A national search was launched to replace FVSU President Larry Rivers, who will serve through June 2013 before stepping down. Dr. Rivers served the USG in that role since 2006.

The recommended finalist is:

Dr. Ivelaw Lloyd Griffith, provost and senior vice president at York College of the City University of New York. Griffith also is a professor of political science.

He has served as provost since 2007 and during his tenure has increased the number of full-time faculty by 30 percent, reorganized the academic division and enhanced the research and scholarly climate by creating a Provost Lecture Series and a companion Distinguished Scholar Lecture Series, among other initiatives. Griffith also has established an undergraduate student research program.

Before being named provost at York College, Griffith, in addition to his teaching duties, served as provost at Radford University in Radford, Va. He was budget dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Florida International University in Miami, as well as dean of the FIU Honors College.

Griffith is a specialist on Caribbean security, drugs and crime. In this capacity, he has been a consultant to Canada’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and other organizations.

He also has spoken at military academies across the United States and in the Caribbean, and serves on the editorial board of the journal Security and Defense Studies Review, which is published by the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, in Washington, DC.

A past president of the Caribbean Studies Association, he has been a visiting scholar at the Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies, the Royal Military College of Canada and the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany. He has testified before the United States Congress on Caribbean security matters.

Griffith has published seven books and more than 50 articles on his area of expertise. The research for his highly-acclaimed book, Drugs and Security in the Caribbean: Sovereignty Under Siege, was funded by the MacArthur Foundation, and his next book, Challenged Sovereignty, will be published in 2014 by the University of Illinois Press.

Most recently, he was one of 45 experts recently invited by the Secretary General of the Organization of American States to review the hemisphere’s narcotics policies and practices and propose anti-narcotics scenarios.

A member of The 100 Black Men of Long Island, he also serves on the Vestry of the St. Georges Episcopal Church in Long Island, and on the board of directors of the Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning in Queens, New York.

Griffith earned a bachelor of social sciences degree from the University of Guyana, Demerara-Mahaica, Guyana, a masters of arts degree in political science and public administration from Long Island University, New York, and both a master of philosophy and doctorate in political science from the City University of New York.

The Board of Regents is expected to name the next president of Fort Valley State University at a future meeting. Georgia law requires the naming of finalist(s) a minimum of five days prior to final Board action to select the president.

Currently, John Black fills this role in an interim capacity.

The Special Regents’ Search Committee will be chaired by Regent Larry Walker and includes Regents Lori Durden, Benjamin Tarbutton III, and T. Rogers Wade. NeSmith will serve as an ex-officio member of this committee.

The search and screening of candidates is the responsibility of a 15-member Presidential Search and Screen Committee, whose members also are appointed by NeSmith. Members of the Presidential Search and Screen Committee are as follows:

• Dr. David Fuller, associate professor of education, School of Education and chair of the campus search committee

• Crystal Allen-Joyner, multicultural affairs coordinator

• Dr. Nancy Bunker, faculty chair of the senate and associate professor of English

• David Carpenter, dean of the Warner Robins campus

• Adon Clark, program chair of Aviation Maintenance

• Dr. Charles Matson, associate professor of Respiratory Therapy

• John Edgar Steigerwald, chair of Aviation Science and Management

• Dr. Stephen Svonavec, dean of the Dublin campus

• Dr.Varkey Titus, dean of the School of Business

• Dr. Ron Williams, dean of the School of Science and Math

• Wesley Sewell, student government association president

• David Lanier, chair, Middle Georgia State College Foundation

• Wanda T. Barrs, former chair of the Georgia State Board of Education

• Phil Best, mayor of the City of Dublin

• Ronnie Rollins, chief executive officer of Community Health Systems, Inc.

The campus-based committee will be charged with its responsibilities in a meeting scheduled for 1:00 p.m., Thurs. June 13 in the boardroom of the Jones Professional Sciences Conference Center on the MGSC Macon campus. The executive search firm of Myers McCrae, Macon, Ga., has been engaged to assist the search committee.

At the conclusion of its work, the campus committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to the Regents’ Search Committee. The Regents’ Search Committee is responsible for recommending finalists to Huckaby, who will make a recommendation to the full Board of Regents.

Joining the USG in this partnership will be the State University of New York (SUNY), the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee Systems, University of Colorado System, University of Houston System, University of Kentucky, University of Nebraska, University of New Mexico, and West Virginia University.

The non-exclusive partnership will enable the participants to explore how to develop and use MOOC technology and content to improve college completion rates, academic quality and access to higher education, both for students enrolled in colleges and universities comprising the systems as well as Coursera’s global classroom of learners.

“We are excited about this partnership because it provides us with the opportunity to better serve students and also contribute to our goal to increase student success and college completion,” said USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby.

“If there are resources and services that can assist our institutions in developing and offering affordable, high quality academic courses, programs, and supports, we have an obligation to explore these opportunities on behalf of students,” Huckaby said. “This is about being student-centered and fostering system-wide innovative solutions to meet our goals of quality, access, affordability, and completion.”

While today’s announcement is not about the launch of specific online courses or degrees, it is an important step in the fast-evolving world of MOOC’s, virtually unheard of a year or two ago. The initial concept behind MOOC’s was to use technology to allow individuals to take college courses online at no cost, but without earning college credits.

Houston Davis, the USG’s chief academic officer, said, “One next step in the evolution of MOOC’s is to explore appropriate ways for this content to be merged with existing academic content, new academic supports, and rigorous assessments to provide affordable credit opportunities.”

“There is a great deal of interest within our institutions in exploring flexible, new models of education delivery, ranging from independent learning opportunities through models that provide more intensive support and instruction,” Davis said.

The agreement gives the University System of Georgia faculty and institutions the chance to be an active player in shaping the way that MOOC’s will be utilized and expanded.

“However this evolves, we want this to be truly beneficial for Georgians and a path to meaningful credits and degree opportunities,” Davis said. “This and other open educational resources can be important tools in improving access and shortening the time to earn a degree while insisting on preservation and enhancement of academic quality.”

The new Coursera partnership will allow participating systems and institutions to share knowledge and resources to shape curriculum, adapt existing MOOC content, and experiment with “blended learning” which combines online video lectures and content with active, in-person classroom engagement.

In Georgia, the University System also will focus on policy flexibility and options for the USG campuses to experiment and be innovative with open educational resources and course offerings. Davis noted the USG’s efforts will be focused on Georgians and will not use resources for audiences outside the state.

USG institutions will be invited to develop new learning models as well as initial implementation of these tools to improve access and degree completion for Georgia learners.

“As our campuses work to increase the percentage of Georgians with some level of college completion, new and flexible academic offerings such as MOOC’s will play an important, but not the only, role in this effort,” said Davis. “This resource partnership complements on-going completion initiatives at many of our institutions that are being led by our world class faculty and staff.”

It is expected that initial USG institutional efforts will begin by exploring limited course offerings and supplemental supports that can be evaluated for overall academic quality and student success. These initial activities may span the use of external MOOC platform providers’ content and services and the development of similar in-system capabilities in the areas of content, support, and assessment.

In time, the Georgia efforts will serve as a clearinghouse of high quality, affordable, complementary credit pathways developed by USG institutions and utilizing MOOC and MOOC-like resources, including potentially:

• Additional resources and support for faculty to focus on individualized instruction in the classroom;

• Credit sequences for general education core completion;

• High-demand associate degree completion options;

• Selected certificate, bachelor’s and master’s degree options;

• Additional supports for students in freshman gateway courses; and

• Flexible options to match student preferences on a course-by-course basis.

The partnership will provide USG campuses with increased flexibility and options for experimentation and because the partnership with Coursera is non-exclusive, the USG will retain the freedom to look at other technology options as the MOOC and open education resource world grows and evolves.

“We have received the report and accept the findings. I appreciate the work that has been done and am satisfied that Georgia Regents University’s action plan will address the issues identified. Dr. Azziz and the GRU community have our support and we will continue to provide appropriate oversight.”

The full review can be accessed at: http://www.usg.edu/docs/FINAL_REPORT_GRU_SPECIAL_REVIEW_RESPONSE.pdf

As reported by the MCG Foundation, the gift will support student scholarships and endowed faculty chairs at the Medical College of Georgia, part of Georgia Regents University.

Board of Regents Chairman “Dink” NeSmith said, “As we seek to create a more educated and a more healthy Georgia, a major gift such as this will have a transformative effect upon our ability to serve our students and the state. We are deeply indebted to the Harrison family for their generosity.”

University System of Georgia Chancellor Hank Huckaby said, “This is a remarkable gift from a dedicated individual. Dr. Harrison gave of his time, talent and resources to his alma mater. On behalf of the University System of Georgia, we are deeply appreciative of this record gift. I am confident that the institution will develop and use the funds wisely and well to benefit students and the faculty who educate and train them in the health sciences.”

“Dr. Harrison has invested in the future of this medical school. He has invested in our students and in our faculty. His gift will transform not just our university and our medical school, but Georgia and the nation,” said GRU President Ricardo Azziz.

The text of the news release issued by the MCG Foundation can be viewed at: http://www.mcgfoundation.org/index-2.html

Aloia will assume his new post on July 1, 2013, according to Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith.

“We are delighted that Dr. Gregory Aloia will be taking over leadership at the College of Coastal Georgia,” NeSmith said. “Under the leadership of president Valerie Hepburn, the college has undergone a major transformation in recent years and stands poised to begin a new chapter in its history.”

“The campus search committee worked diligently to identify quality candidates to be considered by the Board of Regents and they are to be commended,” said USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “The Board and I are excited about the leadership skills Dr. Aloia brings to the dynamic and growing institution that the College of Coastal Georgia is today.”

Aloia has served as president of Concord University since 2008. Prior to that, Aloia served as dean of the College of Education and professor of special education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton from 2001 – 2008.

In more than a decade of service at Illinois State University in Normal, Dr. Aloia was a professor of special education and served as associate vice president for research and dean of Graduate Studies. Before Illinois State, he served as Chair of the Department of Special Education at the State University College in Geneseo, New York from 1984 – 1990.

Aloia has extensive experience in the field of education including professorships at universities including Arkansas State University and the University of Arizona. He also taught at and served as chair of the Department of Special Education at Los Molinos High School (Los Molinos, CA). Additionally, he was an Educational Specialist at the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, United States Office of Education, Washington, D.C. Early in his career he was the director and a teacher at the largest private youth center in California, Boys Town of the Desert in Beaumont.

Aloia holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in special education, his teaching credential from San Francisco State University and a bachelor’s in History from St. Mary’s College (Moraga, CA).

Aloia will assume his new post on July 1, 2013, according to Board of Regents Chair “Dink” NeSmith.

“We are delighted that Dr. Gregory Aloia will be taking over leadership at the College of Coastal Georgia,” NeSmith said. “Under the leadership of president Valerie Hepburn, the college has undergone a major transformation in recent years and stands poised to begin a new chapter in its history.”

“The campus search committee worked diligently to identify quality candidates to be considered by the Board of Regents and they are to be commended,” said USG Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “The Board and I are excited about the leadership skills Dr. Aloia brings to the dynamic and growing institution that the College of Coastal Georgia is today.”

Aloia has served as president of Concord University since 2008. Prior to that, Aloia served as dean of the College of Education and professor of special education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton from 2001 – 2008.

In more than a decade of service at Illinois State University in Normal, Dr. Aloia was a professor of special education and served as associate vice president for research and dean of Graduate Studies. Before Illinois State, he served as Chair of the Department of Special Education at the State University College in Geneseo, New York from 1984 – 1990.

Aloia has extensive experience in the field of education including professorships at universities including Arkansas State University and the University of Arizona. He also taught at and served as chair of the Department of Special Education at Los Molinos High School (Los Molinos, CA). Additionally, he was an Educational Specialist at the Bureau of Education for the Handicapped, United States Office of Education, Washington, D.C. Early in his career he was the director and a teacher at the largest private youth center in California, Boys Town of the Desert in Beaumont.

Aloia holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in special education, his teaching credential from San Francisco State University and a bachelor’s in History from St. Mary’s College (Moraga, CA).

A national search was launched to replace College of Coastal Georgia President Valerie Hepburn, who will serve through June 2013 before stepping down. Dr. Hepburn served the USG in that role since 2008.

The recommended finalists are:

Dr. Gregory F. Aloia, president, Concord University (Athens, WV) from 2008. Prior to his current appointment, Aloia served as dean of the College of Education and professor of special education at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. Aloia was a professor of special education at Illinois State University in Normal. In his time at there, he also served as associate vice president for research and dean of Graduate Studies. Prior to Illinois State, Aloia held professorships at a number of other universities.

Aloia holds a Ph.D. from the University of California, Riverside in special education, his teaching credential from San Francisco State University and a bachelor’s in History from St. Mary’s College (Moraga, CA).

Dr. Robert Edwin McGehee, Jr., Professor of Pediatrics in the College of Medicine and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS). He concurrently serves as the executive director of the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, (Little Rock, AR) from 2007. He joined the UAMS faculty in 1993 and was appointed dean of the Graduate School in 2004. He has joint appointments in the Department of Physiology/Biophysics and the Department of Pathology. He has also served on the Dean’s Council at the University of Arkansas Clinton School. In his long association with UAMS, McGehee’s research efforts on the mechanisms of obesity and type 2 diabetes have been continually funded by the National Institutes of Health.

McGehee completed postgraduate studies in molecular endocrinology at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. He earned his Ph.D. in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock; a B.S.E. in Biology from the University of Arkansas in Pine Bluff and completed his early undergraduate studies at the University of Arkansas in Conway.

Dr. Beth L. Weatherby, provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, Southwest Minnesota State University (Marshall, MN) from 2007. Weatherby served as Dean of Arts, Letters & Sciences from 2004 – 2007 at Southwest Minnesota State University (SMSU). She served as interim in that role for two years before her permanent appointment. In her long association with SMSU, Weatherby has served as professor of English and director of creative writing as well as co-founder of the Women’s Studies Program. She has fostered the growth of programs as varied as Environmental Science, Exercise Science, Culinology (a marriage of culinary arts and food science), Hospitality, Creative Writing and the Fine Arts, Agriculture and Nursing, and guided the creation of SMSU’s outcome-based Liberal Education Program.

Weatherby received her Doctor of Arts in English, Creative Writing from the University at Albany (Albany, NY) and a bachelor’s in Journalism from Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).

The Board of Regents is expected to name the next president of the College of Coastal Georgia at a future meeting.

Regents Hold Tuition Increase at Same Level for Second Consecutive Year

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents is holding the line on tuition increases, keeping the percentage increase at the same level as it approved last year. Today the governing body approved a tuition increase of just 2.5 percent for in-state, undergraduate students at 27 University System of Georgia colleges and universities.

When approved last year, this percentage increase was the lowest in a decade. Likewise, students attending the University of Georgia and Georgia State University will see the same percentage increase as in 2012, of 5 and 3.5 percent respectively. Students at Georgia Tech will see a 7 percent increase in tuition this fall, while those attending Georgia Regents University will see a 3.5 percent increase.

The dollar increase in tuition will range from a low of $32 to a high of $270 per semester.

“In determining tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, affordability was the regents’ primary concern,” said John Brown, vice chancellor for Fiscal Affairs, in presenting the tuition strategy to the Board during its meeting in Savannah. “Our ability to maintain a low percentage increase reflects a serious commitment by the Board to minimize the financial impact on our students.”

The higher percentage increases for the four research universities reflect the regents’ goal of keeping these institutions competitive on a national level by ensuring they have the resources required to offer high quality programs. Georgia is one of only five states with two or more institutions in U.S. News & World Report’s current rankings of the top 25 public universities; Georgia Tech at 7th and UGA at 23rd.

“The Board is extremely concerned about the cost of college and ensuring Georgians have access to our institutions,” said Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “In addition, as we work to achieve our ambitious Complete College Georgia goals of an additional 250,000 college graduates, we must do everything possible to ensure that the cost to attend college is not a barrier. This small increase helps students and parents financially while ensuring we can continue to provide a quality college education.”

The tuition rates approved today by the regents maintain the current tuition balance of state funding covering 50 percent of the cost of instruction and tuition the remaining 50 percent, said Brown. “The 2.5 percent increase also keeps pace with the 2.2 percent inflation rate,” he said.

The small percentage increase was made possible, Huckaby said, because of the strong budget support provided to the USG by Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly in the fiscal year 2014 budget. “We received $63 million in new formula funds to support our enrollment growth,” said Huckaby “This is critical to our efforts to minimize tuition increases for students and we appreciate the support.”

Sixteen USG institutions submitted to the regents 32 mandatory student fee requests for approval. The Board approved 25 of the 32 mandatory student fee requests. Brown said that fee requests from institutions are carefully reviewed, limiting increases to those that demonstrate a clear business need.

The regents also approved a University System FY14 budget totaling $1.883 billion in state appropriations, a net increase in state funding of $54.6 million, or 2.98 percent after formula increases and a three percent mandated reduction.

As part of this budget, the General Assembly approved funds to support the System’s efforts in meeting some key state needs, including $5 million to support Georgia Health Sciences University’s efforts to boost cancer research and $2.075 million to expand residency slots statewide for physician training.

The USG’s FY14 budget also includes construction projects funded by the state. The $315.1 million capital budget provides funding for equipment for new buildings, construction and maintenance, repair and renovation (MRR) of existing buildings.

Seven new facilities will receive $24.9 million for equipment; four major construction projects total $133.6 million in funding; eighteen smaller projects will be built for $61.9 million; other projects and MRR will receive $86.1 million and the Georgia Public Libraries will receive $8.5 million.

For a complete list of the FY14 tuition rates and fees, visit: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/tuition_and_fees

For a complete list of the FY14 capital projects, visit: http://www.usg.edu/facilities/capital_budget_requests

Regents Hold Tuition Increase at Same Level for Second Consecutive Year

The University System of Georgia Board of Regents is holding the line on tuition increases, keeping the percentage increase at the same level as it approved last year. Today the governing body approved a tuition increase of just 2.5 percent for in-state, undergraduate students at 27 University System of Georgia colleges and universities.

When approved last year, this percentage increase was the lowest in a decade. Likewise, students attending the University of Georgia and Georgia State University will see the same percentage increase as in fall 2012, of 5 and 3.5 percent respectively. Students at Georgia Tech will see a 7 percent increase in tuition this fall, while those attending Georgia Regents University will see a 3.5 percent increase.

The dollar increase in tuition will range from a low of $32 to a high of $270 per semester.

“In determining tuition rates for the upcoming academic year, affordability was the regents’ primary concern,” said John Brown, vice chancellor for Fiscal Affairs, in presenting the tuition strategy to the Board during its meeting in Savannah. “Our ability to maintain a low percentage increase reflects a serious commitment by the Board to minimize the financial impact on our students.”

The higher percentage increases for the four research universities reflect the regents’ goal of keeping these institutions competitive on a national level by ensuring they have the resources required to offer high quality programs. Georgia is one of only five states with two or more institutions in U.S. News & World Report’s current rankings of the top 25 public universities; Georgia Tech at 7th and UGA at 23rd.

“The Board is extremely concerned about the cost of college and ensuring Georgians have access to our institutions,” said Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “In addition, as we work to achieve our ambitious Complete College Georgia goals of an additional 250,000 college graduates, we must do everything possible to ensure that the cost to attend college is not a barrier. This small increase helps students and parents financially while ensuring we can continue to provide a quality college education.”

The tuition rates approved today by the regents maintain the current tuition balance of state funding covering 50 percent of the cost of instruction and tuition the remaining 50 percent, said Brown. “The 2.5 percent increase also keeps pace with the 2.2 percent inflation rate,” he said.

The small percentage increase was made possible, Huckaby said, because of the strong budget support provided to the USG by Gov. Nathan Deal and the General Assembly in the fiscal year 2014 budget. “We received $63 million in new formula funds to support our enrollment growth,” said Huckaby “This is critical to our efforts to minimize tuition increases for students and we appreciate the support.”

Sixteen USG institutions submitted to the regents 32 mandatory student fee requests for approval. The Board approved 25 of the 32 mandatory student fee requests. Brown said that fee requests from institutions are carefully reviewed, limiting increases to those that demonstrate a clear business need.

The regents also approved a University System FY14 budget totaling $1.883 billion in state appropriations, a net increase in state funding of $54.6 million, or 2.98 percent after formula increases and a three percent mandated reduction.

As part of this budget, the General Assembly approved funds to support the System’s efforts in meeting some key state needs, including $5 million to support Georgia Health Sciences University’s efforts to boost cancer research and $2.075 million to expand residency slots statewide for physician training.

The USG’s FY14 budget also includes construction projects funded by the state. The $315.1 million capital budget provides funding for equipment for new buildings, construction and maintenance, repair and renovation (MRR) of existing buildings.

Seven new facilities will receive $24.9 million for equipment; four major construction projects total $133.6 million in funding; eighteen smaller projects will be built for $61.9 million; other projects and MRR will receive $86.1 million and the Georgia Public Libraries will receive $8.5 million.

For a complete list of the FY14 tuition rates and fees, visit: http://www.usg.edu/fiscal_affairs/tuition_and_fees

For a complete list of the FY14 capital projects, visit: http://www.usg.edu/facilities/capital_budget_requests