With more than a half-million students attending colleges and universities in Georgia and billions of dollars spent annually on higher education, there’s plenty of things happening on the state’s public and private campuses.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is committed to telling you about it with our weekly campus round-up. Look for it on Tuesdays.
Here’s a look at what happened on the higher education front in the last week on some metro Atlanta and Georgia campuses:
UGA teaching assistant’s posts sparks controversy
The University of Georgia searched for answers last week about what to do about an African-American teaching assistant whose comments about white racism and violence drew condemnation from many on campus and the university. While he described his philosophy as "non-violent militancy," other comments about white people having to die for the advancement of civil rights prompted UGA to ask the state's attorney general about legal options. The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, which constantly monitors campus speech issues, sent UGA a letter on Friday saying the assistant's comments are "protected expression" and urged the university to end its inquiry into the matter.
Funding increases proposed for Georgia’s public colleges
Gov. Brian Kemp's first budget calls for a six percent spending increase for the University System of Georgia and a one percent increase for the Technical College System of Georgia. Much of the additional money for the University System will go toward growth in enrollment, which is at a record high. Technical College System Commissioner Matt Arthur said the proposed increased would help give faculty raises.
Faculty gender pay gap
Many of Georgia's public colleges and universities are struggling with pay gaps between male and female faculty members. The AJC explored the issue, interviewing women professors, deans, administrators, students and experts. To read more, click here.
Tuition grants for public safety officers?
Some state senators want to offer grants to police officers, deputies, firefighters and emergency medical technicians seeking bachelor’s degrees. The officers must have been employed by their agencies for at least three years and maintain a 2.0 grade point average. There is no minimum grant, but maximum is the actual cost of tuition, a Senate spokeswoman said. The legislation, Senate Bill 19, will likely go before the senate’s higher education committee.
HBCUs & STEM
Several state lawmakers want to help more African-American college students pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math and are looking for ways they can do so through Georgia’s historically black colleges and universities. Three of them are public: Albany State, Fort Valley State and Savannah State universities, which happen to be working on a partnership with the U.S. Department of Labor on such issues. The lawmakers introduced a resolution exploring how that can be done by sharing resources with other colleges and identifying “at-risk” jobs that can be filled through educating students with skills in those industries.
Hoopster starts program to end gun violence in his hometown
After his cousin was shot and killed, Dalton State College basketball player Kingston Frazier started a a summer basketball league in his hometown, Opelika, Ala. for young men between 18 and 25 years old. The league began with four teams. He hopes to add at least two more teams. Frazier recently received the 2019 Young MLK Community Service Award given by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators – East Central Alabama Chapter for his community work.
Ga lawmakers oppose proposed federal changes on sex harassment investigations
Nine state lawmakers, all Democrats, signed a letter sent last week to U.S. Education Department Secretary Betsy DeVos urging her to withdraw proposed changes they say direct “educational institutions to ignore some complaints of harassment, even if state law requires a response.” The proposed changes include the opportunity for cross-examination, both sides can appeal a school’s decision in a case and schools would be prohibited from using a single investigator model. DeVos has said the proposed changes will make the process fairer but critics contend they’re designed to help the accused.
How a local school leader would have handled a recent controversy
The recent controversy concerning a New Jersey student-athlete forced to cut his dreadlocks before a wrestling match prompted AJC education reporter Marlon A. Walker to ask DeKalb County School District Superintendent Steve Green how he would have handled it. Click here to read more.
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