Tea Party activists have protested University of Georgia health care navigators, and state lawmakers are considering putting them out of work, but UGA President Jere Morehead defends the navigator program as one that's in line with the university's mission.

Navigators are funded by a $1.7 million federal grant, and UGA goes after federal grants all the time, Morehead said during a news conference Wednesday. 

Their job is to explain the Affordable Care Act to people who are interested in signing up for insurance through the federal exchange—similar to the way the cooperative extension explains legislation like the farm bill as part of UGA's status as a land-grant institution, Morehead said.

"We're not advocating for the law or advocating against the law," he said.

Tuition

Morehead said he expects any tuition hike the Board of Regents approves this year to be "reasonable and measured."

UGA is holding the line on student housing, meal plans and other fees, he said.

"You won't see any substantial increase in fees next year," he said.

Snow Day

Morehead said he had no regrets about sending students and most employees home early Tuesday, Feb. 11, even though a predicted ice storm didn't hit until early the following morning.

"We were just trying to be prudent and careful," he said.

He also expressed his appreciation for the "unsung heroes" who cooked and served meals, kept the power, heat and computers running, did payroll and checked on experiments during the storm.

Guns on Campus

A bill that passed the state House on Tuesday would reduce the penalty for bringing a gun onto a college campus. UGA continues to oppose it. 

"I don't comment on any pending legislation, but I think our views on that subject are well-known," Morehead said.

Harvey-Clemons

In response to safety Josh Harvey-Clemons (JHC? More like THC, amirite?) being kicked off the football team for his third marijuana violation, Morehead said he expects Coach Mark Richt to maintain high standards for player conduct and hopes the rest of the SEC adopts those standards as well.

At least now we know why Harvey-Clemons didn't bat the ball down.