Higher Ed Dive
How Georgia’s university system plans to add 11K in-state students
The University System of Georgia’s governing board this week approved a new strategic plan, which involves boosting enrollment and student outcomes.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
The University System of Georgia is seeking to enroll roughly 11,300 more in-state students in about five years under a strategic plan its governing board approved Wednesday. System officials want to bring its in-state enrollment up to 278,848 by 2029, a potentially tall order given USG has seen enrollment declines in the past couple of years. Low birth rates during the Great Recession are also forecasted to drive down the number of traditional-age college students. The plan formally comes into effect in September. It also aims to boost the system’s six-year graduation rate and its retention rate, which refers to the share of students returning to USG institutions after their first year.
AllOnGeorgia
The University System of Georgia (USG) contributed a total of $20.1 billion to Georgia’s economy between July 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, a $800 million or 4.14% increase over the previous year, a new study shows. Conducted on behalf of USG by Jeffrey M. Humphreys, Ph.D., director of the Selig Center for Economic Growth in the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, the study also showed USG over the same period generated 159,034 full- and part-time jobs across Georgia. Concurrently, Humphreys in a companion study found that USG bachelor’s graduates from the Class of 2022 will earn over $1 million more during their lifetimes than they would have without their college degree.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia State University to grow Atlanta campus with 18-story office tower
Board of Regents also OK’d new Georgia Southern baseball facility and UGA parking deck
By Vanessa McCray
The Georgia Board of Regents on Tuesday approved the $33.9 million purchase of an 18-story building in the heart of Georgia State University’s downtown Atlanta campus. The former office tower at 100 Edgewood Ave. NE is located across from Hurt Park and served as the United Way of Greater Atlanta’s corporate offices until 2017. The university plans to use the building for academic programs that are in high demand and is also exploring other uses such as ground-level retail and “revenue-generating events,” according to board documents.
Connect Savannah
USG: Georgia Southern University’s annual economic impact soars to record of more than $1.1 billion
According to new reports from the University System of Georgia (USG) show that Georgia Southern continues to have an increased economic impact on the region it serves and on the students it graduates. The USG recorded a $20.1 billion total economic impact from July 1, 2021 until June 30, 2022, while Georgia Southern’s annual economic impact has soared to more than $1.107 billion for FY 2022, a 7.3% increase over the previous year and a new recorded impact total. …For the 5,502 degree recipients from Georgia Southern University in FY 2022, they can expect their work in Georgia to total lifetime earnings of $14.4 billion.
Douglas Now
SOUTH GEORGIA STATE COLLEGE PROVIDES $62.6 MILLION ANNUAL BENEFIT TO LOCAL ECONOMIES
South Georgia State College (SGSC) made a $62.6 million impact on the regional economy and was responsible for more than 643 jobs locally during fiscal year 2022. SGSC’s Interim President Dr. Greg Tanner shared, “The economic impact study provided by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents is a way to measure the significance of an organization in the regional economy. We share this information to emphasize the critical role South Georgia State College plays in preparing the next generation of employees and community leaders. We are actually sharing what we already knew, that SGSC supports workforce and economic development, adds tax revenue and improves lives through its educational offerings. Not only are we preparing students for the future, but also providing a benefit to today’s economy.”
WTOC
Savannah State stakeholders calling for national presidential search
By Camille Syed
As about 29 hundred Savannah State students get ready for the school year, some alumni are concerned about how the search for a permanent president is going. As students move in, Cynthia Robinson Alexander is looking forward to serving as interim president. “We’re here to serve these students and I am just thrilled to have the opportunity to change the lives of 2,900 students,” said Robinson Alexander. But what’s the status on the University System of Georgia’s search for a permanent president? A group of Savannah State stakeholders, including alumni, started a petition with nearly 800 signatures urging the USG Board of Regents to conduct a national search for the university’s next leader. … The Board of Regents Policy Manual says when a vacancy occurs, Chancellor Sonny Perdue will decide with the Board of Regents whether to do a national search. If that’s decided, they will appoint an institutional search committee. In a statement to WTOC, USG says they and Chancellor Perdue have actively engaged stakeholders in efforts to revitalize Savannah State by having two town halls. It goes on to say Perdue encourages all stakeholders to get in engaged in the process.
Marietta Daily Journal
New Owls arrive on campus for KSU move-in
By Jake Busch
A new year means a new parliament of owls at Kennesaw State University. KSU students began moving onto campus Wednesday ahead of the school year, and freshmen at the University Village dorms were busy getting acclimated to their new nest. Karsyn Shaw, who plans to study early childhood education, was all smiles as her mother, Melissa Shaw, and younger siblings Kayleigh and Cason Shaw, helped her move into her dorm at the University Village community. …Shaw is one of about 6,000 KSU students between Kennesaw and Marietta who will be living in one of 10 on-campus residence halls, according to KSU spokesperson Paul Floeckher. Scenes from move-in at the University Village included KSU cheerleaders welcoming first-year students and their families, a giant blow-up of KSU mascot Scrappy the Owl and staff members all over the place to help with the move.
WRDW
Students share frustrations on AU dorm housing issues
By Taylor Martin
Some Augusta University students are speaking out over concerns about alternative housing since Oak Hall is being renovated after some flood damage. Students were supposed to move in on August 10, but just a few days ago Augusta University moved that date to August 19, after class has already started. We reached out to students to get their perspective on the situation and while they weren’t willing to interview, they gave us statements to sum up how they feel. “There is a lack of transparency between the school and the students making the introduction to college more difficult than it needed to be,” said one student.
Augusta CEO
Augusta University Professor Aims to Promote Inclusion, Collaboration as Governor’s Teaching Fellow
Felicia Baskett
Augusta University’s Laura Rychly, EdD, an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Development with a decade-long tenure, has been named a Governor’s Teaching Fellow. The program provides the state’s higher education faculty with expanded opportunities for developing important teaching skills. Fellows must apply for selection to the highly competitive program, which is offered through the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at the University of Georgia. Rychly looks forward to representing Augusta University and the College of Education and Human Development and seizing the chance to integrate two pivotal initiatives: the recently published Blueprint for Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the upcoming Provost’s Learning Scholars program.
Savannah CEO
Jennifer Hilliard Scott
Elizabeth Gray, MD, associate dean at the Southeast Campus of the Medical College of Georgia, based in Savannah and Brunswick, has been named founding campus dean of the Augusta University/Medical College of Georgia-Georgia Southern Partnership campus. The campus, which is slated to open in Savannah in the fall of 2024, will be the third four-year campus of the state’s only public medical school. It also will allow MCG, already one of the nation’s largest medical schools by class size, to increase its enrollment from 264 students per class to 304, and ultimately produce more physicians for Georgia. Gray, an internist, has led the Savannah location of the Southeast Campus, home to around 80 third- and fourth-year students who live and learn in the area, since 2020.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia teacher pension vendor’s data hacked by Russian cybercrooks
Teachers Retirement System retirees among many struck in data breach
By James Salzer
A cyberattack on organizations and government agencies first reported in June included a data breach at a vendor for the retirement system that provides pensions to tens of thousands of retired Georgia teachers and university personnel. The Georgia Teachers Retirement System sent out a notification noting that a TRS vendor the system uses to prevent benefit overpayments — PBI Research Services/Berwyn Group — was part of a widely reported hack connected to a file-transfer program called MOVEit. …The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported two months ago that the cybercriminals likely had “unauthorized access” to information stored on MOVEit Secure File Transfer and Automation software by the University System of Georgia.
Newswires
Georgia Department of Community Affairs Commissioner Christopher Nunn announced today that Georgia Serves is granting $6,600,668 in federal AmeriCorps funding to 20 organizations across the state.
These grants will enable 651 AmeriCorps members to serve communities in Georgia through these organizations. AmeriCorps members will tackle some of the toughest problems in Georgia including education, economic opportunities, healthy futures, homelessness, people living with disabilities, financial literacy, and environmental issues. The following organizations were awarded grants for 2023-2024 to implement AmeriCorps programs in Georgia: AmeriCorps Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation, $171,248 …University of Georgia 4-H/AmeriCorps Project, $552,000, Georgia Tech AmeriCorps Academic Mentoring Program, $172,790 …Georgia State University T.E.E.M.S. AmeriCorps, $188,056, University of Georgia Community Food Fellows (AmeriCorps Georgia State Program), $287,998
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Once incarcerated, Georgian works to expand education for those in prison
By Nancy Badertscher – For the AJC
Patrick Rodriguez wanted to be the first person in his family to go to college. Only drugs, five arrests, and 52 months in prison got in his way. Today, Rodriguez hopes his rebound will remind people in prison and the newly released of what’s possible. And that includes obtaining a college degree, which can elevate a person’s lifetime earnings and reduce the prison recidivism rate. …In 2012, Rodriguez began using drugs – including marijuana and cocaine – while making his first go at Kennesaw State University. Within months, he also was selling them. …The state Department of Corrections also has actively sought to bring in more postsecondary programming, Rodriguez said. Currently, Life University, Georgia State University, Brewton-Parker College, Truett McConnell University, and the University of West Georgia are the only Georgia-based colleges that offer accredited degree programs in liberal arts inside state prison facilities…Rodriguez, who graduated from Kennesaw State in 2020 with a bachelor’s in organizational communication, heads Georgia State University’s program for people in prison. …He spoke at graduation at Walker State Prison in rural northwest Georgia. All nine graduates received associate degrees from Georgia State’s Perimeter College and were recognized for completing their programs with high or highest honors.
WRDW
Lumber-surfing dog serves as therapy dog with other furry friends
By Maria Sellers
You may remember Tater the Jack Russell from Evans known for lumber surfing at a local Lowe’s and interacting with customers and staff. He also works as a therapy dog, serving in programs like Augusta University’s Furry Friends with several other local pets. …The dogs are providing comfort to patients and staff in hospitals through programs like Augusta University’s Furry Friends, which was created to make tough hospital stays and shifts easier, according to Shayna Crawford, the volunteer engagement coordinator at Augusta University. “People don’t realize that pet therapy has been researched to lessen anxiety, lessen stress, and sort of get them through that moment,” said Crawford. They bring smiles to retirement homes as well.
Phys Org
Land-use strategies, nutrient conditions contribute to oak decline
by Allyson Mann, University of Georgia
New research led by a University of Georgia ecologist sheds light, for the first time, on how land-use disturbance and nutrient conditions play a role in the decline of oak forests. The most promising strategy to address this decline is reduced cutting.
WGAU Radio
UNG schedules Night at the Braves
By Agnes Hina, UNG
The third annual University of North Georgia Night at the Atlanta Braves is a chance for students, faculty, staff, and alumni to gather for an evening of fun and watch the Atlanta Braves play against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The event, sponsored by the UNG Alumni Association, starts at 7:20 p.m. on Sept. 9 at Truist Park in Atlanta. Just over 2,000 tickets are available for UNG alumni, students, faculty, staff, family, and friends. Tickets cost $22 for individuals and $20 for groups of 10 or more. “This event offers us a chance to really show our alumni, student body, faculty, staff, and community partners what a unique and special institution UNG is,” Jared Patterson, Alumni Relations officer for young alumni, said. “It is a one-of-a-kind event for our UNG family.”
Augusta CEO
Purchase Your Tickets Now for the 20th Annual Augusta U Brew-N-Que October 6th
The 20th annual Augusta U Brew-N-Que, hosted by Augusta University’s Summerville Alumni Society, is scheduled for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6, at the D. Douglas Barnard, Jr. Amphitheatre on the Summerville Campus. The event kicks off Parent and Family Weekend, and all proceeds benefit undergraduate student scholarships. Sconyers Bar-B-Que will cater dinner while The Mason Jars will provide live entertainment.
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Higher Ed Dive
The MOVEit spree is as bad as — or worse than — you think it is
The mass exploit has compromised more than 600 organizations, but that only scratches the surface of the potential number of downstream victims. Security experts project years of fallout.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
The mass exploit of a zero-day vulnerability in MOVEit has compromised more than 600 organizations and 40 million individuals to date, but the numbers mask a more disastrous outcome that’s still unfolding. The victim pool represents some of the most entrenched institutions in highly sensitive — and regulated — sectors, including healthcare, education, finance, insurance, government, pension funds and manufacturing. The subsequent reach and potential exposure caused by the Clop ransomware group’s spree of attacks against these organizations is vast, and the number of downstream victims is not yet fully realized.
Inside Higher Ed
Arizona Universities Won’t Require DEI Statements in Hiring
By Kathryn Palmer
Following urgings from the Goldwater Institute, a Phoenix-based conservative think tank, the Arizona Board of Regents announced Tuesday that it has eliminated requirements for diversity, equity and inclusion statements in university job postings, The Arizona Republic reported. The announcement came about a month after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled against race-conscious admissions policies and on the heels of legislative sessions in some states that sought to ban diversity, equity and inclusion programs at colleges and universities. A bill that would have eliminated DEI training for employees at Arizona’s higher education institutions narrowly failed this year.
Inside Higher Ed
UC System Admits Record Number of Californians
By Liam Knox
The University of California system admitted a historic number of in-state students this year, as well as first-year students of color. Over all, the 10-campus system admitted 88,285 first-year students from California, breaking a record set last year by 3.5 percent. Many of the campuses expanded their enrollment pools to do so, most notably UC Santa Cruz, which accepted 10,000 more first-year students over last year, a nearly 45 percent increase. Even UCLA’s acceptance rate crept up slightly, to 9.5 percent.
Higher Ed Dive
Gallup: Women undergraduates more stressed out than men
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
Women college students are more likely to report high stress and less enjoyment in life than their peers who are men, according to new survey data from Gallup. Three-quarters of women students, 72%, said they felt high levels of stress in the past day, compared to 56% of men students. A majority of women, 56%, said they worried the previous day while just 40% of men said the same. College men were also more likely to have enjoyed at least part of their previous day, the data found. Some 83% of men reported feeling enjoyment, compared to 72% of women.
Inside Higher Ed
Change in Medical Licensing Exam Concerns Students and Faculty
The exam was changed to a pass-fail model, ostensibly to relieve student stress. Critics say the change has not reduced stress but has amplified inequities among students.
By Jessica Blake
When the National Board of Medical Examiners and the Federation of State Medical Boards changed the process for grading a section of the U.S. Medical Licensing Exam, they hoped it would decrease student stress and reduce the emphasis on scores in the decision process for residency placement. But a year and a half after the transition, some medical school students and faculty are unsure if the change was effective and are concerned that it may have amplified inequities among students. The reform, which went into effect in January 2022, shifted the first of three exams required for a medical license from a traditional numerical scoring to a pass-fail model.