11Alive
Chancellor Sonny Perdue’s office provided Lt. Gov. Burt Jones with a nearly 200-page overview, as well as a written letter in response.
Author: 11Alive Staff
Following a request made back in April by Lt. Gov. Burt Jones for an overview of DEI spending at Georgia public colleges, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue offered his response last week in both the form of a nearly 200-page accounting of positions at schools and their funding and a personal letter. Without specifically taking a position on DEI initiatives on campuses, Perdue both alluded to the value of diverse and inclusive educational spaces as well as protecting First Amendment rights at schools – an apparent point of concern for Lt. Gov. Jones. …Later in the letter, Perdue noted that DEI initiatives “target a wide variety of populations under the DEI umbrella.” …You can read the full letter at the bottom of this story.
Gainesville Times
UNG president announces 45-day ‘listening tour’ amid declining enrollment, budget cuts
Ben Anderson
The University of North Georgia’s new president announced in an email to faculty on Wednesday that he will embark on a 45-day “listening tour” later this month to gather feedback about how UNG can overcome state budget cuts and declining student enrollment.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
University of Georgia to get $18.5 million for Lake Blackshear property
By Toni Odejimi
The University of Georgia recently sold its 2,500-acre Lake Blackshear property to an undisclosed buyer for $18.5 million, it announced Wednesday. The money will go to its Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources. The funds will specifically go to three places, university officials said. Some will go into updating campus facilities in Athens. The rest will be split into two endowments. The first endowed fund will go to postdoctoral positions, better equipment and research. The second endowed fund will go to hiring more staff and improving technology for the school.
WGXA
Middle Georgia State Aviation students fly high
by Amanda Peralta
Middle Georgia State University (MGSU) aviation students will be flying high after receiving a $50,000 grant from Gulfstream Aerospace. The grant will serve as a significant boost to MGSU’s efforts to provide state-of-the-art equipment for its students that will enhance their educational experience. The Chair of the Aviation Maintenance and Structural Technology Department, Martin Kehayes, said the university has two aircraft maintenance programs that prepare students with skills that allow them to work in the aviation industry.
WGAU Radio
UGA partnership with Gainesville marks decade of growth
By Margaret Blanchard, UGA Today
It’s no secret that Gainesville, Georgia, is growing. With $318 million in private investment in downtown and the Midland area in just the last five years, the city is capitalizing on a unique strategic planning process developed by the University of Georgia Vinson Institute of Government. Most recently, the area received $4.4 million in funding from the governor’s office to support projects in “A Vision for the Athens Street and 129 South Corridors,” a community-driven plan focused on increasing greenspace and connectivity released last year by the UGA Institute of Government.
Vanguard
Nigerians Are Our Largest International Students Population — University Of West Georgia
Nigerians are our largest international students population — University of West Georgia
Paul Sargent, Director of International Student Admissions and Programmes at the University of West Georgia, U.S. says Nigerians make up the institution’s largest international students population. Sargent said this on Wednesday, during a virtual university showcase, organised by the EducationUSA section of the U.S. mission in Nigeria to explore the different educational opportunities available to students in U.S. institutions.
Albany Herald
Albany State Educational Talent Search Field Day scheduled
From staff reports
Albany State University’s Educational Talent Search will host a field day event for program participants on Friday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on the West campus at the intramural/open field. Educational Talent Search (ETS) is a federally funded TRIO program committed to supporting and guiding students as they pursue higher education. Program participants include students in grades 9-12.
GPB
‘A dire situation.’ What caused Georgia’s catastrophic peach crop failure?
By: Gautama Mehta
…This year’s peach crop is Georgia’s worst since the 1990s, peach growers say, with a projected loss of up to 95% of a normal year’s yield. “It’s been a devastating year for a peach grower in the state of Georgia. Really, no one was spared, whether in South, Middle, or North Georgia,” said Will Bentley, president of the Macon-based Georgia Agribusiness Council. …Georgia had another in a streak of increasingly warm winters, followed by punishing spring frosts in March. Together, these conditions amounted to a deadly combination of weather events to which peaches are uniquely vulnerable. Peaches require “a certain amount of cold weather over the winter, while they’re dormant, so that they build up their energy, and then when it gets warm, they blossom and produce a crop,” Pam Knox, an agricultural climatologist at the University of Georgia, told the Telegraph.
The New York Times
What’s a Georgia Summer Without Peaches? Not So Sweet.
With their state’s signature crop hobbled by inclement weather, Georgians are stretching the fruit they have or turning (heaven forbid!) to California’s.
By Kim Severson
Kim Severson reporting from Atlanta
A darkness has fallen across the cobbler belt. You can barely find a peach. A winter that was a touch warm, followed by a series of hard freezes in March, devastated the Georgia peach crop. Some hopeful state officials estimate that only 10 percent of the crop survived. But out in the field, the prospects appear even worse. “If we made 2 percent of a crop, I would be surprised,” said Jeff Cook, a University of Georgia cooperative extension coordinator who helped put together an application for federal relief. Last week, the U.S. Department of Agriculture granted it, declaring 18 Georgia counties natural-disaster areas and making an additional 38 counties eligible for federal loans. The cost to the state, including lost jobs and peach sales, Mr. Cook said, could reach $200 million.
MoneyLife
Fewer Meals May Prevent Type-2 Diabetes and Obesity
Akshay Naik
In recent years, with many celebrities endorsing the eating strategy, intermittent fasting has rapidly become a trend for weight loss. While many have continued to remain skeptical about the approach, researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) believe that this fad dieting approach may have actual benefits. In a study published in the scientific journal Nutrients, researchers have reported that a specific variety of restricted eating may, indeed, reduce one’s chance of developing type-2 diabetes, while also improving overall health. This type of fasting entails eating regular, but fewer, meals, cutting out late-night snacks entirely and not eating for a total of 12 to 14 hours daily (often overnight). Prof Krzysztof Czaja, an associate professor of biomedical sciences in UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine, and Carlee Harris, an undergraduate biology major at UGA, conducted a comprehensive review of previously published, peer-reviewed studies, ultimately uncovering a connection between number of meals, obesity and type-2 diabetes.
Athens Banner-Herald
Though growing in popularity, are prebiotic sodas safe? UGA scientists weigh in.
Mary Renfroe Contributor
For those who are bubbles obsessed and can’t get enough of sparkling beverages, prebiotic sodas have become the newest craze. Prebiotic soda brands like Olipop and Poppi claim to have the flavor of traditional sodas without the high sugar content as well as more health benefits than sparkling waters. …Among the range of health benefits that prebiotic sodas boast includes promoted gut health, boosted immunity, and lowered cholesterol. …This begs the question: Are prebiotic sodas actually healthy or are they just a jumble of marketing based on loose scientific evidence? Two registered dieticians, Tracey Brigman, clinical associate professor and director of the University of Georgia FACS education program, and Emma Laing, PhD, RDN, who is the director of dietetics at the University of Georgia and a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, help to shed some light.
Marietta Daily Journal
KSU student killed in South Carolina drowning incident
Staff reports
A Kennesaw State University student died on Monday, two weeks after he was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. The death of 18-year-old Daniel Rowe was ruled an accidental drowning by the Horry County Coroner’s office, according to the Myrtle Beach Sun News. Rowe was rescued from the water on June 20 and succumbed to his injuries on Monday, the newspaper reported. Rowe was a full-time KSU student, according to a GoFundMe created to support his family. He suffered brain injuries while trying to rescue a friend from the water, according to the GoFundMe.
WGAU Radio
UNG names new Hall of Fame inductees
By UNG
The University of North Georgia Department of Athletics and the Athletics Hall of Fame Committee have announced the 13th class of the UNG Athletics Hall of Fame with the induction ceremony scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Convocation Center at UNG’s Dahlonega Campus. The evening will begin with a social hour, followed by a dinner and ceremony programming beginning at 7 p.m. …The UNG Athletics Hall of Fame honors individuals who have earned outstanding athletic achievements or made substantial contributions to the university. A nine-member Board of Directors is responsible for Athletics Hall of Fame operations and serves as selectors for all honorees, based upon nominations.
WJBF
Science Saturday is back after four year hiatus in Aiken
by: Ty Grant
The University of Georgia Savannah River Ecology Laboratory is hosting Science Saturday, for the first time in four years. Science Saturday will be held on Saturday, July 15, 2023 at South Aiken High School from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to hold alligators, touch a rattlesnake, watch plants breath, see vultures, owls, and hawks, and meet some adorable critters. In addition to exhibiting plants and animals, residents will be able to talk with scientists and graduate students about their research.
Higher Education News:
Cybersecurity Dive
MOVEit vulnerability snags almost 200 victims, more expected
The education sector has been hit particularly hard as many widely used vendors in the space confirm impacts linked to the mass exploited vulnerability.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
The widely exploited vulnerability in Progress Software’s MOVEit file transfer service has impacted nearly 200 organizations, according to Brett Callow, threat analyst at Emsisoft. The scope of damage caused by Clop’s mass exploit of a zero-day vulnerability in MOVEit continues to snowball as third-party vendors expose multiple downstream victims. Progress discovered the zero day over Memorial Day weekend on May 28. Despite the number of victims so far, experts anticipate more will come forward. “While many organizations have made a disclosure, a significant number have yet to do so,” Callow said via email. Progress on Wednesday released another update, including security fixes, and said it will consistently release MOVEit product updates every two months going forward.
Higher Ed Dive
University of Missouri System to end scholarships that factor in race or ethnicity
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
Dive Brief:
The University of Missouri System will no longer use race or ethnicity as a factor in scholarships, following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling against race-conscious admissions practices at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “A small number of our programs and scholarships have used race/ethnicity as a factor for admissions and scholarships,” the system said in a statement Thursday, immediately after the Supreme Court handed down its decision. “Those practices will be discontinued.” The system said its universities will honor the financial aid commitments it has already awarded to returning and income students, as those were issued under previous legal interpretations from the Supreme Court and the U.S. Department of Education.
Inside Higher Ed
Scaling the ‘Secret Sauce’ for Completion Rates
New efforts are underway to expand ASAP, the City University of New York’s academic support program, amid evidence that it works but is costly.
By Sara Weissman
College leaders are launching new, large-scale efforts to replicate and scale the Accelerated Study in Associate Programs, better known as ASAP, an academic support program for low-income students started in the City University of New York system. The program, originally founded in 2007 at six CUNY community colleges, is known for its comprehensive wraparound support services, including intensive, personalized academic advising, and its commitment to covering tuition and textbook costs, campus fees, MetroCards, and various other expenses that remain after students have received state and federal financial aid. CUNY also in 2015 launched Accelerate, Complete, Engage (ACE), a similar support model for students earning bachelor’s degrees. It is offered at six of the system’s four-year institutions. The system now has a team dedicated to helping other institutions, that are part of a network called ASAP|ACE National Replication Collaborative, and that are developing their own versions of these programs.
Higher Ed Dive
SCOTUS affirmative action ruling sets back physician diversity efforts, healthcare groups say
Emily Olsen, Reporter
Dive Brief:
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-conscious admissions policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, curtailing affirmative action and setting back efforts to diversify the nation’s physician workforce, according to industry groups. The Biden administration also pushed back on the ruling, saying the decision weakens efforts to make higher education more accessible and increase the number of Black and Latino doctors. Currently, only about 6% of active physicians are Black, about 7% are Hispanic and 0.3% are American Indian or Alaska Native, according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. “This ruling will make it even more difficult for the nation’s colleges and universities to help create future health experts and workers that reflect the diversity of our great nation,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement. “The health and wellbeing of Americans will suffer as a result.”
Inside Higher Ed
NAACP Launches ‘Diversity No Matter What’ Campaign
By Scott Jaschik
The NAACP is asking more than 1,600 colleges, public and private, that have competitive admissions policies to join its new “Diversity No Matter What” campaign. The colleges are being asked to pledge to:
Higher Ed Dive
Here’s why the Education Department’s proposed financial transparency website has higher ed worried
The agency pitched the new site, which will host information on every higher ed program, as part of its gainful employment regulations.
By Lilah Burke
The U.S. Department of Education’s proposed gainful employment regulations have the potential to significantly change the higher education landscape. Career education programs that leave graduates with poor earnings or unmanageable debt would risk losing access to federal financial aid under the new rules. But those requirements would only apply to certificate programs and programs at for-profit colleges. The department has proposed other, more wide-ranging regulations to apply to nearly all college programs. One such proposal was a financial transparency website for students.
Higher Ed Dive
DeVry asks court to block Education Department from recovering $23M in discharged loans
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
Dive Brief:
DeVry University asked a federal judge Friday to temporarily block the U.S. Department of Education from recouping $23 million in discharged student loans from the online college. The Education Department wiped away the debt through the borrower defense to repayment regulations, which allow the agency to forgive student loans for borrowers who have been misled by their colleges. The department notified DeVry last August that it sought to recoup the funds used to discharge debt for 649 borrowers. In its latest court filing, Devry argued that “it will suffer irreparable injury in the absence of relief” blocking the recoupment.
Higher Ed Dive
OPINION
Academic freedom is a core American value. We must defend it.
Assaults on free expression threaten to stifle intellectual life on campus, argues the president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
By Mildred García
Dr. Mildred García is president of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
The latest arguments over what should be taught in America’s colleges and universities are fraught with irony. Over the past few years, dozens of legislators have called for new laws to smother campus discussions of race, ethnicity and gender. The lawmakers filing these bills level claims that higher education institutions and their faculty are silencing certain voices, attacking certain values and ignoring certain perspectives. These lawmakers argue that they are champions of liberty and defenders of the public welfare. Yet these “freedom” initiatives are changing curricula and telling college professors what they can and cannot teach.
Inside Higher Ed
More Academics Take Flight From Twitter as Restrictions, Alternatives Grow
Elon Musk’s new limits on viewing tweets have more academics rethinking Twitter just as Meta’s new Twitter competitor debuts.
By Lauren Coffey
In the wake of new restrictions on how many tweets users can see daily, more academics are pulling back from Twitter and considering alternatives, such as Meta’s new competitor Threads, which launched Wednesday. The new limit, imposed last weekend by Twitter owner Elon Musk, was the latest change in the turbulent period since he bought the social media network last year for $44 billion. Musk’s changes, including firing huge numbers of employees and reinstating previously banned accounts, set off a gradual diaspora amid academic Twitter. For some who tried to hold on, the new restrictions that lock Twitter for the day after a user scrolls through a certain number of tweets went too far. …To see the shift in academics’ usage of Twitter, people should look at the activity around the recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and student loans, Kelchen said in an interview.
Cybersecurity Dive
The role for AI in cybersecurity
Generative AI can be an ally for new security professionals. For more seasoned security analysts, it can offer time to refine their skills through automation of repetitive tasks.
By Sue Poremba
AI has hit an inflection point. For years it lingered beneath the surface, useful to many technologies and innovations, but it was controlled by engineers and computer scientists. Machine-driven tools improved cybersecurity systems by allowing AI to handle the most tedious, repetitive tasks. Then came generative AI, with OpenAI’s ChatGPT and other chatbots. Now AI is available to everyone, those with both good and bad intent. While the adoption of AI language models is an exciting push forward, it has also highlighted the limitations of the technology, according to Vijay Bolina, CISO with Google DeepMind, which researches and produces AI technology.
Inside Higher Ed
CSUs Failed to Return Native American Remains and Other Items
By Sara Weissman
Most California State University campuses with collections of Native American remains and cultural items have failed to return them to tribes, as required by law, according to a California state auditor report released last week. The report says the system hasn’t prioritized complying with the 1990 federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act and its 2001 California counterpart.