Vol. 38, No. 3, Spring 2001
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The Board of Regents froze tuition at the University System of Georgia's 13 two-year colleges for the upcoming fiscal year and established new differential tuition rates for the 2002 Fiscal Year (July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002) during the April Board meeting, held at Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville.
This marks the fourth straight year that the Regents have limited tuition increases to less than 5 percent. Both actions reflect the Regents' commitment to maintaining affordable access to higher education for Georgians.
The board's adoption of differential tuition rates is based partly on its year-long benchmarking study, which evaluated the University System and its 34 institutions against a selected number of national peer institutions in a number of different areas, including state appropriations and tuition revenue. These findings supported a tuition freeze at the two-year colleges.
Undergraduate and graduate tuition increased a modest 3 percent at the regional and state universities, and 5 percent at the System's research universities. The combination of the freeze and the differential increases result in an overall 3.7 percent tuition increase Systemwide.
"Attending Georgia's public colleges and universities continues to be one of the best higher education deals in the nation," said Chancellor Stephen R. Portch. "This board is committed to maintaining affordable access to high-quality, public higher education."
Effective for the Fall 2001 semester, tuition rates for Georgia residents are as follows:
In addition, the board acted on 43 mandatory student fee requests to adjust athletic, student activity, health services and transportation or parking fees, of which 18 were approved as submitted and 21 at reduced levels. Four requests were not approved. Campus committees with a minimum student-body makeup of 50 percent review all requests for mandatory-student-fee increases.
The board also reduced the $300-per-semester technology fees at Clayton College & State University and Floyd College to $38 and to $75, respectively. These fees have been used to support the two institutions' Instructional Technology Project, which requires all students to lease a laptop computer from their schools. The fee reduction was made possible by the Regents' special budget request to the Governor and General Assembly that resulted in funding in the Fiscal Year 2002 budget to help cover costs for this project. All other technology fees approved last year were kept at the current level, pending further staff review.
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A "cyberspace Socrates" and a nationally recognized model United Nations program were two of the winners of the 2001 Regents' Awards for Academic Excellence.
The awards program recognizes the University System's top faculty, departments and programs for outstanding teaching and service to USG students and noteworthy contributions to the scholarship of teaching. Five faculty members and three academic programs were honored during the March board meeting.
Regents' Teaching Excellence Awards:
Regents Research in Undergraduate Education Awards:
Present for the March board meeting presentation (left to right) were: (front row) Dr. Margaret S. Davis (Floyd College) and Dr. Deborah Morgan (representing the Theatre Department at Valdosta State University); (middle row) Jane T. Barnard (Armstrong Atlantic State University), Dr. Ronald D. Simpson (the University of Georgia), Dr. Chien-Pin Li and Dr. Jack Moran (representing the Model U.N., Model Arab League and Model Organization of African Unity programs at Kennesaw State University), and Dr. Charles "Randy" Wheeler (representing the Theatre Department at Valdosta State University); (back row) Dr. Mark Guzdial (Georgia Institute of Technology), Dr. Bill Hill (representing the Southeastern Conference on the Teaching of Psychology), Dr. Jacqueline Wheeler (representing the Theatre Department at Valdosta State University) and Dr. Deborah Vess (Georgia College & State University). ¶
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Georgia's public colleges and universities have both an opportunity and a responsibility to increase the number of students who graduate while cutting the average number of years it takes to earn a bachelor's degree.
A report heard by the Board of Regents in April cited the need for current traditional students to increase their academic loads in order to graduate in a more timely manner. The study was based on data derived from the board's comprehensive benchmarking study conducted last year. The board will work on developing new policies to improve overall graduation rates.
"We should be concerned about both our graduation rates and our headcount enrollment, because both are indicators of how well we as a System and a state are doing in reaching our goal of a more educated Georgia."
- Dr. Daniel S. Papp
Senior Vice Chancellor for Academics & Fiscal Affairs Daniel S. Papp focused the report to the Board's Strategic Planning Committee on graduation rates in the System's colleges and universities compared to their national peers. His presentation also analyzed recent trends on overall "headcount" - or total - enrollment and "equivalent full-time student" enrollment - or the total number of credit hours students take over a given semester.
"We should be concerned about both our graduation rates and our headcount enrollment, because both are indicators of how well we as a System and a state are doing in reaching our goal of a more educated Georgia," Papp said during the presentation. "For the University System, this is a stewardship issue for the state - in terms of managing limited resources - and for individuals, who we need to help earn a degree in less time and at less cost."
UGA's Grad Rates Notable
The System's regional and state universities, as well as the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia State University, fall at the low end of the "normative range" of four-year graduation rates when compared to out-of-state peer institutions. Only the University of Georgia has a four-year graduation rate well above the normative range of its peers, according to the report.
But the data on six-year college graduation rates shows that, on average, the System's regional and state universities fall just below the normative range for their peer institutions in other states. Among USG research universities, Georgia State also falls below the normative range, while Georgia Tech and UGA have six-year graduation rates at the upper end of the range.
Economy, HOPE Among Factors
The time it takes a student to graduate is closely related to the number of credit hours taken per semester. Reviewing recent trends in this area, the regents discovered that while the System's headcount enrollment is currently at the second-highest level in its history, the number of students taking 16 or more hours per semester has steadily declined since 1993.
Papp cited a number of variables affecting this decline. First, the strong economy during the 1990's encouraged people to work rather than attend college. Also playing roles: the Board's 1995 policy reducing the number of hours needed to complete most degrees to 120, improved transfer agreements among institutions, and the change in course structure resulting from the switch to semesters. Also, 1993 was the year the HOPE scholarship program was introduced, and HOPE scholars must maintain at least a "B" average to keep their scholarships. One method students use to keep their averages up, Papp suggested, is to take fewer hours.
The impact of all these variables is born out by the report's analysis of students taking 12-15 hours. The students taking 16 or more hours didn't just disappear; the benchmarking data shows they shifted into the 12-15-hour category, where the numbers have steadily increased from 79,000 students in 1993 to 94,000 students in 2000. Thus, Papp noted, the challenge for the System is to create supportive policies and design innovative course structures that encourage more students to shift their course loads back to the higher 16-credits-plus level.
At UGA, officials are mulling over a number of recommendations made recently by the university's Credit Hour Task Force, which spent a year investigating the situation there and identifying incentives for students to take a full course load. Among the task force's 22 recommendations were suggestions that UGA:
A significant drop in the number of students taking five or fewer hours - from 23,000 in 1993 to 13,000 in 2000 - is also of concern to the regents. These are non-traditional students - adults juggling jobs, children and other responsibilities while returning to college. While some of the same factors cited earlier apply to these non-traditional students, Papp noted that the switch from 10-week courses under the quarter system to 15-week semester courses has had a major impact on this student population.
"We need to rethink our current course structure and rearrange courses to make them more accessible for our non-traditional students," Papp said.
Final principles and action steps resulting from the regents' year-long analysis of its benchmarking study are expected to be adopted by the regents in June. ¶
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On CampusEnterprising students from Georgia's public colleges and universities swept the awards at the state's Second Annual Website Showdown, hosted by the Georgia Technology Awareness Program (GTAP). The competition, open to full-time students at public and private colleges and universities, requires the creation of a functional e-commerce website capable of generating revenue.
Kalin Stamenov of Valdosta State University collected $10,000 for winning first place; Daniel Lunde, a University of Georgia student, won $2,500 for taking second place; and Zachery Biles, of Southern Polytechnic State University took home third place and $1,000. ¶
Students at CC&SU, Floyd College Get Choices This Fall Clayton College & State University and Floyd College are modifying the landmark Information Technology Project (ITP) they initiated in 1998. Students, currently required to lease laptop computers from the university, will make their own arrangements for computers beginning this fall.
The changes will enable the ITP Choice program to reduce the technology fee students pay each semester from $300 to $38 at Clayton State and to $75 at Floyd College.
Clayton State requires that all students have access to a laptop in order to complete assignments and communicate with instructors and classmates. More than half of Floyd's fall-semester courses require laptop usage on at least a weekly basis. The rest of the college's courses require all students to have laptop access.
Now students have the option of buying or leasing the computers from whomever they choose. ¶
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Three University System campuses received new presidents this spring. The Board of Regents and University System Chancellor Stephen R. Portch announced the selection of Dr. Daniel W. Rahn, M.D., to head up the Medical College of Georgia, Dr. John Randolph Pierce to lead Floyd College in Rome and Michael F. Vollmer to take the helm at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton.
Daniel RahnA nationally recognized researcher, clinician and seasoned administrator, Rahn has served in his current roles at MCG Health Inc. since last year. He also is a full-time faculty member in MCG's School of Medicine and since 1995 has served as MCG's vice dean for clinical affairs. In addition, since 1998, Rahn has served as director of the Center for Healthcare Improvement.
Rahn came to MCG Health Inc. in 1991 and served dual roles as program director for the internal medicine residency program and as director of clinical affairs for the Department of Medicine.
Between 1988 and 1991, he was clinical director of the Lyme Disease program at Yale University School of Medicine, as well as the director of clinical training in rheumatology and director of faculty practice for the Department of Internal Medicine.
He is a noted national expert on Lyme Disease, for which he has received a number of research grants.
From 1994 to 1999, he also served as interim director of the Gwinnett University Center, a collaborative effort among Georgia Perimeter College, Gwinnett Technical College, Georgia State University and the University of Georgia.
Pierce's professional career in the University System began at GSU, where he worked as a conference coordinator from 1973-1975 and as a program development specialist for the College of Education from 1975-1977.
Pierce then began a 24-year career at Georgia Perimeter, starting as the business manager for the Community Campus, and holding a number of administrative positions on the college's various campuses, including continuing education coordinator, program director and registrar. In 1988, he was named the campus administrative dean for the Lawrenceville campus, a post he held until becoming provost.
Vollmer brings to his new post a long career of service in both Georgia state government and the University System of Georgia. He has served as interim president for two University System institutions, and helped launch the Georgia HOPE Scholarship program by serving as its first executive director.
Appointed executive director of the Office of Education Accountability by Gov. Roy Barnes in July 2000, Vollmer has had chief oversight responsibility for all of Georgia's public education programs. He came to this position from the Board of Regents, where he had just been named senior vice chancellor for Human and External Resources, following posts as the interim president of Clayton College & State University in 1999-2000 and of Middle Georgia College (1998-1999).
Prior to this, Vollmer was interim vice president for fiscal affairs at Clayton (1997-1998). He assumed this position after starting up then Gov. Zell Miller's Office of School Readiness, where Vollmer served as executive director from 1996-1997. This came after Vollmer was Gov. Miller's choice to initiate and manage the successful HOPE Scholarship Program. Serving as the HOPE program's first executive director from 1993-1996, Vollmer oversaw the development and implementation of this $200 million a year scholarship program and later worked with the U.S. Department of Education and the Office of the President to develop the national HOPE Scholarship Program.
Between 1981 and 1993, Vollmer served in a variety of other state government administrative positions, including executive assistant to the Governor for Health & Education, executive director for the Governor's Commission on Drug Awareness and Prevention. ¶
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Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of the two-year college, has selected Gloriss Potts to represent Georgia as a 2001 Centennial Scholar on the basis of her exceptional academic and leadership achievements as a student at Waycross College.
Potts, who is currently continuing her education as a computer engineering major at North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega, received a $2,000 stipend from the Coca-Cola Scholarship Foundation, had her name listed in USA Today on April 5 and was recognized at the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) Convention, held April 4-7 in Chicago.
The Centennial Scholars Program, established in conjunction with the AACC to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the two-year college system, honors the student from each state who scores the highest on the All-USA Academic Team competition. ¶
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The Board of Regents has awarded a 2000-2001 Global Partnerships Grant to researchers at Armstrong Atlantic State University and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. The two Savannah institutions will use the money to make a newly developed computer software package available to scientists worldwide.
The kicker? This sophisticated image-processing software was developed by a 21-year-old AASU computer science major from Bulgaria.
The Global Partnerships Grant program is designed to stimulate partnerships that address significant international issues of educational, political, scientific, and/or social relevance to the 21st century. AASU recruited Ruslan Hristov, a "computer whiz kid" with a keen interest in computer imaging, last spring during a college fair at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in Tifton, where he was wrapping up a two-year degree in computer science. Through the recruiter at the college fair, Hristov was able to arrange a paid summer internship in the Skidaway Institute lab of Dr. Peter Verity, who was doing research based on computerized image analysis. Verity happens to be the husband of the AASU recruiter, Melanie Mirande.
Hristov's job as an intern was to make improvements to expensive, somewhat outdated software, called Skidaway Tools, used for aquatic research. His finished product is three times more powerful than the old version of the software and can be made available to other scientists free of charge via the Web. Verity hired Hristov as a software engineer, and - together with Dr. Mark Burge, an assistant professor of computer science at AASU whose specialty is computer vision and image processing - they launched a plan to "internationalize" the software so it can be shared worldwide. This involves translating the program code into many languages so that it is adaptable no matter who uses it. Germans, for instance, will see on-screen instructions and units of measure in German, while Russians will view them in their own language.
Burge, who noted that scientists with labs in Russia, China and Europe are eager to obtain copies of Skidaway Tools, said he and Hristov will spend a month learning about internationalized programs at an Austrian university this summer. An intern from that country will accompany them back to the United States to work on the project with Hristov and Verity at Skidaway.
In the meantime, with encouragement and guidance from the two faculty members, Hristov has written up his research on computer-imaging software and is presenting papers to both computer science and oceanographic research organizations.
"Ruslan will be a senior at AASU next year and the president of our student computing club," said Burge. "He has done very well, and we all are very proud of him."
For more information about obtaining a University System Global Partnerships Grant, visit the website www.usg.edu/oie/.
Media Relations Intern Felecia C. Miller contributed to this article.¶
Researchers Dr. Peter Verity (left) of the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and Dr. Mark Burge (right) of Armstrong Atlantic University flank AASU student Ruslan Hristov, who created a software package now being translated into several foreign languages with the help of a USG Global Partnerships Grant.
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BookmarkNearly every student since the beginning of time has had to write at least one essay describing "What I Did on My Summer Vacation." Georgia's public libraries are hoping to make that assignment a snap with the rollout of "Vacation Reading Program 2001."
"Extra! Extra! Read All About It! The public library is the place to be spotted," shouts a poster sporting a winsome Dalmatian at "McSpot's Library" who is leading a book-club discussion among furry, feathered and web-footed friends. "Reading is fun," is McSpot's primary message. Children who participate in the Vacation Reading Program will get "press passes" (membership cards), bookmarks, stickers and a chart for keeping track of books read or time spent reading. All are adorned with McSpot and friends, as is the program's diverting website, "The Reading News" (http://www.public.lib.ga.us/extra/).
To sign a child up for the Vacation Reading Program, just visit your local public library and "get spotted." ¶
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SYSTEM NOTES
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University System Chancellor Stephen R. Portch has appointed interim presidents for Middle Georgia College, in Cochran, and Gordon College, in Barnesville, until national searches can be conducted to fill the vacancies in the top posts at these two institutions.
Effective June 1, Dr. Sherman R. Day - a former president of North Georgia College & State University - will replace Gordon College's long-time president, Dr. Jerry Williamson, who recently announced his intention to retire at the end of May.
Portch called Day "an outstanding person and administrator. I'm very grateful that he has answered our call to assist Gordon College," he added.
Day served as president of NGC&SU from 1996 to 1999. Among his many public service positions, Day also managed the day-to-day implementation of Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park. He served as managing director of Legacy and Olympic Programs for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games from 1992 to 1996.
Robert E. Watts, who has been serving as interim president at Floyd College in Rome, was named to the post at Middle Georgia College. Beginning June 15, he will replace Dr. Steve Maradian, who has been appointed to assist the University System Office in increasing sponsored program activities for the System, particularly at the federal level.
"Rob brings a wealth of experience to this new assignment and a true willingness to serve the University System," said Portch in announcing the appointment.
From 1991 until his August 2000 appointment as interim president at Floyd College, Watts served as executive vice president for financial and administrative affairs at Georgia Perimeter College. ¶
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Georgia employers are the primary beneficiaries of the University System of Georgia's main product - its graduates - and academic programming efforts have been particularly successful in helping the state stem the recent shortfall of information technology workers.
Those are the initial findings of a soon-to-be-released study sponsored by the System's Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP®). Clear regional and statewide enrollment and employment trends emerge from the state's 34 public colleges and universities, the study shows.
Columbus Rich in IT Workers
The migration and occupational analysis indicates that seven out of 10 University System of Georgia graduates employed in the field of information technology completed their education in the region where they work. Columbus - where ICAPP has operated a highly successful information technology training program at Columbus State University - well exceeded that statewide average by providing 92 percent of its own information technology employees, the highest regional percentage in the state.
In fact, at least 72 percent of all University System alumni who graduated between 1993 and 1997 were working in Georgia during 1998, a number considered conservative by the two researchers conducting the study, because it excludes the self-employed, non-profit sector employees, small and self-employed farmers, and other miscellaneous job classifications. Study a First Among Systems
"This is the first time any statewide public higher education system has been able to track their alumni geographically after graduation," said Dr. William J. Drummond, associate director of the Georgia Tech Center for Geographic Information Systems and an associate professor in Tech's City and Regional Planning Program. He and Dr. Jan L. Youtie, a research scientist in Georgia Tech's Economic Development Institute, presented their initial findings at the Board of Regents' March meeting.
"While a shortfall of IT workers still exists in Georgia, the University System is addressing the issue," Drummond said. "The shortfall has been quantified at 1,400 jobs annually, and measures have been taken to stem that tide and avoid a loss in economic competitiveness. Otherwise, Georgia could potentially experience a loss of 14,000 jobs over the next decade, because businesses are crying for these workers."
CS/IT Grads On the Rise
The University System's production of high-demand graduates in the computer and information technology fields has increased significantly during the past decade. During FY 2000, the System produced 2,674 graduates with degrees and certificates in computer science, information technology, electrical engineering and related disciplines - more than double the 1,294 who graduated from the same disciplines in FY 1991.
The University System currently offers 64 degree programs and certificates in computer science, electrical engineering, information technology and related fields. Of these 64 programs, 11 are in the newly emerging field of information technology, and have been approved by the Board of Regents since FY 1997.
The study determined that significant shortfalls existed for three information technology occupations in the state: computer engineers, computer programmers, and system analysts. ¶
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The University System of Georgia's efforts to connect its students and alumni with Georgia businesses appears to be a hit with employers and job candidates.
"We have enjoyed a great deal of success with GeorgiaHire.com," said Dr. Diane Fennig, director of the on-line statewide database. GeorgiaHire.com allows current USG students and alumni to post their resumes on its web site free of charge. For a small fee, potential employers can post job openings and company profiles and use key words to search the resume database for qualified job candidates. Since the initiative was launched in February 1999 as part of Georgia's Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP®), almost 40,000 University System students and alumni have registered with GeorgiaHire.com, Fennig said.
She added that, during January 2001 alone:
What's next for GeorgiaHire.com?
"We intend to share the wealth," said Fennig, noting that the Board of Regents is extending an invitation to Georgia's private colleges and universities to participate in the program. ¶
Regent Hilton Howell Jr. was treated to a close encounter with an albino Burmese python, much to the amusement of Regent Michael Coles (left) during the Board of Regents' informal visit to Georgia Southern University in late February. The tour included a review of the reptiles and raptors in residence at the University's Center for Wildlife Education and Lamar Q. Ball Raptor Center by Center Director Steve Hein (center). Led by Regent Martin NeSmith of Claxton, the Regents also toured the campuses of Armstrong Atlantic and Savannah State universities and the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography. ¶
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A new position in the University System Office created to help maintain and enhance cooperative relations with the University System's 34 institutions will be filled by the current interim vice president for external affairs at Armstrong Atlantic State University: Frank A. Butler. Butler will assume his new post, vice chancellor for academic, faculty and student affairs, in July. He will oversee integration of the board's policies, procedures, initiatives and other actions and will report directly to Dr. Daniel S. Papp, senior vice chancellor for Academics and Fiscal Affairs.
"We are pleased to identify someone of Frank's experience and ability within the University System for this new post," said Papp. "We conducted an exhaustive search and had a superb pool of candidates. However, Frank's knowledge, energy, and vision stood out and made him the clear choice. He understands the System and our institutions." Butler has served in several capacities at Armstrong Atlantic since arriving in 1985. In addition to his current position, he was selected by Chancellor Stephen R. Portch to serve as the university's interim president in 1999-2000, while a presidential search was conducted. From 1985 to 1999, Butler was vice president and dean of faculty at Armstrong Atlantic. Throughout his tenure at AASU, Butler has taught as a professor of physics.
He also has held administrative and teaching positions at Indiana University East, Northern Kentucky University and the University of Kentucky. ¶
Feedback on the System Supplement may be sent to: dpayne@mail.regents.peachnet.edu
BOARD OF REGENTS OFFICERSGlenn S. White
Lawrenceville
CHAIR
Hilton Hatchett Howell, Jr.
Atlanta
VICE-CHAIR
Juanita Powell Baranco
Lithonia
Hugh C. Carter, Jr.
Atlanta
Connie Cater
Macon
Michael J. Coles
Kennesaw
Joe Frank Harris
Cartersville
John Hunt
Tifton
Charles H. Jones
Macon
Donald M. Leebern, Jr.
Columbus
Allene H. Magill
Dalton
Elridge W. McMillan
Atlanta
Martin W. NeSmith
Claxton
J. Timothy Shelnut
Augusta
Joel O. Wooten, Jr.
Columbus
James D. Yancey
Columbus
Stephen R. Portch
CHANCELLOR
Gail S. Weber
SECRETARY TO THE BOARD
William R. Bowes
TREASURER
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