University System News:
www.getschoole.blog.ajc.com
Get Schooled with Maureen Downey
Opinion: We overcorrected HOPE Scholarship and students suffered. Time to reopen debate.
http://getschooled.blog.ajc.com/2015/07/05/opinion-we-overcorrected-hope-scholarship-and-students-suffered-time-to-reopen-debate/
State Rep. Stacey Evans, D- Smyrna, has made education a focus in the Georgia Legislature. A north Georgia native, Evans attended the University of Georgia on a HOPE Scholarship. She is now an attorney. When the General Assembly began to tinker with HOPE four years ago in response to mounting financial pressures on the beloved program, Evans urged a sliding income scale to ensure students from Georgia’s poorest families continued to receive full tuition. Her effort failed. Instead, the General Assembly approved Gov. Nathan Deal’s HOPE plan, which did the following: …Georgia and the country have a tuition problem. Higher education has never been so expensive. Nationally, tuition has increased well over 300 percent since 1988, while inflation has increased roughly 85 percent. And here at home, we’re not immune. Just two months ago, the Board of Regents voted to raise tuition up to 9 percent, for an average system wide increase of 3 percent.

www.myajc.com
TIME FOR GENDER-CONSCIOUS COLLEGE ADMISSIONS?
Not black or white
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/opinion/not-black-or-white/nmq5L/#f0d1d9ec.3566685.735785
By Maureen Downey – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
In theory, everyone wants colleges to admit students based solely on academic excellence. In reality, few of us would want to attend colleges that did so. If colleges relied only on test scores, AP enrollment, class ranking and grade point averages, there would be fewer males along with fewer African-American students. Campuses would be more monochromatic and female. …As the AJC reported in a special investigation last year, the 2014 freshman class at Georgia Tech had an average SAT score of 1445. However, for incoming football players, the average SAT was 420 points below the class as a whole. Gaps were also found among athletes at the University of Georgia, Georgia State and Georgia Southern. The AJC reported that in some years, as many as 100 percent of football players have SAT scores in the bottom quarter of their freshman class at Tech. At the University of Georgia, the AJC found about eight of 10 football players were in the bottom quarter.

www.statesboroherald.com
Study: Ga. teachers, state workers pay more for health care
Report suggests ways to cut costs
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/68704/
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — Teachers and state employees in Georgia are paying more for their health care than other public sector employees, according to a new study by the state Department of Community Health. Consulting group Aon Hewitt studied the State Health Benefit Plan and concluded that state employees and teachers are paying more in out-of-pocket costs, including payroll deductions, than government workers in surrounding states and those on Georgia’s university system health insurance plan.

www.times-herald.com
Opportunities Grow In Georgia To Work In Film Industry
http://www.times-herald.com/business/20150705-BIZ-Clayton-State-Film-Program-27-inches-w-3-pix
by CLAY NEELY
If you build it, they will come. Well … they’re here, so now what? While the explosion of the film industry in Georgia has certainly been a positive push for the economy, filling the need for skilled workers on the set has become a primary goal for the state. Barton Bond is the director of Clayton State University’s Film and Digital Media Center. His program is attempting to help fill the growing need for homegrown talent to work in the booming sector.

www.saportareport.com
Florida stops funding film incentives, Georgia poised to benefit

Florida stops funding film incentives, Georgia poised to benefit

By David Pendered
Florida is bracing for a slowdown in the film industry because the state Legislature voted in June to stop funding tax incentives. Georgia is winning some of the business, and the shift underscores Gov. Nathan Deal’s trade mission to Hollywood in May, and to England in January.

USG Institutions:
www.accessnorthga.com
Drone supporters say ban around Georgia Capitol goes too far
http://accesswdun.com/article/2015/7/321233/drone-supporters-say-ban-around-georgia-capitol-goes-too-far
By Associated Press
ATLANTA (AP) Drone enthusiasts are calling a ban on the unmanned vehicles within five miles of Georgia’s Capitol an overreach of authority by state officials, while agency officials argue the change is necessary and follows federal guidelines. It’s the latest clash between supporters of the technology and government officials balancing their desire to encourage high-tech research and development with security concerns, as federal aviation officials slowly continue developing their policies. The Georgia Building Authority’s new resolution bans “unmanned aircraft systems” within five miles of a heliport located atop a parking garage near the state Capitol building in downtown Atlanta. The resolution also prevents flights around the governors’ mansion north of downtown. The sweeping radius covers parts of two state university campuses, including Georgia Tech’s Research Institute where unmanned systems research is a central focus.

www.wrcbtv.com
Dalton State remains one of most affordable colleges
http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/29463948/dalton-state-remains-one-of-most-affordable-colleges
By WRCB Staff
DALTON, GA (WRCB) – According to the U.S. Department of Education, for the fifth consecutive year, Dalton State has been named one of the most affordable public four-year colleges in the nation. Dalton State ranks 39 on the list, and it’s based on the 2012-2013 academic year. Dalton State’s net price was $5,914 for that school year. The figure includes tuition and fees, as well as other costs associated with being a student, such as books, supplies, room and board, and transportation. The national average net price for the 2012-2013 school year was $11,877.

www.mdjonline.com
KSU’s online MBA ranked a top pick for veterans
http://www.mdjonline.com/view/full_story/26736911/article-KSU-s-online-MBA-ranked-a-top-pick-for-veterans?sp-tk=BC5DD5AB580BA2530898EA6B7B5E4AFA746297AB2133142E55B5E8FD974798917343A10E712FF0C4DCFFBCE97F379D1AA24FA87EFADF6DF2BD151716112DA1B58A06A78580A6AA8D17FD5E7A78C31A7CB8CE320A5E0005C80EDE61586363DCD992F7883C76027818ABAD043DFC123EA4B8543C1C3CDE18013DCA0C5FA9F3D11FAA5D1602D384DA6831D6BE8E6A21061C1F9884DBby MDJ Staff
The online MBA program at Kennesaw State University’s Michael J. Coles College of Business tied for 25th place nationally in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2015 “Best Online MBA Programs for Veterans” rankings. Kennesaw State, one of only two Georgia universities on the list, is the higher ranked.

www.chronicle.com
Here Are the Colleges Where Tuition Has Risen the Fastest
http://chronicle.com/blogs/ticker/here-are-the-colleges-where-tuition-has-risen-the-fastest/101497?cid=at&utm_source=at&utm_medium=en
by Andy Thomason
The U.S. Department of Education is out with its annual list of colleges whose tuition and net price have risen the fastest in recent years. Here are the four-year public colleges where tuition rose the most, as a percentage, from 2011-12 to 2013-14: …East Georgia State College; Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College; National Average Percent Change: …College of Coastal Georgia; Dalton State College; University of North Georgia

www.tiftongazette.com
ABAC president begins 10th year
http://www.tiftongazette.com/news/abac-president-begins-th-year/article_1cdd750a-20cf-11e5-b90f-338f0f7b4778.html
Special to The Gazette
TIFTON — For Dr. David Bridges, there’s no greater pleasure than diving inside the numbers and finding answers to questions which come his way in his position as president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College. For the past two years, the numbers tell quite a story. ABAC is the only college or university south of Macon in the University System of Georgia (USG) to experience an enrollment increase for the past two years.

www.anlbanyherald.com
Medical College of Georgia Southwest Campus celebrating 10th anniversary | PHOTO GALLERY
Clinical campus based in Albany allows MCG students to do rotations in Southwest Georgia
http://www.albanyherald.com/news/2015/jul/02/medical-college-of-georgia-southwest-campus/
By Jennifer Parks
ALBANY — The Southwest Clinical Campus of the Medical College of Georgia (MCG), based in Albany, is celebrating 10 years of educating the next generation of Georgia physicians. …Although MCG students have participated in clinical practice experiences in Southwest Georgia for decades, a formal campus was not established until 2005 as part of the state’s public medical school’s efforts to decrease the impending physician shortage. The site was granted accreditation from the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in 2010, and the first residential students arrived that July. Since 2010, 72 students have lived and learned alongside Southwest Georgia physicians, officials at MCG said.

www.onlineathens.com
St. Mary’s, Medical Partnership welcome first residents
http://onlineathens.com/health/2015-07-06/st-marys-medical-partnership-welcome-first-residents
By SPECIAL TO THE BANNER-HERALD
The Internal Medicine Residency Program, a joint effort of the GRU/UGA Medical Partnership and St. Mary’s Health Care System, is pleased to officially welcome its first class of Internal Medicine residents. The 10 residents, who began orientation on June 24, officially began work July 1.

www.news-daily.com
Local foundation contributes to Clayton State scholarship program
http://www.news-daily.com/news/2015/jul/03/local-foundation-contributes-to-clayton-state/
By Johnny Jackson
MORROW — The Heritage Community Foundation has contributed $2,000 to the Clayton State University Retention Scholarship Challenge. Thanks to the generosity of several donors, the Retention Scholarship Challenge matches, dollar-for-dollar, all new gifts up to $20,000 to the Clayton State University Foundation made prior to June 30. Thus, the total value of the foundation’s gift to Clayton State students who need assistance in completing their degree is $4,000.

www.gainesvilletimes.com
Class Notes: Two UNG students selected for Fulbright scholarships
Dietrich headed to Oman, Evans to Russia
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/110723/
By Kristen Oliver
Two University of North Georgia students were selected for the Fulbright scholarship program from thousands of students across the nation. Jacob Dietrich and Erika Evans were selected on the basis of academic or professional achievement and demonstrated leadership potential in their fields. “Having one Fulbright winner is exceptional, and having a second is phenomenal,” said UNG President Bonita Jacobs. “Jacob and Erika will join a very select group representing the United States abroad during 2015-2016, and they will represent us very well.”

www.gainesvilletimes.com
University of North Georgia hosts Georgia Tech for creative project
Schools team to aid clients with physical disabilities
http://www.gainesvilletimes.com/section/6/article/110678/
By Kristen Oliver
It’s a rare project that unites physical therapy students from the University of North Georgia with industrial design students from Georgia Tech. The inaugural cREATe collaboration, which culminates at UNG on Friday, does just that. The collaboration is a weeklong endeavor to provide assistive devices to North Georgia clients who have physical disabilities. “This is the first year we’ve done the collaboration,” said Alison Alhadeff, assistant professor of physical therapy at UNG. “I’m a Tech alum and a PT, so it was exciting for me. We collaborated for almost a year to bring this together, and it’s been really exciting to see it finally come to fruition.”

www.times-herald.com
UWG Professor Puts SPARK Into Helping Teens
http://www.times-herald.com/local/20150704-SPARK-program-46-inch-choice-pix
by SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
When Coweta youth go through the juvenile justice system, some are sent to a completely different kind of program – SPARK. “We don’t even try to change them, and that’s what makes it so successful. I’m not trying to change them, they change for the right reason – not because I want them to,” said Tom Peterson, creator of the SPARK program and a professor of education at the University of West Georgia. “Most programs tend to focus on the kids’ behavior. And that doesn’t work with most of these kids in the long term, because they focus on the outside in. This program starts from the inside out and it lasts a whole lot longer in transforming kids’ lives.”

www.ajc.com
Tech jobs rise, but ‘silicon’ vision a stretch
http://www.ajc.com/news/business/tech-jobs-rise-but-silicon-vision-a-stretch/nmpPw/
Michael Kanell and Leon Stafford
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Silicon Valley South. Silicon Valley East. The Silicon Peach. Take your pick. Such phrases often come up these days when talk turns to metro Atlanta’s tech industry. A string of jobs announcements and a growing cluster of tech businesses in Midtown have spawned talk that the sector will soon justify such a memorable moniker, if it doesn’t already. In reality, metro Atlanta’s relationship with the tech sector is, well, complicated. … Neil Pruitt, who chairs Georgia’s Board of Regents, has high hopes for Georgia’s version of the Research Triangle – the area connecting the University of Georgia, Georgia State University and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, and Georgia Regents University in Augusta. More than $1 billion in research grants are “creating massive amounts of new intellectual property” for the state.

www.spectrum.iee.org
Highlights From Wearable Computing’s History
http://spectrum.ieee.org/view-from-the-valley/consumer-electronics/portable-devices/highlights-from-wearable-computings-history
By Tekla Perry
“On You,” a traveling exhibition on the history of wearable computing, opened this week at the Computer History Museum in Mountain View, Calif., where it will be on display until September 20, 2015. Curated by researchers at Georgia Tech, the display covers virtual reality, augmented reality, and health and fitness monitors.

www.desertsun.com
Ford of the future: Wearables, car swapping, ebikes
http://www.desertsun.com/story/money/cars/2015/07/04/ford-future-wearables-car-swapping-ebikes/29722853/
Alisa Priddle, Detroit Free Press
Henry Ford put the world on wheels. A century later, the company he founded is preparing for a world where congestion demands other alternatives, including bikes, apps, public transportation and car sharing. “It can make a material difference in people’s lives by offering more choices and affordable and accessible mobility even if it is not a car,” said Ken Washington, Ford’s new head of research and advanced engineering. Much of the work is happening at the new Ford Research and Innovation Center that opened in Palo Alto in January and already employs about 50 people tackling projects involving autonomous vehicles, connectivity and the use of big data … “Parking spotter” uses sensors on cars to find spots and feed the data to a cloud-based system. Ford worked with Georgia Tech on the concept of using existing sensors to prevent collisions and repurpose them to look for empty spots.

Higher Education News:
www.nytimes.com
Colleges Brace for Supreme Court Review of Race-Based Admissions

By TAMAR LEWIN and RICHARD PÉREZ-PEÑA
The Supreme Court’s decision to reconsider a challenge to affirmative action at the University of Texas at Austin has universities around the country fearing that they will be forced to abandon what remains of race-based admission preferences and resort to more difficult and expensive methods if they want to achieve student diversity. “A broad general statement by the Supreme Court that it’s unconstitutional to consider race at all will have domino effects across the whole country, and will sweep across private universities as well as public ones,” said Tom Sullivan, the president of the University of Vermont. He predicted that colleges would have to turn their attention to sustained, intensive recruitment to maintain diverse student bodies.

www.ajc.com
Response to today’s conversation
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/opinion/response-to-todays-conversation/nmq5w/
Maureen Downey
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog had a range of reactions to the news the U.S. Supreme Court would take up a Texas case on whether race can be considered in college admissions. Here is a sampling of comments:

www.nytimes.com
To Rename or Not? Institutions Reconsider Honors for Racists
http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/07/05/us/ap-us-charleston-shooting-institutions.html?_r=0
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
HARTFORD, Conn. — The massacre at a predominantly black South Carolina church has institutions from Alaska to Connecticut evaluating whether they should continue enshrining the names of historical figures linked to slavery and the Confederacy. The June 17 slaying of nine black worshippers led to calls to curb displays of the Confederate flag after photos emerged showing the suspect posing with one and burning the U.S. flag. But it also has added urgency to discussions on whether it is time to do away with names given to schools, colleges and streets that have come to be seen in a new light in places far outside the South.

www.insidehighered.com
Making Title IX Work
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2015/07/06/college-law-enforcement-administrators-hear-approach-make-title-ix-more-effective
By Jake New
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The intersection of campus police investigations and college disciplinary investigations into sexual assault is still a confusing mix at many institutions, but Susan Riseling, the chief of police and associate vice chancellor at the University of Wisconsin at Madison, has a few ideas about how make the relationship work. Speaking at the annual meeting of the International Association of College Law Enforcement Administrators here on Wednesday, Riseling offered a number of suggestions to not only help campus police better meet the requirements of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Clery Act, but to use those requirements to help inform their own investigations.