AllOnGeorgia
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) approved a statement of principles Wednesday that affirm and protect academic freedom and freedom of expression for students, faculty and staff at its 26 public colleges and universities. “College campuses are meant to be places where students, faculty and staff learn and grow and one of the very important ways that they can do that is by sharing ideas, theories and opinions with each other even if it means also hearing things they might disagree with,” Board Chairman Harold Reynolds said. “Students especially should never feel they may suffer any repercussions for speaking out as part of the civil discourse on campus, no matter what side of an issue they may take.”
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Capitol Recap: Georgia colleges’ tuition could increase to fill budget hole
By Jim Denery
Regents delay decision to consider options after $66 million cut
Tuition increases are among the options University System of Georgia officials are considering after state lawmakers cut its funding by $66 million for the next fiscal year. Normally, the Georgia Board of Regents would make decisions about tuition this month. The regents, however, will wait until May to determine whether to raise tuition and fees for the state’s 26 public colleges. Until then, officials will review their options to raise revenue to close the hole in the University System’s $3.1 billion budget that lawmakers approved on the last day of the General Assembly’s legislative session.
AP News
Georgia won’t demand tests to enter 23 of 26 public colleges
By Jeff Amy
Students applying to 23 of Georgia’s 26 public universities and colleges next year won’t need to take the SAT or ACT college tests to apply. Regents voted Wednesday to let students apply without the tests through the 2024-2025 school year, after University System of Georgia officials told them that renewed testing requirements would likely drive students to other colleges. Tests will remain required at the University of Georgia and Georgia Tech, while Georgia College and State University in Milledgeville will resume a testing requirement in what Chancellor Sonny Perdue characterized as an experiment to examine how requiring the exams affects applications. Perdue left open the possibility that he could ask regents to permanently abolish testing requirements at many universities.
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Bollyinside
Columbus State’s Business and Technology Strengths Highlighted Through Turner College Renaming
Bureau of Labor Statistics’ recent job report, the number of jobs in the tech sector has steadily increased, with an employment increase in 2022 of 28% over the same time in 2021.
By Delia Reynolds
Columbus State University’s business school has been renamed as the D. Abbott Turner College of Business & Technology, following approval from the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. The name change reflects the role that both business and technology play in advancing the college’s strategic and competitive advantages. Other possibilities include allocating state funds to schools most in need and dipping into a portion of “carry forward” funds left over in college budgets.
Gwinnett Daily Post
Georgia Gwinnett College signs transfer admission agreement with Mercer’s College of Pharmacy
From Staff Reports
Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Georgia Gwinnett College recently signed a transfer admission agreement that will enable GGC students to receive priority applicant status for the College of Pharmacy’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Under the terms of the agreement, students in this pathway program will complete their prerequisites and part of their bachelor’s degree requirements at GGC before enrolling in Mercer’s Pharm.D. program. They will then be able to transfer back the first year of Mercer’s Pharm.D. program credits to fulfill the requirements for their bachelor’s degree at GGC.
WGAU Radio
UNG students win Goldwater Scholarships
By Clark Leonard, UNG
The University of North Georgia tied for the second-most Barry Goldwater Scholarship recipients among public universities in Georgia for 2023 with two students earning the prestigious scholarship. Aysia Bittinger and Haley Menees were among the 413 college students selected from 1,267 nominees nationwide. UNG, the University of Georgia, and Georgia State University each had two students selected, while Georgia Tech had five Goldwater Scholars. The Barry Goldwater Scholarship is designed to foster and encourage outstanding students to pursue research careers in the fields of natural sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The Goldwater Scholarship is the preeminent undergraduate award of its type in these fields and will provide up to $15,000 per student over two years.
CBS News
Georgia Gwinnett College’s “Roots to Shoots” recycling program turns food waste to produce
By Valencia Jones
College students at one metro Atlanta campus are making sure no leftover food goes to waste, and they’re also helping the environment. Stephen Johnson, an environmental science major at Georgia Gwinnett College, started the Roots to Shoots program, which puts food waste from the dining hall to good use. “I wanted to take that, bring it to the micro-farm, turn it into compost. Because we had terrible soil. We wanted to create better soil so that we produce better food so that we could then bring that produce back to the dining hall,” Johnson said. “GGC wanted to do outreach, and I wanted to expose GGC to the community.” Keaton Hartfield also majors in environmental science and helped launch the program.
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WJCL
Keeping Abbie DeLoach’s legacy alive through Good Works
Foundation presents scholarships at annual luncheon
Frank Sulkowski, Anchor/Reporter
Maddie Black will never get the chance to meet Abbie DeLoach, but the two are forever connected. “To be able to honor Abbie is something that I’m truly thankful for,” says Black. Black, a Georgia Southern junior, studying to become a nurse. It’s the same dream DeLoach was pursuing when she was killed in a crash on I-16 back in 2015. The Savannah Christian alum one of five lives lost at the hands of a distracted truck driver. …Since 2016, Abbie DeLoach Foundation has presented over $1.25 million in scholarships reflecting the qualities that exemplified Abbie’s life including, a love of nursing, education, athleticism, and world missions.
Savannah Area Chamber
Augusta University Students Feel College-Ready After Professional Trip To Savannah
Students from Augusta University visited Savannah to learn more about career readiness and talk to business professionals about what it takes for success. Before making the trip, the thirteen students completed a survey reporting how prepared they felt in transitioning from college to career. After taking a tour meeting with Chamber staff and listening to a presentation from Visit Savannah’s VP of Sales, Jeff Hewitt, the students reported in their post-survey that they felt much more prepared.
Athens Banner-Herald
UGA student plans project around Earth Day at UGA baseball game
Kristen Morales UGA Communications
Hunter Scully has two passions: University of Georgia sports and sustainability. After arriving on campus as a graduate student and attending a few games, it got him thinking if there was a way to help generate less waste at sporting events. A UGA student holds a bag of aluminum cans collected from a UGA baseball game earlier this spring that is headed for recycling.
Scully, a natural resources student in the UGA Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, connected with the university’s Office of Sustainability and found a way to initiate an ambitious project that focused on a “weekend without waste from a sporting event going to the landfill.”
Athens CEO
UGA Extension, CAES Partner with Georgia Organics to Support State Growers
Emily Cabrera
What began as a grassroots growers cooperative in the 1970s has become one of the Southeast’s most prestigious member-supported nonprofit farming organizations. After 25 years as a 501(c)(3), Georgia Organics continues to hold its ground in one of the country’s most agriculture-rich states, supporting organic growers and championing the local food movement. …With its roots in farmer education and networking, Georgia Organics’ annual conference has been at the core of the organization’s history and mission, centered on farmer prosperity, environmental stewardship, climate change and racial equity. Having just wrapped up its 25th annual conference in Perry, Georgia, the organization continues its longstanding partnership with the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences and UGA Cooperative Extension. UGA Associate Professor and Extension Plant Pathologist Elizabeth Little, who presented at this year’s conference, is on the organization’s board of directors. Little, who describes organic production as a labor-intensive, complex process of problem-solving, has worked one-on-one with organic growers to help prevent disease by utilizing better production practices.
Fox28 Savannah
Economist discusses flaws in current income tax filing process
by Christian Felt
Tuesday was the final day to file your 2022 federal income taxes. Fox28 spoke with a local economics professor about obstacles people face when filing and how the government could work to simplify that process. Georgia Southern economics professor Richard McGrath said the federal government relies more on income taxes to keep the nation running than ever before. …He said the current tax code involves complicated language that can sometimes prevent low-income individuals from filing. …McGrath said that although the current filing process can be complicated, proposed alternatives like the FairTax Act or a national sales tax would only worsen things.
Grice Connect
2023 Georgia Southern Alumni Association Awards honor alumni achievements and community engagement
The 2023 Alumni Awards ceremony was held at the Statesboro Convention & Visitors Bureau on April 14.
Georgia Southern University’s Alumni Association recognized the highest levels of achievement and service among the University’s alumni during the 2023 Alumni Awards ceremony, held at the Statesboro Convention & Visitors Bureau on April 14. “As we gather here tonight, I am honored to recognize our outstanding alumni for their remarkable service, exceptional business acumen and overall excellence,” stated Georgia Southern President Kyle Marrero at the event. “With a growing network of more than 146,000 Georgia Southern and Armstrong alumni, each success story further strengthens our University’s reputation as a center for excellence.”
Statesboro Herald
Get into the paint or clay: It’s ArtsFest 2023 at GA Southern
Scott Bryant/staff
Artists of all ages and skill levels enjoyed a day full of creativity at the annual ArtsFest, held on Sweetheart Circle at Georgia Southern University on April 15.
Nightly News Broadcast
Netflix ending DVD-by-mail service
Video Broadcast
Georgia Southern University Amanda Konkle teaches film studies.
WTVM
Scott’s Miracle Riders announce fundraising goal for CSU’s nursing program
By Jessie Gibson
Scott Ressmeyer and the Miracle Riders leave in May on their cross-country motorcycle ride to raise awareness and funds for the Columbus State University nursing program. They announced this year’s ride date and this year’s fundraising goal at a press conference Thursday afternoon. The group is set to leave on May 22 for their cross-country motorcycle ride. The Miracle Riders announced they hope to raise $300,000 this year. Last year, Miracle Riders funded new technology and other enhancements for the pediatric simulation lab, which enables nursing students to learn diagnostic and treatment skills using life-like mannequins.
WTVM
CSU, Columbus Tech host military spouse event
By Josiah Berry
Columbus Technical College and Columbus State University hosted a military spouse event on April 20. This event was designed to bridge the gap between active-duty families and the community. “We want to celebrate the military spouse, and also allow them to see some of the educational opportunities they have access to right here in the Columbus area, and to get connected with community resources,” said Tamara Hicks a CTC students affair coordinator.
Athens Banner-Herald
What UGA, Kirby Smart and Mark Richt did to make night special for staff member with ALS
John Frierson UGA Athletic Association
Ben Brandenburg arrived at the Athens Country Club on Monday night not knowing what was to come. The longtime UGA Athletic Association staff member and his wife Mobley left the 37th Annual National Football Foundation University of Georgia Chapter Awards Presentation elated and very thankful.
“I was expecting a date night with my wife,” Brandenburg said with a laugh. He got that and a lot more. Brandenburg, who in 2021 was diagnosed with ALS, was surprised to learn that he was the inaugural recipient of the Mark Richt Altruism Award. Along with the award, Loran Smith, the UGA athletics historian and executive director of the NFF’s Georgia Chapter, announced to the crowd of about 250 that Brandenburg and his family, including daughters Abby (age five) and Shelby (three), were getting an all-expenses-paid trip to Disney World.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
UGA plans to stick with Stegeman Coliseum after latest makeover
By Chip Towers,
Stegeman Coliseum is not about to fall down, but Georgia is putting a lot more work – and money – into the 60-year-old arena that serves as a home for men’s and women’s basketball and gymnastics.
Higher Education News:
Higher Ed Dive
Another state is going after tenure — this time, it’s North Carolina
Jeremy Bauer-Wolf, Senior Reporter
Dive Brief:
Faculty in North Carolina’s public colleges wouldn’t be able to earn tenure if they were hired after July 2024 under a state bill introduced Tuesday. Proposed legislation would establish instructors in the state’s community colleges and four-year universities as either at-will or contracted employees. Faculty contracts could run one to four years. The bill also would mandate minimum class sizes, determined in part by how many students are studying a particular subject. It also would ask every public institution to draft a report detailing “all noninstructional research” for the higher ed systems, which would in turn present the information to lawmakers.
Higher Ed Dive
New Jersey loosens degree requirements for state jobs in favor of skills training, work experience
The plan aims to allow those without college degrees to attain high-paying jobs.
By Carolyn Crist
New Jersey will prioritize skills training and work experience over college degree requirements for certain state jobs, according to an April 10 announcement from Gov. Phil Murphy’s office. Now the New Jersey Civil Service Commission will identify the job classifications that require college degrees and determine which ones fall under the new plan to prioritize skills. The goal is to open the door to high-paying jobs, with salaries that may surpass $120,000 per year.
Inside Higher Ed
More Malware, Less Ransomware in Higher Ed
Cybercriminals often target known network vulnerabilities. But software updates and patches only work when installed, and colleges face nontrivial hurdles in this regard.
By Susan D’Agostino
Cybercriminals are humans, and as such, their whims, preferences and practices are subject to change. In 2020 and 2021, across sectors and regions, they appeared to prefer ransomware over other kinds of malware attacks, and government was their top malware target, according to new report from SonicWall. But in 2022, cybercriminals altered their patterns. In this new threat landscape across industries and regions, ransomware attacks decreased (by 21 percent), though malware attacks over all increased (by 2 percent, after three years of decline), according to the report. Also, educational institutions were their top malware target.
Inside Higher Ed
House Republicans Move to Bar Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports
By Katherine Knott
House Republicans narrowly advanced a bill Thursday that would define sex in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 as a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth—prohibiting transgender athletes from participating in athletic programs for women or girls. The bill, which passed the House with 219 votes, is unlikely to advance in the Democratic-controlled Senate, and President Biden said he would veto the measure. No House Democrats voted for the bill. They had decried the bill as discriminatory and extreme.
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Higher Ed Dive
Education Department struggles to fulfill its duties without a significant bump in funding
As the agency crafts a new FAFSA, students and states are in the lurch.
By Lilah Burke
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid has always had big responsibilities relative to its size. Its primary job is overseeing the federal government’s student loan portfolio, a feat it accomplishes with less than one-third of the Education Department’s staff. In fiscal years 2022 and 2023, it cost the government $2 billion per year to run the office. But even starting with that big job, the office’s responsibilities are multiplying, and experts say it doesn’t have the funding it needs to make things run smoothly. This year, FSA is expected to steward borrowers back into repayment after a three-year pause, implement new income-driven repayment plans, and bring millions of defaulted borrowers back into good standing, among a myriad of other initiatives. That takes money.
Inside Higher Ed
House Debt Plan Would Mean Higher Ed Spending Cuts
The Education Department could have to cut anywhere from 8 to 23 percent out of its budget under the House Republicans’ opening offer on debt ceiling negotiations.
By Katherine Knott
Education Secretary Miguel Cardona on Wednesday blasted the House Republicans’ proposed plan to lift the debt ceiling. The plan would block the administration from forgiving student loans and calls for cuts in federal spending. “Speaker [Kevin] McCarthy declared that he will force a catastrophic default and plunge America into recession unless he can claw back school relief dollars and prevent millions of hardworking Americans—including over 83,000 borrowers in his own district—from getting the student debt relief they need coming out of the pandemic,” Cardona said in a statement. Student debt relief advocates slammed the plan, and higher education lobbyists warned that the spending cuts would be devastating for students, colleges and universities.
Inside Higher Ed
White House Ready to Name New NIH Director
By Katherine Knott
President Biden is planning to name Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, director of the National Cancer Institute, to lead the National Institutes of Health, The Wall Street Journal reported. NIH has not had a permanent director since December 2021, when longtime head Dr. Francis Collins retired. The White House is planning to make an announcement soon, per news reports, but declined to comment on the reports of Dr. Bertagnolli’s selection.
Higher Ed Dive
Use open educational resources to hit DEI goals, AAC&U says
Laura Spitalniak, Associate Editor
Dive Brief:
Colleges can use open educational resources, or OER, to meet their diversity, equity and inclusion goals, according to a report released Thursday by the American Association of Colleges and Universities. Students engage more when they are able to see people who share their backgrounds represented in course materials, the report said. OER — resources that are either in the public domain or have been licensed to allow people to rework and share them freely — allow educators to individualize materials they use in the classroom. The report is meant to act as a guidebook for institutions interested in making their coursework more inclusive and diversifying the sources from which students learn, AAC&U said.