The City Menus
UWG Program Honored with Prestigious Regents’ Award
By Julie Lineback
In a testament to the University of West Georgia’s contributions to student success, UWG’s Academic Transition Programs (ATP) were recently awarded the Regents’ Momentum Award for Excellence in Teaching and Curricular Innovation, a distinction presented by the University System of Georgia. “This is a tremendous honor, as this award is given to programs that connect purpose, high-impact practices, career exploration and integrative learning,” said Dr. Jon Preston, UWG’s provost and vice president for academic affairs. “This award also focuses on programs that embody the USG Momentum approach and establish clear evidence of the value of course material to belonging and career preparation. These are core USG strategic endeavors and are essential components of UWG’s strategic plan, as well.” Presented by the USG Board of Regents, the esteemed Regents’ Awards – of which nine are offered annually across 26 higher education institutions – symbolize the highest recognition of teaching and advising, showcasing a commitment to ensuring and upholding academic excellence.
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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Rowen project signs ‘living lab’ agreements with Georgia colleges
First-of-its-kind partnership is latest step in development of 2,000-acre Gwinnett County campus
By Zachary Hansen
One of Georgia’s largest economic development projects is partnering with several state universities and technical colleges to find answers to some of today’s largest workforce questions. Rowen, a 2,000-acre life sciences campus in Gwinnett County near Dacula, recently signed “living laboratory” agreements with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia. The partnerships will result in multiple projects and programs focused on emerging technologies and industries that are poised to employ thousands of Georgians in the coming years. … Two programs are already underway, both of which focus on e-mobility and emerging technologies. The first involves the University of Georgia, Georgia Gwinnett College and Gwinnett Technical College, which aims to create academic programs for the electric mobility and energy industries. …The second involves UGA’s Georgia Network for Electric Mobility, which will focus on technology innovation and experimentation.
13WMAZ
USDA Deputy Secretary and Congressman visit FVSU to talk about career opportunities in agriculture
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Deputy Secretary and a U.S. Congressman went to Fort Valley State to speak with students about having a career in agriculture.
Author: Cecily Stoute
Fort Valley State University students had the opportunity to speak to the Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Senior, Ahmad Harden, called the experience motivational. “People that are doing that change each and every single day and that we’re seeing them face-to-face, I think that’s the biggest inspiration to us students,” Harden said. The people creating change on campus Wednesday were the USDA Deputy Secretary, Xochitl Torres Small, and U.S. Rep. Sanford D. Bishop who represents central and southwest Georgia. The two U.S. officials visited campus to talk about the future of agriculture. …Torres Small said the current White House administration has invested in the next generation specifically out of Fort Valley State. “When we look at Fort Valley State University specifically, the Biden-Harris administration has invested over $30 million in research and opportunities for internships to support that next generation of agriculture,” Torres Small said. Students were able to speak directly to Torres Small. They asked questions and picked her brain about an agriculture career.
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WGAU Radio
Groups aim to enhance cadet performance at UNG
By Clark Leonard, UNG
A variety of departments at the University of North Georgia are teaming up to help provide the best medical care possible for members of UNG’s Corps of Cadets. Faculty members in kinesiology and physical therapy are teaming up with the Military Science Department and the Athletics Department to conduct functional movement screenings and orthopedic screenings on new cadets, including about 35 who joined the corps in January. These efforts allow them to identify any movement patterns or musculoskeletal red flags, discrepancies and pathologies prior to the commencement of physical training. The program also includes a ramp-up to the physical training levels of the other cadets already on campus in an effort to foster a healthy transition for the newest members of the corps.
Middle Georgia CEO
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
Georgia Military College (GMC) and Fort Valley State University (FVSU) are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive articulation agreement, solidifying their commitment to educational excellence and student success. This agreement, spanning across four key areas, aims to promote greater opportunities for students seeking to further their education and achieve their academic aspirations. The agreement encompasses general transfer provisions, facilitating smooth transitions for students transferring credits between institutions. …This collaborative initiative emphasizes the commitment of both GMC and FVSU to provide accessible pathways for students to pursue higher education and realize their academic and professional aspirations. By aligning curricula and streamlining credit transfers, the institutions aim to empower individuals to excel academically and make meaningful contributions to their communities.
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: University College R.I.S.E Award Ceremony at Albany State
By Reginald Christian Albany State University
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State 2024 Founder’s Day – Dr. Holley Birthday Bash
By Reginald Christian Albany State University
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College introduces innovative fermentation science concentration
From Staff Reports
Georgia Gwinnett College has launched the first bachelor-level fermentation science program in Georgia and one of the few in the nation. The program is designed to equip students with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the rapidly expanding field of fermentation science. Fewer than 20 bachelor-level fermentation programs are available in the U.S, mostly in Northern and Western states. GGC’s program is the first one south of North Carolina.
WGAU Radio
UGA researchers claim faster and more reliable COVID test
By Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia says its researchers have developed a new and faster and more reliable test for COVID 19. The work was done by scientists in UGA’s Franklin College and its department of physics and astronomy.
From Alan Flurry, UGA Today…
With new cases, hospitalizations and mortality rates holding steady in many parts of the world, University of Georgia researchers have developed a faster detection technique for COVID-19. In a new study published in Advanced Materials Interface, the UGA research team describes the rapid diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2 detection and quantification directly from human nasopharyngeal swabs using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy and deep learning algorithms. The overall process for the test is comparable to the results from polymerase chain reaction (PCR), for COVID-19 and other respiratory virus infection diagnosis tests, using a simple procedure requiring less than 15 minutes.
Coastal Illustrated
By Staff Reports
What is your occupation? I am currently an assistant professor of communication at College of Coastal Georgia. …What are your favorite local causes/organizations? I was recently introduced to and enamored with Safe Harbor Inc. and the African American Male Initiative at College of Coastal Georgia. …CCGA’s African American Male Initiative is dear to my heart because with the program we provide a space for young African American men to be their authentic selves, while focusing on education as well as social skills. We create that safe place that is often difficult to find. I encourage everyone to support these amazing causes.
Construction Equipment Guide
Work Begins at Georgia Tech’s New Fanning Center; Damaged Atlanta Bridge May Open in May
By Staff Reports
An expansion project in Atlanta designed to modernize Georgia Tech’s historic football stadium and potentially help recruiting is officially under construction. Georgia Tech officials broke ground March 25 on the Thomas A. Fanning Student-Athlete Performance Center, a project designed by The S/L/A/M Collaborative (SLAM) and constructed by DPR Construction, both of which are Atlanta-based companies. The Fanning Center was approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia in April 2022. …The Fanning Center will be the site of Georgia Tech’s first sports science lab, according to Urbanize Atlanta, which will use pro-model motion tracking to analyze student-athletes’ performance data that will feed into an in-house data analytics office for performance tracking and analysis.
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA Golf Course one of many courses to go green, operating in a more sustainable way
Erica Van Buren
In preparation for the upcoming Masters Tournament, extra care is taken into account for upkeep in an effort to run in an environmentally friendly way. “It takes a lot to maintain golf courses,” said Scott Griffith, associate director of agronomy at the University of Georgia golf course. “And we have to maintain them on a daily basis. There are a lot of misconceptions regarding fertilizers. If the grass is growing too fast, that creates more work for us. It creates a negative situation not only on our staff and our customers but also our budgets. Slow release fertilizers are used judiciously.” In spring of 2023, the University of Georgia Golf Course was designated as an Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.
Renton Reporter
Renton high schoolers build strong bonds while visiting HBCUs
The district’s second annual trip allowed Black sophomores and juniors from different Renton high schools to expand their collegiate horizons and make some new friends along the way.
By Bailey Josie
For the second year in a row, select students from the Renton School District — across four high schools — were given the opportunity to tour various Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Twenty-eight students — four from Talley High School and eight from Renton High School, Hazen High School and Lindbergh High School traveled to Georgia and Florida during mid-winter break from Feb. 17 to Feb. 24. …Students toured six different HBCU campuses and Georgia State University, which is not an HBCU. …This year, Fort Valley State University, Albany State University and Florida A&M University were added to the trip.
WGAU Radio
By Tim Bryant
Today is an open house day at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Activities are underway at 9 this morning at the Vet School facility on Brooks Drive in Athens.
From the UGA master calendar…
The University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine will hold its annual Open House with a safari adventure into the world of veterinary medicine! Veterinary students invite guests to the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine campus for this FREE event that is fun for all ages. Attendees can meet exotic creatures, try their hand at teddy bear surgery, get their face painted like a safari animal, and more.
Tifton CEO
ABAC Fine Arts Department Schedules Spring Band Concert
Staff Report From Georgia CEO
The Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College Band and Concert Band will present a tribute to “Mentors, Teachers and Friends” during their Tuesday, April 9 concert in Howard Auditorium at 7 p.m. The National High School Band Directors Hall of Fame will present a posthumous dedication to Mr. Eugene H. Wyles. Wyles was a former band director and music educator at ABAC for 17 years and also taught for many years in the Worth County school system.
Grice Connect
Battle of Brier Creek Presentation at Statesboro Bulloch County Library this Saturday, April 6th.
By Ashlea Mask
Saturday, April 6th the Statesboro Bulloch County Library will have the presentation “Battle of Brier Creek” at 11am. Nathan Chapman, Graduate Student at Georgia Southern University will present an exhibit with artifacts found during an archeological survey of Brier Creek.
Grice Connect
Georgia Southern clay target team are the 2024 National Champion in American Skeet
The Georgia Southern team has won the division National Championships since they first competed in a National Championship in 2021, but this is the first time they have won an all-division title.
By Destiny Hartwell
Last week, the Georgia Southern Clay Target Team became the 2024 ACUI/SCTP Division II National Team Champion in American Skeet. With over 1,100 shooters from 106 colleges across 34 states, Georgia Southern’s team won first place in the combined skeet, trap, and sporting clays scores. * 1st place High Overall Skeet Team and Division II winner(s): Jackson Schaaf, Tate Skipper, Dawson Peek, Andrew Cohen, and Brayden Floyd. …They have earned National Championship titles in 2021, 2022, 2023, AND 2024!
Gwinnett Daily Post
Bryce Lesher Hits for the Cycle in Georgia Gwinnett College’s Record-Setting Win
From Staff Reports
Junior Bryce Lesher hit the second cycle in program history and the first since 2017 as the No. 3-ranked Georgia Gwinnett College baseball team matched four program records in a 27-0 victory against Clark Atlanta University on Wednesday evening at the Grizzly Baseball Complex.
Connect Savannah
EAGLES LAND IN SAVANNAH: Former Georgia Southern golfers reunite at Club Car Championship
Television broadcast info, first and second round tee times, course facts, pre-tourney notes and more ahead of the 6th annual Club Car Championship
By Nathan Dominitz
Through five years as roommates at Georgia Southern University and teammates on the Eagles golf team, Ben Carr and Mason Williams likely developed a kind of shorthand for communicating – if they needed to use words at all. When Williams entered a Monday qualifier to try to join his fellow professional in the Korn Ferry Tour event in Savannah this week, Carr didn’t say anything directly about a GS reunion. …They’re not alone in representing their alma mater. Williams’ caddie is their friend, pro golfer Colin Bowles, 24, another longtime teammate and housemate who played with his fellow fifth-year seniors in 2023 and earned a degree in biology.
Inside Higher Ed
‘Weaponization of Plagiarism’ or Rigorous Standards Behind Provost’s Ouster?
Anonymous tips about inaccurate citations on the CV of Clayton State University’s first Black female provost led to her firing. Some observers believe the complaints were motivated by more than earnest concern for academic integrity.
By Kathryn Palmer
Clayton State University fired its first Black female provost nearly six months after she took the job.
While university officials say it was because an investigation found multiple inaccuracies on Kimberly McLeod’s curriculum vitae, observers inside and outside the metro-Atlanta institution believe her experience may be part of a larger trend in higher education. “When I first heard about this, my mind quickly went to Harvard and what happened up there,” said Matthew Boedy, president of the Georgia Conference of the American Association of University Professors and an associate professor at the University of North Georgia. “It’s the same type of playbook.”
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Higher Ed Dive
Campus spending on existing buildings jumped over 26% in 2023
College leaders are acknowledging the need to maintain their old facilities. But inflation has eaten into the increased spending.
Ben Unglesbee, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
Investment in existing campus facilities grew more than 26% year over year in 2023 and is up by one-third since 2021, according to the latest report from building intelligence firm Gordian. In its report, Gordion called last year’s spike in spending “a remarkable shift,” indicating that campus leaders are devoting resources and attention to maintaining their existing facilities, and they recognize “the value of physical assets to the campus experience.” That’s the good news. The bad news is that inflation in construction services and building supplies has grown significantly over the same period, and a large gap still exists between need and spending on maintaining facilities.
Inside Higher Ed
Education Department Will Reprocess 20 Percent of FAFSAs
By Katherine Knott
In a reversal, the Education Department will now reprocess student aid applications that were affected by a recent calculation error and issues with incorrect tax data. The decision, announced Thursday, will affect roughly 20 percent of the 6.6 million applications processed thus far and could further delay when affected students hear from colleges about their financial aid eligibility. The department had previously only planned to reprocess the Institutional Student Information Records, or ISIRs, when students would receive less financial aid because of the error, which was about 5 percent of the processed applications. Colleges use the ISIRs to determine aid eligibility and to package financial aid awards.
Inside Higher Ed
‘Running Out of Road’ for FAFSA Completion
The number of students who filled out the federal aid form is down nearly 30 percent. The ramifications for access and enrollment could be devastating.
By Liam Knox
In a typical year at LEAD Academy High School in Nashville, a college prep–focused charter school where Kelly Pietkiewicz used to work as a counselor, about 80 percent of students fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA). This year, with only a few weeks until graduation, that number has dropped to 20 percent. “It’s an actual nightmare,” said Pietkiewicz, who now serves as scholarship coordinator for the charity nonprofit Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “We’re still trying to get scholarships out to students, but most of the work I’m doing now is going to local high schools and helping their counselors answer questions about financial aid because they’re stretched so thin.” Nashville is no outlier. As of March 22, only 33.7 percent of high school seniors had completed a FAFSA, down 28.8 percent from last year, according to data from the National College Attainment Network (NCAN), which has been tracking completion rates throughout this tumultuous financial aid cycle. The network estimates that at the going rate, about half a million fewer students in the class of 2024 will submit a FAFSA compared to last year.
Higher Ed Dive
This week in 5 numbers: Another FAFSA glitch
We’re rounding up some of our biggest recent stories, from another snag in federal aid to an abrupt college closure.
Natalie Schwartz, Senior Editor
From another hangup with this year’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid to an abrupt college closure, here are the top-line figures from some of our biggest recent stories.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
CUNY to Launch FAFSA Completion Assistance Initiative Amid Tumultuous Federal Rollout
Arrman Kyaw
Amid ongoing issues with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form this year, the City University of New York (CUNY) is looking to help. Part of a new, larger concerted effort from New York state government to boost FAFSA completion rates during a newly proclaimed Financial Aid Awareness Month, the CUNY Financial Aid Support Team (FAST) will partner with New York City Public Schools (NYCPS), the New York State Higher Education Service Corporation (HESC), and public library systems to provide high school and college students personalized assistance with the financial aid form.
Inside Higher Ed
Digital Wallets Explored as Next Generation Transcripts
Adoption has started as employers and students place more value on skills. Meanwhile, plans for free, open-source wallet technology are picking up steam.
By Lauren Coffey
In 2004, a then 22-year-old Timothy Summers received a small, laminated copy of his college diploma. “There’s this idea of having your journey, and it’s yours—you own it, have it in your pocket and can take it out and tell your story,” he said. Two decades later, Summers wanted to instill that same sense of ownership in students at Arizona State University. So he spent years—and raised millions of dollars—to build ASU Pocket, a digital credentials wallet that holds a student’s transcript, certificates and other badges. …ASU is part of a growing number of institutions—both in higher education and the corporate world—turning toward a catch-all digital wallet. While the idea has percolated for more than a decade, entities including ASU and the Massachusetts Institute for Technology are now building open-source technology for others to easily leverage. That, coupled with more technology adoption and a greater emphasis on skills instead of degrees, is creating momentum.
Higher Ed Dive
Republican attorneys general blast Federal Work-Study guidance on election-related jobs
The state officials urged the Education Department to reconsider allowing students to be paid under the program for help with nonpartisan voter drives.
Natalie Schwartz, Senior Editor
Dive Brief:
Sixteen Republican attorneys general urged the U.S. Department of Education in a letter this week to reconsider recent guidance allowing college students to get paid for nonpartisan voter registration efforts under the Federal Work-Study program. The Education Department issued guidance in late February saying that Federal Work-Study funding could support students working for public agencies on election-related activities if they are “not associated with a particular interest or group.” The department said eligible duties include get-out-the-vote drives, voter registration, assisting voters at polling places or on voter hotlines, or serving as poll workers. The attorneys general, however, argued that even voter registration activities that seem nonpartisan can “serve overtly political functions” by focusing on localities where people are more likely to favor a particular candidate.
Inside Higher Ed
Student Interest in Gender Studies on the Rise, Despite Political Hostility
Women and gender studies programs are increasingly under legislative attack, yet the number of students taking courses is growing, a new report finds.
By Johanna Alonso
Professors of women and gender studies nationwide say that students’ interest in the field is blossoming, even as their work is being impacted by right-wing criticism, according to a new report by the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA). The report, entitled “Protecting Our Futures: Challenges & Strategies for Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies,” uses data gathered from 244 women and gender studies departments across the country in early 2023. It is the first survey the association has ever conducted of its member departments, according to report co-author Angela Clark-Taylor, executive director of the Flora Stone Mather Center for Women and a research assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University.
Inside Higher Ed
Arrest of Stony Brook Protesters Sparks Backlash
By Johanna Alonso
Nine people were arrested at Stony Brook University for allegedly disrupting university activities during a March 26 pro-Palestinian rally on campus, Newsday reported. A university official said in an email that the protesters used a bullhorn and drum to make loud noises while rallying inside a university building. The arrests prompted a backlash, with about 450 employees and students signing a letter opposing the arrests.
Inside Higher Ed
DEI Isn’t Scary; Political Purges Are
Layoffs of dozens of employees who previously held DEI-related roles at UT Austin leave students and the state worse off, Ryan A. Miller writes.
By Ryan A. Miller
“What starts here changes the world,” is the bold motto of my alma mater, the University of Texas at Austin—but these days, the university is trying to turn back the clock at the whims of the Texas Legislature. To comply with a backward-looking, anti-diversity, equity and inclusion mandate known as SB 17—a law that seeks to whitewash a changing state and world—university administrators have closed life-affirming and life-saving resources and laid off dozens of staff members simply for doing the jobs they were hired to do. What were their jobs? The common thread among the discarded employees is that they previously worked in offices and departments dedicated to making the university a place where all students could access the university’s resources and thrive. In truth, their crime is that they worked for offices frequented by African American, Asian American, Latino, LGBTQ+ and Native American students. Indeed, many of these staff members identified similarly and provided services and education focused around these identities and communities. Though making up a small fraction of the university’s budget, and with staff hardly willing or able to pull off a university-wide campaign of indoctrination to leftist values, the work of these offices mightily disturbed some legislators.