Athens Banner-Herald
Medical College of Georgia to get four-year campus at Georgia Southern University
Abraham Kenmore
Savannah Morning News
The Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University is establishing a new four-year medical campus at Georgia Southern University, according to a news release from Georgia House of Representatives Speaker Jon Burns. On Tuesday, the Board of Regents voted to approve a $1.69 million bond to renovate 23,000 square feet of space at the Armstrong Center and Health Professions Building at Georgia Southern. The resolution says that this new space will be for MCG students, but does not mention that it will be a new four-year campus.
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Valdosta Today
VSU awarded Nursing School Grant
The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce has awarded Valdosta State University a $446,000 Nursing School Grant to help ensure all Georgians, especially those in rural and underserved areas, have access to high quality healthcare. The Georgia Board of Health Care Workforce funding allows VSU’s School of Nursing to train and graduate more practice-ready registered nurses and expand its on-campus STEP (Simulated Training Encounters with Patients) Center by purchasing new, state-of-the-art, high-fidelity manikins. These sophisticated, life-like human patient simulators mimic human anatomy and physiology and realistic patient environments.
Albany Herald
Political beef: Former governor donates bull to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College herd
From staff reports
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes visited the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College earlier this spring and as a result, a 1,500-pound donation was delivered to the college last week. Former Gov. Roy Barnes donated Whitlock, a registered 1,500-pound Polled Hereford bull, to ABAC’s beef unit.
Athens CEO
UGA Awarded $4 Million to Design Farm of the Future
Jordan Powers
Researchers at the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences have been awarded nearly $4 million from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to develop a climate-smart “4-D Farm.” The project, The Digital and Data-Driven Demonstration Farm (4-D Farm): Juxtaposition of Climate-Smart and Circular Innovations for Future Farm Economies, is part of NIFA’s investment in regional innovations for climate-smart agriculture and forestry.
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Columbus CEO
Dr. John Fuchko of CSU on Partnerships in Columbus
Dr. John Fuchko of CSU talks about what makes the university unique in the region. During his time as interim President, he explains how the university has benefited from partnerships with community stakeholders.
WTOC
Georgia Southern displays flags on campuses for Memorial Day
By Dal Cannady
Displays on Georgia Southern University’s three campuses this Memorial Day season help remember those military members killed in action. The display in Statesboro stretches through the heart of Sweetheart Circle. Each flag bears a tag that remembers either the fallen loved one of a faculty or staff member or one of the troops from nearby Fort Stewart who was killed during one of Third Infantry’s seven deployments to Iraq or Afghanistan during the War on Terror. The display comes through the university’s Military and Veterans Services office. For them, it’s important bring this to campus.
WJBF
Mental Health Matters: how doctors are treating suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia
by: Tiffany Hobbs
The National Institutes of Health reports insomnia as a common sleep disorder, affecting up to half of patients with schizophrenia. Insomnia can also increase the risk of suicide in schizophrenic patients. Doctors at the Medical College of Georgia at AU are investigating ways to lower this risk and improve patients’ quality of life. Insomnia disorder affects about 10 percent of adults.
11Alive
‘The worst crop I’ve seen’: Georgia farmers struggle with peach harvest
Farmers are seeing a 90 to 95 percent kill this season.
Author: Tresia Bowles
There will be slim pickings for peaches at the grocery store, especially if shoppers are trying to find Georgia-grown fruit this summer. Farmers across the state report the weather earlier this year is impacting this season’s crop. Jarl Echols is the co-owner of Jaemor Farms in Alto. He says from all their peach trees combined, the farm typically sees 30,000 to 40,000 bushels of peaches. Right now, they only expect to see 3,000 to 5,000 bushels, making this season’s crop a poor contender. …University of Georgia Agriculture and Natural Resources and Peach Agent Jeff Cook said middle Georgia farms are seeing a 95 percent kill. “This is the worst crop I’ve ever seen,” Cook said. He said the economic impact will hurt the industry tremendously. “For this area right here, it’s about a $45 million impact,” Cook explained. This poor crop especially hurts the farmers and temporary agricultural workers with an H2-A visa.
Morning AgClips
Joro spiders aren’t scary. They’re shy.
New study suggests the massive spiders are gentle giants, mean people no harm
Despite their intimidating appearance, the giant yellow and blue-black spiders spreading across the Southeastern U.S. owe their survival to a surprising trait: They’re rather timid. According to a new study from the University of Georgia, the Jorō (Joro) spider may be the shyest spider ever documented.
Times-Georgian
UWG begins ALETE police training program
By Noah Schroyer
The University of West Georgia has begun hosting their own police academy that involves UWG students as well as cadets from local law enforcement agencies. The program is called ALETE which stands for Academic Law Enforcement Training Exchange. And is a first of its kind partnership between a university and the Georgia Public Safety Training Center (GPSTC). Doctor Dave Ayers is currently an assistant professor of criminology at the University of West Georgia and has led the discussions between the GPSTC and UWG.
Athens CEO
UGA Entrepreneurship’s Kickstart Fund Closes Year Marked by Branching Out, Planning Growth
Merritt Melancon
While the Terry College of Business student-run venture capital fund, the Kickstart Fund, helped to launch 70 startup companies over the last five years, there is still room to learn. Student partners and associates refine the fund’s operation each year and build on the prior year’s success, said Vivian Turriago, a co-managing partner for this year’s Kickstart Fund board.
Athens CEO
Pamela Walley of Georgia Options on Student DSP Opportunities
Pamela Walley of Georgia Options talks about Direct Support Professionals. She explains how the organization partners with UGA to have students become DSPs. She provides an example of recent success and the satisfaction gained by serving those with disabilities.
Jazzed Magazine
Mrs. G’s Music Foundation Gifts $300,000 to The NAMM Foundation
Christian Wissmuller
NAMM Foundation Vice Chair, CFO of the Gretsch Company, and founder of Mrs. G’s Music Foundation Dinah Gretsch has announced a donation to The NAMM Foundation of $300,000. The gift, a multi-year pledge of $100,000 for three years, will support the growth of The NAMM Foundation’s GenNext program. For more than 10 years, the GenNext program has served college-aged emerging professionals and faculty with a pathway to discover a fulfilling career in the music and creative industries. …In 2014, the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at Georgia Southern University honored her with the prestigious Betty Foy Sanders Patrons of the Arts Award. …In addition to serving as the vice chair of The NAMM Foundation, Dinah devotes much of her spare time serving on the boards of the Georgia Music Foundation, Sacred Heart Finance Committee, Thomas Heyward Academy, and on the Donors Committee for the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music at Georgia Southern University.
Georgia Law News
The TEDx Savannah event features innovators from Georgia Southern Armstrong
By Alice Barrett
Did you know that in 1984, the first TED Talk was about compact disc technology, the e-book, cutting-edge 3D graphics from Lucasfilm, and Benoit Mandelbrot’s bewitching fractal mathematics that describe the geometry of shorelines? The event was the first of its kind to bring together technology, entertainment and design. And since then, TED Talks have become synonymous with innovation and cutting-edge thinkers. There are also innovators at the local level in the communities. Launched in 2006, TEDx empowers people around the world by highlighting local makers, movers and shakers. On May 25, Savannah will celebrate her 12th year as a contributor to TEDx’s international knowledge base. Fifteen innovators from Coastal Georgia gather at the Fine Arts Auditorium on Georgia Southern University’s Armstrong campus for an inspired afternoon of connection.
Broadway World
Cast Revealed For THE 39 STEPS at Savannah Rep
By: Stephi Wild
Savannah Rep has announced full casting for their production of The 39 Steps opening this week. Jordan J. Jones (Richard Hannay), Francesca Mintowt-Czyz (Annabella/Pamela/Margaret), Justice von Maur (Clown), and Nathan Houseman (Clown) will lead this ensemble-driven comedy drama which has delighted audiences both On and Off-Broadway as well as in London’s West End. Meagan English and Travis Spangenburg are the production’s understudies. The 39 Steps is directed by Savannah Rep Founders’ Award recipient Karla Knudsen and will open on Friday, May 19th after a May 18th preview and run through May 28th. The Thursday, May 25th performance will be Pay What You Like at the door. …The 39 Steps will be performed at Jenkins Hall at Georgia Southern University – Armstrong Campus (11935 Abercorn Street).
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA sees increase in animal treatment complaints, says issues self reported and corrected
Abraham Kenmore
The University of Georgia has seen an increase in citations from the US Department of Agriculture for animal welfare regarding the animals in their labs and educational facilities in recent years. Under the Animal Welfare Act, USDA inspectors routinely do surprise inspections to make sure organizations are in compliance. There have been four of these inspections since the start of 2021, turning up eight critical and six non-critical incidents regarding animal welfare. From 2014 through 2019 (there were no listed inspections in 2020), there were no critical incidents.
Victory Sports Network
Fast Start Moves Georgia Gwinnett Softball into Opening Round Finals
Back-to-back RBI singles with two outs in the second inning paved the way for the top-seeded Georgia Gwinnett College softball team to advance to the championship round of the NAIA Opening Round Lawrenceville Bracket with a 7-1 victory over No. 3 seed Indiana Tech on Tuesday morning at the Grizzly Softball Complex.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College baseball’s Ajay Sczepkowski makes NAIA history with 30-30 season
From Staff Reports
Georgia Gwinnett College junior outfielder Ajay Sczepkowski became the first NAIA player to record a season with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases as the top-seeded Grizzlies defeated Freed-Hardeman University (Tenn.) 21-4 in Tuesday afternoon’s NAIA Opening Round action at the Grizzly Baseball Complex. The victory advances the GGC into the championship round of the NAIA national tournament’s Lawrenceville Bracket scheduled for Wednesday, May 17, starting at 7 p.m.
DNYUZ
Biden Should Unilaterally End the Debt Ceiling Standoff
Opinion
Nicholas Creel is an assistant professor of business law at Georgia College & State University.
As we come closer to the X-date when the U.S. Treasury can no longer rely on accounting gimmicks to forestall the need to issue new debt in order to satisfy our country’s financial obligations, the stalemate between President Joe Biden and House Republicans to raise the debt limit shows little sign of progress. While some are attempting to paint any talk of Biden bypassing the debt ceiling as “dangerous nonsense,” the reality is that he has numerous legal advantages should he pursue such a path. Biden’s legal hand is so strong that he ought to break off negations with House Republicans and break the impasse through unilateral executive action.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
Ohio Senate bill restricting DEI, tenure advances over widespread objections
The proposed legislation would rewrite many of higher education’s norms. A companion bill is pending in the state House.
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
The Ohio Senate passed a far-reaching state higher education bill Wednesday despite widespread opposition, including from Ohio State University’s trustee board and a free speech advocacy group. The bill, approved on a 21-10 vote, would largely ban diversity, equity and inclusion training efforts at public colleges, bar institutions from taking positions on “controversial” topics and establish post-tenure reviews. In a public statement, the Ohio State board said Tuesday that the bill threatens to impair academic rigor and limit dialogue in the classroom by pushing faculty to avoid challenging topics. Criticism has been mounting against the Ohio Higher Education Enhancement Act, which Republican state Sen. Jerry Cirino introduced in March.
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Higher Ed Dive
Education Department pledges ‘strongest-ever’ protections with long-awaited gainful employment draft
The agency also introduced regulatory proposals to collect and publish new data from all colleges, like potential earnings.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
College career education programs would once again need to prove they would not saddle students with ruinous amounts of debt under regulatory proposals the U.S. Department of Education released late Wednesday. Institutions that continually fail debt-to-earnings tests under what’s known as the “gainful employment” rule could see their federal financial aid funding pulled. The long-awaited draft regulation — which mirrors a now-defunct rule issued in 2014 — immediately drew condemnations from the for-profit sector that it unfairly targets proprietary institutions. This echoed criticism for-profit colleges made about the original rule, which the Trump administration revoked four years ago.
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Inside Higher Ed
Department of Justice Resolves Complaint From Delaware State
By Scott Jaschik
The Justice Department has resolved a complaint from Delaware State University about an incident involving a busload of Delaware State students and the police department of Liberty County, Ga., Delaware Public Media reported. Delaware State filed a complaint with the Justice Department last year, which said that the bus was stopped for an alleged traffic violation, and then all the luggage was searched for drugs (no drugs were found). Several videos were made of the incident. Delaware State is a historically Black institution, and the police officers in the search were white. …The agreement between the Department of Justice and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office calls for Liberty County to review its policies, modernize its policing operations and produce more efforts to prevent and address discriminatory law enforcement practices. The agreement did not find discrimination as alleged by Delaware State.
The Hechinger Report
The college-going gap between Black and white Americans was always bad. It’s getting worse
As affirmative action and diversity come under attack, inequity is widening
by Jon Marcus
As states push back against diversity programs, and the Supreme Court considers whether to eliminate affirmative action in admissions, a central question remains: whether the playing field has finally been leveled, especially between white and Black Americans who aspire to college educations and the higher quality of life they bring. The answer? Not only has this equity divide failed to narrow — it’s getting worse.
Politico
Florida New College students plan alternative graduation against Trump pandemic adviser
School officials tapped Scott Atlas to speak at the commencement. The students have a different plan.
By Andrew Atterbury
New College of Florida students, with help from alumni, this week are hosting a private graduation ceremony separate from the school’s official commencement in the face of a campus takeover at the hands of Gov. Ron DeSantis. The students, who have fundraised $100,000 for the event, want to hold a ceremony “on our terms” after school officials tapped Scott Atlas, a top adviser to former President Donald Trump during the Covid-19 pandemic, to speak at their commencement. On Tuesday, they announced that Maya Wiley, an attorney and former MSNBC commentator who is president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, will be the keynote speaker during the alternative graduation.
Inside Higher Ed
University of Phoenix to Affiliate With University of Idaho
After deal with Arkansas system breaks down, a new entity created by Idaho is poised to buy and manage the for-profit giant as a nonprofit university.
By Doug Lederman
The Idaho State Board of Education is expected at a special meeting Thursday to consider and approve the University of Idaho’s creation of a new nonprofit corporation that will buy and manage the University of Phoenix as a nonprofit university. This arrangement appears to be plan B for Phoenix after a proposed deal between it and the University of Arkansas System fell apart last month amid sharp disagreement among the system’s board members and concerns expressed by critics of for-profit higher education.
Inside Higher Ed
Layoffs and Closures at Upper Iowa University
By Liam Knox
Upper Iowa University will resort to layoffs and other major cuts to combat revenue losses from declining enrollment, shifting demographics and rising costs, according to The Gazette. The 166-year-old private institution announced Tuesday that it would eliminate 37 faculty positions and close seven of its regional education centers across Iowa and Wisconsin. Twenty-two of the layoffs will be at the main campus in Fayette, while another 15 will be lost at the shuttered centers.
Higher Ed Dive
University of Vermont faculty alleges deficient pay in state labor board complaint
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
A union representing about 800 University of Vermont faculty filed a complaint with the state’s labor board Tuesday, accusing administrators of improperly increasing their workloads. United Academics told the Vermont Labor Relations Board that university officials had not compensated faculty for time spent training in a new learning management system, or LMS, and that they refused to bargain over the issue. A University of Vermont spokesperson said in an emailed statement that the university “is aware of the Unfair Labor Practice charge and looks forward to providing its position to the Vermont Labor Relations Board at the appropriate time.”
Inside Higher Ed
Faculty Vote No Confidence in Pennsylvania Community College President
By Sara Weissman
The Federation of Teachers of Bucks County Community College recently voted no confidence in the president of the Pennsylvania institution, The Bucks Courier Times reported. The news outlet said the union’s vote on Felicia Ganther was announced at a Board of Trustees meeting last week. Ganther has led the college for almost two years. Some instructors and staff members defended her during the board meeting. They argued the vote only represented a third of faculty members, not the feelings of employees campuswide, according to the Courier Times. Some of Ganther’s defenders praised her for boosting dwindling enrollment.
Inside Higher Ed
At VCU, Even Less Job Security for Nontenured Faculty
Three out of five faculty members at Virginia Commonwealth are on “term” contracts. The university has stopped offering them three-year contracts.
By Ryan Quinn
Non-tenure-track Virginia Commonwealth University faculty, who are already bracing for significant layoffs in at least one department, got more bad news last week. The university, citing its finances, won’t be offering new three-year contracts during next month’s contract cycle. A dean shared this in an email starting with “Happy Friday, Everyone.” University officials confirmed it to Inside Higher Ed Wednesday. William Nelson, the university’s senior vice provost for academic administration and operations, said three out of every five faculty members at the institution are “term” faculty, who are on these contracts instead of being tenured or on the tenure track.
Higher Ed Dive
Public weighs in on Title IX athletics rule with more than 150K comments
The proposal has elicited concern from both ends of the political spectrum over both the inclusion and exclusion of transgender students.
Naaz Modan, Senior Reporter
The U.S. Department of Education’s controversial proposed Title IX athletics rule has garnered more than 154,000 comments — with over 18,000 comments received in just the past week before the one-month comment period ended on Monday. The rule, which was proposed separately from the Biden administration’s broader Title IX proposed rule, would allow schools to exclude transgender students from playing on sports teams aligning with their gender identities under some circumstances. However, the rule would prohibit blanket bans of transgender students in athletics. When the rule came out in April, legal experts predicted the proposed criteria would get pushback from both ends of the political spectrum.