WRBL
by: Chuck Williams
Friday morning, Dr. Stuart Rayfield officially took the mantle as president of Columbus State University at an investiture ceremony on campus. Dr. Rayfield, who has been on the job since June, becomes CSU’s sixth president. Rayfield talked about the future and what the university needs to do to meet the challenges. But she made it clear the only way to walk into that future is to embrace the past. “We have punched above our weight time and time again,” she said in her speech. “And in order for us to punch above our weight, we must stand on the shoulders of those who have come before us.” …University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue says Rayfield’s knowledge and love of Columbus State and the community will serve her well. “I am convinced that Stuart Rayfield will do a magnificent job of understanding the needs of the community,” the chancellor said. “Obviously, she feels like she’s coming home, which she is. And that’s always good when someone can come home and lead an institution where they have a fond affection for the community.”
41 NBC
Delta Air Lines Foundation gifts $3 million to MGA’s School of Aviation
Middle Georgia State University (MGA) has received a $3 million grant from The Delta Air Lines Foundation, marking the largest single donation in the institution’s history and a significant boost for the state’s burgeoning aviation industry.
Tucker Sargent
Middle Georgia State University (MGA) has received a $3 million grant from The Delta Air Lines Foundation, marking the largest single donation in the institution’s history and a significant boost for the state’s burgeoning aviation industry. A check was presented last week at the school’s Dinner in the Hanger event in Eastman. “This grant opens doors to creating more opportunities for prospective students in our state to pursue rewarding careers in aviation,” MGA President Christopher Blake said. “We are deeply appreciative of The Delta Air Lines Foundation for recognizing the central role our School of Aviation plays in supporting Georgia’s aviation industry.”
Dalton Daily Citizen
Partnerships between Dalton State College and our local school systems help meet community need
By Sharon Hixon and John Fuchko III
A robust educator workforce helps ensure our pre-K-12 students are academically successful and prepared to enter college or the professional workforce when they graduate high school. There’s a high demand for pre-K-12 educators in schools across Georgia, and Dalton State College’s School of Education (SoE) has launched several key initiatives with Dalton Public Schools and Whitfield County Schools to meet this need. …the SoE has launched additional efforts to increase the educator talent pool. This includes flexible course schedules for students who may already be working full time, as well as providing additional hands-on learning opportunities for teacher candidates and understanding which subject areas experience ongoing teacher shortages. …GENERATE also helps support our Roadrunner Reading Clinic each semester, allowing us to partner with Whitfield County Schools to identify elementary-aged children who could benefit from additional reading instruction. …Another initiative funded through this grant is our Summer Literacy Camp, which allows our teacher candidates to assess more than 100 elementary students from five Whitfield County schools. …Finally, we know all too well that science and mathematics teachers are in short supply across many Georgia communities. As a result, the SoE in partnership with both Dalton and Whitfield County schools received a $1.1 million grant in 2021 through the National Science Foundation’s Robert Noyce Scholarship program. Dalton State students can apply to become Noyce Scholars, who receive training to become more effective secondary mathematics and science teachers.
SaportaReport
Empowering Georgia’s Film Industry: Bridging the Training Gap
by Scott Votaw (Scott Votaw is the executive director of the Georgia Film Academy)
As Atlanta’s film industry flourishes, there’s a pressing need to create accessible paths for people to discover careers in film, television and e-gaming across Georgia. The Georgia Film Academy (GFA), globally recognized as a leader in workforce training, is leading this charge through partnerships with more than 30 institutions, public workshops, and close collaborations with local businesses and production companies. GFA aims to support the growing demand for film careers. As a unit of the University System of Georgia, GFA is governed by the Board of Regents and partners with the Technical College System of Georgia to reach 22 technical colleges around the state and provide students with opportunities to participate in our training. GFA also works closely with Georgia’s Department of Education to create a state-wide curriculum that feeds programs through audio-video training, dramatic writing and more.
WRBL
Georgia Lottery Corp. President, CEO Gretchen Corbin sits down for the Sunday Conversation
by: Chuck Williams
The Sunday Conversation went on the road this week to downtown Atlanta to talk with Gretchen Corbin, president and CEO of the Georgia Lottery Corp. The organization has been in operation for more than three decades and funds the Georgia HOPE Scholarship, which benefits academically qualified in-state students with assistance in paying for a college and technical college education. Corbin has been in her role since January 2018. The lottery currently provides the HOPE Scholarship Program and Georgia’s Pre-K Program about $1.2 billion a year. Since its inception, the program has benefited students from across the state and here in Muscogee County. … — Approximately 30,000 students have attended Columbus State University on a lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship with over $184 million in lottery-funded HOPE dollars.
accessWDUN
New trustees added to UNG Foundation Board
By Giselle Mesquital, Intern
The University of North Georgia has welcomed four new trustees to its foundation board. The UNG Foundation Inc. is responsible for receiving and managing all charitable gifts and grants for the benefit of UNG. Directed by a volunteer Board of Trustees, the foundation has welcomed four new members. …Beth Baldwin …Philipp Biechteler …Retired Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty …Dr. Katie (Williamson) Metrock.
U.S. News & World Report
Depression Rates Rising Among College Students, and Race Matters
By Steven Reinberg, HealthDay Reporter
Many college kids are depressed and anxious, especially when they are a minority on campus or the first in their family to go to a university, a new study finds. These feelings may be particularly pronounced among minorities attending mostly white colleges, the researchers reported. In that setting, more than half of Black and Hispanic students reported feelings of mild depression and 17% more said they were moderately to severely depressed. “College life has its own sets of challenges — during COVID there were high rates of depression and anxiety suggesting that social support is an important part of college life,” said lead researcher Janani Thapa. She is an associate professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Public Health in Athens.
Energy Portal
Researchers at UGA Exploring Promising Pathways to Reduce Carbon Emissions
By Daniel Hall
In the fight against climate change, it is evident that there is no single solution that can effectively reduce carbon emissions. Rather, a multi-pronged approach is necessary to scale back fossil fuel usage and find more sustainable alternatives. With this in mind, several researchers at the University of Georgia (UGA) are focusing their efforts on bioenergy and bioproducts as potential pathways towards a greener future. Bioenergy refers to the use of renewable resources, such as plants and organic waste, to generate heat, electricity, or transportation fuels. This form of energy production has the potential to significantly reduce carbon emissions as it relies on sources that can be replenished over time. UGA researchers are exploring ways to optimize bioenergy production and improve its efficiency, making it a viable alternative to traditional fossil fuels.
WGAU Radio
UGA sets lineup for November Spotlight on the Arts
By Hannah Gallant, UGA Media Relations
The University of Georgia will feature the visual, performing and literary arts on campus with more than 60 events and exhibitions during its annual Spotlight on the Arts festival in November. Highlights of the monthlong festival include a performance by seven-time Grammy Award-winner and twice Oscar-nominated film composer Terence Blanchard, a lecture by two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author Colson Whitehead, and a University Theatre production of “Mother Courage and Her Children.” Also featured are a student choreography performance by the department of dance and a night of fine opera by the Hugh Hodgson School of Music. Throughout the month, the Georgia Museum of Art will be celebrating its 75th anniversary with several special events including Family Day and Student Night. The Lamar Dodd School of Art will host its third annual Dodd Market on Nov. 17 showcasing the talent of more than 90 student artists and providing them with valuable selling experience.
Henry Herald
University of West Georgia to present Winter West Wonderland
By Miranda Pepe, University of West Georgia
West Georgians are encouraged to prepare for a winter wonderland at the University of West Georgia this holiday season with the return of Winter West Wonderland, which will run from Nov. 28 through Dec. 1, from 4-8 p.m. each night. The entire community is invited to experience the magic of the winter season with a variety of exciting activities, including a dazzling light display of student-crafted sculptures, a holiday village with vendor markets and activities for kids, and the opportunity to meet and take photos with Santa Claus and Winter Wolfie, with select experiences available at an additional cost.
WSAV
Georgia Southern’s Freedom turning 20, gets sweet NIL deal with Southern Exchange merch
by: Eden Hodges
Georgia Southern’s mascot, Freedom, is getting his own NIL deal for his birthday after 17 years of flying over Paulson stadium. “No one silences an eagle,” said Steve Hein, executive director of GSU’s wildlife center. This is especially true because we’re so close to his 20th birthday in January. Kicking off the celebrations early this homecoming weekend will be Southern Exchange, the store selling all things GSU released a new line featuring the eagle.
Athens Banner-Herald
Celebrity bowling with famous Dawgs raises $750,000 for Parkinson’s, Crohn’s research
Abraham Kenmore
The University of Georgia former head football coach Mark Richt led a fundraiser last week that raised more than $750,000 for Parkinson’s and Crohn’s disease research at the university. The Chick-fil-A Dawg Bowl was a celebrity bowling tournament that included Richt, current head coach Kirby Smart and other famous Georgia football figures at the Showtime Bowling Alley in Athens. …The funds raised will support the Isakson Center for Neurological Disease Research at UGA.
WGXA
Casting a new line: Go Fish Education Center in Perry temporarily closes for exciting upgrades
by Jeff Cox
The Go Fish Education Center in Perry, operated by the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division, has temporarily closed to the public as of Friday, October 20th. The closure will allow time for the development of new, interactive exhibits for visitors to enjoy when the center reopens later this year. The Go Fish Education Center supports the mission of the statewide Go Fish Georgia Initiative, which aims to promote and enhance fishing tourism and recreation access across the state. …Governor Sonny Perdue launched the Initiative in 2006, hoping to make Georgia a premier national fishing destination.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges Confounded by Flood of Borrower-Defense Claims
The Education Department is working to clear a backlog in applications for debt relief through its borrower-defense program. Colleges aren’t sure how to respond to notifications of the claims.
By Katherine Knott
Colleges and universities beyond the for-profit sector are seeing a rise in the number of borrowers alleging that they were misled or defrauded by their institution, as the Education Department works to clear a backlog in claims. Under federal borrower defense to repayment rules, those who believe they were defrauded or misled by a college can file a claim seeking relief and potentially have their loans discharged. The department doesn’t publicly release information about the claims—and colleges aren’t eager to talk about them, either. The program was rarely used until 2015 and has mostly discharged the loans of students who attended for-profit colleges. Now, community colleges, public research universities, religious colleges and other types of institutions are hearing from the Education Department that their students have filed borrower-defense applications.
Inside Higher Ed
Inequity in High Standardized Test Scores
By Doug Lederman
Students whose families were in the top socioeconomic quintile of Americans were seven times likelier than those from the bottom quintile to score 1300 on the SAT exam, a New York Times analysis of Opportunity Insights data shows. The analysis, of students who took standardized college entrance exams in the first half of the 2010s, shows that 17 percent of students from the top quintile hit the 1300 mark, compared to just 2.4 percent from the bottom quintile. Nearly a third (31 percent) of students in the top 1 percent of family incomes scored 1300 or more.
Higher Ed Dive
Nondegree upskilling still hampered by lack of awareness
Of those not pursuing alternative paths, most said they would have considered them if they knew about them in the first place.
Kathryn Moody, Senior Editor
The majority of young people in nondegree pathways to upskilling say they are workforce ready, according to a survey conducted by American Student Assistance and Jobs for the Future — but many are still uncertain about and unaware of such programs, the survey results indicated. Of those surveyed who stated their confidence in their nontraditional path, one-third pursued a certification, another third obtained a certificate and one-fifth had pursued a competency-based license. ASA and JFF surveyed more than 1,100 high school graduates who opted not to attend college directly after high school to ascertain what they chose to do instead. Nondegree pathways included apprenticeships, boot camps, certificate programs, industry certifications and occupation licenses.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: Schools must help students better understand college costs
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Ashleigh Ewald is a fall intern at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution who is working in the newsroom as a digital producer. She’s an undergraduate student at Oglethorpe University in Brookhaven and its first East Asian student body president. In this guest column, Ewald writes about how high school counselors and colleges can better advise students on choosing a college that will offer them a great education and graduate with minimal debt.
Higher Ed Dive
California passed a flurry of higher education laws. Here’s what they’ll do.
Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed several bills with big goals, from easing transfer pathways to building more affordable student housing.
Laura Spitalniak, Staff Reporter
California Gov. Gavin Newsom gave his legislative pen a workout this month, signing several higher education bills into law prior to this session’s Oct. 14 deadline. Legislative changes in California can have ripple effects on the higher education world, as the state has three massive public college systems serving over 2.5 million students. This session, state lawmakers repeatedly worked to streamline higher education, from a controversial transfer pathway for community college students to a simplified financial aid process for unauthorized immigrants. Below, we rounded up some of the most important higher education legislation to come out of California’s session.
Inside Higher Ed
Board Fight at Michigan State Draws Governor’s Attention
By Susan H. Greenberg
Governor Gretchen Whitmer of Michigan weighed in Monday on a dispute roiling Michigan State University’s Board of Trustees, in which some members are calling for the resignation of board chair Rema Vassar for creating a “fractured and contentious” climate by allegedly meddling in a number of recent campus controversies, The Detroit Free Press reported. A letter from trustee Brianna Scott to her colleagues, first reported by the student-run State News, accuses Vassar of “a pattern of violating our codes of conduct, ethics, and conflict of interest, including engaging in repeated undue influence, and bullying of Board members and administrators.”
Higher Ed Dive
Lesley University to lay off faculty as it phases out 4 degrees
Enrollment has tanked at the private Massachusetts institution, where the president has faced two no-confidence votes.
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Lesley University is laying off faculty as the private Massachusetts institution phases out four academic programs. The university said this month it is axing degrees in political science, sociology, global studies and graduate-level photography as it confronts financial troubles — reportedly a $10 million budget deficit, as of early 2023. Officials said the university needed to reduce faculty numbers as part of the consolidation. Although the institution has not publicly disclosed the scope of the layoffs, a petition against the cuts from a former Lesley professor indicated at least 30 faculty members were being sacked.
Inside Higher Ed
Middle East Fallout on Campuses: Vermont Speech, Dueling Open Letters
By Doug Lederman
Fallout from the war between Israel and Hamas continues to reverberate across college and university campuses. Here are the latest developments. The University of Vermont canceled a long-planned speech this week involving a Palestinian poet and journalist, citing safety concerns, VTDigger reported. The university’s division of safety and compliance alerted the event’s organizers Saturday that it could not proceed with the speech scheduled for Thursday by Mohammed El-Kurd because “based on global, national, and local events … we cannot adequately provide safety and security for this event as it is currently planned.”
Cybersecurity Dive
Microsoft extends security log retention following State Department hacks
Government and private sector customers will be able to search cloud data records for malicious threat activity by default.
David Jones, Reporter
Microsoft is extending default retention of audit logs in Purview, part of a wider effort to boost visibility into malicious activity on its platforms after state-linked hackers stole thousands of emails from the U.S. State Department earlier this year. Starting this month, default retention of security logs in Microsoft Purview Audit will double from 90 to 180 days for standard customers. Default retention for premium license holders will extend to one year, though they have the option to extend to 10 years. The rollout will begin with worldwide enterprise customers and later extend to government customers. …The logs retain thousands of user and admin activities for Microsoft 365 applications, the company said. Authorized administrators will be able to search the Microsoft Purview Audit compliance portal to determine the scope of any potential attacks.