The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Nurse.org’s 10 best nursing schools in Georgia
By Nancy Clanton
You likely have sentimental feelings toward the school that taught you to be nurse. But do you have bragging rights for being an alum of the best nursing school in Georgia? Nurse.org selected a panel of five nurses who evaluated the Peach State’s institutions on a variety of factors, including:
Reputation
NCLEX pass rate
Tuition
Acceptance rate, when available
Only ACEN or CCNE accredited schools were eligible. …With that in mind, here are the panel’s top 10 Georgia nursing schools:
1. Georgia Southwestern State University; 3. Georgia State University; 5. Augusta University; 6. University of West Georgia; 7. Columbus State University; 8. Kennesaw State University; 9. Georgia College & State University; 10. Georgia Southern University
Savannah CEO
Georgia Southern University Unveils New Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Environmental Science
Staff Report
Georgia Southern University’s College of Science and Mathematics (COSM) now offers a master’s degree in environmental science and will begin recruiting for the inaugural class of doctoral students in environmental science for the fall 2023 entering class. The post-graduate degrees supplement the recently approved bachelor’s degree in sustainability science. Housed in the James H. Oliver, Jr., Institute for Coastal Plain Science, every department in the college will play a role in this interdisciplinary trio of programs. The first M.S. degrees are expected to be awarded in spring 2024, with the first Ph.D. degrees likely to be conferred in spring 2027.
Times-Georgian
Georgia Film Academy courses to be offered at UWG this fall
SPECIAL TO THE TIMES-GEORGIAN
Those looking to launch their careers in the digital entertainment and the film and television production industry can set the stage for success through Georgia Film Academy (GFA) courses at University of West Georgia this fall. GFA certification provides comprehensive knowledge of the film, television, digital entertainment and esports industries coupled with hands-on experience. University of West Georgia course offerings include:
WTOC
Savannah State University offering new data analytics program
Video
WALB
ABAC welcomes first female president
By Alicia Lewis
On Wednesday, students, staff and faculty of ABAC welcomed their new president for this upcoming school year. Dr. Tracey Brundage is ABAC’s first female president. Prior to ABAC, Brundage had a successful career at Keystone College in Pennsylvania where she served as their president for four years. Former President Dr. David Bridges retired after 16 years and Brundage said she’s excited to continue the ABAC legacy. “I think there is an incredible legacy here that Dr. Bridges was able to do some really great things and so I’m really looking forward to taking that baton and moving forward and being able to position the institution,” Brundage said. Although she’s only on day 3 of her ABAC presidency, Brundage said she’s ready to make the necessary changes to ensure all students are accommodated.
13WMAZ
Georgia College hosts its annual ‘GC Gives’ day in Milledgeville
The college says “Gives Day” is the largest community service project in Baldwin county.
Author: 13WMAZ Staff
Georgia College first-year students participated in service events around Central Georgia on Saturday. Some students went to “Brave Meadows Therapeutic Riding Center” in Gray to give the place a fresh coat of paint. Others cleaned up the college’s garden. The college says “Gives Day” is the largest community service project in Baldwin county.
Marietta Daily Journal
PHOTOS: Kennesaw State welcomes students back to class
Hunter Riggall
Stuffed owls and sheet cake were in high supply in the heart of Kennesaw State University’s campus Monday. KSU welcomed more than 43,000 students back for the fall semester by carving up cake, a tradition started by former President Pamela Whitten in 2018. On Monday, Whitten’s successor Kathy Schwaig walked the campus green, greeting students with a slice.
41NBC
Georgia College starts new school year with move-in day
A new round of students moved into Georgia College and participated in the official GCSU move-in day this week.
Drake Rozelle
A new round of students moved into Georgia College and participated in the official GCSU move-in day this week. About 1,100 new students moved in within a span of three hours. They were assisted by around 450 Cat Crew volunteers. The volunteers unpacked students’ vehicles and transported their belongings to their dorms. Volunteers included students, student athletes, faculty, staff members and residents from the Milledgeville community. In Wells Hall, there were about 50 volunteers led by Jonathan Lutz, a Central Campus Office Assistant. Lutz has been volunteering for the move-in days for three years now. He spoke about how many students Wells Hall was expecting.
WTOC
Savannah State University students excited for school year with reduced COVID protocols
Video
WJCL
Savannah State University holds first day of classes
Fall semester began Monday
Dave Williams , Reporter
Summer is officially over for Savannah State University students, as Monday marked the first day of classes for the fall semester. The move-ins and orientations are over at Savannah State University, now it’s time to get down to business. “First days are always exciting, and first day 2022 is no different,” said Kimberly Ballard-Washington, president of Savannah State University. “We’re very excited to have our students back on campus, as we begin fall semester.” “We are united here at Savannah State University for our students,” Ballard-Washington said. “And I look forward to seeing those students, and I look forward to seeing those students walk in recognizing that four years from now, they will be leaving with added experiences and knowledge.” Faculty and staff aren’t the only ones excited about the new school year. The students are as well.
WALB
ABAC welcomes students back for fall semester
Video
SaportaReport
T. Dallas Smith & Co. succession story was set in stone on day one
By Maria Saporta
The moment he started his firm in March 2007, T. Dallas Smith {Member of Board of Regents] knew this day would come. Smith — who is on the eve of turning 60 — is handing over the role of president of T. Dallas Smith & Co. to Leonte Benton, 38, who has been with Smith since the inception of the firm. Their story is a tale of perseverance, determination, mentorship and a formula for success. “From day one, he told me he was going to raise me like a son and that one day I would be running the company,” Benton said. Smith met Benton in December 2006 through his business partner Brian Jordan, the Atlanta Braves baseball player. Smith had been in the real estate business since 1982, and he was used to young Black men coming to him to get into the business.
WRDW
Augusta University students showcase talent for charity
By Sydney Hood
Before the next year starts at Augusta University, the institution is hosting several events for the community to have fun. Lights, camera, and action. It’s not something medical students hear every day, and these are not your everyday type of medical students. They are dancers, stand-up comedians, and drummers. …Executive Director, Loretta Ngoe, said: “We just want to have an outlet where we can come together, kind of share our passions, express ourselves, get that cathartic release kind of, of our emotions and not have to study so much.” That’s the idea for MCG’s got talent, seeing future doctors in a different light. Second-year medical student, Hannah Huang, said: “It’s really exciting to be able to, like showcase something I haven’t been able to, I guess show my other peers since we’ve been in medical school.” Over 25 medical students, faculty, and staff showcased their talents.
WLAQ
August 11, 2022
The upcoming film “Spirit Halloween: The Movie” has a lot of ties to Rome, Georgia. In addition to featuring recognizable locations like the DeSoto Theatre, the former Toys R Us, and the landscape of Celanese, one of the film’s associate producers is the Chair of Film Studies at Georgia Highlands College (GHC). Seth Ingram, who oversees the film program at GHC, played a big part in the production of the film, which stars Christopher Lloyd, Rachel Leigh Cook, Marla Gibbs and Jaiden J. Smith among others. The film students at GHC also worked on the film. Damon Self worked as a Grip alongside another GHC student, Joseph McDaniel, who worked as a Production Assistant. Ingram’s ties to the local film festival played a part, as well. He was familiar with the film’s production company from another movie that had previously played at The Rome International Film Festival, where Ingram also serves as executive director.
accessWDUN
UNG kicks off 150th anniversary with State of the University address
By Austin Eller I Video by: Seth Chapman
University of North Georgia President Bonita Jacobs addressed faculty and staff Friday morning during the annual State of the University address, which kicked off the university’s 150th-anniversary celebration. The address focused on UNG’s accomplishments over the past 150 years and its plans for the near and far future. Jacobs started by reviewing UNG’s history, dating back to January 1873, when North Georgia Agricultural College first opened its doors. Since that time, the University has grown and underdone change, such as the consolidation of North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville State College in 2013. Jacobs said UNG has been on a positive trajectory ever since the consolidation. “We have become a leading public regional university that is a driving force for educational attainment and economic development,” Jacobs said. Since 2013, UNG’s enrollment has grown 23%, to about 19,000 students. Also, this year, the U.S. News & World Report has ranked UNG as the number one best value school and the number one best college for veterans among public regional universities in Georgia.
Valdosta CEO
VSU Professor Describes Teaching Fellowship as Transformative Experience
Staff Report
Dr. Linda de la Garza returns to her classroom in Valdosta State University’s Hugh C. Bailey Science Center this fall with a renewed passion for teaching and a few new skills. The associate professor of chemistry says her transformation is due, in large part, to her recent participation in the annual Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program offered through the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. The Governor’s Teaching Fellows Program provides higher education faculty members from accredited public and private colleges and universities across Georgia with expanded opportunities for developing important teaching skills. It was established in 1995 by former Georgia Governor Zell Miller.
The George-Anne
Gabrielle Chloe Reilly, Staff Writer
It’s no secret that Georgia Southern Armstrong wasn’t always like this. Here’s a run-down of the history of the campus so you get a feel for what exactly makes Armstrong unique. Armstrong Junior College was first founded in 1935 by former Savannah mayor Thomas Gamble. The campus was originally located in downtown Savannah and didn’t move to the location it’s in today until 1966. On the academic side, Armstrong became part of the University System of Georgia in 1959, was accredited as a community college and gained state university status in 1996, and Armstrong then became Armstrong Atlantic State University. The school stayed that way until 2014 when, in an effort to decrease confusion and make the university’s brand stronger, the school then became known as Armstrong State University. Now onto the merger with Georgia Southern. Armstrong first merged with Georgia Southern University in 2017 as part of a deal with the University System of Georgia to consolidate regional schools with more well-known universities in the state. …As a current student here, academically, I stay because of the Georgia Southern side of it all–but when it comes to campus life? I stay because of the Armstrong charm.
WRDW
Businesses partner with community leaders, bringing in customers
By Clare Allen
For two years, businesses in our area had to deal with the pandemic, which meant not as many customers and restrictions. Now that doors are starting to open again, leaders in the community see owners and city officials can work together to keep people coming. Here’s how the city is partnering with small businesses. …The city teamed up with Augusta University’s School of Business because knowledge is power. The Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Rick Franza, said: “You can learn about the programs we have like bachelor’s degree and MBA program. We also offer an executive education and project management, becoming very popular, and then we connector and other services.”
Daily Citizen
Dick Yarbrough: Random thoughts on random subjects
…Also retiring is Dr. Bryan Reber, the C. Richard Yarbrough Professor in Crisis Communication Leadership in the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Georgia. Dr. Reber was the first to hold that post, an area of great interest to me. I have devoted my time and tithes to that effort hoping to turn out a next generation of professionals who will be relevant in helping solve crises that inevitably will occur. Bryan Reber far exceeded my highest expectations. My applause and thanks. …
AllOnGeorgia
University System of Georgia Seeking New Executive Director for Georgia Film Academy
Former GFA Executive Director Jeffrey Stepakoff stepped down from his position effective July 23 to form a new talent management and production company. He will assist in the process of finding a successor to ensure a smooth transition. “We appreciate all the hard work Jeffrey’s done to help students get the experience and skills they need to play a big role in film and television productions, which spent $4.4 billion in our state last year,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “The academy plays a critical part for the state in providing a training ground for talent who help keep the industry thriving, and we look forward to continuing that partnership as we wish Jeffrey well.” Stepakoff led the collaboration of USG and the Technical College System of Georgia in the founding of GFA to help meet the workforce demands of the growing film and creative industries in the state.
Story also appeared:
SaportaReport
New film-TV agency seeks to build ecosystem in Georgia with local writers
Times-Georgian
UWG names new associate vice president
Special To The Times-Georgian
The University of West Georgia recently appointed Dr. Shanna Smith as its new associate vice president of strategic enrollment management. The move follows Smith’s three-year career in UWG’s Department of Counseling, Higher Education and Speech-Language Pathology in the College of Education, where she most recently served as program coordinator of college student affairs. …“I came to the University of West Georgia because of the opportunity to teach and practice within student-centered programs supportive of diversity, equity and inclusion efforts,” she explained. “I am thankful for an opportunity to bring my scholarly research and expertise in enrollment management and combine it with my practical knowledge and experiences within the areas of strategic planning, program evaluation and assessment within this role.”
Ledger-Enquirer
Columbus State eliminating job positions to make up for enrollment, credit hour declines
By Mark Rice
Columbus State University will eliminate 28 faculty positions, approximately 9% of the school’s total, for the next academic year as part of budget cuts caused by declines in enrollment and credit hours. CSU interim president John Fuchko III and interim provost Pat McHenry announced the news Aug. 10 in an email to colleagues. Since then, the Ledger-Enquirer has tried to get more details and context about the budget cuts. Although the L-E didn’t receive answers to the questions sent to CSU spokesman Greg Hudgison before publication, here’s what we learned about the situation from the leadership’s email and additional information obtained by the L-E. The positions being eliminated for the 2023-24 academic year are 22 vacant positions and six filled by current faculty members. CSU won’t publicly identify those positions, out of respect for the people affected, Fuchko and McHenry said in their email.
Albany Herald
UGA genomicist seeks to offset climate impacts on important food crops
By Maria M. Lameiras
The common bean — which includes many varieties of dry beans, from navy and black beans to red, pinto and green beans — are an important nutritional source for many world populations. However, rapidly changing climate conditions are making them increasingly difficult to grow in many locations due to high temperatures and susceptibility to diseases and pests. At the University of Georgia, researchers have received more than $799,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture to address increasing difficulties in growing the common bean by cross breeding with tepary bean, a species native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico that has been cultivated by indigenous cultures for thousands of years.
Savannah Morning News
Are monarch butterflies endangered? Georgia researchers debate need for designation
Marisa Mecke
“Save the butterflies” signs and milkweed plants sometimes greet customers patronizing nurseries. But despite a call to action to protect monarch butterflies, University of Georgia researchers say that population isn’t shrinking. The International Union for Conservation of Nature announced in July it was declaring the monarch endangered due to species decline. “[The endangered species] is actually only the subspecies … that’s migratory,” said Anna Walker, a butterfly specialist with the New Mexico BioPark Society who helped the IUCN analyze the monarch’s population status. IUCN is only listing this subgroup as endangered, but the subgroup makes up the vast majority of monarchs in the U.S. Walker said population data from monarchs that migrated to California and Mexico have demonstrated long-term decline since the 1990s. IUCN links their endangerment to population loss, as well as habitat loss and impacts from climate change. Despite the calls of decline and level of concern at an international level, monarch researchers at UGA said their findings throw into question if monarch populations have declined much at all.
MSN
I-TEAM: Mold report isn’t the first for firm that runs AU dorms
Meredith Anderson
An update on safety concerns in the dorms at Augusta University. Around 30 students couldn’t move in Wednesday because mold was discovered in two residence halls. We have been digging into the company in charge of housing and what we’ve uncovered sounds eerily familiar. That’s because Corvias, the company in charge of housing on Augusta University’s campus, is also in charge of military housing. It’s not the same company at Fort Gordon where the I-TEAM has been tracking mold problems for years, but Corvias has been in hot water for mold at places like Fort Bragg and Fort Meade. On Wednesday, the school told us they discovered mold in some rooms in Elm and Oak Halls. So, they gave 30 students the option to stay at the Marriott until Saturday.
Higher Education News:
The Washington Post
Colleges warn students about monkeypox risk as fall term approaches
A virus spread through intimate contact could pose a significant threat to people on campuses
Image without a caption
By Nick Anderson
One by one, cases of the painful viral infection popped up this summer at George Washington, Georgetown and American universities. Now these schools in the nation’s capital and others across the country are warning their communities to be on guard against the potential spread of monkeypox in the coming weeks when students return to campus for the fall term. The public health campaigns centered on monkeypox come as colleges and universities are managing the third back-to-school season shadowed by the coronavirus pandemic. Students and educators are eager for normalcy after the disruptions of the previous two years. That could complicate efforts to combat a threat much different from covid-19. Health authorities say monkeypox spreads through intimate contact, often skin to skin, including but not limited to sexual encounters. Authorities also warn of possible spread through respiratory secretions or touching the bedding or towels used by someone who is infected. …The American College Health Association said in a statement: “Anyone can get monkeypox, so campuses should communicate it as a public health concern for all; however, campus communications can be tailored to different audiences to be most effective. No matter the audience, it is important that communications convey compassion, reduce stigma and address equity.” …In recent days, universities have cautioned communities about how the virus spreads, the signs of infection — painful rashes that appear like pimples or blisters, then scabs — and the degree of the threat it poses.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
How three colleges are trying to arrest their yearslong declines.
By Brianna Hatch, Wyatt Myskow, and Isha Trivedi
The sectorwide drop in undergraduate enrollment over the past decade isn’t happening on every campus. But for some — particularly small private institutions, public regionals, and community colleges — the declines have often been acute. Here’s how three such institutions have felt the effects of sliding enrollment, the choices they’ve made in the past, and how they’re hoping to halt the downward trend.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Give Your Students a Homeric Welcome This Semester
Don’t underestimate the importance and power of hospitality on the first day of class.
By James M. Lang
My three youngest children will be heading off to college this fall, which means we’ve been inundated with mail and email about the festivities being prepared for their arrival. My older daughter will be welcomed back for her junior year by friends, professors, and staff members whom she has already come to know. As first-year students, our twins will be on the receiving end of even more expressions of hospitality: new-student orientations, convocations, ice-cream socials. Colleges and universities have become experts in the welcoming business. Most faculty members don’t participate in our institution’s opening ceremonies, but we still have a key role to play in welcoming students. The first day of the semester is our prime opportunity. As I have argued in one of The Chronicle’s guides — “How to Teach a Good First Day of Class” — the essential features of a great opening session include sparking curiosity about the material, setting expectations for the semester, and building community among the students.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
Why Aren’t Men Involved in Sexual-Assault Prevention? A New Report Offers Insights
By Kate Hidalgo Bellows
Colleges have spent decades trying to figure out how to involve male students in sexual-assault prevention, with limited success. But sexual misconduct remains a gendered experience, experts say, and reaching men is the only way to meaningfully reduce its prevalence. New research from It’s On Us, an organization to prevent sexual assault on campus, aims to highlight gaps in the training that colleges provide, and offers recommendations for improvement. The qualitative study adds to a growing body of research and best practices on how to engage men in preventing sexual misconduct. Colleges are required by federal law to provide programming on sexual-assault prevention to their students and employees. But experts say that institutions must go beyond one brief session that isn’t tailored to a specific group. A central goal of engaging men in prevention is to reduce the burden on women, who are most often the victims of sexual violence, to protect themselves.
Inside Higher Ed
‘Fed Up’ Employees Protest PTO Changes
The University of Missouri system says plan to modernize its paid time off system would boost recruitment and retention. Some staff members and their union disagree.
By Katherine Knott
University of Missouri system employees are pushing back against proposed changes to the paid time off policy, saying it will mean a cut in benefits and less time off over all. The changes would affect about 13,000 staff members across the system’s four campuses and the university hospital. System officials said the plan, which is still subject to change, is aimed at modernizing the leave policy, boosting recruitment and retention, and saving money. “It certainly is a tough job market out there in any way, shape or form, and we always want to make sure that we are an attractive option for people who are looking for employment in higher education,” said university spokesman Christian Basi. Laborers Local 955, the labor union representing service and maintenance workers at two of the system’s campuses and the University of Missouri hospital, has said the proposal unveiled earlier this summer would mean a cut in benefits for employees that would actually hamper recruitment and retention efforts. The union is circulating a petition calling on the system’s Board of Curators to change course, and it held a rally Saturday at the system’s flagship campus in Columbia to make its case. Dozens attended the rally, the Columbia Missourian reported.
Inside Higher Ed
Allegations of Board Overreach
Why did the University of Florida suddenly fire its honors program director?
By Colleen Flaherty
The director of the University of Florida’s honors program, who has been in the role eight years, says he was fired for no apparent reason with two years left on his current, five-year contract. Mark Law, the director, also says he was told that the university’s Board of Trustees insisted on his ouster, against the will of the university’s president and provost. “Honors Director is a title I can no longer claim,” Law said in an email to colleagues over the weekend, alerting them that his last day would be Monday. “The Board of Trustees of UF fired me effective August 15. I learned about this only about a month ago. I have never had a negative performance evaluation and have been led to believe I was doing a good job by the administrators I work for. I haven’t been provided a reason for their action. I’m bitterly disappointed by the board’s decision.” Administrative appointments, unlike tenured faculty positions, can generally be revoked at any time without cause. But abrupt terminations can prove disruptive for remaining faculty and staff members and students, so (for this reason and others) they’re rare.
Inside Higher Ed
Differing Views on Student Loan Proposals
The deadline to submit public comment on the Education Department’s proposed changes to “targeted” student debt relief programs has arrived. Democrats celebrated the proposal, while Republicans claimed executive overreach.
By Meghan Brink
Thousands of comments were sent to the Education Department on a new set of proposed regulations aimed to improve “targeted” debt relief programs for some student borrowers. Among the comments sent in before the deadline last Friday were letters from Senate Democrats and congressional Republicans. The department proposed a set of rules in July that would make it easier for students who were defrauded by their college or who attended a college that closed to get debt forgiveness. It also proposed simplifying the process for public service workers and borrowers with disabilities to get debt relief, among other changes. A letter from Senator Patty Murray of Washington, who serves as chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, which was joined by 22 Democratic senators, said the proposal was “an enormous step forward for students and borrowers.” On the other hand, a letter from Representative Virginia Foxx and Senator Richard Burr, both Republicans from North Carolina, called for the department to withdraw the proposal, arguing that it does not have the executive authority to enact such changes.
Inside Higher Ed
OPINION – Higher Ed Must Change or Die
Consider this my “burning platform” memo for higher ed, Temple University president Jason Wingard writes.
By Jason Wingard
In 2011, then Nokia CEO Stephen Elop delivered a poignant and passionate memo to all of the company’s employees. There was no sugarcoating the overarching theme of the sincere but somber and grimly characterized 1,227-word message. Nokia was “standing on a burning platform.” The reference—to an oil rig explosion and one worker’s choice to either remain on the fiery precipice or jump almost 100 feet into the icy North Sea—illustrated Nokia’s dire future. If the company did not urgently adapt and reclaim its role as a leader in telecommunications and information technology innovation, it risked losing everything. Sound familiar? Let’s examine the higher education industry in 2022. I am the president of Pennsylvania’s second-largest institution of higher education. Temple University is a public, R-1 research university in a major East Coast city with a medical school and health system. Our research portfolio has more than tripled in the last decade. You would think all of these key distinctions would help me rest easy at night. That has not been the case as of late. I do not take the role as president of Philadelphia’s public university lightly, and I recognize the weight of my words. So, let me be crystal clear with what I am about to state next. In the goodness of transparency, please know that I hope that every university and college president and administrator, across the country, sees this op-ed as my version of a burning platform memo.