Albany Herald
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College golf team named academic national champions
From staff reports
The Golden Stallions of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College recently received the National Junior College Athletic Association Academic National Champions plaque from the Golf Coaches of America. To qualify as an Academic All-America selection, athletes must have at least a 3.25 grade-point average on a 4.00 scale. The Golden Stallions compiled a 3.68 GPA, elevating them to first place in the nation. Members of the ABAC National Academic Champion golf team include Kole Williams, Gabriel Lewis, Ben Sanders, Coach Larry Byrnes, Brady Kotkiewicz, Brock Barber, and Hagen Marion, Ian Arnold and Steven Wood.
The Brunswick News
College unveils updated Mariner mascot, seeks input on name
By Lauren McDonald
What embodies the spirit of a Mariner? What best visually represents the familiar mascot at College of Coastal Georgia? A committee at the college recently sought answers to these questions while embarking on an effort to reimage the Mariner mascot and give it a fresh look.
41NBC
GCSU offering election administration certificate for students
GCSU says it’s the first university in the state to offer an election administration certificate.
by Brick Nelson
Georgia College and State University says it’s meeting the need for professional election administrators who know the law and latest technology. GCSU announced it’s the first university in the state to offer an election administration certificate. The goal of the program is to educate students on the election process.
Dalton Daily Citizen
DSC fall enrollment holds steady
Enrollment at Dalton State College remained flat for the fall 2022 semester amid a slight decline for the University System of Georgia (USG) overall, according to USG’s fall 2022 semester enrollment report. USG enrollment declined for the second consecutive year, consistent with trends seen at public university systems nationally. USG had a 2.3% decrease in undergraduates this fall. Average enrollment at state colleges within the system saw an overall decrease of 2.4%. Fall 2022 is the first year Dalton State has not seen an enrollment decline since fall 2016.
Athens CEO
UGA Earns Reaffirmation of SACSCOC Accreditation
Mike Wooten
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) has reaffirmed the University of Georgia’s accreditation, highlighting the university’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service. Accreditation validates that the quality of education and facilities at UGA meets 72 standards set by SACSCOC in coordination with the U.S. Department of Education. Accreditation also ensures UGA is eligible to receive federal and state funding to support student financial aid and to transfer academic credits with other institutions. SACSCOC had zero recommendations regarding UGA’s compliance with the commission’s standards, equating to a perfect score in the intensive reaffirmation process.
WGAU Radio
By Staff and UGA
The University of Georgia Alumni Association is releasing the 2023 Bulldog 100, a list of the 100 fastest-growing alumni operated or owned businesses. This year, businesses represented 10 U.S. states and two countries, with 86 of the businesses located in the state of Georgia. In total, 129 alumni representing over two dozen industries, including health care, financial services, agriculture and real estate are being recognized as a part of the 2023 Bulldog 100. …The UGA Alumni Association will host the annual Bulldog 100 Celebration Feb. 18, 2023, to celebrate these alumni business leaders and count down the ranked list to ultimately reveal the No. 1 fastest-growing business.
Dalton Daily Citizen
Growings On: The University of Georgia is protecting seeds for the future
The Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit (PGRCU) on the University of Georgia (UGA) campus at Griffin is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) larger National Plant Germplasm System. The system includes 19 sites across the country. Three affiliated collections are not held by the USDA. Germplasm is living genetic material — such as seeds or tissues — that is maintained for the purpose of plant breeding, preservation and other research uses. …Adam Gregory, an agricultural specialist with UGA’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, serves as the farm manager for the Plant Genetic Resources Conservation Unit.
The Georgia Virtue
UGA study aims to help farmers transitioning to organic production
As demand for organic food continues to rise, organic agriculture has attracted both longtime producers and new farmers into the industry. University of Georgia researchers are working on a new study meant to develop best practices for transitioning farmers starting out with land that has been used for grazing or has lain fallow. …Cassity-Duffey, an assistant professor of horticulture specializing in organic production, is working with horticulture professor Timothy Coolong, the UGA co-coordinator for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE) Southern Region; and assistant professor of weed science Nicholas Tuschak Basinger on the three-year study.
Dalton Daily Citizen
Easley receives Bronze Star for service in Vietnam
By Charles Oliver
Dr. Conrad Easley said he never cried during the year he spent as a U.S. Army medical officer in Vietnam. “But I’ve shed many tears since then,” said Easley, a Dalton surgeon. Easley said he was surprised recently when he opened his mail and found he had received a Bronze Star for his service, 54 years after he left Vietnam. …A graduate of Dalton High School and the North Georgia College & State University (now the University of North Georgia) in Dahlonega in 1962, Easley earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta in 1966. He received deferments from the draft to attend college and medical school and to complete his internship. …North Georgia College then and now has been designated by the state legislature as the Military College of Georgia and by the U.S. Defense Department as one of six senior military colleges, meaning it offers Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs and maintains military standards similar to the nation’s service academies. “I was well trained and prepared to be a leader at North Georgia,” Easley said. “I have so much respect for what that school did to prepare me for life … and for death.”
Statesboro Herald
Marketing leader to speak at GS commencement
From staff reports
The global vice president of marketing for IHG Hotels and Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies will be the speaker for Georgia Southern’s Winter Commencement Tuesday, Dec. 13.
WRBL
Colorado-based artist leaves Columbus brighter with new mural
by: Amanda Peralta
Columbus State University and the Dragonfly Trail Network unveiled a near mural made by Colorado-based artist, Thomas Evans. The new addition to the community is located near Piedmont Columbus Regional on 5th Ave. Both organizations were looking for a new element on the Dragonfly Trail as the project that links the community together continues to expand. CSU students participated in the creation of the mural and helped Evans with several steps including painting.
Atlanta News First
Georgia Tech study backs up efforts by to scale back scooter ban
By Don Shipman
A new study suggests limiting the use of e-scooters in Atlanta has made traffic congestion even worse. Now there are new efforts to extend ride-time well past the current 9 p.m. curfew. Erin Robinson made the decision to curb her car when she moved to Atlanta just over four years ago for college. … Atlanta’s overnight ban on e-bikes and e-scooters went into effect in 2019. The city cited safety concerns for riders at night. …A new study could help reinforce efforts by some city councilmembers to scale back the overnight ban. Researchers at GA Tech used the city’s 9pm to 4am ban to study its impact on traffic. They found when e-bikes and e-scooters weren’t available, most people chose to drive their own car or take a rideshare instead of public transportation – which led to an increase in commute times by 10 percent.
AP News
Interior secretary: `Unacceptable’ to mine near famed swamp
By Russ Bynum
A member of President Joe Biden’s Cabinet is urging Georgia officials to deny permits for a proposed mine near the edge of the famed Okefenokee Swamp and its vast wildlife refuge, saying the plan poses “unacceptable risk” to the swamp’s fragile ecology. “I write to express serious concerns regarding proposed mining activities that have the potential to negatively impact the Okefenokee Swamp ecosystem and Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a letter to Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that was obtained by The Associated Press. Alabama-based Twin Pines Minerals has been seeking government permits since 2019 to mine titanium oxide on land 2.9 miles (4.7 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee, home to the largest U.S. wildlife refuge east of the Mississippi River. …“We are not alone in this assessment,” Haaland wrote, saying that other experts “have also raised the alarm about the threat that this type of mining activity in this area poses to the swamp.” One of those scientists is C. Rhett Jackson, a professor of hydrology at the University of Georgia.
Statesboro Herald
GS grad Leatherwood makes finals of ‘The Voice’
Championship shows are Monday, Tuesday
From staff reports
The dream for Georgia Southern graduate Bryce Leatherwood is still alive. The country singer was voted through to the finals of The Voice Tuesday and will compete to be named season champion as part of Coach Blake Shelton’s team in shows next Monday and Tuesday – Dec. 12 and 13.
OurQuadCities
Augustana launches new film major
by: Jonathan Turner
For the first time in its 162-year-history, Augustana College in Rock Island will offer a film major, starting in fall 2023. In a newly combined Department of Theatre and Film, student filmmakers can both expand and deepen their focus in their field, “diversifying their skills, experiences and portfolios in ways a film-only program cannot provide,” according to the Rock Island-based private school. After an international search, Augie has hired a new associate professor and director of the program, Stacy Barton. She’s taught in higher education since 2004, having held positions at the University of Colorado Denver, the University of West Georgia and most recently Metropolitan State University of Denver.
Nonwovens Industry
UGAfibers Laboratory Expands Capabilities for Nonwoven and Protective Fabrics Industry
New lab features meltblown capabilities
The University of Georgia (UGA) has invested in a new off-site laboratory to support the nonwovens and protective fabrics industry. Headed by Dr. Gajanan Bhat, the new facility will produce and test various nonwoven materials to help a wide range of manufacturing and related industries. Site engineer Joe Nageotte and technical consultant Mark Snider, a 30-year veteran of the nonwovens industry, also provide oversight of the lab. A recently-installed Southern Coastal Machinery meltblown line has resulted in the capability to produce fine fiber meltblown media. The new line can process polymers at temperatures up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit (316 degrees Celsius) and has process air and suction capability to handle the full range of possible substrates.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
More college-educated voters are voting for Democrats, while those without a degree prefer Republicans. Colleges and universities are stuck in the middle.
By Katherine Knott
The recent midterm elections highlighted the growing educational divide between voters as well as the increasing political polarization in the country—both of which are areas of concern for higher education but not ones that colleges and universities can address on their own. An initial analysis of polling data from the midterm elections showed that 52 percent of voters with a bachelor’s degree cast their ballots for Democrats; 42 percent of those with a high school degree or less voted for Democrats, according to The Washington Post. In the 2018 election, the gap was about five percentage points. Polling data from the American Council on Education showed a similar shift.
Inside Higher Ed
Walking a Mile in Someone Else’s Gown
Undergraduate graduation regalia can cost over $100, doctoral regalia as much as $1,000. To ease the financial burden on students, some institutions are asking alumni for donations.
By Johanna Alonso
It started with a casual conversation in a senior-level research methods class. Jennifer Shaw, a research associate in the social work department at Northwestern State University, a public institution in Natchitoches, La., asked a group of seniors if they were looking forward to graduation. One young man’s answer surprised her. “He said, ‘No, I can’t afford it. It’s a hundred bucks for something I’m going to wear once. I’ve got to buy groceries. I’ve got to buy gas,’” Shaw recalled. When she asked him if he would attend commencement if he could get the cap and gown for free, he said yes. That conversation took place semesters ago, but it inspired Shaw to start a project that she has continued ever since: NSU’s Gowns for Grads closet. The regalia closet features royal purple caps and gowns—which NSU switched to from plain black a few years ago—available for loan to graduating seniors who can’t afford to buy their own. In total, NSU’s graduation garb costs $125 from Jostens, a major distributor of regalia, class rings and yearbooks. Over the years, Shaw has collected about 70 gowns—mostly by setting up a table every year at commencement so that graduates can donate their robes as soon as they’re done wearing them. (It doubles as a station for those who borrow regalia to return it).
Higher Ed Dive
What can colleges learn from degrees awarded in the fast-shrinking journalism field?
Bachelor’s degrees offer solid payoffs, while grad programs post mixed returns, researchers find. But many students don’t go on to work in the field.
By Lilah Burke, Contributor
Journalism jobs are hard to find. But it’s nice work when you can get it. That’s the takeaway from a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce on the payoff of journalism programs. An analysis of federal education and labor data reveals that journalism and communication bachelor’s degrees offer moderate payoff to their graduates, but only 15% of majors end up working in the field early in their careers. Newsroom employment has declined 26% since 2008, and researchers predict it will fall 3% over the next nine years.
Inside Higher Ed
New Campaign in California Seeks to Re-Enroll Working Adults
By Sara Weissman
A coalition of higher ed organizations is launching a campaign, called California Reconnect, to re-enroll adult learners who stopped out of college in the state. The three-year effort, announced today, will involve working with up to 30 California colleges and universities, with a focus on campuses located in regions that suffered economic losses during the pandemic. The effort aims to help these institutions re-engage students who have some college credits but no degree and improve their policies and practices to enhance student success outcomes. The organizations spearheading the campaign include the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP), InsideTrack, California Competes: Higher Education for a Strong Economy and ProjectAttain!
Inside Higher Ed
Nonprofit College Chain Sues Education Department for $500M
By Katherine Knott
A nonprofit operator of several colleges that have since closed is accusing the U.S. Department of Education of waging a hostile campaign against for-profit colleges. The Center for Excellence in Higher Education, a nonprofit, filed its lawsuit Tuesday in the Federal Court of Claims, seeking $500 million in damages for breach of contract, breach of good faith and illegal taking of funds, among other claims. CEHE operated College America, Independence University, Stevens-Henager College and California College San Diego—all degree-granting proprietary colleges. The nonprofit sought to convert the colleges from for-profit institutions to nonprofit ones.