University System News:
www.wtoc.com
LIST: School closure/reopening updates post Irma
http://www.wtoc.com/story/36347393/list-school-closurereopening-updates
By WTOC Staff
We are in the beginning of school re-openings following Hurricane Irma. This list is at last report from the school districts. **Please keep in mind there is a possibility that not every school that reported a closure will send us a reopening update. Most schools do post that information on their District’s websites and Facebook pages so you can check there as well. School/Daycare Closures/Reopenings: Armstrong State: Classes will resume Monday, Sept. 18. Residential students may return to the main campus on Friday, September 15th, beginning at 2 PM. Faculty and staff can access their offices on Friday, September 15th, starting at 2 PM. …East Georgia State College campuses will remain closed through Wednesday, September 13. All campuses of EGSC will reopen Thursday, September 14, for normal operations. Georgia Southern University campus will reopen on Friday – 9/15, and classes will resume on Monday – 9/18. More info: www.georgiasouthern.edu/alert/ Savannah State University: Classes will resume on Thursday, Sept 14. Residential students can begin returning to campus at 3 p.m. on Wednesday (9/13). Universtiy of Georgia will be closed on Monday, Sept. 11.

www.statesboroherald.com
Irma not as bad here as Matthew
Bulloch County’s schools reopen Wednesday; special rules for waste collection centers
http://www.statesboroherald.com/section/1/article/81652/
BY Al Hackle
Some homes were damaged, but far fewer. Power outages affected most of the local population, but line crews made rapid progress Monday and Tuesday. No lives were reported lost here as a direct result of the storm. “While it was very intense, this was not a Matthew,” Bulloch County Emergency Management Agency Director Ted Wynn said Tuesday morning. …Georgia Southern University will be closed and classes will be canceled “through Thursday, Sept. 14 and until further notice,” the university’s communications office stated in an email Tuesday. “We will continue to monitor campus conditions and travel issues across the state in an effort to ensure that our area is safe and our students are able to travel safely back to campus,” the notice stated. The university’s updates are posted at www.georgiasouthern.edu/alert.

www.onlineathens.com
Damage light from Irma, but power issues linger
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/oconee/2017-09-12/damage-light-irma-power-issues-linger?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=23def3f23e-eGaMorning-9_13_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-23def3f23e-86731974&mc_cid=23def3f23e&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
By Lee Shearer
The Athens area got lots of downed trees, widespread road blockages and power outages Monday, but seemed to mostly escape major property damage. …Gauges on the University of Georgia campus recorded 3.5 inches of rain and sustained winds of 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 52 mph, said UGA spokesperson Greg Trevor. On Tuesday morning, a crew was taking down a damaged elm tree near the statue of University of Georgia founding father Abraham Baldwin on UGA’s north campus. But the statue and the nearby historic buildings hadn’t been damaged, he said. Trevor said the campus had a number of downed trees, but no injuries and no serious structural damage.

www.onlineathens.com
Clarke, other schools closed again Wednesday, UGA, UNG, Athens Tech have late start
http://onlineathens.com/local-news/2017-09-12/clarke-other-schools-closed-again-wednesday-uga-ung-athens-tech-have-late
Power outages in the wake of Tropical Storm Irma will force some school systems and one college to be closed for a third straight day Wednesday, while three colleges will begin the school day later than usual.
…The University of Georgia, the University of North Georgia and Athens Technical College will start the day at 10 a.m., with UGA Campus Transit beginning operations at 9 a.m. Athens Tech’s Greene County campus will be closed because its power remains out.

www.thegeorgeanne.com
Irma update: Impact of storm at Georgia Southern and Bulloch County
http://www.thegeorgeanne.com/news/article_ff328098-f74c-52f4-b9ca-be78acc07800.html
By Matthew Enfinger The George-Anne staff
UPDATE 09/12: GS campus closure has been extended to Thursday, Sept. 14 and until further notice.
UPDATE 09/11: Curfew in Bulloch County to end Tuesday Sept. 12 at 6 a.m.
Irma, now downgraded to a tropical storm, will pass through Georgia Monday afternoon bringing with it damaging winds, flooding rain, tornado threats, and power outages through Tuesday. The Georgia Southern University campus’ closure has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 13 and until further notice.
Campus closure extended: The GS campus closure has been extended to Wednesday, Sept. 13 and until further notice. The university encourages students who are staying on campus or in the Statesboro area to remain indoors.

www.ajc.com
Some GA colleges fared well in national rankings
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/some-colleges-fared-well-national-rankings/YmsqFeARPk79OQaL1njIgJ/?utm_source=eGaMorning&utm_campaign=23def3f23e-eGaMorning-9_13_17&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_54a77f93dd-23def3f23e-86731974&mc_cid=23def3f23e&mc_eid=32a9bd3c56
Eric Stirgus  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A handful of Georgia universities and colleges fared well in the 2018 U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings of the nation’s best. Many institutions eagerly await the rankings as a marketing tool to recruit prospective students. The rankings are widely publicized, but are viewed as as more sizzle than steak by some critics. Here are five key takeaways for Georgia colleges and universities from this year’s rankings: … Two University System of Georgia institutions finished among the top 20 national public universities. Georgia Tech ranked seventh in that category while the University of Georgia was ranked 16th, two spots higher than last year.

www.ajc.com
Georgia State president awarded $500,000 to use for academic initiatives
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/georgia-state-president-awarded-500-000-use-for-academic-initiatives/gfJ4yrM9tJU138AwhoX5mO/
Eric Stirgus
A non-profit organization announced Tuesday that Georgia State president Mark Becker is a recipient of a half-million dollar award to be used for various academic programs he’s developed at the university. The Carnegie Corporation of New York named Becker one of its seven recipients, citing his work as a “leader in student equity.”

www.bizjournals.com
Georgia Tech-led group gets $20M federal grant to fund biomedical engineering research center
https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/news/2017/09/12/georgia-tech-led-group-gets-20m-federal-grant-to.html
Urvaksh Karkaria
Staff Writer, Atlanta Business Chronicle
A Georgia Tech-led research consortium received a nearly $20 million National Science Foundation grant to fund a new engineering research center. The NSF Engineering Research Center for Cell Manufacturing Technologies (CMaT) will develop tools and technologies to help clinical facilities reproducibly manufacture efficient, safe and affordable cell-therapy products, Georgia Tech said in a statement.

www.ajc.com
Georgia Tech partnership for disease research gets $20 million boost
http://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/georgia-tech-partnership-for-disease-research-gets-million-boost/HMGl4s2KZjHXJpp1xk5tiL/
Eric Stirgus  The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Research by several Georgia colleges and universities toward life-saving cells to fight cancer and heart disease got a $20 million boost Tuesday, courtesy of the federal government. The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded the grant for a new engineering research center at Georgia Tech that will work closely with several other institutions, such as Emory University and the University of Georgia, and the private sector. The center, Georgia Tech said, will develop technology to produce at lower costs therapeutic cells that can be used for more patients worldwide. Georgia Tech officials also said they will be able to train more people to do bio-manufacturing work. Tech researchers say the lack of a highly-trained bio-manufacturing workforce has hindered such work.

www.money.cnn.com
8 cities fit for Amazon’s second headquarters
http://money.cnn.com/2017/09/11/technology/amazon-cities/index.html
by Matt McFarland
When Amazon announced plans to open a second headquarters in North America last week, cities were quick to express interest in hosting its new facilities.
Mayors from Toronto to Tulsa, Oklahoma rushed out responses, calling their cities prime candidates… Another Atlanta advantage is the presence of Georgia Institute of Technology, a natural place for recruiting future workers given its strong engineering program. For example, NCR Corporation, which makes payment terminals and other consumer technologies, is relocating its offices near the campus. It believes the location will help attract talent. Jeffrey Yu, a business professor at Georgia Tech, said the city’s growing entertainment industry could also be appealing to Amazon.

www.emetrotimes.com
CLAYTON STATE STUDENT LEADERS EDUCATE PEERS ABOUT “CAMPUS CARRY”
https://www.emetrotimes.com/clayton-state-student-leaders-educate-peers-campus-carry/
Posted by eMetro Times
Student leaders across the Clayton State campus recently took steps to inform their peers of the new “campus carry” law as classes start back up for the fall. As part of the student leadership meeting hosted by Campus Life last Friday, students viewed a video explaining House Bill 280, commonly known as the “campus carry”. “The only negative form of information is misinformation. It is our responsibility as student leaders to be informed and inform others,” said Matthew Trice, a senior and president of Clayton State Chapter of National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS). The three-minute video was produced by the Georgia Film Academy and commissioned by the University System of Georgia upon recommendations from student leaders at public colleges and universities across Georgia. Recommendations focused on how to better disseminate information about the new legislation to students. HB 280 establishes that anyone who is licensed to carry a handgun may do so – in a concealed manner only – anywhere on Georgia’s public college and university campuses, except in certain areas that are specifically listed in the law. Those exemptions on Clayton State’s campus include the athletics center, tennis courts and soccer fields; Laker Hall student residences and non-publicly accessible areas in Laker Village; faculty and administrative offices; and classes that have dual-enrollment students.

www.cbsnews.com
After son’s “near death” accident, mom’s on mission to change dorm policy
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/after-sons-near-death-accident-mom-goes-on-mission-to-change-dorm-policy/
By JENNIFER EARL/CBS NEWS
For the first time this semester, the University System of Georgia required campuses statewide to offer bed safety rails for students for free. So many Georgia Tech students requested bed rails at the beginning of the school year, the school had to order 500 more, Mariellen said.

Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
The 2017 Survey of Admissions Directors: Pressure All Around
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/survey/2017-survey-admissions-directors-pressure-all-around
By Scott Jaschik
Only 34 percent of colleges met new student enrollment targets this year by May 1, the traditional date by which most institutions hope to have a class set. That is a key finding of the 2017 Survey of College and University Admissions Directors, released today by Inside Higher Ed, in collaboration with Gallup. The 34 percent figure is down from 37 percent a year ago and 42 percent two years ago. For colleges, public and private, failing to hit that target can be anything from an annoyance to an existential crisis.

www.chronicle.com
Close the Frats
One university’s quest to curb sexual assault
http://www.chronicle.com/article/Close-the-Frats/241102?cid=cr&utm_source=cr&utm_medium=en&elqTrackId=5324e5290ab548d78c1c9e2ea2cda782&elq=7b13728c95154ecda3ba6eb395eec774&elqaid=15520&elqat=1&elqCampaignId=6644
By Vanessa Grigoriadis
There is an extremely obvious action that would make an enormous difference in ending, or at least stemming, sexual assault on college campuses. Destroy the fraternities. Or coeducate them. One or the other, and they may go hand-in-hand. The central role frats play in sexual assault has been understated. There’s no evidence that the majority of predators are frat brothers. But at most universities the Greek system dominates social life, and deforms it. I believe sexual assault happens in large part because of cemented gender norms that tell guys they must pursue girls at all costs, and many girls don’t know how to say no but don’t want to say yes. So having institutions with cemented gender norms controlling social life on campus seems like a really bad idea. Fraternities are a uniquely American creation and closely tied to the production of young American masculinity. In The Company He Keeps (The University of North Carolina Press, 2009), a fascinating history of historically white fraternities, Nicholas L. Syrett, a professor of women, gender, and sexuality studies at the University of Kansas, begins with the establishment of the first frat, at Union College in 1825.

www.nytimes.com
Right and Left React to Betsy DeVos’s Changes to Campus Sex Assault Rules

By ANNA DUBENKO
The political news cycle is fast, and keeping up can be overwhelming. Trying to find differing perspectives worth your time is even harder. That’s why we have scoured the internet for political writing from the right and left that you might not have seen. From the right: David French in National Review: “Our campuses are not exempt from the Constitution. There is no excuse for government-mandated kangaroo courts in any part of American life, especially in America’s institutions of higher learning.”… From the left: Lucia Graves in The Guardian: “The sexually accused are overwhelmingly male, overwhelmingly white (57 percent, according to RAINN), and presumably, entitled. In other words, they are Trump’s core constituency to a T.”

www.nytimes.com
Liberalism and the Campus Rape Tribunals

Ross Douthat
Last week Betsy DeVos, the secretary of education, announced that the Trump White House would be revising the Obama administration guidelines for how colleges and universities adjudicate accusations of sexual assault. There were protests outside her speech and spittle-flecked rants on Twitter, but overall the reaction felt relatively muted, at least by the standards of reactions to anything Trump-related or DeVos-driven. Perhaps this was because enough people read The Atlantic, which chose last week to run a three-part series by Emily Yoffe on the sexual-assault policies in question.

www.politico.com
How U.S. News college rankings promote economic inequality on campus
Once ladders of social mobility, universities increasingly reinforce existing wealth, fueling a backlash that helped elect Donald Trump.
http://www.politico.com/interactives/2017/top-college-rankings-list-2017-us-news-investigation/
By BENJAMIN WERMUND
America’s universities are getting two report cards this year. The first, from the Equality of Opportunity Project, brought the shocking revelation that many top universities, including Princeton and Yale, admit more students from the top 1 percent of earners than the bottom 60 percent combined. The second, from U.S. News and World Report, is due on Tuesday — with Princeton and Yale among the contenders for the top spot in the annual rankings. The two are related: A POLITICO review shows that the criteria used in the U.S. News rankings — a measure so closely followed in the academic world that some colleges have built them into strategic plans — create incentives for schools to favor wealthier students over less wealthy applicants. Those criteria often serve as unofficial guidelines for some colleges’ admission decisions and financial priorities, with a deeply ingrained assumption that the more a school spends — and the more elite its student body — the higher it climbs in the rankings. And that reinforces what many see as a dire situation in American higher education.