University System News:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
By Eric Mandel – Digital Producer , Atlanta Business Chronicle
2 hours ago
While boycott threats swirl over his decision to sign one of the strictest anti-abortion laws in the country, Gov. Brian Kemp attempted to assuage some concerns in the Georgia film industry Wednesday by touring Pinewood Studios and meeting with students at the state-financed Georgia Film Academy. After speaking with leaders of at Pinewood Atlanta Studios, which is the second-largest studio production facility in North America, Kemp said in a news release that he “truly appreciate the investments made by industry leaders … and their commitment to growing their operations and output in the Peach State.” “Georgia remains a top state for business because of our diverse economy and highly skilled workforce,” Kemp said. “Going forward, I will continue to advance policies that empower job creators and encourage investment in our state. We will focus on workforce development so hardworking Georgians are ready to meet the demands of a 21st century economy.”
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia job growth slowing this year, predicts GSU forecaster
By Michael E. Kanell
Georgia’s economy is slowing down as the global worries confronting international companies seep down to local businesses, according to the quarterly outlook by the Georgia State Economic Forecasting Center. Job growth in the state will continue this year, but less energetically than the recent past, said the center’s director Rajeev Dhawan. Georgia should add about 76,600 jobs in 2019 and 61,700 next year – with metro Atlanta accounting for nearly 70% of them, Dhawan said. Last year, the state added 92,500 jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. …Some threats start closer to home. Georgia’s passage of a law restricting abortion has sparked calls among some members of the film industry to find other places to make movies and television shows. If the film industry were to make good on those threat, it could hurt the economy, he said.
The Brunswick News
Local entrepreneur establishes Ga. Tech scholarship fund for county grads
By LARRY HOBBS
The binary code of computer language that has been the driving force behind most emerging technology in the 21st century consists of a combination of 1s and 0s. Bob Torras may be an old school engineer, but he speaks the language. The St. Simons Island resident made a powerful statement Wednesday on behalf of the advancement of such technology, using a single 1 and six 0s. These were the essential features on the $1 million check he presented to his alma mater, Georgia Tech. The money establishes a scholarship fund at Georgia Tech for deserving local high school graduates who otherwise would not be able to attend the highly-respected engineering and technology school.
Augusta Chronicle
Judge: MCG whistleblower’s lawsuit can continue
By Sandy Hodson
A request to dismiss a whistleblower’s lawsuit against the University System of Georgia Board of Regents that stems from the treatment of research animals at Augusta University was denied Wednesday. Judge Michael N. Annis denied the state’s request to grant summary judgment in the Richmond County Superior Court lawsuit filed on behalf of Jay Hegde, said his attorney Tanya Jeffords. There are still a number of motions to deal with in the case, she said. Jeffords said a trial might not be possible until next year. The lawsuit accuses the university of retaliating against Hegde by making a formal request to terminate his funding for research Aug. 12, 2015. For about a year and a half, Hegde, according to the lawsuit, made numerous complaints to the university about the treatment of lab animals by the people who were entrusted to care for them. Hegde, an associate professor at the Medical College of Georgia, began making formal complaints at the encouragement of the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, which oversees the treatment of research animals, according to the lawsuit.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Tech offers protections in response to data breach
By Eric Stirgus
Georgia Tech announced Wednesday it is offering credit monitoring and identity theft protection to the students, employees and anyone else whose information may have been accessed during a recent data breach. The school posted information on its homepage of its website detailing how people can request the protections. Georgia Tech disclosed in April that someone illegally entered its system, having access to a database that may have included the names, addresses, date of birth and Social Security numbers of nearly 1.3 million people. Georgia Tech has not determined who was committed the breach.
See also:
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Georgia Tech offers free credit monitoring for 1.2M impacted by network hack
Tifton CEO
ABAC Golfers Tackle National Tournament Field in Indiana
Staff Report From Tifton CEO
When Coach Larry Byrnes and the golf team at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College climbed into their van to leave the ABAC campus, the outside climate was warm and dry. Perfect day for golf. When the Golden Stallions arrived at the Swan Lake Resort in Plymouth, Ind., site of this week’s National Junior College Athletic Association national tournament, they were met with wind, rain, and chilly temperatures. “It’s quite a bit different than the weather we’re having in Tifton right now,” Byrnes, in his fifth year at the helm of the Stallions, said. “We’ll go out there and see what happens.” Under Byrnes’ leadership, ABAC has qualified for the national tournament four consecutive years. The Stallions wound up sixth in the nation last season. In 2016 on this same Swan Lake course, ABAC recorded a 10th place finish in the national tournament.
Higher Education News:
The Chronicle of Higher Education
By Zipporah Osei
A growing number of undergraduates come from low-income families, especially at less-selective colleges, according to a new analysis by the Pew Research Center. Using data from the National Postsecondary Student Aid Study — which was last updated in 2016 — the Pew researchers found that community colleges and the least-selective four-year colleges have seen the greatest rise in poor and minority students. The most selective, private four-year institutions have not seen as much of an increase, according to a report by the researchers. The report, released on Wednesday, places the fast-changing demographics of higher education in sharp relief. Here are three key takeaways:
See also:
Inside Higher Ed
Study Finds More Low-Income Students Attending College
A new report claims more poor students than ever are enrolling in the nation’s colleges and universities, but a disproportionate number are attending less selective or open-access institutions, which may hinder their chances for success.
Inside Higher Ed
Fees for International Students to Increase
By Elizabeth Redden
The mandatory government fee that prospective international students must pay before obtaining a U.S. visa will increase from $200 to $350 on June 24, according to a final rule published today in the Federal Register. The fee for academic exchange visitors will increase from $180 to $220. In addition, the fees colleges and universities must pay in order to get certified by the government to host international students will also increase, from $1,700 to $3,000. There will also be a new $1,250 fee for colleges applying for recertification, a process colleges go through every two years.