Blog Topic: On Campus

In the Loop: UGA Will Hire 56 New Faculty Members This Year

By Blake Aued | July 27, 2015 4:57pm

Photo Credit: Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA

Peggy Brickman (left) teaches a small class at UGA.

The University of Georgia will hire 56 new faculty members in the coming year, UGA announced today.

Some new faculty will start teaching in August the university said. Ten faculty members were hired last fall to teach 80 courses with high demand.

By fall 2016, UGA will have added 319 course sections in 81 majors, and the majority of classes will have fewer than 20 students.

UGA’s current student/faculty ratio is 18–1.

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In the Loop: Ag Official Explains the Myths of Food Stamps

By Benjamin Tankersley | July 24, 2015 11:12am

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones

Kevin Concannon, undersecretary at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, toured the Athens Farmers Market and several local community gardens during a visit to Athens on Wednesday.

All to answer the questions of a poultry science professor, Kevin Concannon, a U.S. undersecretary of agriculture, came to UGA last week to discuss the myths and misconceptions about people on SNAP (the Supplement Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, though recipients now get their benefits on a debit card).

Robert Beckstead, a poultry science professor at UGA, teaches a class about the effects of global agriculture on world culture. As part of that class, there is a project where his students are given the farm bill and asked to cut 20 percent of the budget.

“The majority of the students,” Beckstead said, “whether they were lazy or that’s what they really believed, they said, ‘Well, we’ll just cut 20 percent from [food stamps].'”

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In the Loop: Ex-Congressman John Barrow Will Teach at UGA

By Blake Aued | July 22, 2015 2:57pm

Former U.S. Rep. John Barrow, an Athens native, will teach at the University of Georgia starting this fall, UGA announced today.

Barrow will be a scholar in residence at the School of Public and International Affairs, teaching once class this fall and two in the spring semester focusing on political polarization.

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In the Loop: UGA President Jere Morehead Is Donating $100,000 to UGA

By Blake Aued | June 5, 2015 1:25pm

University of Georgia President Jere Morehead is donating a big chunk of his $250,000 pay raise to a new scholarship endowment, the university announced today.

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In the Loop: Georgia State Rep Thinks Universities Shouldn't Investigate Sexual Assaults

By Blake Aued | May 22, 2015 11:29am

Photo Credit: House Photo Office

State Rep. Earl Erhart (R-Powder Springs).

State Rep. Earl Erhart (R-Powder Springs) wants to hold hearings on how colleges and universities handle sexual assaults—but not for the reason you might think.

Erhart—chairman of the House subcommittee that handles higher education funding—is not worried about sexual assault survivors seeking justice, but about the rights of the accused.

The Marietta Daily Journal explains:

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In the Loop: UGA Public Affairs VP Tom Jackson Steps Down

By Blake Aued | May 1, 2015 4:06pm

Tom Jackson, the University of Georgia's longtime vice president for public affairs, is resigning Aug. 1 to take a position as "heritage communications executive."

President Jere Morehead announced in a Friday afternoon news dump that he has appointed a search committee to seek a replacement, with the new title of vice president for communications and marketing. Vice President for Public Service and Outreach Jennifer Frum will chair the committee.

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In the Loop: Finals Are Stressful, So Go Pet a Dog

By Blake Aued | April 28, 2015 12:53pm

Photo Credit: Jen Wolf/UGA Law Library

Who's a good boy?

So you have two tests tomorrow and are probably going to pull an all-nighter and ugh finals are just the worst. If only you had a pet to help you chill a little. "Studies show that animals can reduce tension and improve mood," according to WebMD.

You’re in luck. “Paws & Relax” (lol I see what you did there) is scheduled for 11 a.m.–1 p.m. Wednesday outside the main library, the science library, the Miller Learning Center, the Ramsey Center and Aderhold Hall. There will be “many” dogs, a cat, a bunny and a baby goat.

Awww.

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In the Loop: UGA Won't Punish Student-Activist Adam Veale Over Protest Arrest

By Blake Aued | April 24, 2015 8:27pm

Photo Credit: Laura James

Adam Veale speaks at a rally at the Arch on Friday, backed by Adam Lassila (who was arrested alongside him at a demonstration in favor of expanding Medicaid) and Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link (right).

Adam Veale was one of a dozen protesters who knelt down on the Georgia Capitol steps, held out their arms to be handcuffed and were led away to jail.

They were part of a Mar. 2 Moral Monday protest urging the state government to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid to the hundreds of thousands of Georgians who earn too much money to qualify for the current program, but not enough to purchase health insurance on the private market, even with Obamacare subsidies.

Not only does Veale face a disorderly conduct charge—his court date hasn’t been set, and he’s hopeful it will be dropped—but the University of Georgia sophomore political science major faced university discipline as well. He turned down an “informal resolution” (sort of a plea deal) involving community service and a black mark on his permanent record, and so faced a disciplinary hearing today.

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In the Loop: UGA Student Faces Disciplinary Hearing Over His Arrest at a Protest

By Blake Aued | April 23, 2015 1:31pm

A University of Georgia student is facing disciplinary action related to a Moral Monday protest at the state Capitol last month.

Adam Veale was arrested, along with fellow Athenians Tim Denson and Adam Lasilla, at a Mar. 2 demonstration urging the state government to accept federal funding to expand Medicaid.

Veale’s hearing is scheduled for 8 a.m. Friday. Athens-Clarke County Commissioner Melissa Link, state Sen. Vincent Fort (D-Atlanta), Georgia NAACP President Francys Johnson, Denson and other Moral Monday protesters and Athens for Everyone members are testifying on his behalf.

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In the Loop: Leslie Petch Lee Named Interim Medical School Dean

By Tom Crawford | April 21, 2015 3:51pm

Leslie Petch Lee has been named interim campus dean at the medical school located on the University of Georgia campus, effective May 13.

The UGA medical school is affiliated with the Medical College of Georgia (MCG) under the formal name of Georgia Regents University/University of Georgia Medical Partnership.

“There is a strong consensus that Dr. Lee, who has served as a leader at the partnership campus essentially from its beginning, is a terrific choice for interim campus dean,” said Dr. Peter F. Buckley, dean of the Medical College of Georgia at GRU.

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