Vol. 32, No. 5 - MAY 1996
Proposed new admission standards and PREP, a new pre-college program, will work together to improve student success in college. That's the key message heard by the Board of Regents at the May meeting.
"New admission standards will 'raise the bar' for Georgia students, yet we have a coordinated approach to ensure student success," said Chancellor Stephen R. Portch. "Currently, only one in ten of students who are not prepared for college graduates on time. These proposals can help improve student success."
Admission Standards Committee Chair Ron Henry, provost at Georgia State University, gave the Board an overview of the proposed new admissions standards at the May Board meeting. The Board will act on these recommendations at their June meeting.
Under the new standards, students would be four times more likely to succeed in college than under current rules, according to the committee chair.
"These changes promote clear, consistent standards throughout the System, aim for a higher level of academic excellence and maintain student access to the System," Dr. Henry said.
Key to the proposed changes for traditional freshmen is an increase in the number of College Preparatory Curriculum Requirements (CPCs) from 15 to 16 units. The additional required unit is in mathematics. All System institutions will require 16 CPC units for admissions. Three institutional sectors will require additional academic units: four additional units for research universities, and two for regional universities and senior colleges. Two-year colleges will not require additional academic units.
The other key change is the establishment of the "Freshman Index," said Dr. Henry. This index weighs two factors--SAT scores and high school performance--and uses the combination as the basis for admission. Currently, either SAT scores or high school performance may be considered in admissions, but not necessarily together and not as a weighted formula.
"The Freshman Index is a weighted measure that combines a student's SAT scores and high school grade point average (HSGPA)," said Dr. Henry. "The maximum SAT score possible is 1600 (800 for verbal and 800 for math) and the maximum possible HSGPA is 2000 (a 4.0 grade point weighted by 500 as a multiplier), thus the maximum Freshman Index possible is 3600."
By considering these two indicators together, the Freshman Index takes into consideration, for example, a student who may do well on tests, but was only an average student. Conversely, students who are solid performers in the classroom but don't do as well on standardized tests also have a more balanced evaluation of their college potential with the use of the Freshman Index.
The proposed changes also set minimum System admission standards by sector for transfer students.
Key to the success of new admission standards will be a communications program to inform seventh graders statewide of the new requirements. "Students must know early-on what will be required of them for college admission," Henry said. "They need to plan their high school coursework before they begin their freshman year."
Entrinsically aligned with the new admissions standards is a pre-college program-the Post-Secondary Readiness Enrichment Program (PREP) aimed at addressing the preparedness of 100,000 seventh graders; about 40,000 of whom are estimated to be in at-risk situations.
The PREP initiative will meet the informational and academic needs of the current seventh grade class and each successive class, until the year 2002.
Dr. Jacqueline Michaels, director of Pre-College Programs for the Board of Regents, said the strategy is to create opportunities for positive involvement by youth with their families, in the schools, the community and among peers.
"We will collaborate with K-12 schools, the Department of Technical and Adult Education, businesses, youth organizations and the community to provide tutoring, mentoring, leadership development, conflict resolution and other skills and support efforts to ensure these children have the tools they need to succeed in college," Dr. Michaels said.
This summer, four pilot programs will begin involving 400 students. These programs involve West Georgia College, Valdosta State University, Atlanta Metropolitan College, and Floyd College, as well as local partners including middle and technical schools and the business community.
Assistant Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Dr. Joseph "Pete" Silver said an additional 12,000 students will become involved in the program this fall and will be monitored through their graduation from high school. A subsequent class of seventh graders will be added each year until 2002.
Sanford Stadium In the grand drama of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games, the University System of Georgia stands out as one of the key educational players behind the winning and staging of the Games.
Consider that Atlanta's bid before the International Olympic Committee to become the next Olympic City contained the University System's impressive portfolio: 34 public colleges and universities in prime locations across Georgia. Each had top-notch infrastructure ready to host world-class events and accommodate athletes, spectators and members of the media from all over the world. System institutions also could offer technologically advanced and modern facilities. Most importantly, perhaps, no single organization could provide the expertise, commitment and dedication of the personnel employed on the campuses of the University System of Georgia. From sports medicine specialists to experts in Olympic history, virtually every kind of professional would be made available to athletes and the media alike.
In no previous Olympics has higher education played a bigger role in hosting the Games. Recognizing the proven record of various campus facilities, ACOG chose System institutions as venues for some of the most popular and celebrated Olympic competitions. Consider that as millions of people around the globe tune in to watch the world's best athletes compete this summer, University System facilities will be center stage. The flawless Olympic dives and Olympic boxing's perfect punches will take place on the campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology. From power strokes to choreographed splashes, Georgia Tech is the venue for the swimming, diving, water polo, synchronized swimming competitions in the Aquatic Center and the boxing competition in the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. The State of Georgia, ACOG, Georgia Tech and numerous corporate sponsors have invested more than $160 million in new construction and renovations to the campus in preparation for the Olympic Games. A fiber optic cable system installed to facilitate Village communications is one of the most advanced audio, visual and telecommunications systems in the world.
Olympic venues also are located at the University of Georgia where fans of soccer--the world's most popular sport--will yell "Goal!" during the Olympic competition held in Sanford Stadium. This sports facility is the fifth largest on-campus stadium in the United States and seats more than 86,000 people. The university's Coliseum, meanwhile, will fill up with spectators vying for the best view of the volleyball and rhythmic gymnastics Olympic competitions. In all, the university anticipates more than 600,000 visitors on its campus between July 20 and August 4.
Over at Georgia State University, heads will turn to follow the shuttlecock during the Olympic badminton events where players will showcase their 200 m.p.h. badminton smash.
More than just places of competition, System institutions also will be "home" for thousands of Olympians. The Olympic Village at Georgia Tech will house more than 15,000 athletes, trainers, coaches and national Olympic officials from 200 countries. They will dine in one of the world's largest al fresco dining rooms next to the School of Management. It is there that Village residents will sit down to 60,000 meals per day, tailored to meet the nutritional, cultural and religious requirements of each athlete. Characteristics that make Georgia Tech the ideal Olympic Village include its large campus with significant green space and its built-in infrastructure of housing units, dining halls, medical facilities, office space, sports training and entertainment facilities. During their stay, athletes will enjoy a day spa, recreational pool, nightclub and coffee house. In all, 270 acres of Georgia Tech's 330 acre campus will be utilized for the Olympic Village and venues, as ACOG makes use of the college's 32 residence halls, several classrooms, all athletic facilities and dining halls and most of the fraternity and sorority houses. Most of the parking lots also will be utilized for staging purposes.
Meanwhile, North Georgia College prepares to welcome guests from "down under" as 53 athletes from the Australian rowing, canoeing and kayaking men's and women's teams will call the college home during the Games.
Even Olympians get jet lag. Imagine having to push your body to the limits without a period of rest, adjustment to a new time zone and acclimation to Georgia's heat and humidity. System institutions are the perfect places for pre-Olympic training sessions and provide the traditional campus atmosphere of camaraderie and friendship. Students at many institutions are brushing up on their foreign language skills as colleges and universities across the state have been tapped to host various Olympic teams who will fill up dormitories, dining halls and training facilities in the months and weeks preceding the Games.
Slam dunks will become a customary sight at Atlanta Metropolitan College as the U.S. Olympic men's and women's basketball teams arrive to train on the college's campus before and during the Games. Georgia College alone is hosting teams from Russia, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Singapore, New Zealand, Canada and the United States. West Georgia College is set to welcome the Ukrainian team, while the weight-lifting team from Latvia will train at Floyd College. The Australian and Swedish national teams will practice at the University of Georgia, while Uganda's team will use the campus of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College for their training session.
Training won't be of help for athletes who arrive fatigued or plagued by an injury, but here again System institutions can help. Athletes with aches and pains need look no further than Georgia State University's Center for Sports Medicine and Sports Sciences for high-tech testing. GSU also is the
home of the official biomechanics lab for the 1996 Games. Medical services will be provided by the staff of the Medical College of Georgia Center for Sports Medicine, which is a part of the U.S. Olympic Committee's National Rehabilitation Network. Composed of physicians, physical therapists, athletic trainers and sports medicine specialists, the team's skills as well as the resources of the Medical College of Georgia are at the disposal of injured athletes.
Beyond accommodations for athletes and trainers, many System institutions will make their contribution to the Olympics by providing parking, information and broadcast space. Georgia Tech, for example, will be one of the main information hubs for the Olympic Games. ACOG staff has established communications and security hubs in a number of campus buildings, while the Bunger-Henry Chemical and Ceramic Engineering Building will serve as a media center during the Games. Gainesville College, on the other hand, will be the official parking site for the Lake Lanier Olympic rowing canoe kayak venue. Officials estimate that as many as 50,000 cars will be parked on the campus during the Games as it transforms itself into a "parking lot for the world." Other parking sites include Kennesaw State College, DeKalb College (South Campus) and the Southern College of Technology in Marietta.
From musical tributes to special exhibits, numerous System institutions are celebrating the Games by staging cultural activities designed to celebrate the tradition of international sportsmanship and goodwill. Combining the spirit of the Olympics with regional themes, visitors will be reminded of accomplishments of past Games, as well as have an opportunity to get to know the heritage of the South.
The University of Georgia is staging UGA Arts '96, a festival showcasing various traditions and arts of the Southeastern U.S. Art exhibitions will be mounted at the Georgia Museum of Art and the State Botanical Garden. The library on North Campus will display a traveling exhibit on the presidency of Thomas Jefferson, plus treasures from UGA's Hargrett Rare Book and Manuscript Library-including memorabilia from the university's Gone With the Wind collection.
Georgia Tech's Olympic Village also is the home of "Arts in the Village," a two-month long program featuring dance, jazz, opera and theater. Floyd College is hosting FestaRoma, a Southern celebration of history, music and drama held July 17-August 4. Opening night will feature a parade of nations, lighted boat parade, laser show and fireworks display.
As a special gift to Olympic visitors and music lovers, Spivey Hall at Clayton State College will present a special series of 18 concerts by internationally acclaimed musicians. Held from July 20 to August 3, the International Music Festival will include the Tokyo String Quartet and the Brazilian Masters.
Individual contributions from System students, faculty and staff will play a part in the Olympics as well. Brian Rust, assistant professor of art at Augusta College, is one of 80 artists commissioned by the Corporation for Olympic Development in Atlanta to create public art for the Olympics. His piece, Mended Circle, is a functional sculpture that will provide a seating area in the plaza adjoining Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University.
The Olympic torch also will pass through System institutions as it concludes a 15,000 mile journey around the country. Regent Edgar L. Rhodes of Bremen and Floyd College President Lynn Cundiff will carry the flame for about one-half mile in their home towns and are among 950 Georgians chosen to participate in the Olympic Torch Relay. In addition, Augusta College President William A. Bloodworth and Augusta College student Scott Ginn have been selected as 5 km Discretionary Escort Runners in the Relay. The torch also will pass through Valdosta State University, North Georgia College, West Georgia College and Georgia College.
The Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime event not only for athletes, but for those behind the scenes as well. For all involved, the training and preparation for the Olympics is an experience not to be forgotten.
The Games will leave the University System of Georgia a better place for students for decades to come. New facilities and improvements to existing buildings will create a superior environment for learning. Georgia State University will become a residential campus for the first time in its history, as dorms constructed for the Olympics become GSU residence halls after the Games. New facilities at Georgia Tech will add 2,700 new beds on campus, doubling Tech's previous housing capacity. Additions and improvements to the University of Georgia include the Sanford Stadium Olympic/Football Plaza, the air conditioning of Stegeman Coliseum, as well as the Coliseum's new warm-up facility, and countless housing and field improvements.
All is ready. Let the Games begin.
Hurray for Hollywood? No. Hurray for the University System of Georgia. Hollywood is no longer the exclusive home of movie-making magic. Thanks to a $2.2 million grant from the Georgia Research Alliance, Georgia State University and the Georgia Institute of Technology will become the first universities in the country to have a Cineon digital video and film-editing system. The same system facilitated the stunning seamless special effects found in movies such as "Toy Story," "Apollo 13" and "Forrest Gump." Budding directors and movie makers at both schools will be able to scan film into the Cineon system, transforming the analog picture into a digital image. A powerful computer manipulates the image by changing backgrounds, altering grain quality and adding special effects.
The centerpiece of the Digital Arts and Entertainment Laboratory, the new system will be housed on the Georgia State campus and linked technologically to Georgia Tech's Center for Advanced Communications Technology. The system also will be made available to Turner Productions, IBM Multimedia, BellSouth, Scientific Atlanta and other interested companies.
Double-decker buses and fish and chips will be part of the educational experience for more than 100 students from University System of Georgia institutions this summer. The students will be enrolled in the London Study Program at the Roehampton Institute in England for a five-week study abroad program from August 6 through September 9. Students from 14 System institutions will take up to 12 hours of academic credit and participate in field trips related to their studies. System faculty will accompany the students as well and teach selected classes.
The region made famous by William Faulkner, the blues and its hospitality is being celebrated by Middle Georgia College. "Facing South: A Festival of Southern Life and Culture," a joint venture between the college and the Beckley County Arts Alliance, featured a full week of lectures, readings, concerts, theatrical productions and exhibits in Cochran this month. The event brought together scholars, writers, filmmakers, musicians and artists to share their insights about Southern life and traditions. Middle Georgia College was the only college in Georgia to receive the regional designation award from the Cultural Olympiad. The award was developed by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and the Georgia Humanities Council to recognize and celebrate excellence and innovation in humanities programming throughout the South.
Mark Twain learned to ride a bicycle at age 51. He lived to write about it.
Twain detailed his numerous bike-riding fiascos in the tongue-in-cheek essay "Taming the Bicycle." He wrote the piece in 1886, the same year he bought a 52-inch "Columbia Expert" two-wheeler and spent days trying to mount, dismount, pedal and avoid on-coming dogs and wagons.
The bike makes its way to Kennesaw State College's Horace W. Sturgis Library Gallery this summer as part of "Mark Twain: An American Voice to the World" on display June 1-August 15. The free exhibit will include not only manuscripts from Twain's beloved works, but also memorabilia from his days as a steamboat pilot, a Confederate soldier, miner, newspaper reporter and lecturer.
TODAY'S CHOICE: Patrick Lucas, a sophomore at Middle Georgia College, was the only Georgian selected for the First Team All-USA Academic in a nationwide scholarship competition sponsored by USA Today. Lucas was chosen from 1,200 nominations by college presidents throughout the country. He received an obelisk and a $2,500 scholarship.
BREAKING GROUND: Gov. Zell Miller joined Armstrong College President Robert Burnett this month at the official ground-breaking for the new Academic and Law Enforcement Building. The new building, expected to be complete in the fall of 1997, will house offices, classrooms and the Regional Criminal Justice Training Center.
ON BOARD: Dr. Joseph W. Tollison, chair of MCG's Department of Family Medicine, has been elected president of the American Board of Family Practice.
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