University System News:
www.emanuelcountylive.com
President Boehmer gives Annual State of the College Address at EGSC
by KATELYN MOORE
On Tuesday, September 18, 2018, East Georgia State College held the Annual State of the College Presidential Address in the Academic Building’s tiered classroom. The standing-room-only event allowed EGSC President Bob Boehmer to outline the state of East Georgia State College at this point in time as well as present initiatives that will continue to keep EGSC moving forward into the future of higher education. Dr. Boehmer began his State of the College with the following statement: “I come to you today exhausted, as many of you are, due to the efforts of our team to bring our dreams for this special place to reality. Although exhausted, I speak to you today with a sense of great satisfaction for what we have achieved together over the last seven years. There has been truly remarkable and positive change.”
www.thebrunswicknews.com
College promoting ‘mini-mester’ class option
By LAUREN MCDONALD
College of Coastal Georgia has expanded the class offerings for its fall “mini-mester,” an eight-week semester that aims to provide students with a jumpstart for the spring semester. The shortened academic term, also known as the “2nd session” covers the same amount of content as a 16-week semester in a more condensed format. “It allows folks to get another class in under their belt,” said Jason Umfress, vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Coastal Georgia.
www.albanyherald.com
UGA’s Powell is first vet program transfer student
Program leads Georgia student toward her dream profession
By Sage Barnard
ATHENS — From farmhand to future veterinarian student, Cassie Powell has dreamed of working with animals for a long time. This spring, Powell was selected for the University of Georgia’s Food Animal Veterinary Incentive Program, a specialized program for preveterinary students. The program guarantees students’ admission into UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine if they agree to study food animal veterinary medicine. The program also helps to ease the transition from undergraduate classes to veterinary school and helps cover some of the cost of tuition. Powell is the first person to enter the program as a transfer student. She graduated from Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College with an associate’s degree in May and now attends class at UGA in Athens.
www.chronicle.com
Colleges Where Pell Grant Recipients Do Best and Worst at Paying Down Their Student Loans
https://www.chronicle.com/article/Colleges-Where-Pell-Recipients/244556
Pell Grant recipients were slower over all in paying back their student loans than were students who did not receive Pell Grants. But at a dozen four-year colleges, more than 90 percent of Pell Grant recipients who started repayment in the 2010 or 2011 fiscal years had paid down at least $1 of the principal five years later. Median five-year repayment rates for Pell Grant recipients by sector were well below those of non-Pell recipients, who presumably came from higher-income families … 4-year public institutions … Highest 5-year repayment rates for Pell Grant recipients … 2. Augusta University; 11. Georgia Institute of Technology …Showing 1 to 20 of 20 entries
Lowest 5-year repayment rates for Pell Grant recipients … 658. Savannah State University; 659. Atlanta Metropolitan State College …Showing 1 to 6 of 6 entries
www.mdjonline.com
Kennesaw State University’s Continuing Education encourages lifelong learning with OLLI sampler
Staff reports
From art and computers to history and languages, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at KSU’s College of Continuing and Professional Education offers an array of courses for a variety of intellectual tastes. The OLLI Sampler, beginning on Monday, Oct. 1, will give residents in the community an opportunity to explore OLLI. Each week, two instructors will showcase a “taste” of their courses ranging from history and genealogy to creative writing and tai chi/qigong. A combination of 15 courses will be introduced throughout the month of October.
www.tigersroar.com
Students protest the deactivation of Africana studies
http://www.tigersroar.com/news/article_caa0b8fe-c343-11e8-817a-8b5a0885838b.html
Jakia Randolph
After hearing about the discontinuation of the Africana Studies program, Savannah State students interrupted Thursday’s faculty and staff meeting to protest the sudden change. Students gathered inside the Social Science building to listen to and question Dean Julius Scipio as he spoke about the Africana Studies program. SSU students arranged the protest via the hashtag SSU on Twitter. Students were outraged to learn the program was being discontinued. Among the first to speak at the protest was student DeErik Reed. “Obviously losing the Africana Studies department at a school of this caliber, this size, or this anything is shameful to say the least,” he said. Students were given the opportunity to speak on their concerns at the protest. Africana Studies Professor Jamal Toure, also spoke against the deactivation of the program.
www.sanluisobispo.com
FinTech to provide education for finance-tech industry in GA
https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/business/technology/article219237770.html
The Associated Press
AUGUSTA, GA. – The University System of Georgia will develop a statewide initiative to provide education specific to the financial-technology industry. The statewide initiative called Georgia FinTech Academy will span the 26-institution university system with virtual access to online courses and degrees, the Augusta Chronicle reported. It will come through USG’s eCampus and cloud-based talent development program. “Innovation is an integral part of Georgia State’s DNA and we look forward to working closely with the University System to ensure the Georgia FinTech Academy responds to industry needs and helps power future growth and expansion of the sector,” Georgia State President Mark P. Becker said in prepared remarks.
www.blackengineer.com
More Grand Challenge Scholars graduate from NAE program
http://www.blackengineer.com/article/more-grand-challenge-scholars-graduate-from-nae-program/
By Lango Deen
… The College of Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology was one of the first to create a Grand Challenges Scholars Program (GCSP). Six Georgia Tech students were recognized as Grand Challenge Scholars in 2018. “I am confident it will inspire our students to strive higher and address this century’s Grand Challenges with a global mindset,” said Gary S. May, dean of the College of Engineering at the launch of the program. Freshmen and transfer students are introduced to GCSP early in their Georgia Tech careers, and potential scholars develop plans to fulfill components of the program, including a hands-on project or research, interdisciplinary learning experience, and entre- or intrapreneurship experience. There are more than 20 active GCSPs in the United States and 160 NAE-designated Grand Challenge Scholars have graduated to date. Half of the graduates are women.
www.onlineathens.com
AthFest Educates awards $40K in grants
By Staff Reports
AthFest Educates announced its grant recipients this month with $40,612 in total grants providing music and arts education for Athens area youth in grades K-8. The largest grant was given to the UGA Performing Arts Center so 3,200 Clarke County students can attend live school-day performances. Other grants were given to Whitehead Road Elementary for an after-school band, to the YWCO Girls Club for a puppetry project and for third-graders to participate in Experience UGA at the UGA Fine Arts Theatre.
www.accesswdun.com
National Science Foundation grant helps UNG math department host Gainesville campus conference
By AccessWDUN Staff
The University of North Georgia has received a $24,000 National Science Foundation grant to aid its efforts in hosting the 38th annual Southeastern-Atlantic Regional Conference on Differential Equations. Set for Oct. 6-7, the conference in the Martha T. Nesbitt Academic Building on UNG’s Gainesville Campus will seek to connect the field’s experts and its newer members. Ramjee Sharma, assistant professor of mathematics at UNG, was the principal investigator for the grant. Sharma said this is the first conference of its kind the Department of Mathematics has hosted on the Gainesville Campus. The grant will cover travel expenses for participants.
www.savannahceo.com
Local Business Leaders Give Personal Insight into Succession Planning at Georgia Tech Professional Education’s Learners & Leaders
Staff Report From Savannah CEO
Georgia Tech Professional Education hosted a “Leaders and Learners” Breakfast at the Savannah campus this morning to talk company culture and what it takes to prepare the next generation of leaders. Dozens of key Savannah businesses came out for the session to gain insight about succession planning for their companies and organizations. During the event, participants learned best practices for paving the way for the future of their business. Among the many topics, the group discussed how to include your employees in succession planning, how to assess your current corporate culture and the differences between companies and employees.
www.saportareport.com
Acclaimed brain researcher to lead new center affiliated with GSU, Georgia Tech, Emory
By David Pendered
Metro Atlanta’s standing in public health and medical research has grown by another notch. A highly regarded brain researcher has agreed to serve as the founding director of a new institute at Georgia State University, in addition to assuming appointments at Georgia Tech and Emory University. The research aims to unlock secrets that could be used to treat brain abnormalities and mental illnesses such as schizophrenia. The Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science is based at Georgia State and is to be supported by GSU, Tech and Emory … Magnus Egerstedt, the Steve W. Chaddick school chair and head of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech, observed: “Dr. Calhoun is a brilliant and creative engineer who has devised critical new ways of leveraging data-science to improve our understanding of the brain. We are delighted to welcome him to our university and the broader Atlanta research community.”
www.onlineathens.com
UGA physician tracks tuberculosis using cellphone records
http://www.onlineathens.com/news/20180929/uga-physician-tracks-tuberculosis-using-cellphone-records
By Lauren Baggett
Tuberculosis is the ninth leading cause of death worldwide, and though the World Health Organization has said the average global burden of disease is on the decline, some areas of the world continue to feel its impact. Researchers at the University of Georgia have received a $2.6 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to understand the local epidemiology of TB in African urban settings and help these communities develop targeted interventions to reduce transmission. Led by physician and epidemiologist Christopher Whalen at UGA’s College of Public Health, the team will estimate where TB is being transmitted by combining information about patient movement with genetic information from the bacteria itself. Understanding where transmission is happening is the key to effective control, said Whalen. …From 2012 to 2017, Whalen conducted a study to track how TB moves within communities, but his findings were perplexing. The infection didn’t seem to spread within known social networks. That begged the question, where is transmission occurring? “Then it dawned on me,” said Whalen. “Everyone is carrying a cellphone. By using archived cellphone records, we would be able to map where TB cases move and measure how much time they spent in different places.”
www.wsbradio.com
GA TECH CREATES NEW IN MOUTH SALT TRACKER
https://www.wsbradio.com/news/local/tech-creates-new-mouth-salt-tracker/UhLpD3AyGQRgNf9pJ7PsEI/
By: Sabrina Cupit
Georgia Tech researchers have created an in mouth tracker to keep up with how much sodium you’re consuming. Keeping track of your salt intake is critical is you are among the 1 in 3 American adults who suffer from high blood pressure. The tracker fits in the roof of your mouth with an oral retainer and uses Bluetooth to send salt intake data to a smartphone app. “The only concern that I have right now is the size,” says Woon-Hong Yeo, an assistant professor in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He says, “by monitoring sodium in real-time, the device could one day help people who need to restrict sodium intake and learn to change their eating habits and diet.”
www.georgiapolicy.org
Georgia Benefits from Nuclear Plant Expansion
https://www.georgiapolicy.org/2018/09/georgia-benefits-nuclear-plant-expansion/
By Steven Biegalski
The nuclear reactor expansion project at Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, near Augusta, has been plagued by troubles: Westinghouse declaring bankruptcy, construction delays and cost overruns. Fortunately, completion of the project is still commercially viable. Moreover, it will have numerous benefits to the citizens of Georgia and to the nation as a whole. The price tag for Vogtle Units 3 and 4 has ballooned. As a reminder, costs also soared for Vogtle’s Units 1 and 2, initially estimated at $1 billion and ending up costing about $9 billion during an extended construction period of about 13 years. Westinghouse’s bankruptcy led to the scuttling of a similar project in South Carolina last year.
www.insidescience.org
Perovski-what? Nine Nobel Prize Predictions
These significant advancements could win the Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry.
https://www.insidescience.org/news/perovski-what-nine-nobel-prize-predictions
Inside Science Staff
Every year, the Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine, Physics, and Chemistry honor great advances and discoveries in science. Writers from Inside Science have summarized some of the top contenders for these famous science prizes … Clicking on a Possible Repeat Winner … That same year, Sharpless coined the term “click chemistry” to describe another breakthrough in synthetic chemistry, which he pioneered with Fokin and former Scripps Research professor M.G. Finn, who is now at Georgia Tech. In the last few years, click chemistry has been named a Nobel contender, and Sharpless, Fokin and Finn have been included on short lists of potential winners.
www.augustachronicle.com
Editorial: Augusta is ground zero for the cyber explosion booming in Georgia
By Augusta Chronicle Editorial Staff
You know those time-lapse videos that show the construction of a building or the manic comings and goings of people and cars? That’s kind of what’s going on, in real time and slow motion, on Augusta’s downtown riverfront. Each day, each hour, seemingly brings more vitality to the new Georgia Cyber Center. Meetings, conferences, seminars and more are already buzzing about — and only one of the two cyber center office buildings is open. Local cyber innovator/incubator theClubhou.se has moved in, as has Augusta University operations — and Georgia Tech’s Advanced Technology Development Center (ATDC) has established a consistent presence as well. And the thing is, cyber folks tend to proliferate and congregate, so all this early activity will only lead to more. Indeed, Gov. Nathan Deal and House Speaker David Ralston this week announced that information technology and cybersecurity consultant BurningCastle LLC is bringing 50 jobs to town as part of its IT and logistics training contract with Fort Gordon.
www.augustachronicle.com
Harlem accepts UGA grant to digitize historic documents
By Joe Hotchkiss
The city of Harlem has accepted a grant from the University of Georgia to digitize a trove of historic documents found almost two years ago in an old bank vault. The Digital Library of Georgia is an online public collection of documents and media that detail the state’s history and culture. The long-term goal is to digitize, and have available online, portions of about 2,000 pounds of records from banks, businesses, courts and Columbia County schools dating as far back as 1909. …Harlem City Manager Brett Cook said the grant isn’t monetary, but one offering the university’s technical expertise. The Digital Library of Georgia is housed at the UGA Libraries in Athens.
Higher Education News:
www.insidehighered.com
2-Year Colleges Increasingly Enhancing First-Year Experience
New report highlights the different methods and ways community colleges offer first-year experience programs to students.
By Ashley A. Smith
First-year mentoring and support programs are common at universities and four-year colleges, but more two-year institutions are offering a variety of these programs to help students adjust to the college experience. A survey released Wednesday from Ithaka S+R, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation and the nonprofit Two Year First Year organization found that 95 percent of two-year institutions offer orientations and 87 percent provide first-year seminars to help students be more successful in their first year of college. These efforts are commonly referred to as first-year experience programs. Two-year colleges were least likely to offer summer bridge programs, college readiness surveys or first-year mentoring programs, according to the report. But over all, 40 percent of two-year institutions reported offering some type of first-year experience program for students to help them earn their degrees.
www.diverseeducation.com
CAPR Report Explores Placement Impact on College Students
by Tiffany Pennamon
A new study by the Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Readiness (CAPR) points to early signs of impact around using multiple measures to place college students into developmental education or college-level courses. When institutions opted to use multiple measures placement alternatives beyond a single placement test like the ACCUPLACER, student assignment to college-level courses increased by five percentage points in math and more than 30 percentage points in English, the study found. CAPR researchers plan to follow their initial implementation and early impacts report with a conclusive report on a variety of student outcomes for the study’s three cohorts. “What we’re seeing is that the single placement test alone is generally not the best thing for students,” said Dr. Elisabeth A. Barnett, senior research scientist at the Community College Research Center and project lead for the CAPR study. “Bringing other information into the mix is important.” Barnett added that student data such as high school GPA can be a “valuable piece of information” to have when considering student placement.
www.wsj.com
M.B.A. Applications Keep Falling in U.S., This Year Hitting Even Elite Schools
American business schools struggle to lure professionals out of strong job market, face competition from top programs in Europe, Asia, Canada
By Kelsey Gee
Applications to American M.B.A. programs dropped for a fourth straight year, with even elite universities starting to show signs of struggling to lure young professionals out of the strong job market. For the first time in nearly a decade, waning interest in the traditional master of business administration degree hit business schools that draw the most applications, including Harvard and Stanford universities, according to a survey of 360 schools by the Graduate Management Admission Council, a nonprofit that administers the GMAT admissions exam. Those top-tier programs were until recently thought to be immune to the shakeout plaguing less-prestigious programs. Americans are saddled with more college debt than ever, and they have grown increasingly reluctant to leave behind jobs for a year or more to pursue one of the nation’s most expensive degrees, school administrators say—particularly as the economy has improved. In response, schools in recent years have launched cheaper, more flexible or more customized master’s degrees in hot areas such as data science and supply-chain management.
www.usnews.com
Should You Give Your Future Income to a College?
More colleges and universities are offering different ways to pay for higher education.
By Farran Powell , Reporter
After his family’s finances took a downward turn, Casey Popp needed to find another way to pay for college during his sophomore year … The 22-year-old, who completed his bachelor’s degree at Purdue University—West Lafayette in Indiana this year, says he used his school’s income-share agreement program to finance his education as an out-of-state student. Income-share agreements, known as ISAs, are students’ contracts with colleges to pay a percentage of their future earnings for a fixed period after graduation in exchange for funds to pay for their education … Since 2016, colleges and universities that have launched ISA programs include Colorado Mountain College, Allan Hancock College in California, Lackawanna College in Pennsylvania, Clarkson University in New York, Norwich University in Vermont and Messiah College in Pennsylvania.
www.washingtonpost.com
Maybe tuition-free community college comes at too high a price
By Jay Mathews
Few educational issues, at least the nerdy kind I write about, get people riled up. Angry demonstrators rarely carry banners demanding, “More Research Papers in High School!” or “Down With Credit Recovery!” But one school issue — free college tuition — has been getting big political play this year. Community college counselor John Mullane wishes that would stop. He has been spending much of his time explaining why free tuition would be bad for his students. How can that be? Many community college students don’t have much money. Why not make their struggles to get an education easier by making sure they don’t have to pay that bill? “Providing tuition-free opportunities at public colleges and universities is far superior than the typical hodgepodge of aid packages and loans that are cobbled together by many students,” says the nonpartisan, nonprofit Campaign for Free College Tuition. Some polls show more than 80 percent support for that idea.
www.forbes.com
Colleges Are Lowering Tuition
https://www.forbes.com/sites/lucielapovsky/2018/09/29/colleges-are-lowering-tuition/#2f3916b51961
Lucie Lapovsky, Contributor
As colleges and universities continue to struggle to meet their enrollment goals, more colleges are realizing that the strategy of increasing their published tuition every year by several percent and concurrently, increasing their financial aid to entering students to offset some or most of the increased price is not working. Between 2006 and 2017, private colleges, on average, increased their tuition by 29% while their average net price increased only 6% over this period (College Board Trends). This meant that the colleges received little of the revenue from their price increases and some institutions actually experienced decreases in net price.
www.insidehighered.com
College Scorecard Drops National Comparison Data
By Andrew Kreighbaum
In its latest update to the College Scorecard, the Education Department has dropped data putting key outcomes measures for individual colleges in context. The department is making those changes as it pushes transparency offered by the Scorecard as an alternative to accountability provisions in the gainful-employment rule. The Scorecard consumer tool previously showed how the net price, graduation rate, repayment rate and typical earnings for colleges compared to the national median. It also showed whether the college was above or below average for those measures. The latest update includes no information showing how a college fares relative to other institutions, although users can still select and compare data on outcomes at multiple colleges using the tool.