Flagpole
Chancellor Sonny Perdue: Professors Should ‘Educate, Not Indoctrinate’
by Blake Aued
Chancellor Sonny Perdue wants to create a university system that moves nimbly to educate students for the jobs of the future—and where faculty members don’t share their political views, he told state legislators gathered in Athens on Monday. “We educate all people, period,” Perdue said in describing his vision of college as a place where people from different backgrounds learn from each other and collaborate. “We expect our gifted faculty to use their academic freedom to educate, not indoctrinate,” he said. …Perdue said he wants to restore public confidence in higher education, which he said has fallen by 14% over the past two years, without citing a source. …Perdue was Monday’s keynote speaker at the University of Georgia’s Biennial Institute, a two-day training conference for newly elected incoming lawmakers.
Tifton CEO
President Tracy Brundage Talks About Joining the ABAC Community
As the new President of ABAC, Tracy Brundage talks about meeting with various stakeholders in the region and feeling connected to the Tifton area.
Douglas County Sentinel
UWG president will be 2025 Chamber board chairman
Special To The Sentinel
University of West Georgia President, Dr. Brendan Kelly, has been added to the line of succession in Douglas County Chamber leadership. Dr. Kelly was named the 2025 Chairman at the Chamber’s Annual Meeting held in November. Gilbane Building Company Business Development Director Tonya Byrd is the current chair. GreyStone Power VP of Engineering, Nadia Faucette will follow in 2023, followed by Douglas County School Superintendent Trent North in 2024, and Dr. Kelly in 2025.
Columbus CEO
Columbus State to Confer Degrees on 870 Graduates During Commencement Events
Staff Report
Four graduation-related events on Dec. 8 and Dec. 9 will celebrate the 870 Columbus State University students who comprise the university’s Fall 2022 graduates. These events will include three ceremonies throughout the day on Friday marking the university’s 124th commencement exercises.
Albany Herald
Naomi Sims reflects on 46-year Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College career
From staff reports
When Naomi Sims started working in the dining hall at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in 1976, she had no idea that in 2022 her career would be in its 46th year. That says something about her dedication to her job. “I enjoy people,” Sims said. “I enjoy seeing the students from all over the world. I tell them they are like my children. They come and go.” Sims started work as an ABAC dishwasher. Since that time, she has done it all, from salad bar server to her current post as line server supervisor. …“ABAC Dining just would not be the same without Naomi Sims,” Dining Services Director Dan Miller, a former ABAC student himself, said. “She raised me right here in this dining hall. She treats these students just like her family.”
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State University Educator Preparation Program penning ceremony
Photos by: Reginald Christian
Photos from the Albany State University Educator Preparation Program PENning Ceremony held on Saturday, December 3, 2022.
Athens CEO
UGA Extension Builds Local Coalitions Through Well Connected Communities
Amanda Budd
University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agents throughout the state have been hard at work improving health in their communities through the Well Connected Communities program. A nationwide initiative developed by the Cooperative Extension System and the National 4-H Council, Well Connected Communities is designed to identify and address systemic health inequities at the local level. The program receives funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health, and integrates youth and adult outlooks on the health needs of participating counties.
Harnessing community support
UGA is one of 17 land-grant universities that were selected to participate with three participating counties — Washington, Calhoun and Colquitt.
Jagwire
Ten new faculty to join Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences
Caroline Eaker
Augusta University’s School of Computer and Cyber Sciences is proud to announce the addition of 10 new faculty this academic year. The School of Computer and Cyber Sciences has experienced unprecedented growth over the past four years. Student enrollment has doubled, and, for the first time in the school’s history, the student body totals more than 700. The school has a bold vision for the future, with excellence in both education and research at all levels. To continue providing high-engagement, state-of-the-art technology education for a growing number of students, the school has welcomed 10 new faculty members.
AllOnGeorgia
GSU Football Team Helps Food Lion Feeds Provide 18,000 Meals to Fight Hunger
Throughout the 2022 college football season, Food Lion Feeds partnered with 33 higher education institutions to provide 828,000* meals to nourish neighbors in need. Georgia Southern University’s football team, the only participant in Georgia, had 18 quarterback sacks and therefore provided 18,000 meals to America’s Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia. Through the innovative effort to tackle hunger, Food Lion Feeds provided 1,000 meals per school for every quarterback sack made by the participating institution to each school’s local Feeding America® member food bank. Food Lion Feeds was founded in 2014 by Food Lion to address food insecurity in the towns and cities it serves.
Digital Journal
EDsmart Announces 2023 Best Physical Therapy Schools
By GetNewsPublished
EDsmart’s ranking of the Best Physical Therapy Schools is the most comprehensive and well-rounded. The ranking includes only fully accredited schools. We gathered the most recent data from the NCES College Navigator database [2023] to narrow down to colleges that fit the following criteria: 4-year public or private school, starting salary after graduation $25,000K+, and schools are ranked by average net cost. “It is important to recognize the colleges and universities that go above and beyond,” said Tyson Stevens, managing editor of EDsmart. “Our goal is to highlight these schools and their commitment to higher education.” “The Best Physical Therapy Schools ranking allows students to compare accredited programs and find those that best fit their education interests and career goals,” said EDsmart’s spokesperson.
2023 Best Physical Therapy Schools (in alphabetical order) …Georgia Southern University
Albany Herald
PHOTOS: Albany State University Christmas Concert 2022
Photos by: Reginald Christian
The Albany State University (ASU) Concert Chorale presented its Annual Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 4, at 6 p.m. at Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church. The concert, conducted by Dr. Marcia Hood, Chair of the Department of Arts and Humanities, featured Paul Basler’s Missa Kenya and other holiday favorites. The ASU Concert Chorale is comprised of 15 visual and performing arts students studying music or music education. Music professors Dr. Karen Yong and Dr. Jillian Baxter will assist with instruments.
Grice Connect
Yes, Statesboro, there is a Santa Gus
by Ron Baxley
Santa Gus, the Georgia Southern University mascot dressed as Santa, entertained a large crowd of children and their parents at the holiday-decorated Eugene M. Bishop Alumni Center of GSU Tuesday evening, Nov. 29, walking around and waving to those waiting to see him and more. Stephen Warner, Associate Director of Alumni Relations from the Armstrong campus of GSU in Savannah, came over to help coordinate the event. Warner said, “Over 150 have attended the event tonight, and it is our fourth year.” ”It’s a good way to combine the holidays with Georgia Southern. Everyone loves Gus. Put a Santa suit on him, and the kids love to come out and see him,” Warner added. He basically said the kids love GUS no matter the season.
WTOC
First phase of Statesboro’s Blue Mile Project is complete
By Dal Cannady
A portion of Statesboro has new life and a new look after months of construction. Team leaders for the Blue Mile Project say they’re excited to have the first phase completed. With lighting up and sod down, one half of The Blue Mile now looks like the plans announced years ago. … “We have new businesses that have shown up. We have old businesses that have been torn down. We have people waiting in line to get into restaurants,” said Keely Fennell, Blue Mile chairperson. The city teamed with Georgia Southern and other agencies to use funds secured in a national grant contest to dress up South Main. After they fixed drainage issues, they widened sidewalks, move utility lines improved lighting and landscaping to make an area people want to walk and explore this portion of town.
accessWDUN
Heisman Watch: UGA QB Stetson Bennett named Heisman finalist
By Eric Olson AP College Football Writer
Quarterbacks Stetson Bennett of Georgia, Max Duggan of TCU, C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Caleb Williams of Southern California were announced as finalists for the Heisman Trophy on Monday night. The award given to the outstanding player in college football, determined by a vote of more than 900 sports journalists and past winners, will be presented Saturday at the Lincoln Center in New York.
WSAV
Police arrest driver that crashed into Georgia Southern dorm
by: Emily Dietrich
The Statesboro Police Department is investigating after a car crashed into the Centennial Place Dorms on the Georgia Southern University campus. Police say that the incident began when an SPD patrol officer en route to another call witnessed a dark Chevrolet Impala driving at a high rate of speed on Chandler Road. … The vehicle passed the officer who turned around to pursue the Impala which continued northbound on Chandler Road. … When the officer was able to get behind the vehicle, it was in front of the entrance to the building. The driver then drove the vehicle into the exterior wall of the building. …The driver was later identified as Landun Brock, 21, of Commerce, Ga. Brock was treated for minor injuries at the East Georgi Regional Medical Center and later released into the custody of officers. He is now at the Bulloch County Jail and has been charged with DUI (less safe), Reckless Driving, Possession of Marijuana (misdemeanor), Giving False Information to Law Enforcement, Failure to Maintain Lane, Driving without a Valid License, and Adult Seatbelt violation.
See also:
WJCL
Dashcam shows people running to help after car smashes into Georgia Southern University dorm
Police in Statesboro are sharing more information after a car crashed into a Georgia Southern University dorm building, displacing dozens of students.
Times-Georgian
Two arrested in weekend shooting
By Kennae Hunter
Two arrests have been made in a shooting that took place Saturday at a Carrollton student apartment complex. Shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, Carrollton Police responded to 915 Lovvorn Road, RiverPointe Apartments, regarding shots fired near the 1000 building. When officers arrived, they discovered a man, identified as Tavis Kigwana, who is a University of West Georgia student, with multiple gunshot wounds. On Saturday, Captain JJ Cole stated that Kigwana suffered at least three gunshot wounds. …Two occupants, identified as Joshua Isaiah Turner, 18, of Carrollton and Jayden Bolton, 19, of Carrollton, were detained and have now been charged with aggravated assault.
Bloomberg
Audio
Balance of Power: Warnock Gains Momentum in Georgia Runoff (Radio)
Georgia Gwinnett College political science Professor Matthew Gunning discusses the Georgia runoff election. He spoke with Bloomberg’s David Westin.
Higher Education News:
Inside Higher Ed
GAO Blasts Colleges on Aid Offers
Nearly two-thirds of colleges follow half or fewer of the 10 best practices in award letters. No college in GAO’s sample followed all 10.
By Scott Jaschik
One of the most important steps when a student is choosing a college is knowing they have access to enough money to pay for it. But a new report from the Government Accountability Office blasted most colleges for failing to tell students how much the education will actually cost them. The GAO studied a nationally representative sample of 176 (unnamed) colleges and measured their performance in their award letters against 10 best practices in the field.
Inside Higher Ed
DOJ Asks Supreme Court to Hear Second Case on Debt
By Katherine Knott
The Biden administration wants the U.S. Supreme Court to add another lawsuit challenging its student loan forgiveness plan to the court’s docket for this term. The Department of Justice made the request in a lawsuit brought by Myra Brown and Alexander Taylor, who took issue with the debt-relief plan because they wouldn’t benefit from it and didn’t have the chance to comment on the proposal. A U.S. district judge in Texas ruled in favor of Brown and Taylor and vacated the program. The Biden administration appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, but a three-judge panel declined to overrule the district judge.
Inside Higher Ed
Faculty Diversification Must Accelerate, Report Says
New study finds that U.S. academe can reach true faculty diversity within a generation, but that colleges and universities have to think bigger—and work together.
By Colleen Flaherty
College and universities will need to diversify their faculties at about 3.5 times the current pace if they want the professoriate to reflect the U.S. population in terms of race by 2050. And they’ll need to work together to do it. This is the upshot of a new analysis in Nature Human Behavior that challenges the persistent idea that faculty diversity amounts to a “pipeline” problem. …Looking at data from the U.S. Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, the researchers found that the racial diversity of U.S. tenure-track and tenured faculty is not increasing any faster than the diversity of the American public. Across 1,250 institutions, the percentage of underrepresented tenure-line faculty members increased by 0.23 percentage points each year on average between 2013 and 2020. Meanwhile, the U.S. Census projects that the percentage of these same demographic groups among the general population will increase by 0.2 percentage points per year.
Inside Higher Ed
Congressional Democrats Want Legal Review of OPMs
The lawmakers want the Education Department to go beyond what a federal watchdog recommended in reviewing 2011 guidance for online program managers.
By Katherine Knott
The chairs of the Senate and House education committees want the U.S. Department of Education to step up oversight of the outside contractors that colleges and universities use to run online programs in order to ensure the third-party companies aren’t engaging in abusive recruiting practices. Specifically, the chairs and other congressional Democrats recommended in a letter sent Friday that the department conduct a “formal legal review” of the current rules for online program managers (OPMs), which is a step further than what the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office suggested in a report on the companies earlier this year. They also want the department to review disclosure requirements for OPM arrangements and to provide data on documented violations regarding OPMs. The lawmakers requested data on documented violations regarding OPMs and details on how the department is planning to revise its guidance. They want to hear back from the department in two weeks.