WGAU
UGA: medical partnership has largest-ever freshman class
By Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia says its medical partnership with Augusta University is welcoming its largest ever freshman class. 60 new students are enrolled for fall semester. The Augusta University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership first caught Eric Santana’s eye when he was in his freshman year…This week, he officially began the next phase of that journey with orientation week as part of the Medical Partnership’s Class of 2025. Santana is one of 60 new students, evenly split between women and men. This year’s class is the largest in the partnership’s history, part of a statewide effort to combat the nation’s physician shortage. The latest report from the Association of American Medical Colleges estimates that the U.S. could see an estimated shortage of up to 124,000 physicians by 2034.
Gwinnett Daily Post
PHOTOS: Scenes from move-in day at Georgia Gwinnett College
By Todd Cline
Students began moving back to campus on Tuesday at Georgia Gwinnett College. Classes begin next week.
41 NBC
Georgia College makes changes to Move-in Day on campus
By Lizbeth Gutierrez
After the cancellation of Move-in Day at Georgia College last year, the college is changing things up this year. Instead of one, the college is holding three move-in days. According to the college, this year’s freshman class is the largest ever, and it happens to be during a pandemic…Despite the pandemic changing the typical move-in day, students and parents were excited to participate in the important moment. The first Move-in Day had around 500 women who are participating in sorority recruitment.
Story also appeared in The Milledgeville Union Recorder.
Georgia Trend
Catching Up With… Veronica Womack
By Susan Percy
Veronica Womack is Executive Director, Rural Studies Institute, Georgia College, Milledgeville. Veronica Womack’s research includes the Pigford cases, settled in 1999 and 2010, under which the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) acknowledged it had discriminated against Black farmers and agreed to financial compensation. She founded the Black Farmers Network to provide education and advocacy.
WGXA
Middle Georgia State University names new Provost, VP for Academic Affairs
By Hayley Garrett
Dr. David Jenks will be bringing more than 20 years of teaching and higher education administrative experience to Middle Georgia State University. Jenks was named as provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the university. He was the former vice provost at the University of West Georgia.
Columbus Leger Inquirer
Georgia HBCUs to receive extra $175M in federal COVID relief funds. Here’s the breakdown
By Nick Wooten
Eight of Georgia’s historically Black colleges and universities will receive more than $175 million in supplemental funding through the American Rescue Plan. The funding is part of the $3.2 billion in additional emergency grants under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) that the U.S. Department of Education announced late last week.
Growing Georgia
ABAC Alumni Awards Nominations Due August 15
Staff Reports
Nominations for the ABAC Alumni Association awards at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College are due on Aug. 15. ABAC Alumni Director Lynda Fisher said the nomination deadline has been moved up this year. “We have moved up the deadline this year, and I am certain there are plenty of great applicants out there,” Fisher said. “We just need those names in the alumni office.” The ABAC Alumni Association awards program includes the categories of Distinguished Alumnus, Master Agriculturalist, Outstanding Health Care Professional, Outstanding Educator, J. Lamar Branch Award for Outstanding Leadership in Agriculture, Outstanding Young Alumnus, Family Legacy Award, Miles A. Drummond Rising Star Award, Outstanding Business Leader, and Honorary Alumnus.
The Albany Herald
Legislature addresses needs of Georgia students
By Gerald Greene
It’s hard to believe that students are already heading back to school. The 2020-2021 school year brought many unique challenges to students, teachers, and their families — from remote learning to unconventional schedules. I hope that this upcoming school year brings a renewed sense of normalcy to our communities as we move forward together. We passed Senate Bill 246, which protects parents and their rights to make educational decisions for their children. The bill prohibits Georgia school systems, whether state or local, from regulating learning pods when a student’s schooling is primarily offered virtually. If virtual learning becomes necessary in the future, Georgia families need options that provide them with support and structure.
GPB
Georgia’s COVID Mask And Vaccine Drama On Full Display At Athens City Hall
By Ross Williams
If you’re heading to Athens, don’t forget to pack your mask. Athens-Clarke County joined Savannah and Atlanta in reinstating COVID-19 restrictions late Tuesday night amid increasing concerns over the delta variant and lagging vaccination rates. The order went into effect Wednesday morning. The unified city and county government separately approved a vaccine mandate for government workers, making it likely the first county in the state to do so, according to the Association County Commissioners of Georgia.
WRDW
AU hasn’t mandated masks at this point; town hall meeting set today
By Staff
With classes set to start Aug. 11 at Augusta University, the school says it’s staying vigilant against the delta variant of COVID-19, although the University System of Georgia at this point hasn’t mandated masks or vaccinations. The university system says masks are encouraged but not required except in certain areas.
WGAU
University says COVID testing will resume fall semester
By Tim Bryant
The University of Georgia says it will continue to provide free coronavirus testing for students, staff, and faculty: tests will take place at the University Health Center, resuming as UGA’s fall semester are set to begin on August 18. The Georgia Department of Public Health says coronavirus case counts in Athens continue to climb, with 372 new positive tests for COVID 19 over the past two weeks in Clarke County. There has been a slight increase in coronavirus vaccinations in Athens, with 40 percent of Athens-Clarke County residents now considered fully vaccinated against the virus. With coronavirus case counts on the rise the northeast Georgia mountain counties, Habersham County closes its fire stations to the public.
Other News
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Map: Coronavirus deaths and cases in Georgia (updated August 4)
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is keeping track of reported coronavirus deaths and cases across Georgia according to the Department of Public Health. See details in the map below. See the DPH’s guide to their data for more information about definitions.
CONFIRMED DEATHS: 18,764 | Deaths have been confirmed in every county. This figure does not include additional cases that the DPH reports as suspected COVID-19-related deaths. County is determined by the patient’s residence, when known, not by where they were treated.
CONFIRMED CASES: 945,888 | Cases have been confirmed in every county.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta area secondary students face pandemic hurdles as school begins
By Vanessa McCray
A few weeks ago, a group of Gwinnett County students gathered around tables at McClure Health Science High School where they would soon enter ninth grade.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Facing delta surge, Emory Healthcare to require vaccine for all staff
By Ariel Hart and Yamil Berard
Atlanta-based Emory Healthcare, one of the Southeast’s premier medical providers, has mandated coronavirus vaccinations for all of its more than 24,000 employees as the highly contagious delta variant fuels a surge in new COVID-19 infections. Emory’s …
Higher Education News
Inside Higher Education
New Mental Health Investments, Ongoing Uncertainties
By Sara Weissman
Many college and university leaders are preparing for the return of students to campuses this fall by making a renewed push to provide increased mental health services to help those still processing the events of the past year navigate the transition back to in-person learning. The administrators also want to help students manage stressors related to remaining uncertainties about COVID-19 and the path of the pandemic.
Inside Higher Education
By Emma Whitford
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police officer last May, college and university presidents across the country issued statements and sent emails to members of their campuses decrying Floyd’s death and acknowledging the shock, pain and anger felt by many Americans. Their varied responses to the nationwide calls for racial justice included commitments to take action to address racial and economic inequities in higher ed and on their campuses. Platitudes about diversity and inclusion were in abundance. Pledges to lead the country on a different path were on full display.
Diverse Issues In Higher Education
By Rebecca Kelliher
Despite their evident success, many high-achieving women in academia say they often feel professionally inadequate, a well-known pattern called the imposter phenomenon. Yet research on this has typically centered on the individual, not the environment. A new study might help turn that trend on its head, spurring cultural changes in higher education.
The Chronicle of Higher Education
More Campuses Scramble to Mandate Vaccines and Masks Amid Spread of Delta Variant
By Oyin Adedoyin
A flurry of campuses are racing to establish face-mask requirements in the final weeks before the fall semester to prevent a surge of the Delta variant. Some campuses are modifying vaccine requirements.