Capitol Beat News
Perdue warns enrollment declines at University System of Georgia will mean funding cuts
by Dave Williams
Declining enrollment across the University System of Georgia is going to result in student funding formula cuts at most of the state’s public colleges and universities, system Chancellor Sonny Perdue said Wednesday. Total enrollment for the fall semester at the system’s 26 colleges and universities was down 1.2% from the fall of 2021. That marked the second year in a row of declining enrollment. “This demographic cliff we’re facing is serious,” Perdue told members of the Georgia House and Senate Appropriations committees on the second day of hearings on Gov. Brian Kemp’s $32.5 billion budget request. “We’re going to do our level best to do more with less.” Overall, however, the governor’s fiscal 2024 budget would increase funding for the university system by $124 million. Most of that money – $87.4 million – would pay for $2,000 raises for faculty and other university system employees.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Lawmakers push for planning districts to strengthen Georgia’s HBCUs
By Vanessa McCray
Georgia’s 10 historically Black colleges and universities could be strengthened by creating coordinated planning districts, a new report found. A Georgia state Senate study committee, created last year, identified ways to invest in the schools, which combined enroll more than 20,000 Black undergraduate students and are responsible for more than 12,000 jobs. One recommendation that emerged: Passing legislation that would allow for the establishment of HBCU innovation and economic prosperity planning districts. Through such districts, the schools could work with local, state and federal leaders plus private partners to secure funding for and develop projects to benefit the colleges as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. …Lawmakers also recommended that the state’s historically Black colleges join together to publish a biennial report detailing, in part, how the schools work with state agencies.
InsiderAdvantage
Fort Valley State selected for Amazon career program
by IAG Staff
Middle Georgia’s Fort Valley State University has been selected as one of the first Georgia schools to join Amazon’s Career Choice program, which offers secondary education opportunities to its hourly employees. Amazon is investing more than $1.2 billion into the program nationwide, and will work with partner schools like FVSU to offer programs and certifications that empower workers to advance their careers in new, in-demand fields.
The Baldwin Bulletin
Georgia College partners with businesses across state
By Bailey Ballard
Georgia College & State University’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies is now offering employer education partnerships. The employer education partnership was an initiative program started to connect the school to businesses across Georgia.
WRDW
AU program expands opportunities for service members
By Staff
The U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Augusta University are partnering to create the university’s first fully online graduate degree programs to expand educational opportunities for service members. The programs are the Master of Science with a Major in Information Security Management and the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies. The two established a strategic partnership in 2016, offering continuing education courses and certifications to service members. This partner contract establishes the terms for awarding course credit from AU to military personnel who have completed training or education courses at the cyber center and expands graduate education opportunities by enabling servicemembers to complete their master’s degree 100% online.
Livability
Score a Top-Notch Education in Columbus, GA
Region’s schools and university work together to prepare students for local, in-demand careers.
By Teree Caruthers
Muscogee County School District and Columbus State University are key components of workforce development efforts and education in Columbus and the region. A public institution offering more than 90 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, Columbus State works closely with local schools and the business community to introduce students as early as middle school to in-demand careers and keep skilled talent flowing to the region’s leading industries. …The university’s nursing program, for example, is consistently ranked among the top 10 nursing schools in the state. The Teaching Contract Guarantee initiative with the Muscogee County School District guarantees all graduates of Columbus State’s education program a teaching contract with the school system.
Gainesville Times
4 takeaways from UNG event at Gainesville campus
Ben Anderson
University of North Georgia administrators spoke Tuesday at the Gainesville campus about the school’s initiatives to help first-generation college students and gave an update on the search for a new president at a meeting organized by the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s South Hall Business Coalition. Here are some of the takeaways.
EDA
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is awarding a $794,472 grant to the Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation, Inc., Statesboro, Georgia, to connect businesses in underserved areas of Georgia with the technical assistance they need to grow and thrive. This project will allow Georgia Southern University’s Georgia Enterprise Network for Innovation and Entrepreneurship to install standardized, interactive conference and virtual receptionist equipment at 27 locations in Georgia to connect these communities with existing entrepreneur and business support programs and related partners. The EDA investment will be matched with $198,618 in local funds. “Georgia Southern University plays an important role in delivering vital technical assistance to communities and businesses in Georgia as an EDA University Center grantee,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development Alejandra Y. Castillo. “This program will expand the capacity of the University to connect businesses and entrepreneurs in rural and underserved communities with university programs and other economic development authorities to support business growth in a region impacted by the declining use of coal.”
Livability
Innovation, Technology Power Columbus Companies
Meet three companies that excel in Columbus, thanks to a supportive ecosystem, great resources and deep talent pool.
By John McBryde
One company was founded in the early 1990s with a mission to help Greek organizations across the country manage their memberships, finances and recruitment. Another began about 17 years ago to provide health care laboratories with the most effective products and services to collect, transport and track clinical samples. And while OmegaFi and Path-Tec may share little in common when it comes to services, products and clients, the two Columbus companies have made their respective strides and growth through innovation and technology. …“There’s a great technology ecosystem and talent pool here,” says Fred Maglione, CEO of Omega-Fi. “A number of our tech leaders are products of Columbus State University, through an internship program with [the school].” Likewise, Path-Tec has benefited from the great technology resources in Columbus, according to Kevin Boykin, the company’s president and CEO. “From the early days when it was just an idea, we’ve leveraged resources from the technology incubator based on the campus of Columbus State,” he says. “Our labor pool is pretty good as well.”
Livability
A River of Renewal Runs Through Downtown Columbus, GA
Developments mean a renewed arts and entertainment scene – plus more opportunities for small businesses.
By Amy Antonation
One thing all residents can agree on, both native and new, is that the Uptown Columbus district is getting more dynamic all the time. About 600 businesses and 11,000 workers are enjoying success in Uptown Columbus, and entertainment venues and community events are also thriving. …“More young people are coming Uptown because Columbus State University has established their performing arts, nursing and medical departments in the district, and about 400 students also live in residential halls in a nearby building that the university owns,” says Ed Wolverton, president of Uptown Columbus Inc., a nonprofit organization founded in 1983.
WJBF
Doctors at MCG fight against a disease that disproportionately affects older Black adults
by: Tiffany Hobbs
Peripheral arterial disease is a common disease causing reduced blood flow to legs. Doctors in the area are looking into why the disease occurs more often in certain populations. Peripheral arterial disease- or PAD- occurs when vessels are blocked and can’t carry blood from the heart to the legs. “It makes it difficult to walk,” says Dr. Monique Bethel, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology) at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. “And, in the most extreme cases, because of the lack of blood flow, legs sometimes have to get amputated.”
WRDW
Augusta University urges CPR training after NFL incident
By Nick Viland
The NFL player Damar Hamlin has been released from the hospital after collapsing on the field last week. He’s back home now. Hamlin went into cardiac arrest during a football game, and medical professionals have been using the incident as an example of how crucial CPR can be to save a life. That’s why Augusta University Health is encouraging people to take CPR certification classes.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Big business wants solar energy. Can Georgia utilities keep up?
By Meris Lutz
Major corporations’ environmental goals leading push for more renewable power
Large corporations, led by big tech, are driving much of the solar power development in Georgia and across the country — and challenging utilities to keep up. Companies like Meta, Amazon and Google are pushing solar development to satisfy their enormous energy needs while reducing emissions and meeting aggressive climate and sustainability goals. The surge in solar has also been driven by steep declines in the cost of panels. A decade ago, corporate solar demand was dominated by big box retailers investing in rooftop panels. Today, major companies want sprawling off-site solar farms to power or offset the energy needs of massive data centers, offices and factories. …David Eady, senior manager for industry engagement with the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business at Georgia Tech, said companies are responding to the economics of renewable power more than regulation.
Albany Herald
Cold protection options for growing winter fruit and vegetables
By Emily Cabrera
Whether you’re a home gardener or a production farmer, Georgia’s mild climate allows for a variety of fruits and vegetables to be grown throughout the entire year. However, with erratic weather events and broad temperature swings during the winter and early spring months, having a few cold protection resources on hand can help weather unpredictability. University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources agents Jeff Cook and Laura Ney answer some of the most common questions regarding cold weather and provide cold protection strategies that can be implemented in the garden or on the farm.
Forbes
The ‘Truth’ About Driving With Hazard Lights Flashing During Bad Weather
Marshall Shepherd, Senior Contributor (Dr.Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program.)
This week, strong storms rumbled through Georgia. As I commuted home in very heavy rainfall, many cars were driving with their hazard lights flashing. I posted on my social media pages that many transportation experts frown upon that practice. This post provoked a range of opinions, some of which were in direct opposition to experts so I decided to dig into this a bit deeper and find the “truth.” Not only do many experts advise against driving with the hazard lights flashing, the practice is actually illegal in several states. …In 2016, the Johns Creek Police Department posted on its Facebook page, “Using your hazard lights while driving is illegal in several states, but not in Georgia. THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU SHOULD USE THEM.” The page went on to list the following reasons: Hazard lights reduce visibility and confuse drivers. They may think you are stalled or stopped. They make it challenging to know who is braking. They eliminate the turn signal function. They concluded with a reminder that hazard lights are a sign that you need help.
yahoo!sports
TikTok poses no national security threat to US, study finds
Carl Samson
A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology claims TikTok poses no threat to U.S. national security. The finding comes as more and more states are banning employees from using the Chinese social video platform on government devices. On Dec. 30, 2022, President Joe Biden signed an omnibus legislation that includes a similar measure. The study, which was published on Monday, questions whether TikTok can be considered a tool of information warfare, a form of espionage and/or a tool for offensive cyber operations.
WTVM
Mayor Henderson presents resolution to the women of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated
By Ashton Akins
Today, city leaders helped the women of Delta Sigma Theta, Incorporated celebrate their founders’ day. Delta Sigma Theta is the largest Historically African American sorority of the Divine 9. The combined chapters of Columbus Georgia Alumnae, Columbus Metropolitan Alumnae, and the Theta Phi undergraduate chapter, on the campus of Columbus State University, held a joint press conference this morning, at the Citizens Service Center. During the press conference, Mayor Skip Henderson presented a resolution.
The Union-Recorder
GCSU holds public events to introduce NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope
Georgia College & State University (GCSU) is throwing a free, two-night Sky Party for the public to introduce NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope and its golden honeycomb mirrors. The events will give people the chance to see planets and stars closeup.
AllOnGeorgia
Feed the Boro’s First Food Drop of the Year is January 28
Feed the Boro’s first Food Drop event of 2023 will be held Saturday, January 28 at Statesboro High School, located at 10 Lester Road/10 Coach Lee Street. Food distribution begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at 11:00 a.m. or when all food has been distributed. Plan to get in line early if possible. This event is in partnership with Second Harvest of Coastal Georgia and presented by Statesboro Food Lion. It is sponsored by Georgia Southern University APEX.
Savannah Morning News
Why UGA football coach Kirby Smart made a recruiting stop in Savannah on Tuesday
Dennis Knight
Just eight days removed from Georgia’s dominating win over TCU in the National Championship game in Southern California, UGA football coach Kirby Smart made the recruiting rounds in Savannah on Tuesday. Smart made stops at Savannah Christian, Calvary Day, Jenkins and Benedictine in an important visit to Savannah, which has earned the reputation as a hotbed for Power Five talent in recent years.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Police: ‘Speed a factor’ in fatal crash involving Georgia football players, staff
By Chip Towers
Athens Clarke-County Police released its crash report on the fatal accident that took the lives of two members of the Georgia football team and injured two others. Some questions were answered therein, but many more were not. …The investigation determined that “excessive speed” and the initial contact made with the curb and a tree in the path of the spinning vehicle as “most harmful” for causing the fatal injuries. The posted speed limit in the area is 40 mph, but police did not say how fast the SUV may have been going when it crashed at 2:45 a.m. Sunday. …Funeral services for LeCroy, 24, will be held Wednesday in Toccoa. A memorial service for Willock is being planned but no details have been released. A team bus will transport Georgia players to the funeral.
Other News:
accessWDUN
Kemp: Georgia budget spending meant to keep economy growing
By The Associated Press
Gov. Brian Kemp told Georgia lawmakers Tuesday that his plans to give raises to teachers, pay more tuition for many college students and invest in new housing are all designed to keep the state’s workforce growing and meet the needs of employers. “The most valuable in-demand resource in our state right now is our people,” the Republican governor said. “We need to keep them, and the pipeline of skilled workers, wide open to keep up with that demand.” Kemp spoke to lawmakers remotely from Davos, Switzerland, where he’s attending the World Economic Forum.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
Foxx renews oversight requests after retaking House education chair
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Chair Virginia Foxx speaks at a commitee meeting.
Rep. Virginia Foxx is once again pressing the Education Department to detail how it supports academic freedom on college campuses. Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
Dive Brief:
Rep. Virginia Foxx, who retook the chair of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, is once again pressing the U.S. Department of Education to explain how it handles colleges that undermine free speech and academic freedom. The North Carolina Republican is fulfilling her promise to hold the Biden administration’s feet to the fire through oversight inquiries once Republicans took charge of the House and she reclaimed the committee gavel. Foxx, along with Rep. James Comer, a Kentucky Republican who now chairs the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, first wrote to the Education Department in September demanding answers on free inquiry at colleges. In a new letter Thursday, Foxx told Education Secretary Miguel Cardona to respond to the request by Jan. 27. She wrote that not doing so “may result in the Committee taking more robust actions to ensure compliance with its oversight requests.”
Inside Higher Ed
Community colleges gained dual-enrollment students but lost recent high school grads and adult learners at high rates, according to a recent analysis of federal enrollment data.
By Sara Weissman
Recently released federal higher education data show community college enrollment trends during the first two years of the pandemic differed based on the age of the students, according to a new analysis by the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. The analysis found that community college enrollments fell steeply over all, but the greatest declines were among recent high school graduates. Older adults experienced declines as well, continuing a trend of the last decade. Some community colleges notably bucked the trends, however, and experienced steady or increasing enrollment. Further, the number of high school students taking dual-enrollment courses continued to grow in most states.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Spaces of Belonging: Schools Look to Design to Help First-Gen Students
Jon Edelman
Over half of undergraduate students in the U.S. are the first in their family to attend an institution of higher learning. These first-generation students are likelier than their peers to be from minoritized backgrounds, to face economic challenges, and to juggle jobs and families in addition to school. And they may be less familiar with the “hidden curriculum”—the implicit norms and knowledge that help students navigate college life. These factors make it harder for first-gen students to function in institutions that were developed for elite whites. Indeed, six years after entering college, 56% of first-gen students have not earned any post-secondary credential. To help them, colleges are going beyond academic support. They’re re-evaluating physical spaces on campus to figure out how to create an environment of belonging. And campus architecture and design firms are coming up with ways, both subtle and bold, to help first-gen students succeed.
Inside Higher Ed
Colleges Increasingly Prioritize Mental Health, Survey Shows
By Johanna Alonso
As student mental health continues to worsen, college and university leaders seems to be increasing their focus—and spending—on mental health services, according to the results of a new survey from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators, which represents student affairs professionals, and Uwill, a teletherapy platform aimed at college students. Out of the 131 NASPA members who responded to the survey, 72 percent reported that the mental health of students, faculty and staff at their institution had worsened over the past year. (By contrast, 11 percent said it had improved, and 17 percent said it stayed the same.) But the majority of respondents also said that their institution was increasing efforts to address mental health; 77 percent reported that their campus had boosted its financial commitment to mental health services in the past year, and 71 percent said that more mental health resources became available to students over the past year.
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Arrman Kyaw
The mental health crisis affecting college students has become involved in stalled faculty contract negotiations at the University of Illinois Chicago, WBEZ Chicago reported. University Of Illinois Chicago Union members of the UIC United Faculty’s 900 – threatening to strike – are asking for increased pay in part to compensate for larger workloads that they say result from students’ heightened mental health needs.
See also:
Inside Higher Ed
University of Illinois at Chicago Faculty Members Strike
Diverse Issues in Higher Education
Rhode Island College Requires Masks in Classrooms for Students and Faculty Amid COVID Surge
Arrman Kyaw
Rhode Island College (RIC) will be requiring masks in classrooms for students and faculty when spring semester starts next week, given a slight surge in COVID-19 cases in Providence County, WJAR reported. Providence County is in the “high” category for community transmission, according to the CDC. …The masking requirement will also apply to faculty offices, labs, and student services staff offices. The mandate can be waived in some cases.
The College Fix
UCLA sports may use private funds for travel due to LGBT law: report
Claire Anderson
California travel ban law complicates UCLA’s move to Big Ten
Sports teams for the University of California Los Angeles will reportedly use private funds to travel to states that have laws deemed discriminatory against LGBT individuals, according to officials. Private funds are needed when UCLA officially moves to the Big Ten Conference in 2024 due to a California law that prohibits state funds from being used to travel to states with socially conservative policies on homosexuality and transgenderism. …The University of California Board of Regents approved the conference move at its last meeting.
CNN
Federal student loan office has lots to do but no new money to do it
By Katie Lobosco
Big headaches for student loan borrowers could be on the horizon. Their monthly payments could restart as early as this summer after a three-year pause. And the federal office that oversees the student loan system is operating under the same budget as last year – which could complicate any efforts to make sure the repayment process goes smoothly, as well as the office’s plans to overhaul the system.
Inside Higher Ed
Audit: Office of Federal Student Aid Bungled Loan Overhaul
By Katherine Knott
The Office of Federal Student Aid didn’t follow best practices in budgeting, planning and managing the modernization of its student loan system, the Education Department’s Office of Inspector General found in an audit published Tuesday. FSA staff didn’t complete budget requests for many components of the modernization until after the bid solicitations were issued. Staff also didn’t follow other required procedures that would’ve allowed “appropriate officials to agree on the project’s objectives, requirements, and funding,” the report says. The Next Gen initiative would centralize the student loan servicing system as part of a broader overhaul of FSA’s operations. The project has been in the works for years and faced several delays. The audit reviewed the agency’s planning for and managing of the transition from October 2016 to July 31, 2021.
Inside Higher Ed
Some Colleges Appeal Borrower-Defense Settlement
By Katherine Knott
Three colleges are asking a federal judge to delay a settlement in a class action lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education that argued the agency ignored borrower defense to repayment claims. The colleges—Lincoln Educational Services Corporation, Everglades College Inc. and American National University—said last week that they would appeal the settlement, which canceled $6 billion in student loans for about 200,000 borrowers who attended one of 153 institutions, including those who are appealing. Most of the institutions on the department’s list, known as Exhibit C, are for-profit colleges or universities.
Inside Higher Ed
Harvard Medical School Withdraws From ‘U.S. News’ Rankings
Dean writes that his decision is based “on the principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence.”
By Scott Jaschik
The dean of Harvard University’s medical school announced Tuesday that the institution would no longer contribute data to or otherwise help U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of medical schools. “Educational leaders have long criticized the methodology used by USNWR to assess and rank medical schools,” wrote George Q. Daley, the dean. “However, my concerns and the perspectives I have heard from others are more philosophical than methodological, and rest on the principled belief that rankings cannot meaningfully reflect the high aspirations for educational excellence, graduate preparedness, and compassionate and equitable patient care that we strive to foster in our medical education programs.” Harvard tops U.S. News’s medical school rankings for prospective students who want to focus on research. A similar move by Yale Law School, the top-rated law school, led many other highly ranked law schools to withdraw from the U.S. News rankings this fall. Harvard’s was the second law school to join that movement.