Former two-term governor and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue currently has no official role on a Georgia college or university campus, but he remains the top topic of conversation among many in higher education.
The AJC was the first to report the interest of some state Board of Regents members of naming Perdue to lead the University System of Georgia as its chancellor. The prior chancellor, Steve Wrigley, retired last week.
A land deal Perdue reportedly made during his Trump administration days raised some eyebrows among many paying close attention to the chancellor search.
Here’s the latest on the deal, some new support for Perdue and other happenings in this edition of AJC On Campus.
Students for Sonny
A group of students began an effort a few months ago and held rallies against former Gov. Sonny Perdue being named the next University System of Georgia chancellor. Well, there’s a student-driven effort to support the idea: Students for Sonny. Noah Ring, a conservative activist at the University of Georgia, created a Change.org petition in favor of Perdue.
“We believe that Sonny Perdue will effectively manage the University System of Georgia in a way that will increase retention rate in both the short and long term, encourage more high school seniors to choose one of Georgia’s higher education schools rather than going out of state, and most importantly, Sonny will ensure a bright future for all of Georgia’s students, teachers, and higher education faculty,” the petition says.
The pro-Perdue petition had about 80 signatures as of Wednesday morning. The anti-Perdue petition, which began a few months ago, has about 1,500 signatures.
Ring added on Twitter that “We have to fight back to ensure Critical Race Theory is taken out of our college campuses!”
Administrators at several University System schools a few months ago pushed back against questions from a state lawmaker asking if courses are being taught that are biased against white students.
Sonny Perdue’s land deal
Some Georgia politicos wondered last week if Perdue’s chances of becoming chancellor took a potentially fatal blow, thanks to a published report. The Washington Post reported on June 29 that Perdue bought a grain plant in South Carolina from one of the biggest agricultural firms in the nation at a small fraction of its estimated value shortly after Donald Trump tapped him to be U.S. Secretary of Agriculture in 2017. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, asked for a review of the deal the day after The Post’s account. Stay tuned.
Mourning Ladarius Clardy
Credit: Kennesaw State University
Credit: Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw State University students held a vigil Monday night in memory of 18-year-old Ladarius Clardy, who was found shot to death in a car near Pensacola, his hometown, early Thursday morning. Clardy played quarterback on the football team and appeared in two games in the COVID-19 interrupted 2020 season.
No arrests had been made in the case as of Tuesday. A $10,000 reward has been offered for information that leads to an arrest in the shooting.
KSU head football coach Brian Bohannon said in a statement: “Ladarius was an excellent teammate and left a mark on this program with his positive attitude. He will be deeply missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ladarius’ family at this difficult time.”
Students may access on-campus counseling services by emailing counseling@kennesaw.edu to schedule an appointment.
More Georgians enroll in 529 college savings plan
Over the last 12 months, Georgia’s Path2College savings plan has seen a 41.5% increase in contributions, as well as a 9% increase in new accounts opened, state officials said Tuesday.
As of May 31, 2021, there was more than $4.4 billion saved in the plan, officials said.
The plan allows Georgians to save money for the college education of their children. If funds are withdrawn for a purpose other than qualified higher education expenses, the earnings portion of the withdrawal is subject to federal and state taxes plus a 10% additional federal tax on earnings.
Gov. Brian Kemp noted in a statement that the account now has more than 250,000 account holders.
Biden administration withdraws international student visa proposal
Biden administration officials submitted paperwork Tuesday disclosing they will withdraw a proposed Trump administration change that many higher education leaders, including some in Georgia, worried would make it tougher for international students to pursue their education in the United States.
The proposed rule would have stopped indefinite stays by international students without reapplying for a visa as long as they remained in college and met other visa requirements. Trump administration officials said the change would have reduced fraud.
Inside Higher Ed published a letter written in October by the American Council on Education criticizing the proposed change. About 80 organizations, including the Georgia Independent Colleges Association, which represents the interests of the state’s private colleges and universities, were listed on the letter as supporting the council’s position.
UGA’s Morehead named SEC president
University of Georgia President Jere Morehead last week was named president of the Southeastern Conference’s executive committee, a two-year role in which he’ll oversee its annual operating budget and oversees all financial and fiscal affairs of the conference.
The SEC helps oversee the athletics programs of 14 universities. It includes their most lucrative sports, including football and basketball.
Maria Taylor on returning to UGA to get her business degree
ESPN broadcaster, and University of Georgia graduate, Maria Taylor has been trending on social media in recent days after The New York Times reported a white colleague complained Taylor got a major assignment last year primarily because she’s Black.
Taylor hasn’t talked publicly about the story. Last week, though, Taylor released a five-minute video discussing the importance of returning to UGA to get a business degree while working at the sports network. UGA’s Terry College of Business named Taylor, 34, who received her graduate degree in 2013, its 2021 Outstanding Young Alumni Award honoree in May.
Taylor, who played basketball and volleyball at UGA as an undergraduate student, said at the beginning of the video, “You might lose on the court, but you don’t have to lose it mentally.”
Morehouse College students compete on NBC’s ‘College Bowl’
A team of Morehouse College students tested their trivia knowledge on last week’s episode of the new NBC show “College Bowl,” hosted by former NFL legend Peyton Manning and his brother, Cooper.
The Morehouse team did not advance, but school leaders were happy with the effort. Morehouse is the first Georgia college or university and one of two historically Black colleges to compete on the show.
Morehouse School of Medicine maternal mortality study
Morehouse School of Medicine announced a few days ago it is participating in a study to explore the causes and issues behind health inequity among pregnant and postpartum Black women in the U.S.
Black mothers in Georgia, Louisiana, New Jersey and Washington, D.C., will be invited to take part in an interview process to discuss Maternal Near Misses (MNM), a condition that occurs when a woman nearly dies, but survives from a complication occurring during pregnancy, childbirth or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, the school said in a news release. The research project will also incorporate incarcerated women.
Georgia’s maternal mortality rate has long ranked among the bottom of U.S. states. A state study committee recently found that 60% of the state’s maternal deaths between 2012 and 2014 were preventable.
The study begins this month.
Georgia Military College celebrates record number of graduates
The school announced Tuesday it had a record 1,992 graduates this year, a near 6% increase from the prior academic year.
GMC officials attribute the increase in part to a COVID-19 Crisis Humanitarian Assistance Reserve with more than $500,000 in scholarship support for any student whose families had been economically harmed by the unprecedented crisis.
Come on in
Atlanta Technical College is hosting a free Application Week starting today through July 14. The college is holding seminars, workshops and other events geared toward encouraging potential students to apply, providing support when needed, and to create awareness about opportunities within the Atlanta region.
Registration is online at https://atlantatech.edu/open-house-2021.
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