University System News:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
University of Georgia reports record $257 million in donations
By Eric Stirgus
The University of Georgia said Monday it received more than a quarter-billion dollars in donations and gifts during the recent fiscal year, the largest haul in its history. The record-breaking $257.4 million between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, came from 71,302 donors, officials said. University officials said the money has helped and will help fund several ongoing campus projects, scholarships for students with financial need and endowed faculty professorships. The list includes the $54.1 million Poultry Science Building, scheduled to be completed next year, and the $30 million renovation of the Holmes-Hunter Academic Building, named for Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter-Gault, UGA’s first Black students.

This story also appeared in WGAU, WUGA and Athens CEO.

Savannah Business Journal
Georgia Southern Chorale from Gretsch School of Music triumphant in international competition
Staff Reports
The Georgia Southern Chorale, a choir of 30 students from Georgia Southern University’s Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music, earned top spots in an international choir competition in Germany. The group’s scores were nearly perfect, and the highest scores in the Chorale’s history in this particular competition. As part of a 14-day trip to Germany, the students participated in the “Sing Berlin!” International Choir Competition & Festival featuring professional, university and community choirs from around the world. The choir qualified thanks to success in previous international competitions.

Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College’s athletic department earns four conference awards
Staff Reports
Administrators and a student-athlete within Georgia Gwinnett College’s Office of Athletics have been recognized by the Continental Athletic Conference for their exemplary performances and outstanding commitment to academics, character and citizenship during the 2021-22 athletic year. GGC athletic director Darin Wilson earned the Athletic Director of the Year award. Assistant athletic director for internal operations and compliance Ian Potter was selected the Charles Morris Administrator of the Year. Meanwhile, assistant director of sports medicine and performance Shira Williams was named the Athletic Trainer of the Year. Junior softball player Sydney Pelaez was named the A.O. Duer Scholarship award winner. Each award winner is now eligible for national NAIA honors in their categories. The national awards will be presented in the fall.

 

Barnesville Dispatch
GSC Housing, Residence Life Hosts Weekend Welcome Evening Event
By Karolina Philmon
Gordon State College Housing and Residence Life hosted their annual Open House Halls evening event on Saturday, July 9th, for incoming students and their families on the Barnesville campus from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. The event was planned to give incoming students and their guests the opportunity to view housing options and the campus on a weekend rather than during the week where many aren’t able to attend. “The HRL team is always excited to welcome incoming students and proud to support their future independence as a resource for the on-campus living experience. The weekend evening event is planned during the summer months to give students and parents an opportunity to learn about the campus, meet familiar faces, and connect with potential roommates/hallmates for a lifetime of fun-filled memories,” said GSC Director of Housing and Residence Life, Tonya Coleman, Ed.D.

Tifton CEO

Five ABAC Faculty Projects Receive Funding Through Gail Dillard Faculty Enrichment Funds
Staff Reports
Five different faculty projects at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College will receive funding for the 2022-23 academic year through the Gail Dillard Faculty Enrichment Fund. Dillard, now retired, is the former Vice President for Academic Affairs at ABAC. ABAC Director of Sponsored Programs Scott Pierce said that each year the ABAC Foundation provides funds for faculty enrichment in the form of grant awards ranging from $1,500 to $7,500. The Funds assist faculty by contributing to their research, scholarship, and/or creative activities. Award recipients include Dr. Kingsley Dunkley and Dr. Barry Miburo, who will investigate the effects of oxalic acid in commonly eaten foods and its effects on gut microbiomes. Dr. Thomas Grant and Dr. Russell Pryor will record a new series of podcasts and create a museum exhibit about our connections to the land in the rural southeast. Dr. Gertrude Nakakeeto and Dr. Audrey Luke-Morgan will analyze the impact of the U.S. Farm bill on peanut trade in the United States. Dr. Buddhi Pantha will construct and test mathematical models to predict how well Classical Swine Fever control measures are working. Dr. David Rhode will develop a reliable method of determining how much curcumin is found in locally farmed Turmeric. All of these projects will involve ABAC undergraduate students.

 

Albany Herald
Ag sector likely to support economy through possible recession
By Maria M. Lameiras
While there is a lot of concern about impending recession in the U.S., the traditional economic indicators of recession aren’t fully apparent, especially in the agricultural sector, according to Georgia’s State Fiscal Economist Jeffrey Dorfman, a professor of agricultural and applied economics in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “The interesting question is, if I run a business in agriculture, do I care about a recession? During a recession, we don’t cut back on food,” Dorfman said. “Theoretically, we may cut back on restaurants, so if I were a grower who grew fancy vegetables for expensive restaurants or who raised specialized beef, I might be worried about a recession. But, if I am growing peanuts, soybeans, blueberries, chickens or whatever else, I don’t think it matters.” Yangxuan Liu, assistant professor of agricultural and applied economics at CAES, said that the agriculture industry — with the exception of the cotton industry — has traditionally acted as a buffer to the economy during recessionary periods.

The Georgia Virtue
New Interactive Tree Walk Along Blind Willie McTell Trail in Statesboro
Staff Reports
The City of Statesboro Tree Board and Keep Statesboro-Bulloch Beautiful (KSBB) announced Monday that the newest project – the Blind Willie McTell Trail Tree Walk- is now open. Nestled between Downtown Statesboro and Georgia Southern University, the Blind the tree walk can be found on Blind Willie McTell Trail which is adjacent to the Blue Mile. Individuals can enjoy many varieties of trees as they walk along the trail, as 30 different species are labeled with their common names and scientific names. The purpose of the Blind Willie McTell Tree Walk is to bring awareness and education of different types of tree species to residents and visitors alike. The tree walk also serves as a unique way to admire the outdoors and enjoy specific trees that are both established and new to the trail.

WJCL
Monkeypox cases on the rise as students get ready to go back to school
By Olivia Wile
With monkeypox cases on the rise as students get ready to go back to school, local health officials discuss what the level of concern is right now. There are close to 1,000 probable or confirmed cases of monkeypox in Georgia and 4 in South Carolina. Memorial Health’s Dr. Timothy Connelly says there have been none reported yet in Savannah. “I will say we do need to keep our guard up, it’s not a time to panic at this point,” Connelly said… Georgia Southern University Armstrong campus also responded to a request for comment saying they are monitoring the monkeypox outbreak.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Georgia colleges could be torn between federal, state laws on abortion

By Ty Tagami

Georgia’s fetal “heartbeat” law could cause trouble for colleges that must follow federal law and accommodate students who want an abortion. The Biden administration wants to rewrite the regulations for Title IX, the 50-year-old law banning gender discrimination in education. One stated reason for the proposal is to strengthen preexisting protections for women who want to end a pregnancy. Georgia’s law would ban most abortions once embryonic or fetal cardiac activity can be detected, about six weeks after conception and before many women realize they’re pregnant. It has stalled in federal court since passage three years ago, but observers expect it to take effect soon, given the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision allowing states to ban abortion… “People who help someone leave the state could be charged with aiding and abetting, but they could also be charged with child abuse,” said Tanya Washington, a Georgia State University law professor.

 

Other News:

Athens Banner-Herald

Athens-Clarke reinstates mask mandate as COVID-19 rises, but fewer patients in hospitals
By Stephanie Allen
As Athens-Clarke reinstates its mask mandate due to an increase in cases of COVID-19, local hospitals have fewer COVID-19 patients than in previous waves. When the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention marks Athens-Clarke as “high” for COVID-19 cases, a pre-existing ordinance takes effect that requires masks in public spaces and private entities, with some limited exceptions, regardless of vaccination status. The ordinance has not been enforced for several months because of the low-case status in the county. Cases of COVID-19, however, have seen an uptick, resulting in enforcement of the ordinance. 

 

Higher Education News:

USA Today

Here’s what schools should do about lack of faith in college education and its high cost

By Jamie Merisotis
Are colleges stuck in the past and no longer beneficial for those seeking a good living? According to a recent survey, yes. Institutions of higher education must focus on outcomes, parental concerns. A country sharply divided when it comes to fairness and politics is largely in agreement about ways to improve higher education. A new national survey finds broad support for public higher-ed funding, quick courses tied to in-demand jobs and improvements to raise the economic value of degrees. Those are the most encouraging takeaways from the new USA TODAY/Public Agenda Hidden Common Ground research, supported by Lumina Foundation.

Inside Higher Ed

First in the Family Make Their Mark in College

Melissa Ezarik 

While first-generation college students’ backgrounds and challenges are unique to the individual, they tend to have high expectations and multifaceted postgraduation goals—plus complex support needs. Transitioning from a diverse high school in Boston to Union College in upstate New York—which enrolls about one-quarter students of color, who may also be part of the one-quarter who are first-generation students—was a culture shock for Ashley German Soto. “I did anticipate it was going to be a challenge, but I didn’t know it was going to be this white,” says German Soto, now a junior who has found pockets where she fits in the most, such as the intercultural affairs office. There, she’s been able to meet “those who look like me, first-generation Black kids. I don’t feel like I belong in classroom settings. Sometimes I’m the only Black student.”

Well before her first semester, she had connected formally, in trainings, with her cohort of Posse Scholars—recipients of full-tuition leadership scholarships, weekly faculty mentoring and other support from Union, one of the Posse Foundation’s 64 partner institutions. “I always knew I wanted to go to college, but I didn’t know how I was going to afford college,” says German Soto. She found additional scholarships to help with room and board—and the opportunity to meet other incoming first-generation students at a preorientation for that group. Now she’s got a mix of first- and continuing-generation friends.

Inside Higher Ed

HBCU Leaders Build New Ties in Israel

Sara Weissman

A delegation of historically Black college and university presidents traveled to Israel this month to meet with agriculture and tech researchers at Israeli universities and explore future partnerships. Six presidents of historically Black colleges and universities visited Tel Aviv earlier this month for an inaugural HBCU leaders’ delegation to Israel. The nine-day trip was the outgrowth of a partnership made this spring between the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, an organization representing public HBCUs, and the American Jewish Committee, a Jewish advocacy organization. The committee runs a program called Project Interchange that brings international thought leaders to Israel so they can learn about Israeli society and build relationships with counterparts there.

Higher Ed Dive

National University gets green light to merge with online graduate college

Natalie Schwartz

Dive Brief: National University, a private nonprofit institution that caters to working adults, announced Monday it is combining with Northcentral University, an institution that offers online graduate degrees. The accreditor for the two institutions, the WASC Senior College and University Commission, approved the merger at a June meeting. The combined institution will retain the name of National University and be headquartered in San Diego. The merged institution will enroll more than 45,000 students, according to the announcement. The merger with Northcentral University will also expand National University’s graduate offerings. 

The Washington Post
The college football lunacy isn’t permanent. It’s going to get worse.
By Rick Reilly
And now, class, it’s time to catch you up on college football, the sport that brought you the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Please open your textbooks to “Madness.” College football is slaying its history. It’s selling all its tradition and fans and rivalries down the river on an out-of-control steamboat with a drunk donkey at the wheel. The lunacy really kicked in on June 30 when USC and UCLA bolted the Pac-12 conference for the Big Ten (which now will have 16 teams, if that makes any sense).

 

Higher Ed Dive

Court temporarily halts Ed Dept from enforcing LGBTQ protections under Title IX