WRDW
Panel formed to find candidates for next AU president
By Staff
A search committee has been formed to find candidates for the next president of Augusta University. Current President Brooks Keel recently announced plans to retire after the 2023-2024 academic year. Keel has led AU since July 2015, guiding it through a period of significant growth and transition as one of four public research universities in Georgia and as the state’s only public academic medical center. The committee will guide the first stage of the search. Buffkin Baker will provide executive search consulting services. Then the committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to the Board of Regents for consideration.
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WGAU Radio
UNG president to lead Veterans Day parade
By Tim Bryant
University of North Georgia President Michael Shannon will serve as grand marshal for the Lumpkin County Veterans Day Parade, which is set for 11 tomorrow morning in Dahlonega. It’s a parade organized by the Lumpkin County Veterans Affairs Committee. From UNG …“It is an honor to be a part of Dahlonega’s Veterans Day Parade, particularly as we are launching the Corps of the Future — a strategy to align with our aspirational peer West Point and deliver to America like never before,” Shannon said. “This strategy includes increasing the size of the Corps of Cadets and delivering leaders who make a greater impact. Through this approach, we will attract, recruit, educate, and graduate more cadets to the highest standards — morally and ethically principled leaders who will lead in America’s Army, in our communities and across society.” UNG’s Corps of Cadets Color Guard, Bravo Company and the Blue Ridge Rifles specialty unit will also take part in the parade.
WRBL
Army veteran retires and takes on a mission in the classroom
by: Rex Castillo
Sergeant First Class April Kelley spent over two decades in the US Army. Her military career started when she was just 19 years old, and the only girl of five boys lived all over the country. …At the 15 year mark, Sergeant Kelly started to think about her life after the uniform. Now, that also meant Sergeant Kelly had to think about life as just April Kelly, the civilian. …Part of learning that new identity meant getting a degree in human resources from Columbus State University. …April worked hand in hand with CSU’s Veterans Affairs Office and couldn’t wait to get back into the classroom. …And now April is just a few credits away from crossing the graduation stage. She shared some advice for veterans who are thinking about pursuing a college degree. …For those veterans looking to pursue higher education there’s a good military presence on the Columbus State campus. Around 1,200 active duty servicemembers, veterans and their family members make up the CSU student body.
YouTube
CSU and CTC partner to honor military spouses, talk about educational opportunities
Hannah James
As the nation prepares to pause and honor our local heroes this upcoming Veteran’s Day, Columbus State University (CSU) and Columbus Technical College (CTC) joined together Tuesday to honor military spouses.
Tifton CEO
Student Veterans Benefit from Support at ABAC
In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill officially establishing Veterans Day as a national holiday. Saturday, there will be ceremonies and services to recognize those who have served their country in the military around the country. At Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, the college offers various forms of support throughout the year. The most significant resource is the Melvin L. Merrill Veterans Center, according to Jessica Miller, who has served as the Veterans Affairs Certifying Official at ABAC for more than a decade. “Veteran students are consistently some of the most outstanding individuals on our campus,” said Miller, who also serves as ABAC’s bursar. “They exhibit a remarkable commitment to their education, resulting in a commendable graduation rate. I consider it a privilege to be able to offer assistance to those who have selflessly served our nation. Although it can be quite demanding, it is also incredibly fulfilling.”
Savannah Business Journal
Mark Thompson named dean of Augusta University’s Hull College of Business
SBJ Staff Report
Augusta University has announced Mark A. Thompson, PhD, as dean of the James M. Hull College of Business. Thompson will begin his new role on Nov. 10 after serving as interim dean since March. “I am honored to have been selected to lead Hull College of Business into a new future as the next dean,” said Thompson. “This is an exciting time for Hull College and Augusta University, and I look forward to working with campus leadership, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and our local business leaders to continue elevating the college’s impact and influence and to implement innovative ways of providing academic programs that truly stand out for attracting business students to AU.”
WTVM
2 Columbus students display art in New York City for AXA Annual Art Prize
By WTVM News Staff
Two local students displayed their art in New York City as a part of AXA Insurance’s 6th Annual AXA Art Prize. The event was held at the New York Academy of Art to shine a spotlight on emerging arts. UGA graduate Temple Douglass of Columbus and Columbus State University student Vihn Huyuh were among 40 finalists. Douglass won 2nd place among 700 emerging artists from across the country.
WALB
UGA Small Business Dev. Center in Valdosta helps businesses develop, expand
By Brittanye Blake
On Thursday, November 9, up-and-coming entrepreneurs in Valdosta were educated on ways to fund their small businesses. Mykaela Brown was one of the attendees, who says that she learned a lot as she is preparing to open a restaurant. “This event helped me learn where I can get funding from because that is one of my concerns,” Brown said. “And a lot of people I have spoke to told me that I should probably start small. Seeing how much money is out there and how difficult it may be to get it’s important for me to start small and gives me more confidence about where I want to be in the future.” …“Today’s session was really about educating the borrower so that they understand banking, lending, and credit scores,” Alyssa Foskey, Director of UGA Small Business Development Center at Valdosta State, said. “Traditional and non-traditional lending and this is a statewide class that we are partnering with the Department of Community Affairs, through that partnership we’re about to provide this education to citizens around the state.”
The Augusta Chronicle
New UGA research shows how many military families used food assistance
Abraham Kenmore
A new study on military families using food banks and pantries points to larger issues of economic insecurity, according to researchers at the University of Georgia and elsewhere who conducted the study. The study found that among U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army enlisted personnel who applied for childcare support in spring of 2021, 13.2% had used some kind of food distribution within the past year. “We went out looking into this data to see … how many military families are utilizing the available food distribution resources,” said Catherine O’Neal, an assistant professor at UGA in the Department of Human Development and Family Science and one of the authors of the study. “And then we’re interested to see if there were some trends that we can identify in which families were most likely to be utilizing those resources.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Feds expand disaster declaration in S. Georgia after Hurricane Idalia
The move unlocks additional grant and loan assistance for affected farmers
By Drew Kann
As the scope of damage that Hurricane Idalia caused in South Georgia comes into focus, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has now expanded its disaster declaration in the state to include 27 primary counties. The move comes just over two months after the storm made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region as a Category 3 hurricane, before pushing into South Georgia. The storm was still packing sustained winds of 90 mph as it moved through Georgia, uprooting thousands of pecan trees and leaving fields of cotton a twisted mess. …The full extent of damage to crops and farms in Georgia is still being calculated by the Farm Service Agency and the University of Georgia (UGA). But the losses are expected to be steep: The 27 counties in the primary disaster area are home to over 7,800 agricultural operations, whose products have a farm-gate value of over $3.5 billion, the Georgia Department of Agriculture says.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Jolt: Could Joe Manchin’s presidential play start today at UGA?
News and analysis from the AJC politics team
By Adam Van Brimmer, Greg Bluestein, Patricia Murphy and Tia Mitchell
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin shook the political world on Thursday when he announced he won’t seek another term, effectively ceding a Democratic-held seat in deep-red West Virginia to the GOP. Later today, he’ll be at the University of Georgia for a discussion on bipartisanship — and, presumably, his political fate.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Interactive: Polling shows which issues matter most to Georgia voters
By Isaac Sabetai and Emily Merwin DiRico
This poll of 1,002 likely voters in Georgia was conducted by the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. between October 26 and November 3. The margin of error is 3.3 percentage points.
Inside Higher Ed
At least 18 four-year HBCUs lack permanent leaders. Experts say presidential turnover harms relationships with donors and alumni and undermines continuity.
By Josh Moody
Last week the presidents of two historically Black institutions announced their departures: Robin Capehart at Bluefield State University and Rick Gallot at Grambling State University. Their exits mean that now at least 18 four-year HBCUs lack a permanent leader. …Experts warn that a lack of permanence at the top harms a college’s long-term relationships with donors, alumni and lawmakers. It also undercuts institutional momentum when leaders leave before they have had time to fulfill their vision or drive meaningful progress on campus. … Walter Kimbrough, former president of Philander Smith College and Dillard University, has been tracking the comings and goings of HBCU presidents since he took his first top job in 2004. Since then, Kimbrough has counted 200-plus presidential departures at the nation’s four-year HBCUs. On average, he told Inside Higher Ed, between 10 and 12 HBCU presidents leave each year. Based on his research, there are presently 18 four-year HBCUs without a permanent president: Alcorn State University, Bethune-Cookman University, Bluefield State, Central State University, Grambling State, Jackson State University, Langston University, LeMoyne-Owen College, Morris College, North Carolina A&T State University, Philander Smith College, Rust College, Savannah State University…
WRBL
CSU’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center unveils Guzzle Vortex gallery exhibit
by: Cristina Feliciano
Nov. 8 is National STEM day, a time to celebrate science, technology, engineering and mathematics education and encourage students to pursue careers in these fields. Columbus State University’s Coca-Cola Space Science Center is a large proponent of this initiative, as they have just added a new exhibit geared towards young learners. The center opened its doors to the public Wednesday evening for a ribbon cutting ceremony, highlighting the new “Guzzle Vortex” gallery exhibit. The interactive exhibit is designed to spark conversations with our youth surrounding STEM studies such as aerodynamics, interstellar travel and the possibility of life on other planets.
WTVM
CSU set to host ‘Holiday Tip-off, Campus Lighting’ celebration
By Josiah Berry
Columbus State University is preparing to host its Women’s Basketball tip-off and campus lighting celebration. The event is slated for Tuesday, November 14, beginning at 5:30 p.m. from the Frank G. Lumpkin JR Center. Admission is free for this event as the Lady Cougars take on Albany State for their season opener. After the game, the university will hold its official campus lighting ceremony. The tree-lighting ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. and fans are asked to bring nonperishable food donations to the event to benefit the Columbus State University Police Department’s Cougars for Causes Food Drive.
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Inside Higher Ed
Education Department Releases New Data on Transfer
The release of the data aims to motivate institutions to measure and improve their transfer outcomes.
By Sara Weissman
The U.S. Department of Education this week released new data highlighting the community colleges and universities that best serve transfer students and the most successful transfer partnerships between two-year and four-year institutions across the country. Department officials announced the new data Thursday at a summit on improving transfer policy at Northern Virginia Community College. About 200 higher ed leaders and government officials from 11 states were in attendance, according to a press release from the department.
Inside Higher Ed
Kansas Colleges Briefly Drop Application Fees
By Liam Knox
More than 50 colleges and universities in Kansas waived their application fees this week as part of a state initiative to improve accessibility and encourage residents to consider postsecondary education. All six public universities overseen by the Kansas Board of Regents, as well as 19 community colleges, the autonomous public Washburn University in Topeka and 21 private institutions, participated in the program, which ran for three days, from Tuesday to Thursday. Fees for graduate programs were not included. The initiative is part of a growing movement to waive application fees, revenue from which can be fairly meager and which has been found to discourage some students, especially underrepresented students, from applying—a growing concern in the wake of the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban.
Inside Higher Ed
Colorado Took the Lead in College Savings. Parents Are Following
By Jessica Blake
In 2020, Colorado started putting $100 into a 529 savings account for every newborn or adopted child in the state. The hope was to encourage families to start saving for college early on, and recent data show that it’s working. As of last week, more than 10,000 Colorado families have signed up for the First Step program, and CollegeInvest, the state-run nonprofit overseeing the project, has committed over $1 million to college savings accounts, The Colorado Sun reported. …The program is showing promise, even as mind-sets around higher education are shifting. The large wave of participants joining the initiative coincides with a steep decline in college enrollment, with the National Center for Education Statistics reporting undergraduate enrollment was 15 percent lower in fall 2021 than in fall 2010. Over 40 percent of that drop occurred during the pandemic. Angie Paccione, executive director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education, told the Sun she was “almost stunned” by the volume of parents creating college savings accounts for their kids.
Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
Study: Women in STEM Receive More Job Offers Than Men After Career Services Use
Arrman Kyaw
Women pursuing careers in technical fields can benefit from campus career services, according to a joint study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) and Cornell Tech initiative Break Through Tech. The study, “The Impact of Career Services on Women Pursuing Tech Careers”, examines the current landscape for women pursuing careers in technical fields and how to improve said landscape. “Currently, women are underrepresented not only in terms of those pursuing degrees in tech-related fields but in the tech workforce as well,” said Dr. Judith Spitz, founder and executive director of Break Through Tech.
Inside Higher Ed
2U, USC Curtail Online Partnership
Southern California and the online program manager will part ways on master’s degrees that became a target of scrutiny because of their high price.
By Doug Lederman
Online program management companies existed well before 2U (originally known as 2tor) came on the scene in 2008. But the company’s announcement that year that it was partnering with the University of Southern California on its successful (and expensive) master’s in teaching—a partnership that eventually extended to numerous other graduate and professional programs at USC—could reasonably be viewed as the start of the modern era of online program management (OPM). That era has in recent years been clouded by controversy and growing scrutiny of the OPM companies that help colleges extend the virtual reach of their academic programs, driving significant change in what those companies do and how they do it. Which makes it fitting, perhaps, that Thursday 2U and USC announced that that they would largely wind down their 15-year partnership, which in the eyes of consumer advocates and some journalists had come to exemplify how involving companies intimately in the delivery of education could undermine, rather than expand, access and affordability to higher education.
Higher Ed Dive
New College of Florida wants at least $400M in state funding for institutional overhaul
The small liberal arts institution will need to overcome long-term underfunding challenges to reach 1,200 students by 2028, President Richard Corcoran said.
Laura Spitalniak, Staff Reporter
New College of Florida is seeking a $400 million state investment over the next five years to help it boost enrollment and compete with other liberal arts colleges, a highly unusual amount for a public institution with roughly 700 students. New College’s president, former Florida House speaker Richard Corcoran, presented a plan to reach 1,200 students by 2028 to the State University System of Florida’s board of governors Wednesday. The college had 669 students in 2022. The 74-page document stressed the college needed $400 million at minimum to meet its goals.
Inside Higher Ed
Twitter, Rebranding and Brand Equity: Academic Minute
By Doug Lederman
Today on the Academic Minute: Matthew Pittman, assistant professor in the Tombras School of Advertising and Public Relations at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, explains why Twitter’s rebranding to X hasn’t gone well.