Testify Their Importance Before Congress
Liann Herder
Affordable, culturally based education in a supportive learning environment. That’s how Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici of Oregon described Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs) on Tuesday at a hearing held by the Higher Education and Workforce Investment Subcommittee to discuss the history and contributions of TCUs and how the federal government should best support them. This was the third congressional hearing focused on the importance of Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) in helping historically marginalized students succeed.