Atlanta Business Chronicle
U.S. News Best Colleges: Where Georgia universities rank
By Erin Schilling – Digital Editor
A Georgia university jumped 52 spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2024 rankings after the organization changed the way it evaluated colleges and universities. Released on Monday, the U.S. News 2024 rankings of the best colleges in the country reflect the company’s evaluation of 1,500 schools across nearly 20 metrics. U.S. News calculated the rankings by looking at various factors such as graduation and retention rates, financial resources and graduate indebtedness. …Augusta University, a public research university and academic medical center about two hours from Atlanta, is now ranked No. 332, a 52-spot increase from last year, according to U.S. News. The university has over 5,300 undergraduate students, making it relatively small among Georgia institutions. …That school is followed by Georgia Tech (No. 33, up 11 spots), University of Georgia (No. 47, up two spots), …and Georgia State University (No. 227, up six spots). Georgia State and Georgia Tech ranked highly for the most innovative schools among national universities, at No. 2 and No. 5, respectively.
accessWDUN
University of North Georgia moves higher in rankings for quality and value
By AccessWDUN Staff
The University of North Georgia (UNG) earned high marks for quality and value in the 2024 U.S. News and World Report Best Colleges rankings released Sept. 18, moving up to tie for 17th overall among public Regional Universities in the South. In more specialized lists for public Regional Universities in the South, among Georgia universities, UNG is No. 1 on the list of Best Colleges for Veterans; No. 1 for Least Debt, which measures schools whose students graduated carrying the lightest debt loads; and No. 3 on the Best Value Colleges list. UNG President Michael P. Shannon says in the report, “This ranking recognizes the work we do every day to help students change the trajectory of their lives and serve our communities, the state and our nation.”
Albany Herald
University of West Georgia establishes Research Corporation
By Colton Campbell University of West Georgia
Marking a pivotal step in the University of West Georgia’s commitment to advancing knowledge, fostering innovation and catalyzing economic growth, the institution has established the UWG Research Corporation. Sponsored research at UWG has been on a remarkable trajectory for the past several years, culminating in last year’s record-breaking achievement of $18.7 million applied for in applications for grants and sponsored projects and $4.5 million received, officials at the university said in a news release. The UWG Research Corporation will support a deepening of the institution’s scientific, clinical, educational, and research activities and endeavors. UWG President Brendan Kelly said the creation of the corporation reflects UWG’s dedication to becoming a prominent hub for research, collaboration and entrepreneurial endeavors.
WGAU Radio
Mexican consulate funds UNG scholarships
By Clark Leonard, UNG
The University of North Georgia and the Consulate General of Mexico in Atlanta are teaming up for the fourth consecutive year to offer scholarships to UNG students of Mexican or Latino descent. This year’s $5,000 grant is matched by $10,000 from UNG. It has a focus on College of Education students and is providing money for eight scholarships for 2023-24. Dr. Christian Bello Escobar, director of academic and community engagement in the College of Education, is the principal investigator for the grant. In addition to financial support, the scholarship program weaves in elements of community service, leadership development through monthly training, and faculty and staff mentoring for the students.
The Post-Searchlight
ABAC Bainbridge student awarded two education scholarships
By Staff Reports
Two independent scholarships targeted at students pursuing a degree in education were presented to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Bainbridge student Macy Batchelor, a Seminole County native studying early childhood education. Beverly Pollock, representing the Fidelis Alpha Chapter of Alpha Kappa Delta sorority, presented Batchelor with the Julia P. White Alpha Kappa Delta scholarship, and Clair Dunlap, representing the Decatur County Retired Educators Association, presented her with the Decatur County Retired Educators Association Scholarship. Both scholarships are awarded to a student pursuing a degree in education with a GPA 3.0 or higher who is a resident of Decatur, Early, Miller, or Seminole Counties.
Grice Connect
GS School of Nursing training students to be certified sexual assault nurse examiners
The program will equip Georgia Southern nursing students with the specialized skills needed to conduct this type of examination and address a gap in the nursing industry.
A new program established in the Georgia Southern University School of Nursing aims to address a gap in the nursing industry by training students to become certified sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE). …The program will equip Georgia Southern nursing students with the specialized skills needed to conduct this type of examination.
WALB
ASU students practice forensic skills at APD crime scene class
By Fallon Howard
College students in Albany got the unique opportunity to practice their forensics skills at a Crime Scene 101 class on Saturday. Because of the high demand from previous years, the Albany Police Department (APD) decided to expand the class to students interested in the field. Many crime scene technicians are getting the inside scoop on how a crime scene is perceived in movies, versus in real life. Officers hope students take away the necessary skills to apply them to different scenarios. …The class started back in April and gives students hands-on experience with baseline measurements, fingerprinting and evidence collection.
The Union-Recorder
GCSU wins research grant for residents to get certificates in solar power
Special to The U-R
The Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Georgia College & State University is one of four recipients of a community research grant awarded by the Partnership for Inclusive Innovation. The Partnership is an Atlanta-based organization that leads and coordinates statewide efforts in innovation, opportunity and shared economic success. Georgia College was selected to train and certify underserved Milledgeville residents in solar power and in how to start a business in the fast-growing green-energy sector. “The grant is for $100,000 and allows us to launch a certificate program in the design and installation of solar power systems,” said Dr. Nicholas Creel, assistant professor of Business Law and Ethics and director of the university’s Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
Metro Atlanta CEO
PIN 2023 Cleantech Community Research Grant Winners Announced
Staff Report
While local communities are the ones directly impacted by global sustainability challenges, they are rarely consulted to be part of the solution. The Partnership for Inclusive Innovation (Partnership) is on a quest to provide a multistakeholder approach to complex solutions at the local level by leveraging the strength of the public and private sectors, as well as the general public, civil society, educational institutions, and more. Reflecting the urgency of today’s environmental priorities, this year’s theme for their annual Community Research Grant Program is cleantech—an industry that holds promise for both climate resiliency and economic growth. Today, the Partnership proudly announced the winners of the 2023 Community Research Grants. The winning projects will benefit from world-class research capabilities including multi-disciplinary research teams, program management tools, and strategic partnership opportunities. …In total the projects represented four communities, seven higher education institutions (Georgia State University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia College & State University,
WRDW
Video
Augusta University honors signing of Constitution with read-in
AU hosting Constitutional Reading Day with faculty and students reading parts of the U.S. Constitution. Students say it was a great way to learn about this history of this county and this important document. All this to commemorate the signing of our Constitution.
Morning AgClips
Coping With Stress After the Storm
While Hurricane Idalia left a trail of physical destruction in its wake. Downed trees, damaged crops, lost livestock, destroyed farm buildings and forced farmers into extended recovery mode. Those things are accompanied by mental stress, perhaps beyond what farmers normally face. Echols County farmer Justin Corbett, whose family’s farm had extensive damage, tried to keep the Idalia damage in perspective. …Dr. Anna Scheyett, a professor in the University of Georgia School of Social Work, offered tips for dealing with the mental toll from a disaster in a blog post on the Thriving on the Farm section of the Rural Georgia: Growing Stronger website.
CNBC
Getting paid Wednesdays instead of Fridays makes me feel like I earn more—money experts explain why
Aditi Shrikant
…Filipe Correia, an assistant professor at the University of Georgia department of finance, studies the effects of paycheck frequency on spending and saving habits. Pulling from his own research, he found that the day of the week on which someone is paid does alter their actions. When people are paid toward the end of the week, they tend to spend more money. Regardless of how much a person earns, “the percentage of income consumed increases throughout the week,” he says. And higher consumption toward the end of the week is correlated with lower savings and more borrowing.
WSB Radio
Researchers find harmful ‘forever chemicals’ in drinking water across Georgia
By Nicole Bennett
Your tap water could be filled with toxic chemicals linked to cancer and impaired immunity. Researchers are drilling down to the most contaminated taps in metro Atlanta. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports that according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, a new round of testing has revealed “forever chemicals” in the drinking water of “nearly a dozen systems across Georgia.” The 11 water systems out of 52 tested so far that reported contamination include Clayton County, Austell and Covington. …“Forever chemicals” are used in hundreds of products including stain and water-resistant fabrics, non-stick pots and pans, food containers and makeup. “They are robust. They don’t easily degrade,” said Jack Huang, Ph.D., a professor at the University of Georgia. And right now, research being conducted in a University of Georgia lab in Griffin could save lives.
Clinical Advisor
Hidradenitis Suppurativa: Early Recognition and Treatment by Primary Care Providers
Kirstin Shaffer, PA-C, Alicia Elam, PharmD
Kirstin Shaffer, PA-C, is a graduate of the Physician Assistant program at Augusta University College of Allied Health Sciences, in Augusta, Georgia. Alicia Elam, PharmD, is an associate professor in the Physician Assistant Department at Augusta University College of Allied Health Sciences.
Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), also known as acne inversa, is an inflammatory occlusive disorder affecting the follicles of the folliculopilosebaceous units (FPSUs) in intertriginous areas. …Nodules are erythematous and painful, ranging from 4 to 10 out of 10 when rated by patients on a numerical rating scale, and may regress after 1 week to several weeks. …Primary care providers can employ multiple tools to initiate the management of HS. Educating patients on the etiology of the disease is crucial. Patients may have misconceptions that HS results from poor hygiene or is somehow self-induced; it is important to dissuade patients from this misconception.
House Beautiful
Can You Skip Raking Fall Leaves or Will That Ruin Your Lawn?
Is this negligent lawn care or genius gardening?
By Arricca Elin Sansone
After a long, hot summer of battling invasive plants in your garden, weird mushrooms in your lawn, and weeds, weeds everywhere, you may be ready to take a break and let nature do what it wants. But just when you’re ready to retire your gardening gloves for the season, fall leaves start to blaze in glorious color and flutter down onto your lawn, signaling that now’s the time to rake, blow, bag and dispose of your leaves. Suddenly, you’ve got tons more work to do. Or do you? Admit it: You may be wondering can I just let the fall leaves rot where they fall? The short answer is that depends. …”If your lawn is covered in leaves, this does not allow the turf to photosynthesize for several weeks during the growing season,” explains Clint Waltz, PhD, turfgrass specialist at the University of Georgia Turfgrass Research Center.
Statesboro Herald
Billy Hitchens to lead state Dept. of Public Safety
From staff reports
A Statesboro resident and a graduate of Georgia Southern University, Lt. Colonel Billy Hitchens will take over as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety on Oct. 1.
The Columbusite
Women in the Arts: Meet Victoria Dugger, Winner of the 2023 SouthArts Prize for Visual Art
This installment of Women in the Arts takes us behind-the-scenes into the life of Columbus native and award-winning artist Victoria Dugger. Dugger’s practice spans painting, mixed media works, and sculpture. Working across these forms, she produces objects that blur accepted categories, exploring novel modes of self-expression and embodiment. She dissects her identity as a Black, disabled woman through a blend of playful compositions and grotesque imagery. Dugger received her MFA in Painting at the Lamar Dodd School of Art at the University of Georgia. …Q: Please share about your background with us. How did you get into the visual arts? A: One of my paternal uncles was a professional artist and lived and worked in Hawaii for the remainder of his life so I exposed to art as a career very early on. …I got more and more into art and realized my passion for art was growing that is when I decided to pursue it at CSU. …My professors from the Art Department at Columbus State University, where I received my BFA, were and still are incredibly integral to my growth as an artist.
Athens Banner-Herald
This UGA art professor turned her home into a gallery to display her neighbor’s paintings
Andrew Shearer
Jaime Bull and Chrissy Reed inside the back gallery at Foyer in Athens, Ga. on Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023. Reed’s exhibit, “Blobbies,” is on display in Bull’s space until December. With titles like “Toe Pick” and “Buttcheeks,” the paintings in Chrissy Reed’s “Blobbies” exhibit do away with any notion that would indicate having been created by a pretentious artist. The minimalist pieces are the first-ever to be displayed at Foyer, an Athens gallery that opened last month in the bottom floor of the home of Reed’s neighbor, University of Georgia art professor Jaime Bull. …Bull, who teaches at the University of Georgia helping seniors at the Lamar Dodd School of Art prepare for their final capstone exhibitions, left an eight-year tenure at the Lyndon House Arts Center to focus full-time on working to promote Athens-based artists.
The Union-Recorder
MILLIANS: The first lady of Milledgeville
Rick Millians
Betty George (Clark) Baugh celebrated a birthday this week. You probably know her as Beegee. She played bridge with friends on Tuesday and had dinner with family on Wednesday. There was no big party. “I told them no more,” she was telling me on the phone this week and laughing. “I had a party for my 90th birthday, and I don’t want any more parties.” That’s Beegee. …Newlyweds Dr. James and Beegee Baugh lived in Tacoma, Wash., for a year while he interned. Beegee was so homesick and in such a big hurry to get back to Georgia that she refused to stop and see the sites such as the Grand Canyon and the Painted Desert. …Dr. Baugh served as mayor for 18 years, making Beegee the longest-serving Milledgeville first lady that I know of — whether she wanted to be or not. …Beegee left her hometown of Ochlocknee, Ga. (population 676) – hard by the Georgia-Florida line across from Tallahassee — and enrolled at Georgia State College for Women in Milledgeville because one of her aunts insisted Beegee attend her alma mater.
The Baldwin Bulletin
GCSU dedicates plaque to first athletic director
By Bailey McCully
Georgia College & State University (GCSU) held a dedication ceremony for its first athletic director, Floyd Anderson, Sept.9 under the pavilion at the Lake Laurel Lodge. Anderson was born in 1927 and passed away in December 2022. Known as the ‘father of athletics,’ he served at GCSU for 22 years in the classroom, in various athletics, and in a range of administrative roles, including chair of the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department at Georgia College.
Times-Georgian
UWG Volleyball ends Warhawk Invitational with win over Golden Rams
By Darrell Redden UWG Sports
It was a successful end to the Warhawk Invitational for the University of West Georgia Volleyball team as the Wolves handled the Albany State Golden Rams, 3-1, on Saturday. UWG’s (6-3) offense has been efficient all season, but they reached another level in their four-set win over Albany State (3-7) as West Georgia accumulated 53 kills on a season-high .313 hitting percentage.
Times-Georgian
UWG offense explodes for three goals in league win over AUM
By Jared Boggus UWG Sports
The UWG women’s soccer team tripled their season goal total and dominated the pitch for 90 minutes on Sunday wrapping up the first road trip in Gulf South Conference play with a 3-0 win over Auburn Montgomery. It was UWG’s first win of 2023 and the first victory for interim head coach Jacob Crawford as West Georgia (1-1-3, 1-0-1 GSC) outshot the Warhawks (1-5-0, 0-2-0 GSC) 19-4 and pitched a second consecutive clean sheet.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
16 states underfunded land-grant HBCUs by over $12B, Biden admin says
The education and agriculture secretaries called on each state’s governor to remedy the historical funding gaps.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
The Biden administration urged 16 governors Monday to remedy historical underfunding of their states’ historically Black land-grant universities, which federal officials said collectively missed out on more than $12 billion over the past few decades. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona and Agriculture Secretary Thomas Vilsack wrote individual letters to the 16 state executives, who include Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Democratic Gov. Wes Moore of Maryland. The cabinet members wrote that the administration identified the funding gap by analyzing federal data from 1987 to 2020. The largest funding deficits the Biden administration identified were in Tennessee and North Carolina. In those two states, land-grant HBCUs should have received more than $2 billion, officials wrote.
Higher Ed Divc
Texas A&M system offers DEI ban guidance
A Q&A for faculty and staff provides a look at how public colleges are carrying out a state law barring diversity, equity and inclusion programming.
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
The Texas A&M University System offered guidance to employees this month on navigating the state’s ban on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in public colleges, providing a glimpse into how public colleges plan to implement the statute. In an online FAQ, the system’s Office of General Counsel addressed faculty and staff questions on topics of concern, such as hiring, student programming and scholarly work. Texas A&M websites and social media cannot include DEI information and cannot use the acronym DEI or the phrase “diversity, equity, and inclusion,” the guidance states. But online platforms can share information about “identity-driven” faculty and student groups.
Inside Higher Ed
Biden Administration Wants Florida Accreditation Lawsuit Tossed
By Katherine Knott
The Biden administration is asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit from the state of Florida that argues the country’s accreditation system for higher education is unconstitutional. “Florida challenges writ large the constitutionality of the accreditation system that has existed for decades and seeks sweeping relief that would mandate the federalization of education standards,” the administration argued in a motion to dismiss. “But each of Florida’s constitutional claims fails at the outset and should be dismissed.” Florida’s lawsuit is seeking to dismantle the system of accreditation, which the state has taken issue with.
Inside Higher Ed
The Administrative Overhaul of New College of Florida
Since February, Florida’s public liberal arts college has hired numerous employees with little or no experience in higher education but deep ties to the Republican Party.
By Josh Moody
As the old adage goes, it’s not what you know but who you know that matters. And at New College of Florida, that cliché seems to be playing out in a number of recent hiring decisions. An enrollment management director with no prior admissions experience. A dean of student affairs who has never worked in higher education. A general counsel imported from the State Senate. A head of donor relations who served as vice chair of the Republican Party of Sarasota. Those are just a few of the new hires made this year by the leaders of New College, which is in the midst of a dramatic makeover engineered by conservative trustees appointed in January. …More new hires have followed, many of whom lack higher ed experience but have close ties to Corcoran or the Republican Party. That has raised alarms among longtime NCF supporters.
Inside Higher Ed
U.S. Won’t Ask Transgender Question on New FAFSA
By Katherine Knott
The Education Department is no longer planning to ask students whether they are transgender on the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is supposed to launch later this year, according to a notice in the Federal Register. Instead, transgender students can select the gender with which they identify at the time of completing the form. The gender question has four options: “male,” “female,” “nonbinary” or “prefer not to answer.” The demographic questions on the form are used for research purposes only and won’t be shared with institutions, according to a draft version of the application. The department dropped the transgender question after receiving a few critical comments on the initial draft released earlier this year. Politico first reported on the change.
Higher Ed Divc
Why one community college outsourced its adjunct faculty
Northwestern Michigan College’s adjuncts will be employees of Edustaff, an unusual higher ed staffing model meant to cut costs.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Higher education for decades has consistently drifted away from employing full-time faculty in favor of part-time, or adjunct, instructors. But one Michigan community college is shaking up the sector’s employment model in a different way. As of July, Northwestern Michigan College’s new adjuncts aren’t even institution staff — they work for Edustaff, a staffing firm. It’s one of several Michigan community colleges, like North Central Michigan College, to adopt this approach. Workers’ rights advocates might raise their eyebrows at this setup. After all, not being a college employee would theoretically offer fewer protections. However, Northwestern Michigan’s new employment system doesn’t appear to be a case of corporate greed but rather a distinctive method of cost-saving, said Kevin McClure, a higher ed professor at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington.
Inside Higher Ed
Funding for College-Completion Program at Risk in Federal Budget
The Postsecondary Student Success Program, which Congress created in March 2022, is just getting underway. Advocates say more federal investment is needed.
By Katherine Knott
Fourteen thousand students dropped out of the Austin Community College District in Texas during the last two academic years. But the institution of more than 36,000 students has a plan to get some of them back. Supported by a $770,765 Education Department grant, that plan involves reaching out to students and connecting them with career services, financial aid and other campus resources, along with re-enrollment coaching and advising services. By the end of next year, officials at the college aim to have a better idea of why students stop out, how to keep them in school in the first place and how to use campus resources more effectively to support them. “Hopefully we get our students back—that’s the ultimate goal,” said Guillermo Martinez, associate vice chancellor of student engagement and academic success at Austin Community College. The college was one of five institutions that received the first round of federal money from the new Postsecondary Student Success Program, which funds evidence-based programs and strategies designed to improve outcomes for underserved students. Congress created the program two years ago and expanded it last year, but its funding for 2024 is uncertain as lawmakers work to pass a federal budget.
Cybersecurity Dive
Security has an underlying defect: passwords and authentication
Cyberattacks are fueled by the shortcomings of business authentication controls. Bad things happen when access falls apart and credentials land in the wrong hands.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
There is something fundamentally wrong with cybersecurity. Passwords and credentials remain the most common method used to control access today, as they have for the last six decades, but they are untrustworthy for defense and hatred runs deep. Access control has always been a derivative of some weird, old model, Netenrich CISO Chris Morales says, and he hates passwords — big time. …There is broad recognition for the more than three dozen cybersecurity leaders Cybersecurity Dive spoke with that access is a severely broken system. Yet, businesses can’t do much without passwords and identity in their most common forms today. This problem isn’t new — it’s older than the internet. Poor identity governance is a chronic condition.