Grice Connect
Georgia Southern food pantries serve students experiencing food insecurity
A wishlist is available for those wanting to donate towards the efforts to serve these students.
by John Caesar
College is already expensive enough to attend. But, add in living expenses, textbooks, and other surprise payments, and students may find themselves in a financially challenging starting position for the rest of the semester. Luckily, thanks to the Georgia Southern campus’s food pantry program, these scholars will have a resource to cover some of their food and essential needs. The food pantries on both the Statesboro and Savannah campuses are donation-based, with the primary mission of helping to give Georgia Southern students dealing with food insecurity the ability to not go a day without food. And they don’t just provide food, either; school supplies, tampons, deodorant, and all sorts of basic supplies can be freely acquired at the pantry during its opening hours, no questions asked. As one student volunteer described it, the food pantry is a “judgment free zone.”
The Red & Black
Athena Studios unveils new sound stage
Jesse Wood
On Friday, Nov. 4, Athena Studios presented a new sound stage to the University of Georgia’s Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and the Georgia Film Academy. Only one year prior, on Nov. 16, 2021, there was a small ground-breaking ceremony held just a few yards from where the new sound stage’s ribbon-cutting and dedication event was held. The event was held within the new sound stage itself to give guests an opportunity to get an inside look at the new development. Attendees were invited by Athena Studios to enjoy refreshments, hear the dedication speeches made by Athena Studios CEO Joel Harber and Grady College Dean Charles Davis and witness the ceremonial ribbon-cutting.
The Georgia Virtue
The U.S. Department of Labor-Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has awarded the Institute for Health Logistics & Analytics (IHLA) at Georgia Southern University two grants totaling more than $310,000 to provide training and education to help agribusiness owners and agricultural workers in Georgia. OSHA’s Susan Harwood Training Grants Program funds grants to nonprofit organizations annually based on congressional appropriations with the goal of improving worker health. At Georgia Southern, these grants will fund agribusiness training and education and help prepare owners and workers for future zoonotic disease outbreaks by leveraging a “One Health” approach.
The West Georgian
UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA HEALTH EDUCATION HOSTS CLOTHESLINE PROJECT
By Anna Roberts
The University of West Georgia Health Education Department hosted the Clothesline Project in Love Valley Oct. 24-27. This project is to raise awareness about domestic violence, sexual assault and intimate partner violence. During the days of the event, students, faculty and staff were able to decorate a white shirt with their story or a message to others and have them displayed on a clothesline around Love Valley. “We believe that every month is Domestic Violence Awareness month,” said Omarion Smart, Health Educator and Peer Mentor at the University of West Georgia. “You should never ignore victims or diminish their stories and we should encourage those who have and have not come out and share their experiences.”
The McDuffie Progress
Jeffrey Dean selected to lead UGA-Griffin campus
By Mike Wooten
Jeffrey F.D. Dean, a distinguished scholar and academic leader whose interdisciplinary research focuses on forestry, plant biology and biochemistry, has been named assistant provost and director of the University of Georgia’s Griffin campus, effective Jan. 1, 2023. In this role, he will oversee all research, extension and academic programs at UGA-Griffin.
The City Menus
Owenby named UWG’s director of signature events and traditions
By Julie Lineback
A fixture of the West Georgia community has been named the University of West Georgia’s inaugural director of signature events and traditions. Rhyne Owenby, who has decades of experience forging connections in the communities she serves, began at UWG on Nov. 1. Owenby, most recently serving as vice president of the Carroll County Chamber of Commerce, also brings a wealth of expertise in marketing, communications and constituent relations. …In the newly created position in UWG’s Office of Alumni and Constituent Engagement in the University Advancement division and serving the Office of the President, Owenby will plan and create meaningful event experiences and enhance university traditions for key audiences, including alumni, supporters and other constituents.
Grice Connect
29th annual Georgia Southern Holiday Helper Tree is ready for shoppers
Whitney Lavoie
by Whitney Lavoie
The Georgia Southern University Office of Leadership and Community Engagement (OLCE) held a tree lighting and kickoff for the University’s annual Holiday Helper Tree on Tuesday, November 1, at the Russell Union. The tree is hosted virtually on the Georgia Southern website in advance of the holiday season. It is filled with holiday wishes from children and adults served by social service agencies in and around our community. “Holiday helpers” are invited to select a tag — or tags! — from the tree and fulfill those holiday wishes.
Effingham Herald
Effingham County IDA’s Hood named to prestigious Georgia Southern list
Effingham County’s Jessica Hood has been named to the Georgia Southern University Alumni Association’s “40 Under 40” Class of 2022. The honor recognizes alumni who have made significant strides in business, leadership, community, educational or philanthropic endeavors. Hood is a Georgia Southern Double Eagle who earned a bachelor’s in business administration in economics in 2007 and an MBA in business in 2015. Currently, she is vice president of the Effingham County Industrial Development Authority.
Punch
US-based Nigerian researcher receives grant, award
By Samuel Bolaji
A Nigerian Doctor of Pharmacy and researcher based in the United States, Ekiomoado Esekhaigbe, has received a grant from an international Foundation and an achievement award. Dr. Esekhaigbe got the grant from the United Kingdom-based Jose Foundation to support her work in the area of mental health advocacy and well-being, while her achievement award was by the University of West Georgia in the United States. The Jose Foundation’s aim is to tackle the social attitudes associated with Child Sexual Exploitation as well as Gender-Based Violence and the assumptions and myths around the effect which is inclusive of mental health disorders resulting in discrimination, exclusion, and stigma.
Albany Herald
UGA certificates, scholarships awarded at Embracing Diversity ceremony
By Irene Wright
“Being an ally to the racial diversity and inclusion movement against all forms of social exclusion cannot be short lived only when it receives the most attention,” said Philip Hong, dean and professor in the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work and keynote speaker at this year’s Embracing Diversity event, held Oct. 20 at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel. “I hope to continue to expand the academic horizon for myself and the environment in which faculty, staff, students, alumni and community partners will work together to strengthen the culture of diversity and inclusion.”
MSN
Georgia Southern alum Cole Swindell nominated for two CMA Awards
The Georgia Southern alum and country music star is nominated for two CMA Awards. Swindell’s duet with Lainey Wilson, “Never Say Never”, is up for Music Video of the Year and Music Event of the Year.
CNHI
Concert Band, Jazz Band to perform
Scintillating sounds ranging from the marches of John Philip Sousa to the soulful tunes of Charlie Parker will “sweep over the audience like a warm autumn sun,” college officials said in a statement. The concert is scheduled for 7 p.m., Nov. 15, when the ABAC Concert Band and the ABAC Jazz Ensemble present a joint concert in Howard Auditorium on the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.
WGAU Radio
Terry College alum performs flyover at Sanford Stadium
By Merritt Melancon, UGA Today
Trevor Phinney (BBA ‘15) has been calling the dogs for as long as he can remember, but this Saturday will be the first-time yelling “sic ‘em” from 1,000 feet above Sanford Stadium. Phinney, a U.S. Air Force captain and HC-130J Combat King II pilot, joins a select club of UGA alumni when he flies over the opening of the Nov. 5 game during the national anthem. “Since I graduated from UGA and joined the Air Force, it’s been on my bucket list to do a flyover for a game,” Phinney said. “It’s a great chance to represent our nation and the combat rescue community in front of the Bulldog Nation.” Phinney graduated from the Terry College of Business in 2015 with a degree in finance and was part of the Air Force ROTC at UGA.
Athens CEO
UGA Study Offers New Perspective on the 2008 Housing Crash
Merritt Melancon
It’s been 15 years since the 2008 housing bubble burst and sent the American economy into a tailspin, but pundits and academics are still trying to get a full picture of what caused the housing crash. With housing prices at new record highs, researchers at the University of Georgia are still debunking common misconceptions about the 2008 boom and bust. James Conklin, an associate professor of real estate at UGA’s Terry College of Business, wanted to test a common perception about the crisis — that the prevalence of subprime loans led to unwarranted and unsustainable housing values. Subprime loans are loans given to borrowers who may have difficulty with repayment due to low credit scores and income.
The Slate Online
Patterson Inaugurated as 18th Shippensburg University President
By Luke Rainey
Charles Patterson was inaugurated as the 18th president of Shippensburg University on Oct. 27. The inauguration ceremony, held in the Luhrs Performing Arts Center, punctuated a week of celebrations and campus activities. Shippensburg University students, faculty and distinguished community guests were among those in attendance. Patterson previously held positions at Baylor University, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Southwestern State University and Mansfield University.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
College leaders seek new enrollment, revenue sources in upcoming year, survey says
Rick Seltzer, Senior Editor
Dive Brief:
College leaders are largely eschewing cuts in favor of strategies intended to raise revenue or bolster class sizes, even in the face of enrollment declines across the higher ed sector, shows a survey from consultancy BDO. Asked about their largest challenge — aside from budget limits — more than half of respondents, 53%, pointed to declining enrollment and retention. That far outpaced 6% who said meeting increased demand topped concerns. College leaders also give their top three priorities for the next year. They overwhelmingly said improving student retention and enrollment, with 81% of respondents giving this answer. The next most popular priority was seeking new revenue or funding, at 74%, followed by improving staff retention and recruitment, at 55%.
Higher Ed Dive
OPINION
Two college students lay out steps to make campuses a place to stretch minds and encourage freedom of expression without fear of reprisal.
By Megan Bahr and Cheyanne Rider
Megan Bahr is a recent graduate of Gateway Technical College and a current student at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Cheyanne Rider is a recent graduate of Linn-Benton Community College and a current student at Oregon State University.
They recently participated on a panel of student leaders advocating for civil discourse on campus, hosted by the Bipartisan Policy Center. Some 87% of college students say they favor free and open expression on campus, 84% believe the right to free speech is “critical in our democracy,” and 59% think that college should allow students to be “exposed to all types of speech” — even speech they find offensive or biased. Unfortunately, nearly two-thirds of students also believe that their school’s climate prevents some of them from saying what they think, and fewer than half feel comfortable disagreeing with their teacher or other students in class. That’s because on all too many campuses across the country, an active minority of students is willing to shut down speech by shouting down speakers, preventing others from speaking, calling for firing faculty over controversial research or expression, and using social media to attack students and faculty for their views.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Two and Four-Year Institutions Come Together to Support Student Parents
Liann Herder
Breaking ground on the Cleveland Scholar House in June 2022.Breaking ground on the Cleveland Scholar House in June 2022.Cuyahoga Community College has fourteen separate centers and campuses near and in Cleveland, Ohio. Locally known as Tri-C, the institution provides affordable access to a college degree from the urban downtown to the sprawling suburbs. Yet despite its many locations, Tri-C, like the majority of community colleges in America, does not have any dormitories or residences. But that’s about to change. In partnership with nearby four-year institution Cleveland State University (CSU), Tri-C and CSU have begun construction on the Cleveland Scholar House. Once completed in late 2023, the Scholar House will offer 40 single and parenting students an affordable residence within walking distance to Tri-C’s downtown campus and CSU. Residents will receive wrap-around support like on-site high-quality childcare, a computer center and study room, access to academic counseling and financial advising, and more.
Inside Higher Ed
Will Affirmative Action Debate Kill Legacy Admissions?
Supreme Court is likely to bar preferences based on race but not based on alumni status. But some think colleges will feel forced to abandon the latter.
By Scott Jaschik
When the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on affirmative action last week, affirmative action was not the only controversial admissions practice to come up. Justices on both sides of the main debate also discussed legacy admissions, the practice of giving a preference to the children of alumni. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said, “A university can take into account and value all of the other background and personal characteristics of other applicants, but they can’t value race.” She said she worried “that that seems to me to have the potential of causing more of an equal protection problem than it’s actually solving.”