Several Georgia legislators are pushing for more funding for the state’s historically Black colleges.
And as the fall semester marches along, colleges across the state are celebrating big grants and starting construction on new projects. We have that news and more in this edition of AJC On Campus.
Lawmakers call for more HBCU funding
Credit: Handout
Credit: Handout
Several Georgia lawmakers are demanding that the state invest more money in historically Black colleges after federal officials pointed to historic underfunding.
The heads of two federal agencies recently told governors of 16 states, including Georgia, that their land-grant HBCUs have been underfunded for years compared to non-HBCU land-grant schools.
The federal letter said that Fort Valley State University, a land-grant HBCU, would have received an additional $603 million from the state over the last three decades if its per-student funding was equal to that of the University of Georgia.
In response, Georgia House of Representatives members Sandra Scott, D-Rex; Viola Davis, D-Stone Mountain; and Kim Schofield, D-Atlanta, called on the state to fix the disparity.
The representatives shared an Oct. 3 letter to Gov. Brian Kemp and to University System of Georgia leaders that urges officials to “conduct a comprehensive review” of funding and “immediately allocate dollars to Georgia’s HBCUs,” among other requests. The letter was sent by a Mississippi law firm.
The University System has said it plans to review the data related to HBCU funding.
Clark Atlanta announces plans for three new buildings
Clark Atlanta University Board of Trustees approved plans to build a new freshman residence hall, a second dining hall, and a student success center, the school announced over the weekend.
The residence hall will be the first of its kind on the historically Black university’s campus since the 1996 construction of Brawley Hall for the Olympic Games. The hall will accommodate 400 students, university officials said in a news release.
The university will use a combination of debt financing and contributions from a food service vendor to finance the projects.
“Today’s decision by Clark Atlanta University’s Board is a testament to our unwavering commitment to our scholars’ success,” its president, George T. French Jr., said in a statement. “It is a direct response to the increasing enrollment and the need for on-campus student housing.”
Clark Atlanta said it will release details about the construction timeline at a later date.
Georgia State students relocated after fire
More than 320 students who live in Georgia State University’s Patton Hall were relocated after an Oct. 9 fire in a student room on the fourth floor, and some will not return this semester.
University officials said students were evacuated without any injuries and were relocated because of water damage from fire sprinklers and worries about exposure to smoke.
Some students chose to go home and commute to campus. The university moved other students into another residence hall, Piedmont North. Some of those students will be able to return to their rooms as restoration crews clean up, but the timeline will vary based on the amount of work to be done, according to a Georgia State spokeswoman.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Carter Town Hall
Credit: undefined
Credit: undefined
For 38 straight years, former President Jimmy Carter visited Emory University to answer student questions during the Carter Town Hall.
But as Carter has gotten older, and more recently entered home hospice care, the university has broadened who it brings in to speak at the annual event. On Nov. 6, the actress Yara Shahidi, who rose to fame in the TV shows “black-ish” and “grown-ish,” will join students for the 42nd Carter Town Hall.
The event is a big deal at Emory. Many students going back decades fondly remember hearing Carter answer their questions that ranged from zany to topical. Carter made his last appearance by video in 2020, during a virtual session led by his grandson, Jason, amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other recent speakers include Olympic soccer gold medalist Megan Rapinoe and former United Nations Ambassador Andrew Young.
Georgia State University’s AI grant
A Georgia State University computer science professor has been awarded a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Defense.
Jonathan Shihao Ji and his research team will study artificial intelligence and robotics, focusing on interactions between humans and robots. They’ll establish the Center of Excellence in Advanced Computing and Software. The grant will fund 12 doctoral students, 100 undergraduate students and additional post-doctoral researchers to assist with the work over the next five years.
Emory University funding
Speaking of big grants, Emory University recently received $9.2 million from the National Science Foundation to expand a program aimed at diversifying who does research.
Emory’s associate vice president for research, Kimberly Eck, leads the National Organization of Research Development Professionals Consultants Program. With the grant, the program will be able to provide more consulting services to historically Black colleges and universities as well as other minority-serving institutions to help those schools strengthen their research capabilities and secure funding for research projects.
Electric buses for University of Georgia
Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Nathan Posner for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Up to eight new electric buses are coming to the University of Georgia thanks to a $7.2 million federal grant.
The university said the Federal Transit Administration funding will support sustainable and efficient campus transportation by adding more electric buses to its fleet.
The electric buses “will not only enable us to reduce our carbon footprint but also enhance the overall quality of transportation services,” said Todd Berven, the school’s transportation and parking services director.
In June, Georgia State University announced it received more than $22 million in federal funding to swap 18 diesel buses with electric ones.
University of North Georgia construction
Credit: ALYSSA ANNIS UNG PHOTOGRAPHER
Credit: ALYSSA ANNIS UNG PHOTOGRAPHER
The University of North Georgia has begun construction of the Wynne-Mathews Military Science Center.
The two-story, 22,500-square-foot center will provide computer labs, offices and classrooms to teach 1,000 members of the school’s Corps of Cadets. It is expected to open by fall 2025 and is funded with a combination of state dollars and private donations.
The center’s name recognizes the contributions of Bob Mathews, a 1971 graduate, and honors his late wife, Mary Joan Wynne Mathews.
‘Diversity’ is out, ‘multicultural’ is in
The University of North Georgia will hold an investiture ceremony Nov. 10 for its new president, Michael P. Shannon. And there are other changes afoot as well.
In a late September letter to faculty and staff, Shannon announced a number of updates, including a new title for the position previously known as “director of diversity and inclusion.” That job will now be called the “director of multicultural employee affairs” and will continue to be held by Pablo Mendoza.
“This realignment will foster a broader focus on faculty and staff engagement as well as ensure our employee and student community is reflective of the diversity of our service region,” Shannon’s letter states.
The term “diversity” has become a political target and has been dropped elsewhere, including within the rules that guide Georgia’s teacher preparation programs. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission, which writes those rules for education colleges, voted to cut references to “diversity” in recent months. In some places, the commission swapped in the word “different” instead. Commission officials have said terms such as “diversity” and “equity” are ambiguous.
Morris Brown goes international
Morris Brown College, the private historically Black college in Atlanta that regained its accreditation last year, is touting another milestone.
The school said it has received approval to reinstate its student visa program, allowing international students to enroll full time at the school. President Kevin James said the school will recruit students from the Bahamas, the continent of Africa and other locations.
Saying goodbye
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Brooks Keel, president of Augusta University since 2015, will retire at the end of this school year.
“Serving as the president of Augusta University has been the capstone of my career and one of the greatest honors of my life,” said Keel, in a written statement.
His announcement came roughly a week after the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Board of Regents completed a deal to turn over operations of Augusta University’s hospitals to Wellstar Health System. Keel was a key figure in those discussions, which first became public in December and took months to finalize.
Keel’s total annual compensation is currently $1.2 million, the second-highest in the University System.
More housing for Kennesaw State students
A 600-bed residence hall for first-year students is coming to Kennesaw State University’s Kennesaw campus. The Georgia Board of Regents in September approved the $50 million project, expected to be completed by fall 2026.
The university said the new housing complex will bring its total number of beds to more than 6,500 at its Kennesaw and Marietta campuses.
New aviation programs launch
The Chattahoochee Technical College Aviation Training Academy in Paulding County is accepting students for the spring semester for three aviation programs.
The school is offering an aircraft structural technology diploma and technical certificates as an avionics bench technician, which includes working on aircraft electronics, and in aircraft upholstery and trim. Efforts are underway to get approvals for additional programs.
The academy is under construction at the Paulding Northwest Atlanta Airport, where work to build a hangar, labs, classrooms and other space is scheduled to be done by December.
Weight-loss drugs on wait list
Back in June, we told you about a task force created by the University System of Georgia to determine if the employee health care plan should cover weight-loss drugs.
It’s become a hot topic since the FDA approved the drug Wegovy to treat obesity.
Well, the results are in, and covering such drugs would be costly.
A University System official told the Georgia Board of Regents in October that it would cost $5 million to $8 million annually to cover weight-loss drugs in the health plan. The system will continue to evaluate the idea, saying the long-term outcomes for those medications are still unknown.
If you have any higher education tips or thoughts, email reporter Vanessa McCray at vanessa.mccray@ajc.com.
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