University System News:
www.bizjournals.com
New ranking: Georgia biz schools No. 24, 27, 37 and 39 in North America
David Allison
Editor, Atlanta Business Chronicle
A new ranking of top business schools places four in Georgia at No. 24, 27, 37 and 39 in North America. The rankings, published Feb. 28 by the University of Texas at Dallas, are different from many other university rankings because they are based on articles published in 24 peer-reviewed journals in the five-year period of 2012 to 2016, which is said to be a mechanism for business schools to benchmark their research productivity… The ranking places Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson School of Business at No. 24 in North America, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business at No. 27, The University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business at No. 37, and Emory University’s Goizueta Business School at No. 39. The rankings of Georgia’s business schools changed somewhat since last year. In 2016’s rankings by UTDallas, Georgia Tech’s Scheller College of Business was No. 24, Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson School of Business was No. 30, Emory University’s Goizueta Business School was No. 36, and The University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business was No. 40.
www.myajc.com
Atlanta’s black college leaders hope Trump’s order will bring help
By Eric Stirgus and Ernie Suggs – The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Leaders of Atlanta’s historically black colleges and universities hope an executive order President Donald Trump signed Tuesday will result in more support such as increased Pell Grants and improvements to older buildings in dire need of repair.
Trump’s order moves the office dedicated to supporting the schools from the U.S. Department of Education to the White House. Some describe that a symbolic but important first step in strengthening his administration’s relationships with the nation’s 107 HBCUs. The order also proposes increasing the role of the private-sector, including private foundations, in improving infrastructure and technology at HBCUs, and it pledges to increase their ability to apply for federal grants. “In this executive order, we will make HBCUs an absolute priority,” Trump said to applause during the signing ceremony Tuesday.
www.savannahnow.com
Armstrong class earns recognition for consulting work
http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-02-28/armstrong-class-earns-recognition-consulting-work
By Katie Nussbaum
A group of Armstrong State University students received national recognition earlier this month at the Small Business Institute Conference in San Diego after their consulting project for the Wilmington Island Farmers’ Market placed third in the nation. The project was the result of a partnership between Armstrong and the Small Business Institute and is lead by Armstrong economics professor Dennis Barber. During the spring 2016 semester 17 students performed consulting work for five area businesses as a course requirement. The goal of the winning project, according to Samuel McPherson, who was one of four students that developed the report, was to provide the farmers’ market with an in-depth report with analysis and recommendations for the business.
www.wtoc.com
GSU student attends Presidential Address to Congress in protest
http://www.wtoc.com/story/34630905/gsu-student-attends-presidential-address-to-congress-in-protest
By Tracye Hutchins
President Donald Trump wasn’t the only one making a political statement with his invited guests at his address to Congress. Georgia’s Democratic congressmen chose to invite specific guests who symbolize what they don’t like about the president’s policies. Rep. Hank Johnson, a Democrat from DeKalb County, invited Georgia State University student and Muslim activist Asma Elhuni as his personal guest. Elhuni told CBS46 News by phone she felt was important to be seen in the gallery wearing her headscarf as a way to protest President Trump’s immigration policies. “We won’t stay silent,” said Elhuni. “We’re not there in support of him. We’re there as a resistance in defiance of him and his policies.” CBS46 political analyst Bill Nigut said it’s unclear how much attention the visual political statement garnered.
www.bizjournals.com
Georgia Tech dean leaving to become chancellor at University of California Davis
Sonya Sorich and Jessica Saunders
Atlanta Business Chronicle
The dean of Georgia Tech’s College of Engineering is leaving to become the next chancellor of University of California Davis. University of California president Janet Napolitano selected Gary May as the seventh chancellor of UC Davis. He would replace Linda P.B. Katehi, who resigned last year, after an investigation found that she had violated university policies. The University of California Board of Regents unanimously approved May’s proposed appointment Thursday (Feb. 23.)
www.kltv.com
Georgia’s first graduate degree in human services delivery available at UNG
The University of North Georgia (UNG) has been approved to offer a Master of Science degree in Human Services Delivery and Administration (HSDA), the first of its kind in Georgia. “The curriculum of the graduate degree is designed to meet the economic needs of local and regional communities of northeast Georgia, and will be a draw for graduates from the sociology, psychology and social work disciplines,” said Dr. Tom Ormond, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at UNG. “Offering this degree allows UNG to better respond to the educational needs of the community and to promote excellence and the intellectual development and well-being of our students, which are priorities of our institution.” According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, job growth for social and community service managers is projected to increase by 27 percent until the year 2020, which is above the average growth rate projected for all occupations in the same timeframe. However, data from the Department of Labor indicates that there are a lack of workers with graduate degrees directly prepared for administrative positions in human services organizations. The master’s degree in HSDA is being offered in response to state and national needs and begins fall 2017. It will build off the success of the bachelor’s degree in HSDA offered at UNG since 2011. At the time, it was the first and only nationally accredited bachelor’s level human service program in Georgia and the Southeast.
www.mdjonline.com
Cobb, Kennesaw State University launch startup incubator
Ross Williams
Cobb County leaders want to give local business a boost, and they have opened a new space at 57 Waddell St. near the Square to help make that happen. IgniteHQ will offer entrepreneurs space to work and share ideas, as well as access to mentoring, advice and training opportunities. The property is leased by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia on behalf of Kennesaw State University. The overall management and maintenance of the property is the collaborative effort of KSU, Cobb County and IgniteHQ. Officials from all three organizations celebrated the center’s opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony yesterday.
www.savannahnow.com
Savannah fairgrounds site eyed for film production complex
$2.9 million facility could be huge boost to neighborhood, blooming area industry
http://savannahnow.com/news/2017-02-28/savannah-fairgrounds-site-eyed-film-production-complex
By Eric Curl
The former Coastal Empire Fair site may be transitioning from funnel cakes to films. A state lawmaker is trying to convince city officials to sell his private investment group about 15 acres of the 67-acre site along Meding Street to develop as a production complex for movies and television. Rep. Craig Gordon, D-Savannah, has secured $2.5 million in private funding for the project that includes renovating existing buildings — including a hangar that could be quickly converted into a production stage — and the construction of on-site housing for production crews, said the legislator’s attorney, Charles Bowen. Gordon was in legislative session Tuesday and could not be reached for comment. As Savannah’s popularity as a filming destination grows, the complex would help the city meet the increased demand for adequate facilities while providing on-site job training and employment opportunities in collaboration with Savannah Tech and Savannah State University, Bowen said. “The response from production companies I have talked to has been wildly enthusiastic,” he said.
www.diverseeducation.com
Presidents Hope Funding Follows White House Taking Lead on HBCUs
by Catherine Morris
The White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will move from the U.S. Department of Education to the White House, per an executive order on HBCUs signed by President Donald Trump on Tuesday afternoon. Trump’s order was the culmination of the “HBCU Fly-In,” a two-day convening on Capitol Hill in which approximately 90 HBCU presidents met with the president, senior staff members in the administration, and congressional leaders. HBCU leaders present for the Fly-In represented a sizable majority of the entire HBCU community. There are 101 accredited HBCUs across the United States. Moving the initiative to the White House indicates that the current administration “is listening, and responding, to the requests that we are making,” said Dr. Henry N. Tisdale, president of Claflin University, a four-year, private institution located in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Organizations that advocate for HBCUs on Capitol Hill, such as the United Negro College Fund (UNCF), Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), and the National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education (NAFEO), communicated with the administration about the order as it was being crafted. They recommended that the order move the initiative to the White House and that the administration increase federal funding for HBCUs. While the initiative will move to the White House, the order released on Tuesday does not contain any specific funding directives. Nevertheless, HBCU advocates say that they are cautiously optimistic about working with Congress and the administration to see their priorities met.
www.insidehighered.com
New Visibility for HBCUs, but Not Dollars
New executive order moves HBCU initiative into White House but otherwise doesn’t depart significantly from previous executive orders on historically black colleges.
By Andrew Kreighbaum
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday re-establishing the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and moving the initiative from the Department of Education to the Executive Office of the President.
Despite the serious hype that surrounded the order, including weeks of promising it would go beyond previous administrations’ efforts, it offered no other concrete changes from previous orders, such as new funding commitments or contracting requirements by federal agencies. The executive order creates an advisory board (similar to that of past administrations) and also urges federal agencies to consider how they can better work with historically black colleges (as did previous presidential directives). “It’s a very important moment and a moment that means a great deal to me,” Trump said. The signing of the document followed weeks of discussions between White House advisers and advocates of HBCUs and two days of meetings and photo ops with college and university presidents in Washington.
www.ajc.com
Sexual assault survivor: Legislature ignores our concerns about bill
Maureen Downey The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill limiting the ability of Georgia’s public colleges to investigate and punish rapes on campus is moving through the Georgia House, to the dismay of victims of sexual assault. One of them is law student Grace Starling who explains today in the AJC Get Schooled blog why House Bill 51 threatens victims. “This bill would make Georgia universities dangerous for students who have been raped. By stripping universities of their ability to respond to sexual misconduct on college campuses – including disciplining offenders – students like myself would lose access to the services and supports that allow us to continue our education,” she says. Starling says lawmakers have limited the input of students who have suffered assaults, writing, “Public testimony against the bill has been limited, with hundreds of survivors denied the chance to speak.”
Higher Education News:
www.news.wabe.org
Ga. House Passes Bill That Would Raise Cap On Scholarship Program
http://news.wabe.org/post/ga-house-passes-bill-would-raise-cap-scholarship-program
By MARTHA DALTON
The Georgia House approved a bill Tuesday that would increase the amount of money that could go toward Georgia’s tax credit scholarship program. Right now, Georgians who donate to Student Scholarship Organizations, or SSOs, get a dollar-for-dollar tax credit. Individuals can donate up to $1,000, and there’s a $2,500 limit for couples. The maximum donation for corporations is $10,000. The SSO scholarships are used to send students enrolled in public schools to private ones. House Bill 217 would increase the cap on donations from $58 million a year to $100 million. The bill has some bi-partisan support from lawmakers who say it gives choices to parents who otherwise might not have them. Rep. Valencia Stovall, D-Forest Park, said she wished her kids would have had such an opportunity. …The bill will soon head to the Senate for consideration.
www.chronicle.com
Remedial-Education Reform May Fall Short Without More Focus on Nonacademic Support
By Katherine Mangan
The nation is unlikely to meet its ambitious college-completion goals unless remedial-education reformers spend more time examining the nonacademic factors that hold students back, according to a report being released on Wednesday by the National Center for Developmental Education. Much of the focus of current reform efforts is on reducing the amount of time students spend in remedial classes before they can start earning college credit.
Not enough, the authors contend, is spent on financial insecurity, hunger, homelessness, and child-care worries that can derail the efforts of minority, low-income, and first-generation students. Instead of blaming stand-alone courses for students’ failure to graduate, educators should examine more ways to integrate them with community support, they say in the report, “College Completion: Focus on the Finish Line.”