Savannah CEO
University System of Georgia in FY2023 Awards Another Record Number of Degrees
The overall number of degrees awarded by University System of Georgia (USG) institutions in FY2023 increased by 1% over the previous fiscal year, reaching a new all-time high for the system of 75,228 degrees conferred annually. The number of degrees awarded has risen by 37.1% since USG joined the Complete College America program in 2011 and prioritized increasing degree completion in Georgia. Over the same period, system enrollment increased 5.2%, meaning the rate of awarding degrees continues to far outpace enrollment.
Valdosta Today
VSU degree leads to higher work-life earnings
A new study finds that a degree from Valdosta State University leads to higher work-life earnings that can transform communities. A high school graduate who earns a bachelor’s degree from Valdosta State University will earn nearly $1.2 million more during their lifetime, bringing their average work-life earnings to $2.6 million. Advanced degrees boost those earnings even more. According to the Lifetime Earnings for University System of Georgia Class of 2022 study conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia, high school graduates who obtain a bachelor’s degree will boost their work-life earnings by 82 percent in Georgia, or 80 percent across the United States. …Humphreys explained that the increase in earnings associated with a degree varies from one person to another, over time, geographically, and by field of study. However, according to the report, it is possible to provide a rough approximation of the aggregate benefits to VSU’s Class of 2022 graduates, as well as benefits accruing to the average degree holder. These estimates are important, he added, because they show to what extent higher education pays off, which may motivate students, employers, workers, and policymakers to pursue and support postsecondary education.
WTVM
By Jason Dennis
Landing on a list of top 10 military friendly schools in the United States, Columbus State University has now unveiled something new for military-connected students. “Columbus State University helps our soldiers Be Moore,” Fort Moore Commanding General MG Curtis Buzzard said. Fort Moore’s Commanding General using the motto of the newly renamed post, “Be Moore,” to describe the partnership with CSU, which Victory Media ranked as the 8th best military friendly school in America. Columbus State just unveiled a new headquarters for their 1200 military-connected students, about 20% of the student body. Top leaders came out for the ribbon cutting of the Schuster Student Success Center on the main campus.
Dawson County News
Here’s how NGHS is supporting students and faculty at the University of North Georgia
Erica Jones
DCN Staff
Northeast Georgia Health System (NGHS) has recently renewed its support of and partnership with the University of North Georgia (UNG) for another five years.
Grice Connect
Georgia Southern Theatre student Benjamin Roberts recognized by the Black Theatre Network
Benjamin Roberts, a Georgia Southern University senior with a double major in theater and computer science, was named the second place Young Actor at the 2023 Black Theatre Network (BTN) Conference held this summer in St. Louis, Missouri. Roberts was one of five young Black actors from across the country selected to attend the conference. Students had to submit auditions that included monologues, both comedic and dramatic, written by Black playwrights. Finalists were invited to workshops to hone their monologues and then resubmit.
The Augusta Chronicle
Sept. 13, 1989: Georgia Southern becomes state’s first regional university
Bill Kirby
SEPT. 13, 1989
Georgia’s Board of Regents voted to create the state’s first regional university at Statesboro’s Georgia Southern College, designating two Savannah-area schools as its affiliates. Statesboro Mayor Thurman Lanier called it “the greatest thing that ever happened since they invented black-eyed peas and the cotton gin.” After lengthy discussion before a packed house of educators and south Georgia lawmakers, the regents voted 11-2 to create their first regional university in southeast Georgia. Under the plan long discussed, Georgia Southern would become a regional university in July 1990.
Georgia Trend
Beloved Event Raises $8.8 Million
In the past, the funds from the event have helped The Same House and other organizations serve more than 80,000 people, most of whom are under 24 years old.
by Julia Roberts
Georgia Trend Publisher Ben Young attended the Beloved Benefit event that raised funds for The Same House and other local non-profits. The Same House announced a record $8.8 million in funds were raised to support The Same House and local Atlanta nonprofit organizations at its 2023 Beloved Benefit on August 24, 2024 at the World Congress Center. …Grants, from the funds raised, have gone to The United Negro College Fund, The John Lewis Legacy Institute, Morris Brown College and through a personal gift from Bullard, the University of Georgia’s J. W. Fanning Institute for Leadership Development.
Farm Monitor
AG FIELD DAY DESIGNED TO HELP OVERCOME CHALLENGES
Every year brings a unique set of challenges for cotton and peanut growers here in Georgia, as they must deal with pests, diseases and even the weather. But the University of Georgia is making sure they are well prepared by hosting a Research Field Day that showcases all the new options available to them. “Today, here on the Tifton campus, we got scientists working in peanuts and working in cotton and they’re sharing information on the most up to date research and recommendations that have been generated here and across the state,” says Phillip Roberts, UGA Extension Entomologist.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College economist discusses thoughts for upcoming Federal Reserve meeting
From staff reports
The Federal Reserve Board has a tough decision to make when it meets at its Sept. 19-20 meeting. The board will decide if it wants to raise interest rates for the 12th time since March 2022 to stem inflation. With so many rate hikes, skyrocketing prices on goods and services and an inflation rate that still hovers above the Fed’s 2% target, one may wonder if raising interest rates really works. Dr. Philip Vinson, assistant professor of economics in Georgia Gwinnett College’s School of Business, says yes.
News Medical Life Sciences
Researchers develop new protocol to study white matter injury in Alzheimer’s disease
Reviewed by Lily Ramsey, LLM
A new editorial paper was published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as “Aging (Albany NY)” and “Aging-US” by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 16, entitled, “Microvascular contributions to white matter injury in Alzheimer’s disease.” In their new editorial, researchers Zsolt Bagi, Larry S. Sherman and Stephen A. Back from Augusta University discuss mechanisms of cognitive impairment and dementia. Impairments in the cognitive and executive function of presumed cerebral microvascular origin are important and recently recognized neuropathological manifestations of vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). It has been long known that hypertensive cerebrovascular disease also involves a spectrum of subcortical small vessel diseases, such as arteriolosclerosis and lipohyalinosis of small penetrating arterioles, which contribute to progressive injury of periventricular, frontal and parietal white matter (WM).
SaportaReport
by Mark Lannaman
The Georgia Rivers Gala brought together dozens of stewards for Georgia’s rivers, with a clear position on one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources. On Friday Sept. 8 The Georgia River Network celebrated a quarter-century of protecting the state’s rivers and waterways. …At the center of attention was an ongoing legal battle between conservationists who want to preserve the Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia and Twin Pines Minerals, a mining project specializing in titanium and zirconium, which is proposing a site near the swamp that environmentalists say could have devastating impacts. The focus on the Okefenokee Swamp…The Okefenokee Swamp is “the largest blackwater wetland ecosystem in North America, and the least disturbed freshwater ecosystem on the Atlantic Coastal Plain” according to the River Basin Center from the University of Georgia.
Middle Georgia CEO
Georgia Leads in Food Processing, Beverage Manufacturing
Georgia is a national leader in advanced manufacturing, thanks to strength in multiple sectors – from R&D to workforce to robust logistics operations. Fueled by agriculture, the state’s No. 1 industry, food processing is Georgia’s top manufacturing sector. More than 1,500 food processing manufacturers operate in the state, including almost half of the nation’s top 100 companies in the industry. Why do these companies choose Georgia? Research and Innovation: Top resources for R&D and innovation include expert team at the Georgia Center of Innovation – a benefit exclusive to Georgia – and two Georgia universities. Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) …University of Georgia (UGA)
The City Menus
Blackwell Prize Brings Nationally Acclaimed Artist to UWG Newnan and Carrollton
By Press Release
If you are a lover of art — someone captivated by the rich colors and landscapes of painters such as Paul Cezanne and Claude Monet — then you will marvel at the work of Brian Rego. Winner of the University of West Georgia’s 2023 Blackwell Prize in Painting, a $10,000 award made possible by the Fred R. and Nell W. Blackwell Testamentary Trust of Newnan, Rego is an artist whose brush deftly moves from forests to fields, from seascapes to town squares, from kids walking to school to couples talking on a riverside. Hosted by UWG’s School of the Arts, Rego’s paintings will be on exhibition at The Vault Gallery in Newnan from Friday, Sept. 15, through Friday, Sept. 29, concluding with a reception from 5-8 p.m. He will also discuss his work at an artist talk at 6 p.m. in the UWG Campus Center in Carrollton on Tuesday, Sept. 19.
Douglas County Sentinel
DC Chamber to host Executives Unplugged Luncheon on Sept. 20
The Douglas County Chamber recently announced the speakers for the September Executives Unplugged Luncheon event; Dr. Brendan Kelly, President of the University of West Georgia and Dr. Kevin James, President of Morris Brown College. These two dynamic leaders will engage in a powerful dialogue around innovation, leading with purpose, overcoming adversity and breaking the mold in higher education.
Other News:
Griffin Daily News
Georgia film industry generates $4.1 billion in fiscal ’23
By Dave Williams Bureau Chief Capitol Beat News Service
The film industry spent $4.1 billion in Georgia during the last fiscal year, Gov. Brian Kemp announced Wednesday. That was below the $4.4 billion film and television productions spent in the Peach State during the previous fiscal year but above the $4. billion in direct spending the industry posted in fiscal 2021 as Georgia began to emerge from the pandemic. “Georgia remains a global leader in film, TV, and streaming productions,” Kemp said. “Those who benefit most from the significant growth we’ve seen in this industry over the past couple of decades are hardworking Georgians who fill the many behind-the-camera jobs that come with each project. That’s why we’ve worked hard to attract these and other opportunities for those who call the Peach State home.”
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
At least 3 more states mull FAFSA mandates for high school students
Michigan, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts are all considering making completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid a graduation requirement.
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
During the 2017-18 academic year, Louisiana became the first state to make completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a high school graduation requirement. Since then, a handful of other states have followed suit in the hopes of making more students aware of what financial aid is available to them. College students regularly leave financial aid on the table. The high school class of 2021 missed out on almost $3.8 billion in Pell Grants because they didn’t complete the FAFSA, according to an analysis last year from the National College Attainment Network.
Higher Ed Dive
Cal State approves 6% annual tuition increases for five years
The multi-year plan will bring in a total of $840 million in additional revenue, but won’t cover the system’s $1.5 billion deficit.
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
The California State University system will raise tuition annually by 6% for the next five years under a plan trustees unanimously approved Wednesday. Tuition for all degree programs will increase under the plan. The hike will earn Cal State an additional $148 million in its first year. By five years, it will bring in an extra $840 million in tuition revenue. The tuition hikes will help remedy a looming $1.5 billion deficit, though the system projects it will still be in a hole as it weighs employee raises and faces infrastructure costs.
Inside Higher Ed
University of Texas System Bets Big on Microcredentials
The system, with about 250,000 students, has teamed up with microcredential provider Coursera in its largest partnership yet, which will get students credentialed by tech giants including Meta, IBM and Google.
By Lauren Coffey
As the saying goes, everything is bigger in Texas. And now going big applies to microcredentials. The University of Texas System, spanning nine academic campuses with roughly 240,000 students, is expanding its partnership with microcredential provider Coursera. The initiative announced last month is Coursera’s largest, aiming to reach 30,000 students with 35 courses by 2025. Microcredentials are small, buildable credits that help students earn certifications in high-demand skills such as cybersecurity. They’re not new—the State University of New York has had an expansive program since 2018, and Spelman College recently made headlines for garnering nearly $2 million in revenue with its own certificate programming.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Report: Class of 2022 Average Starting Salaries Higher than Those of Previous Class
Arrman Kyaw
The average starting salary for recent graduates with bachelor’s degrees has risen noticeably, according to findings from a new National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) report. The report, NACE’s Summer 2023 Salary Survey, found that the overall average salary for graduates increased from $55,911 for the Class of 2021 to $60,028 for the Class of 2022.
Higher Ed Dive
Historically Black college initiative secures $124M investment
The HBCU Transformation Project started last year to improve student outcomes and reverse historic funding inequities.
Natalie Schwartz, Editor
A philanthropic group has donated $124 million to the HBCU Transformation Project, an initiative started last year that aims to improve enrollment and retention at historically Black colleges and universities and reverse their historic funding inequities. The project is a collaboration between three groups focused on HBCUs: UNCF, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, and Partnership for Education Advancement. Leaders from those groups praised the initiative and investment in a Wednesday announcement.
Inside Higher Ed
Gunman Forces UNC to Lock Down for Second Time This Semester
By Johanna Alonso
Sixteen days after a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was killed on campus, police once again issued a lockdown Wednesday due to an “armed & dangerous person on/near campus.” A man allegedly used a gun to threaten an employee of Alpine Bagel, located in the student union, officials said during a press conference. No shots were fired. Campus police received a 911 call at approximately 12:45 p.m. Wednesday. About nine minutes later, the university sent an alert about the situation through its Alert Carolina emergency notification system, followed by two more alerts at 1:30 p.m. and 1:54 p.m., ordering those on campus to continue to shelter in place.
Inside Higher Ed
Florida Temporarily Suspends Ideological Survey
By Josh Moody
Florida has temporarily suspended a survey that asks college students and employees about viewpoint diversity, intellectual freedom and bias in the classroom, WUFT reported Wednesday. The annual survey, first administered last year, was established by state law in 2021. Republican governor—and now GOP presidential candidate—Ron DeSantis cited concerns about faculty members “indoctrinating” students at state institutions when he signed the bill into law.
Inside Higher Ed
California Faculty Member Charged With Human Trafficking
By Ryan Quinn
A California community college faculty member and current or former coach faces nine charges, including pimping and human trafficking, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office says. Kyle Whitmore, a tenured communication studies faculty member for Diablo Valley College’s Pleasant Hill campus, allegedly trafficked two women “to commit crimes of prostitution,” the district attorney’s news release said. He’s also being charged with pandering and “four counts of sexual penetration by a foreign object,” the release said.
Inside Higher Ed
Federalist Society Panel Mulls Legal Challenge to Biden’s Title IX Proposals
By Katherine Knott
Could the Biden administration’s proposed regulations for Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 be subject to a strict legal test of executive power? Two panelists at a Federalist Society event Wednesday said yes. The panelists—Montana solicitor general Christian Corrigan and Jennifer Braceras, director of the Independent Women’s Law Center, a conservative civil liberties organization—were skeptical that the proposed regulations, once they’re finalized, would pass the strict test known as the major questions doctrine. The doctrine says in part that agencies need clear congressional authorization when carrying out policies that have economic and political significance.
Cybersecurity Dive
White House, federal cyber leaders pledge renewed support for open source security
CISA released a roadmap for open source software security as industry officials convened to map out additional steps to protect federal agencies and the larger ecosystem.
David Jones, Reporter
Dive Brief:
Top cybersecurity officials from the Biden administration pledged additional support to the open source software community and private sector security executives during the Secure Open Source Software Summit in Washington D.C. Tuesday. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency released a roadmap for open source software security, which is designed to establish the agency’s role in creating a more secure ecosystem and reducing the security risk for federal agencies, which depend heavily on open source in their applications. The federal government’s various Sector Risk Management Agencies offered support to the Open Source Security Foundation, as part of a larger effort to reduce security risks among key critical infrastructure sectors.
Cybersecurity Dive
Compromised credential use jumps 300% in cloud intrusions: IBM
Valid credentials are also a hot commodity in the cybercrime marketplace, accounting for the vast majority, almost 90%, of assets for sale on the dark web, IBM found.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
Dive Brief:
Valid, compromised account credentials were the initial access vector for more than 1 in 3 cloud intrusions observed by IBM Security X-Force during the last year, making it the most common point of entry across all cloud security incidents. Credentials used as an initial access vector for cloud intrusions jumped from 9% in 2022 to 36% this year, IBM Security X-Force said Wednesday in its cloud threat landscape report. The research revealed credentials with over-privileged access are often left exposed, creating an opportunity for attackers to establish a pivot point to move deeper into their targets’ cloud environments. IBM discovered plaintext credentials on one-third of user endpoints it reviewed during the one-year period ending in June.