Archive for the ‘College’ Category

Rick Diguette teaches English at a local college. He is also a great op-ed writer. Here is a new piece by him.

By Rick Diguette

At the large community college where I teach, we face challenges that go to the heart of our mission as a gateway institution of higher education. Although student needs have remained relatively constant over the years, today the business of effectively meeting those needs is fraught with uncertainty. That uncertainty is driven by the struggling U. S. economy and by the fact that higher education, like it or not, is a business. Community colleges across the country, not just here in Georgia, are under increasing pressure to show that capital expenditures will translate into tangible future benefits, or degrees awarded.

The educator in me knows that the number of degrees awarded tells only part of the story. Community colleges have always served a wide variety of educational needs. Our open enrollment policies have seen to that. Some argue, …

Continue reading The mission of community colleges is under siege »

The standard college rejection letter announces, “While you are a qualified applicant, we regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you admission.”

However, the rejected student often reads a subtext into the letter: “You are not good enough. You are not getting into this amazing college that would have changed your life.”

Allison Singh, 37, understands that reaction. That is how she felt when Princeton rejected her 20 years ago. She nursed her wounds until she realized that she ultimately benefited from the loss.

So, when a high school friend asked her to help her boss’ daughter deal with a rejection by her dream college, Singh composed a long email that began, “I was crushed when I wasn’t accepted to my first-choice college. I felt like a failure and was angry that all of my hard work hadn’t been enough for admission.”

But Singh ended the email with, “But slowly, I gave my school and my classmates a chance, and gave myself a break…I came out of college with a better …

Continue reading Dealing with college rejection: Students can get over not getting in »

UPDATED a 11:45 a.m with news that Luella High in Henry also has twins in the top slots.

UPDATED at 2 p.m with news that triplets took the top three slots at Upson-Lee High School.

UPDATED at 3:34 p.m. with news that twins took the top honors at Franklin High School.

Bill Maddox of the Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education pointed me to these two news story, which he thought were worth noting. I agree. The valedictorians and salutatorians at Grovetown High School in Columbia County and at Clarke Central High in Athens are twins.

In addition, I am awaiting details from Henry County where twin brothers are the valedictorian and salutatorian at Luella High School. Sheldon C. Scoggins  is valedictorian; his brother Brennan M. Scoggins is salutatorian.

I just confirmed a twin valedictorian/salutatorian at Franklin High School. According to principal Wayne Randall, Scout Josey is valedictorian and her sister Kate is salutatorian. They are the twin daughters of Ricky …

Continue reading Triplets and four sets of twins take the very top honors at their Georgia high schools. »

The Economic Policy Institute sent out this depressing summary today showing that the wages of young college graduates have failed to grow over the last decade. One indicator to me of the bleak job market is how many college graduates are now living back at home with their parents.

Here is the data snapshot from EPI:

In 2011, young college graduates had an average hourly wage of $16.81 per hour, which translates into an annual income of roughly $35,000 for a full-time, full-year worker. Average hourly wages for young female graduates remain substantially less (13.9 percent) than those of young male graduates.

The wages of young college graduates have fared poorly during the Great Recession and its aftermath. Between 2007 and 2011, the wages of young college graduates dropped 4.6 percent (5.1 percent for men and 4.1 percent for women). The wage growth of young graduates was weak even before the Great Recession began; they have fared poorly over the entire period of general wage …

Continue reading Wages of young college graduates tanking during recession. (Is there room in the basement?) »

This rates as one of the most moving education stories I’ve read in a long time.

It is about a law student who fled his war-ravaged homeland for America, took a job as a janitor at Columbia University, learned English and now, at age 52, earned a degree at the the university.

He is a remarkable man. And he has a story worth sharing.

From AJC.com. (This is only an excerpt. Try to read the full piece by AP reporter Verena Dobni.)

NEW YORK — For years, Gac Filipaj mopped floors, cleaned toilets and took out trash at Columbia University. A refugee from war-torn Yugoslavia, he eked out a living working for the Ivy League school. But Sunday was payback time: The 52-year-old janitor donned a cap and gown to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in classics.

As a Columbia employee, he didn’t have to pay for the classes he took. His favorite subject was the Roman philosopher and statesman Seneca, the janitor said during a break from his work at Lerner Hall, the student union …

Continue reading A story to inspire us all: Immigrant janitor earns Columbia degree »

As the AJC delves deeper into the financial crisis at Georgia Perimeter College, new questions emerge in light of what seem to be serial shortfalls at the school.

Who was minding the store at the campus and at the Regents? Will students and faculty return to a diminished campus and offerings as a result of what could be a $16 million shortfall this year?

The newspaper reports that the budget deficit that drove Georgia Perimeter College President Anthony Tricoli from office last week was not the school’s first, or even second or third.

Many of the posters have said that Tricoli was unaware of the massive shortfalls. But, as we have been discussing on the blogs on the firing of principals in APS schools where there was widespread cheating, aren’t top leaders responsible for what occurs under their watch?

According to the AJC:

State audits and a University System analysis show the school has been overspending its budget by millions of dollars for the past four years and has …

Continue reading Budget shortfalls at Perimeter College go back several years »

Here is the statement released today on the name change approved by the Board of Regents to reflect the consolidation of Gainesville State College and North Georgia College & State University.

The board approved the name University of North Georgia for the new institution created through the consolidation of North Georgia College & State University and Gainesville State College

“Naming a university is a rare opportunity,” said Dr. Bonita C. Jacobs, president of North Georgia College & State University. “University of North Georgia is a forward-looking name that creates a strong identity for this new university that spans a large geographic region and that will have such a broad array of educational programs serving a student population of more than 15,000.”

Gainesville State College President Martha T. Nesbitt responded to the vote by saying, “I am very happy with the new name as it focuses on the regional character of the new multi-campus institution. This aspect also plays …

Continue reading Introducing the University of North Georgia »

Last week, a reader sent me and other AJC reporters a tip that the president of Georgia Perimeter College was out due to an audit that revealed a shortfall in the millions of dollars. Our higher ed reporter has been chasing down the lead ever since.

Today, the chancellor released a letter confirming that Anthony Tricoli was stepping down, but Hank Huckaby offers no  details of what led to the $16 million shortfall and why it was not caught until now.

Clearly, Tricoli is not a candidate for the UGA presidency, as several blog posters suggested last week after the news broke that Michael Adams was retiring next year.

We have several Georgia Perimeter College employees who sometimes comment on the blog. Folks, can you enlighten us on this mess?

Here is the AJC.com story by reporter Laura Diamond.

Georgia Perimeter College President Anthony Tricoli has stepped down after officials disclosed that the college has a $16 million budget shortfall, Chancellor Hank Huckaby announced …

Continue reading Tricoli out as Perimeter president; college faces a $16 million shortfall »

The pressure is mounting on the U.S. Congress to act to keep down interest rates on federal Stafford loans, which are helping  225,000 Georgia students attend college. A critical vote will be held Tuesday on the interest rate on those loans, which will double if Congress does not intervene.

In a conference call today, Georgia PIRG said the doubling of the interest rate from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent on new student loans — students have to reapply every year for the loans — will push up the college loan debt load, which already exceeds credit card debt in the United States.

The average Georgia student could see an additional $913 in repayment costs if the federal loans carry an interest of 6.8 percent. The average Georgia student graduates with nearly $19,000 in debt now.  (That is less than the national average, which is $25,000.)

“We see students every day with financial need who keep struggling over how they are meeting college expenses,” said Philip E. Hawkins , associate …

Continue reading Pressure mounting on Congress to keep down student loan interest »

The AJC reported this yesterday, but here is an official announcement from the Board of Regents, chancellor and governor:

Today’s announcement by University of Georgia President Michael Adams that he will step down on June 30, 2013, will mark the conclusion of 16 years leading one of the nation’s top public universities. In response to Adams’ announcement, Governor Nathan Deal, Board of Regents Chairman Benjamin Tarbutton III and University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby each made a statement.

Governor Nathan Deal said, “President Michael Adams has dedicated his most productive years to our University System’s flagship institution, the University of Georgia. He will leave behind a tremendous legacy, and his tenure will have long-lasting positive effects. Under his leadership, the University of Georgia has grown in size and in stature. These changes are manifested in the tremendous physical improvements to the school, particularly the development of East Campus and …

Continue reading It’s official: Michael Adams leaves UGA next year »