The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
120,000 Georgia high school seniors to get direct college admissions letter
By Vanessa McCray
Every Georgia high school senior should soon receive a letter telling them which of the state’s public colleges they have the grades to get into. The new direct admissions initiative, dubbed Georgia Match, is a push to get seniors — many of whom haven’t considered applying to college — to continue their education in the state after graduation. …The goal is to draw in thousands of high school graduates who wouldn’t otherwise consider college. …That’s the group that University System Chancellor Sonny Perdue said Georgia’s public colleges should try to recruit. “They’re just there, and we want to communicate to them that they’re capable and can do college,” he said Wednesday during a Georgia Board of Regents meeting where he hinted at the announcement, calling it “exciting news.”
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AP News, Capitol Beat, 11Alive, WABE, Georgia Recorder, Athens Banner-Herald, GPB, Now Habersham, WGXA News
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
University System of Georgia enrollment up this year, Perdue says
By Vanessa McCray
After a two-year enrollment decline, the University System of Georgia’s student numbers are rebounding. Chancellor Sonny Perdue said Wednesday that overall enrollment is up nearly 3% this fall, or 9,551 students, compared to a year ago. The numbers won’t be official for several weeks, but Perdue told the Georgia Board of Regents it appears the system “turned the corner” from the COVID-19 pandemic slide. Preliminary numbers indicate the system is in “a post-COVID era,” Perdue said, and that “students understand they can get a real-value education.” The University System enrolled 334,459 students last fall, a 1.8% drop from fall 2021. Enrollment also fell slightly, by 0.2%, the year before. The fall 2021 numbers marked the first systemwide enrollment decline since 2013.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UPDATE: Dalton State College president has new president
By Vanessa McCray
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect the final vote to hire the president.
John Fuchko III has been named the next leader of Dalton State College. The Georgia Board of Regents on Wednesday voted to appoint Fuchko as president after announcing last week that he was their sole finalist for the job. Fuchko has been working as the interim president at Dalton State since June, after the school’s longtime president, Margaret Venable, retired. The University System received more than 85 applications for the job, Chancellor Sonny Perdue said during Wednesday’s board meeting.
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Georgia Trend
Georgia College & State University gains popularity and prestige and continues to ascend.
By K.K. Snyder
The University System of Georgia boasts large schools known for research, engineering and business. Then there are those smaller gems, the liberal arts schools that focus on producing successful, well-rounded students. The state’s only public liberal arts school, Georgia College & State University (GCSU) in Milledgeville ranks high among similarly sized schools across the country, using a holistic approach to education, innovation, athletics and community involvement to help students succeed.
A Humble Beginning
In 1996, Steven Porch, then-chancellor of the University System of Georgia, made note that the one arrow missing from the system’s quiver was a top-quality liberal arts college. Georgia College was heading down that path, and that year it became official. “And so, we were designated as the state’s public liberal arts university, and that dramatically changed the trajectory of Georgia College,” says President Cathy Cox, who took the lead in 2021. Cox is a natural for the job, having previously served as president of Young Harris College and as the first woman elected as Georgia’s secretary of state.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Gwinnett faculty senate tackles no-confidence vote; talks persist
By Vanessa McCray
Faculty members at Georgia Gwinnett College will try to resolve issues with school leaders before a pending no-confidence vote, according to the co-president of a statewide employee group. The faculty senate met Tuesday to discuss pursuing a no-confidence resolution, a rare step faculty members can take to signal displeasure with the direction charted by a school’s administration. The meeting came just days after college leaders sent a campuswide employee message responding to faculty concerns about shared governance, communication and transparency in budget decisions. At Tuesday’s meeting, the faculty senate passed a resolution with an amendment to allow a mid-November confidence-or-no-confidence vote by the full faculty, said Jill Penn, co-president of the United Campus Workers of Georgia. The statewide organization includes employees at all 26 of the state’s public colleges and universities, including at Georgia Gwinnett. “Over the next six weeks, the faculty will try to come to an agreement with the GGC administration on a number of key issues,” Penn said. In a Wednesday message to college employees, President Jann Joseph said she has “been made aware” that the senate “moved a resolution forward.” …The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Wednesday obtained an earlier draft version of a proposed no-confidence resolution through an open records request with the college. It states that Joseph, Provost George Low and Chief of Staff Kat Kyle are targets of the proposed action.
WGAU Radio
University of Ga School of Law tops national ranking
By Tim Bryant
A national ranking puts the University of Georgia School of Law at the top of the list for best value in legal education. The National Jurist ratings give the designation to the UGA Law School for the fourth time in the past six years.
From UGA Media Relations…
The University of Georgia School of Law was recently named the nation’s best value in legal education. Notably, this is the fourth time in the last six years that the school has occupied the top spot in the National Jurist ranking, including a historic three-peat at the No. 1 position from 2018 to 2020.
The Augusta Chronicle
Augusta University gets $2.4 million endowment for computer science scholarships
Abraham Kenmore
Augusta University is receiving $2.4 million for student scholarships in the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences. The endowed gift was made by the late alum Victor Rattner, who died in 2020, and will be named for Rattner and his mother Lilian. “This endowed scholarship fund will not only honor Victor’s memory but also extend his legacy by providing opportunities for deserving students to pursue their dreams in the field of computer science,” Alex Schwarzmann, dean of the School of Computer and Cyber Sciences, was quoted as saying in the press release. After undergraduate studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Rattner was involved in a diving accident that left him quadriplegic. In 1986, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Augusta College and an MBA in 1994.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Film industry makes case to continue $1 billion Georgia tax break
By James Salzer
Georgia’s growing film industry made its case Wednesday to state lawmakers — who are studying the effectiveness of business tax breaks — to continue funding what has been called the most lucrative movie and television incentive in the country. …Earlier this year, then-state fiscal economist Jeffrey Dorfman told the joint House-Senate panel that continuing huge tax breaks for “mature industries,” such as Georgia’s film industry, makes less sense and that the state “should be ,looking to shrink or end those credits.” Ahead of the hearings beginning this spring, film industry advocates put out a glossy, lengthy report compiled by the Georgia State University Creative Media Industries Institute touting the benefits of the film tax credit. Backers say the tax break has led to a mushrooming of the movie and TV production industry in the state that brought $4.4 billion in direct spending here last year.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Opinion: The ‘Isakson way’ still points us toward political civility
UGA conference next month will examine how the late senator worked across the aisle to better Georgia and the U.S.
By Matthew Auer Matthew Auer is dean of the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs.
A fractious Congress has passed stopgap funding for the federal government. The deal is in place through November 17. But Americans everywhere should be prepared for renewed rancor well before that date. Particularly in the U.S. House, polarization and confrontation are ascendant. Even House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wondered aloud last week whether some of his colleagues wanted to “burn the whole place down.” During this brief pause before the next shutdown showdown, it’s timely to consider a very different – some might say lost – approach to governing and problem-solving. It’s the politics of civility practiced by the late U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson. …Isakson’s political style is the main object of attention at the first-ever Isakson Symposium on Political Civility taking place at the University of Georgia on November 10. It is an occasion for people everywhere to reflect on Isakson’s radically commonsense approach to problem-solving and public leadership.
WGAU Radio
UNG mentor program expands to Dahlonega
By Agnes Hina, UNG
Incoming first-generation college students who are freshmen at the University of North Georgia’s Dahlonega Campus can now participate in the Gen 1 mentoring program. The program has expanded from UNG’s Gainesville Campus with a goal of 30 matched pairs for the inaugural Dahlonega cohort. The first-generation student initiatives and the mentoring program are designed around UNG’s mission, vision and values. It creates an environment where first-generation students can ask questions and receive information, connect with other students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members who are also first-generation. This increases their sense of belonging, as they learn to advocate for themselves and celebrate academic and personal successes.
WGAU Radio
UGA’s PLC is accepting grant applications
By Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia’s Parents Leadership Council is accepting applications for next year’s grants. The PLC grants are awarded annually to fund scholarships, address critical undergraduate student needs and assist registered student organizations with projects and programs at UGA.
From Lindsay Tuck Morris, UGA Today…
The University of Georgia Parents Leadership Council invites campus organizations with a commitment to enhancing the undergraduate student experience to apply for grant funding for the 2024-2025 academic year. PLC grants are awarded annually to fund scholarships, address critical undergraduate student needs and assist registered student organizations with projects and programs that enhance the quality of life for undergraduates.
WGAU Radio
UNG makes plans for National Leadership Challenge
By Denise Ray, UNG
Members of the University of North Georgia’s Corps of Cadets will host an estimated 150 high school students during the National Leadership Challenge weekend held Nov. 3-5. Held each semester, NLC is an opportunity for civilians to learn about the Corps of Cadets and experience team-building and problem-solving activities, including rappelling, ropes courses, and obstacle courses. Activities are held at UNG’s Pine Valley Recreation Facility and Camp Frank D. Merrill, home to the 5th Ranger Training Battalion and the mountain phase of the U.S. Army Ranger School. Cadets provide logistical support and mentor students during the weekend’s activities. Each semester a battalion of cadets is tasked with leading the events, and Boar’s Head Brigade 1st Battalion will lead the fall 2023 event, spearheaded by John Febres and Matthew Marchione.
Athens CEO
Piedmont Athens Regional Hosts Clinical Nutrition Study Abroad Students from Bolivia
Piedmont Athens Regional recently welcomed nine clinical nutrition students from Bolivia’s Universidad Evangelica Boliviana exchange and study abroad program to learn about clinical nutrition best practices in the United States. The two-week program with the University of Georgia Departments of Nutritional Sciences provided students with hands-on experience with didactic and educational portions of the program completed during their first week, followed by a week at Piedmont Athens Regional observing clinical staff and patient care. …Piedmont Athens Regional is proud to support the advancement of medicine around the world, creating real change in healthcare both at home and abroad, and is proud to serve as an educational site for hundreds of medical students from the Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership.
Savannah CEO
Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum Announces 2024 Dates, Initial Speakers & New Tour Component
The Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum announced details about the 2024 Forum, to be held February 26-27, 2024, at Kehoe Iron Works at Trustees Garden. “The Forum is designed to bring established and emerging leaders together in an innovative environment promoting leadership development, networking and collaborative teamwork for the betterment of our growing Coastal Georgia region,” said Charles Hill Morris, co-founder of the Southeast Georgia Leadership Forum. “And, we are excited that in our third year, we are able to feature an opportunity for attendees to tour various regional sites based on their interest subject.” …2024 Speakers will include: …Malcom Mitchell, a top ten all-time receiver at the University of Georgia (UGA), and member of the 2017 New England Patriots Super Bowl Champion team, is a published children’s author sharing his love of reading by creating a youth literacy initiative called Read with Malcolm and the Share the Magic Foundation, an organization that has donated over 65,000 books to date. …Major sponsors of the Forum include Gulfstream Aerospace, Georgia Southern University, Georgia Power, and Morris Multimedia.
Americus Times-Recorder
GSW hosts Science Day for area high schools
By Ken Gustafson
Georgia Southwestern State University hosted its annual Science Day on Friday, September 29, on campus with over 100 high school students from Marion County Middle/High School, Furlow Charter School, Sumter County High School, and homeschools. The students explored a variety of science disciplines such as chemistry, biology, physics, math, computer science (and even music) through hands-on experiments. GSW faculty and students led the demonstrations, which included holding snakes, igniting gas-filled bubbles in their hands, exploring the sounds waves of music, and liquid nitrogen explosions! The event is meant to expose high school students to the various areas in the sciences in a fun, engaging way to peak their interest for future decisions when choosing their major.
13WMAZ
In 2020, around 19 men in 100,000 died of prostate cancer. That number doubles for black men.
Author: Jessica Cha
Lots of talk in a barbershop. “We talk about anything from politics to personal problems,” said Freeman’s Barber Shop owner, Don Reese. A new topic among the buzz of razors is… “‘You had prostate cancer, man?’,” said Reese. “It shocked a lot of people.” Reese says he’s gone his whole life not knowing what prostate cancer was. …However, in 2016 after a routine prostate check-up and a biopsy… “He [the doctor] said, ‘You know, you have cancer.’,” Reese said. “I didn’t know who to talk to.” So, during treatment for Stage II prostate cancer, Reese just didn’t talk about it. “I would go to the doctor, lay on the table, do my radiation, and I’d get something to eat. Then I’d come right back to the barbershop. Didn’t no one know anything about it.” Ernie Kaninjing says that’s the problem. He’s a Public Health Associate Professor at Georgia College and State University. He says prostate cancer is the most diagnosed cancer in men in the U.S. In 2020, around 19 men in 100,000 died of this cancer, but that number is doubled for black men. “So my research really focuses on understanding the reasons driving these disparities,” Kaninjing explained.
WRDW
Video
Georgia Cancer Center, AU kick off ‘Here to Win’ to help cancer patients
AU Athletes Help Fight Cancer
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Biden announces $9 billion in student loan debt relief
By Eric Stirgus
President Joe Biden announced Wednesday an additional 125,000 Americans have been approved for $9 billion in student loan debt relief through changes made to some programs and by granting automatic relief for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities. Federal education officials said they made changes through rulemaking committees last week to the government’s Income-Driven Repayment and Public Service Loan Forgiveness plans that will reduce debt for some borrowers. The changes to the repayment plans will result in about $2.8 billion in relief for about 51,000 borrowers nationwide who have been in repayment for 20 or more years, federal officials said. About 53,000 borrowers in loan forgiveness programs will receive an estimated $5.2 billion in relief. An estimated 22,000 borrowers who have a total or permanent disability and have been identified and approved for discharge through a data match with the Social Security Administration will receive debt relief estimated by federal officials at about $1.2 billion.
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Inside Higher Ed
Presidential Pick Out at Broward College
The Florida college tapped a former state Education Department chancellor as acting president. The board says he has since backed out amid a breakdown in contract negotiations.
By Josh Moody
On Tuesday morning the Broward College Board of Trustees appointed Henry Mack III, a former chancellor of the Florida Department of Education and ally of Governor Ron DeSantis, as acting president, filling the void left when Gregory Haile resigned abruptly last month. But by Tuesday afternoon, Mack was out following a breakdown in contract negotiations. Now the board has appointed Barbara Bryan, a former administrator who spent more than 25 years at the college before moving into the consulting world, to serve as acting president.
Inside Higher Ed
New Class of MacArthur ‘Geniuses’ Linked to Academe
By Susan H. Greenberg
A majority of the 2023 MacArthur Foundation fellows, whose “genius” will be rewarded with $800,000 over five years to spend however they wish, are affiliated with institutions of higher education.
Inside Higher Ed
Campus Starbucks Leave Bitter Taste for Students
Once known for its progressive politics, Starbucks’s labor practices have soured its reputation in the eyes of many college students. Now some want the chain booted from campus.
By Johanna Alonso
Generation Z isn’t happy with Starbucks’ labor practices, and some college students are showing their displeasure by doing more than just skipping their morning cold brew—they’re actively trying to get Starbucks-branded cafes removed from their campuses. Student activists at more than 50 universities across the country are pushing administrators to end contracts with the Seattle-based coffee chain in protest of the company’s response to employee unionization. Starbucks workers began organizing in late 2021 in the hopes of receiving higher wages, better benefits and more security for those benefits. Since then, the National Labor Relations Board has accused Starbucks of hundreds of labor-rights violations, including firing pro-union employees and shutting down unionized locations. Starbucks, once known for its progressive politics and above-average benefits, has denied store closures or firings had anything to do with unionization efforts.
Inside Higher Ed
Computing Pioneers Profoundly Disagree on AI Risk
Mingling with young researchers last month in Germany, luminaries in computer science debated AI’s potential impact on the future of humanity.
By Susan D’Agostino
There are few higher educational institutions in this world that are older—and, some argue, more esteemed—than Germany’s Heidelberg University. But there aren’t any others that host an annual gathering of the most celebrated mathematicians and computer scientists of their generations. Many of those who descend on the banks of the Neckar River each September are recipients of the Turing Award—sometimes known as the Nobel of computing. These luminaries designed the internet’s architecture, developed cryptographic methods for secure online transactions, invented large-scale artificial intelligence systems and provided conceptual and engineering breakthroughs that made deep neural networks a critical computing component, among other accomplishments.
Inside Higher Ed
Views
4 Ways Universities Gaslight DEI Initiatives
The slowdown, the pushback, the shutdown and the blowback are all common gaslighting tactics, Megan MacKenzie, Özlem Sensoy, Genevieve Fuji Johnson, Nathalie Sinclair and Laurel Weldon write.
By Megan MacKenzie , Özlem Sensoy , Genevieve Fuji Johnson , Nathalie Sinclair and Laurel Weldon
You’d be hard-pressed to find a higher education institution that does not profess a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and Indigenization, expressed in mission statements, strategic plans and other high-level documents. While the acronyms and terms used at each institution may vary, commitments to the principles of diversity seem to have been universally embraced at universities across the globe (in Canada, the term “equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization,” EDI&I, is more common, while “DEI” seems to dominate in the U.S. and other contexts). Despite the visibility of DEI rhetoric, research shows that institutions have not only failed to live up to their professed DEI and Indigenization commitments but have also persistently resisted efforts to prioritize structural changes that would advance these initiatives. In short, universities have both embraced DEI rhetoric and paradoxically deployed multiple strategies of resistance to implementing practices that could dismantle systemic inequalities.
Cybersecurity Dive
Threats in cloud top list of executive cyber concerns, PwC finds
Lack of tech talent is a contributing factor, as more than 2 in 5 executives grapple with in-house skills gaps.
Matt Ashare, Reporter
Dive Brief:
Cloud-related threats are the top cyber concern for organizations that have adopted the technology, according to a PwC report published Tuesday. The accounting and consulting firm surveyed 3,876 senior business and technology executives. Security concerns intensify for organizations with multiple clouds or hybrid infrastructures, the report found. More than half of respondents in this category cited cloud as their most pressing cyber concern and more than one-third said their organization prioritized cloud for security investments over the next year. Despite the focus on cloud security, nearly every organization had risk management lapses. Nearly one-third of respondents had yet to address disaster recovery and backup with their cloud service provider and more than 2 in 5 pointed to in-house cloud skills gaps as a lingering risk factor.
Cybersecurity Dive
AWS kicks off cloud race to mandate MFA by default
The cloud giant will start requiring users with the highest level of privileges to use MFA starting in mid-2024. Google, in response, said it will mandate MFA for certain accounts this year.
Matt Kapko, Reporter
AWS said most-privileged users, and eventually more account types, will be required to use multifactor authentication beginning in mid-2024. The move makes the cloud giant the first of the three major hyperscalers to commit to MFA baseline controls by default. “AWS is further strengthening the default security posture of our customers’ environments by requiring the use of MFA, beginning with the most privileged users in their accounts,” Amazon CSO Steve Schmidt said Tuesday in a blog post. “Beginning in mid-2024, customers signing in to the AWS Management Console with the root user of an AWS Organizations management account will be required to enable MFA to proceed,” Schmidt said. Root users have complete access to all AWS services and resources in the account.