University System News:
www.albanyherld.com
Art Dunning officially installed as ninth president of Albany State University
ASU president urges students to be ‘relentless in the pursuit of excellence’
By Terry Lewis
ALBANY — Art Dunning was officially installed as the ninth president of Albany State University by University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby during a Presidential Investiture Ceremony at the Albany Municipal Auditorium Friday afternoon. Dunning was named president of Albany State in November 2015 by Huckaby. For nearly three years prior to becoming the university’s president, Dunning led Albany State as the interim president, focusing on strategic direction, economic development and developing collaborations that enhance educational opportunities for the residents of Southwest Georgia. A veteran administrator, scholar and lecturer, Dunning has a distinguished track record in higher education in Alabama and Georgia. Dunning is currently leading the consolidation process of Albany State University and Darton State College, along with DSC interim president Richard Carvajal. The new university will be the largest academic institution in the Southwest Georgia region, serving approximately 9,000 students.
www.ajc.com
Sam Olens to interview for Kennesaw State University presidency
Eric Stirgus The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens will interview Tuesday for president of Kennesaw State University, state officials said. “There has been speculation about this for some time, and up until now, I have remained silent on the matter. Initially, I was planning to conduct a national search to find the next president of Kennesaw State,” University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said in a statement to KSU students and faculty Monday. “Yet, through sincere and earnest conversations with Mr. Olens, I now believe he should be considered at this time.”
www.mdjonline.com
Update: Chancellor endorses Olens for KSU presidency
MDJ Staff
Chancellor Hank Huckaby has endorsed Attorney General Sam Olens for the presidency of Kennesaw State University, he said in an email sent to the KSU community today. “In higher education and our own University System, we place extreme importance on openness and the responsibility we all share in serving each other,” Huckaby wrote. “So, it is important you know I have asked the Board of Regents to consider Attorney General Sam Olens for the role of president of Kennesaw State University.” The chancellor said he was initially planning to conduct a national search to find the next president of KSU. “Yet, through sincere and earnest conversations with Mr. Olens, I now believe he should be considered at this time,” Huckaby wrote. The Board of Regents’ Executive and Compensation Committee is planning to interview Olens on Tuesday.
www.politics.blog.ajc.com
Sam Olens-to-Kennesaw State rumors now have substance
http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2016/10/03/sam-olens-to-kennesaw-state-rumors-now-have-substance/
Aaron Gould Sheinin
It’s been the worst kept secret in Georgia politics. But now the state is making public what so many already knew: Attorney General Sam Olens will interview on Tuesday with the Board of Regents to become the next president of Kennesaw State University. Gov. Nathan Deal will name Olens’ successor at the Department of Law should (cough, cough) Olens get the job at Kennesaw.
www.11alive.com
Kennesaw State students stage protest against probable new president
Kristen Reed, WXIA
KENNESAW, Ga. — Students at Kennesaw State University are protesting after reports that Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens is set to take over as president. Last week, neither Olens, KSU nor the board of regents commented about the potential hire. That didn’t stop students from raising their voices in opposition to the possibility. Olens defended Georgia’s gay marriage ban and sued the federal government over the transgender bathroom directive. That’s why students organized Monday afternoon’s protest and drafted a petition that has more that 5,000 signatures. In the petition, students ask the Georgia Board of Regents to not appoint Olens as KSU’s next president.
www.myajc.com
2016 Wall Street Journal rankings: How Georgia colleges did
The new Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education college rankings for 2016 list these Georgia colleges and universities. Here’s how Peach State schools did in the survey.
No. 51 — Georgia Tech3 of 14
Georgia Tech received an overall score of 74.1 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings.
No. 245 — University of Georgia6 of 14
The University of Georgia received an overall score of 58.1 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings.
Other schools: Georgia State University10 of 14
Georgia State University received an overall score of 44.3-47.2 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings. GSU falls in the No. 501-600 set of school rankings.
Other schools: Clayton State University12 of 14
Clayton State University received an overall score of 23.7-39.2 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings. Clayton State falls in the Ranked Over 800 set of school rankings.
Other schools: Kennesaw State University13 of 14
Kennesaw State University received an overall score of 23.7-39.2 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings. Kennesaw State falls in the Ranked Over 800 set of school rankings.
Other schools: University of West Georgia14 of 14
The University of West Georgia received an overall score of 23.7-39.2 out of 100 points in the new 2016 Wall Street Journal / Times Higher Education college rankings. West Georgia falls in the Ranked Over 800 set of school rankings.
www.georgiatrend.com
Teachers: Wanted, Needed, Underappreciated
Georgia’s teacher shortage is felt in every corner of the state, a consequence of the economy, poor working conditions and an over-emphasis on testing. Experts say there are solutions – but no quick fixes.
http://www.georgiatrend.com/October-2016/Teachers-Wanted-Needed-Underappreciated/
BY SUSAN PERCY
No question, Georgia has a shortage of public school teachers. It’s gotten harder to recruit them – there’s a smaller pool of candidates – and harder to retain them as job satisfaction has declined. Enrollment in University System of Georgia schools of education, a traditional source for supplying new teachers, was down by about 14 percent from 2011 to 2015, and the system’s new teacher production declined by about 20 percent for the same period. State School Superintendent Richard Woods says roughly 44 percent of all beginning public school teachers leave the profession by year five. “The shortage is probably as bad as we’ve seen in the past decade,” says Thomas Koballa, dean of the college of education at Georgia Southern University. It is most acute where you might expect: in math, science, special education and some foreign languages; but it is not restricted to those areas. Systems are in need of elementary and middle school teachers as well.
www.wtvy.com
Columbus State University receives $3 Million Endowment from Author, Businessman
Local author and businessman Donald L. Jordan gifted Columbus State University’s College of Letters and Sciences with a $3 million endowment to encourage students to continue the art of writing. The university held a signing ceremony to establish the Donald L. Jordan Endowment for Traditional American Writing in the College of Letters and Sciences — the largest single gift to the college and one of the largest to CSU — on Sept. 26 at the Cunningham Center.
www.ajc.com
Georgia Gwinnett College gets ‘game-changing’ $1.6M grant
Tyler Estep
Georgia Gwinnett College announced Friday that it will receive a $1.6 million grant from the National Science Foundation. The money will be used to fund a “game-changing curriculum project” aimed at increasing undergraduate research. “A multi-disciplinary team is making research part of the classroom experience for all science and technology majors from their freshmen through senior years,” GGC president Stas Preczewski said in a news release. “This is an innovative approach that sets GGC apart, even from most research universities.”
www.wvtm.com
Georgia Southern University’s 4th annual Greenfest teaches sustainability
By WTOC Staff
STATESBORO, GA (WTOC) – Hundreds of people attended Georgia Southern University’s 4th annual Greenfest Saturday to learn how to be more environmentally friendly. The event brought together a host of groups to teach them new ways to improve sustainability. From recycling to water usage, organizers said small steps by many can make more progress than severe changes by a few. “Radical change is not required here,” Dr. Lissa Leege, GSU Sustainability. “Today, we’re showing simple solutions and simple changes to your lifestyle.”
www.ajc.com
What does it take to get into Tech? Misperceptions addressed
Maureen Downey – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
As hard as it is to get into the University of Georgia, it’s even harder to win a spot at Georgia Tech. As I did last week with UGA, I asked Tech to separate fact from fiction regarding admissions in view of the Oct. 15 early-action deadline for applications. Rick Clark, director of undergraduate admissions at Tech, and Mary Tipton Woolley, senior associate director, address common misperceptions about winning admission to Georgia’s highest-ranked public campus. It is easier to get into Tech if you live in rural Georgia and harder if you attend a metro powerhouse school. We review all applicants based on the context of the high school they attend and the opportunities available to them both in and out of classes. Our goal is to enroll a geographically diverse freshman class from across Georgia. This year’s freshman class includes students from 89 Georgia counties. Currently, 62 percent of Georgia Tech’s in-state freshmen are from four metro Atlanta counties — Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett. It is easier to get into Tech if you apply for an under-subscribed major. …
www.insightintodiversity.com
Holistic Admissions Review
http://www.insightintodiversity.com/holistic-admissions-review/
by Sheryl Jackson
Most small colleges, along with selective colleges — those that accept less than half of all students who apply — rely on a holistic admissions process to create a diverse student body, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. And as greater scrutiny is being placed on the college admissions process in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s narrow decision in Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin, more and more higher education institutions are considering less controversial, more comprehensive approaches to ensure student diversity. A holistic process evaluates each application for more than objective information such as GPA, standardized test scores, and the rigor of one’s high school curriculum. Instead, this type of review also examines more subjective areas, such as life experience or creative pursuits, that are designed to promote more diverse student populations … At the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), “institutional fit” — meaning that the student fits the values of the university and that the school fits the needs of the student — is a focus of the university’s holistic review process, which has been in place for 10 years. “We have a ‘maker culture’ that emphasizes putting what you learn in the classroom into practice,” says Katie Mattli, senior admission director at Georgia Tech. “This means we look for students who are engaged and passionate about academics but who also work outside the classroom on their own — or with others — on projects that relate to their academic pursuits.”
www.athensceo.com
UGA Launches Georgia Informatics Institutes for Research and Education
Staff Report From Athens CEO
The University of Georgia will significantly expand its instruction and research in the critical area of informatics with the formation of the Georgia Informatics Institutes for Research and Education. The GII will be administered by the College of Engineering and will include faculty members from across campus to create new synergies that enable research advances in fields ranging from data analytics and cybersecurity to public health and agriculture. The GII also is developing an informatics core curriculum that will serve as a foundation for discipline-specific informatics programs.
www.bizjournals.com
Georgia State to put its name atop former Citizens Trust building
David Allison
Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
The name of one of Atlanta’s most prominent African-American companies is about to disappear from the downtown skyline. Georgia State University is preparing to put its name on top of the former Citizens Trust bank building at 75 Piedmont Avenue in downtown Atlanta, and will take down the Citizens Trust signs that are now on top of the east and west sides of the building. Georgia State bought the former headquarters building of Citizens Trust in 2007. Citizens Trust, the largest African-American-owned bank in Georgia and among the top five nationally, moved out of the building at the beginning of 2016, relocating its headquarters to 230 Peachtree St. …Georgia State now plans to put its name on the east and west sides of the building with illuminated face-lit letters, and its “GSU Flame” logo on the north and south sides.
www.news.wabe.org
Georgia Tech Plans Eco-Friendly ‘Living Building’
http://news.wabe.org/post/georgia-tech-plans-eco-friendly-living-building
By KATE SWEENEY
In general, buildings are not good for the environment. Some do less harm than others, but now, Georgia Tech wants to build a $25 million structure that actually does good. It’s called a “Living Building.” On the campus of Georgia Tech, there’s this huge oak. “It’s a signature tree on our campus,” says Georgia Tech’s Director of Capital Planning Howard Wertheimer, “and we want to preserve it. So how they site the building will be respectful of this tree.” This is the space that will house Tech’s 42,000 square-foot Living Building.
www.myajc.com
Tech project to benefit from development rights transfer
http://www.myajc.com/news/news/local/tech-project-to-benefit-from-development-rights-tr/nshtG/
By David Ibata – For the AJC
An Atlanta City Council committee has approved the transfer of excess development density from a landmark property on West Peachtree Street to a new, mixed-use project that incorporates a remnant of another historic building. The Zoning Committee signed off on a special-use permit allowing the transfer of development rights from the Academy of Medicine at 875 West Peachtree to Coda, the 21-story data center at 771 Spring St. in Technology Square by John Portman & Associates and Georgia Tech. The development rights are worth 148,400 square feet of nonresidential space, according to the ordinance. The measure is expected to go before the full Council on Monday. The Academy of Medicine building “will not be altered by the transfer of development rights,” and its official city landmark designation “will assist in the protection of the views for the public,” the ordinance says.
www.onlineathens.com
UGA workers affected by new overtime rule can delay some payroll deductions
By LEE SHEARER
University of Georgia workers whose pay schedule is changing from monthly to every two weeks can delay or indefinitely halt some of their paycheck deductions, a UGA administrator announced Friday. About 3,000 workers face possible cash shortfalls when the change in their status takes place next month. They were salaried workers ineligible for overtime before, but now, because of a change in federal rules, they will be eligible for overtime pay or compensatory time off when they work more than 40 hours a week. But when the change goes into effect in mid-November, they will have to adjust to a nine-day gap between the end of a work period and when they get paid for that work. Salaried employees get paid immediately after the work period. The nine-day gap means workers get less money before this year’s holiday season than they would under their old pay schedules. To help bridge that gap, affected workers can change or temporarily stop some kinds of voluntary payroll deductions, such as payments into a Health Savings Account, college savings plans, and some types of retirement savings plans, UGA Associate Vice President for Human Resources Juan Jarrett announced in an email to UGA faculty and staff Friday. They can also defer payment of parking permit fees due in November and December, according to the announcement. Workers can also get short-term, low-interest loans from Georgia United Credit Union for $1,000, $1,500 or $2,000, according to the announcement. For a six-month loan of $1,000 at 3.99 percent interest, a worker would have monthly payments of $168.61 and would pay a total of $11.67 in interest.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
States Fund More Student Aid
Grant aid grew by 5.7 percent and nongrant aid grew by more than 7 percent in 2014-15 fiscal year.
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/10/03/state-funded-student-aid-rises
By Rick Seltzer
State-funded student financial aid increased by about 6 percent across the country in the 2014-15 academic year as states put more money into grant and nongrant programs alike, according to the latest round of an annual survey released Monday. States funded and awarded about $12.4 billion in total student financial aid, according to the 46th annual survey from the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs. That’s up 6 percent nominally and 5.8 percent adjusting for inflation. It’s also higher than the rate of growth reported in NASSGAP’s survey for the previous academic year, which found that total aid grew by an adjusted 1.6 percent, to $11.7 billion. Both grant and nongrant student aid grew in 2014-15, the new survey found. Nongrant student aid, which includes loans, loan assumptions, conditional grants, work-study and tuition waivers, rose by more than 7 percent to $1.9 billion. But grants continued to account for the vast majority of student aid — almost 85 percent.