All University System of Georgia institutions agree on one thing: taking care of the state’s student-veterans should be a priority.

The state’s 28 USG colleges and universities now have a dedicated space on campus just for veterans and also allow them to receive priority access to every course they need to graduate.

“Georgia has a significant military and veteran population,” said Dr. David Snow, director of military affairs for the USG’s Board of Regents. “While only about 1 percent of the U.S. population has served in the military, that demographic characteristic applies to roughly 9 percent of Georgians. In fact, we have over 750,000 veterans and the fifth-largest active-duty population in the nation. We appreciate their service to our country and want them to succeed whenever they transition back to the civilian sector. It is important not only to their long-term success but also to the future of the state, region and nation. We want all USG students, whether veterans or not, to succeed and graduate.”

Amy Wise, Veterans Affairs coordinator at Georgia Highlands College, is happy GHC is a partner in the statewide initiative to help student-veterans.

“The USG and Dr. David Snow are working hard to serve Georgia’s veterans, making sure our University System schools are doing all we can to support them with the post-service/college transition, academic success and financial assistance,” she said. “The brave men and women of our all-volunteer military have given so much to protect our personal freedoms and safety. It is our privilege to provide them with an environment that promotes military-friendly student success in return.”

Priority registration — which allows student-veterans to register for their classes days or weeks, depending on the institution, before other students — is crucial for enabling veterans to be successful academically and to finish their degrees, Snow said.

“Since student-veterans only have 36 months of Veterans Affairs educational benefits, it is important that they are able to secure the required courses before their benefits expire,” he said. “As with any student, taking a full course load is critical to timely degree attainment, and with limited benefits, it’s important to ensure they obtain the required courses on time and in sequence. If not, it adversely impacts retention and graduation.”

Also, Snow added only the school certifying official can approve the courses in a student-veteran’s degree plan, which means a student-veteran “cannot simply ‘pick up’ an additional course to complete their schedule; instead he or she must be able to obtain required courses.”

Most institutions already had some kind of priority registration in place for other segments of the student population, such as graduating students or athletes, but during the past few years, the USG has been encouraging all of them to “consider expanding this benefit to student-veterans by explaining why it is important, and 100 percent of the institutions responded in favor of this expansion,” Snow, a veteran himself, said.

“Once they realized how this could potentially impact a student-veteran, all of the institutions were eager to offer this benefit,” he said. “In fact, most felt this benefit was not only practical and warranted but also the right thing to do. Those that have worn the cloth of the nation have sacrificed years to protect us, and we owe them a debt of gratitude for their selflessness.”

Wise said all GHC students, including veterans, who attend early-bird advising to meet with a faculty adviser in their program of study are allowed to register one week earlier than other students.

“We strongly encourage veterans to attend early-bird advising to get the best selection of course offerings because so many also have families, jobs and other responsibilities that restrict available times to take classes,” she said.

As for on-campus dedicated spaces for veterans, Wise said four of GHC’s five locations — Rome, Cartersville, Douglasville and Paulding — have an area just for their use.

“The Veterans Resource Center in Cartersville has a VA work-study desk and computer; a student desk with computer and printing capabilities; study/hang-out area with couch and TV, microwave, refrigerator [and] coffee; textbook lending library; and many useful resources for our veterans and military family members,” she said.

Another benefit USG institutions have been offering student-veterans “in one form or another” since 2004 is waiving out-of-state tuition rates, Snow said.

“It has been revised numerous times over subsequent years,” he said. “For example, when I joined the University System of Georgia in 2013, out-of-state tuition was being waived if the student-veteran had separated from military service within the previous 12 months; however, this was really not a lot of time. For example, some veterans had children who were finishing a school year at their last duty station or the veteran worked elsewhere for a year or two and then decided to come to Georgia.”

So, “in a clear indication of their commitment to serving veterans,” the Board of Regents unanimously voted to extend the time frame to 36 months,” Snow said.

“Interestingly, the very next year, a federal law was passed that required all public institutions of higher learning in the United States to provide this exact same 36-month benefit to any student using VA educational benefits, and Georgia was already leading the way nationally and was one of the very first states certified as compliant by the VA,” he said.

Snow added more than 1,200 student-veterans graduated spring semester with degrees ranging from associate to doctorate “so, they’re doing very well.”

Another “military-centered point of pride” for USG concerns the 2017 “Best for Vets” rankings by Military Times, Snow said.

Georgia was one of only two states to have two public institutions in the Top 10 rankings of four-year schools nationwide. Armstrong State University in Savannah came in at No. 4, and Georgia State University in Atlanta was No. 7.

In the same rankings of 130 selected institutions, three other schools from the USG were included: the University of Georgia at No. 42, College of Coastal Georgia in Brunswick at No. 51 and Augusta University at No. 119.

“However, all 28 USG institutions have resources and programs in place to support student-veterans, and they are doing some great things,” Snow said. “For example, here in Carterville, Georgia Highlands College has an outstanding program, and every April, they host a Military Family Appreciation Day, which has always had a strong turnout. Personally, I make the drive each year, and it is well worth the effort. Last April, we had reps from one of our institutions in Savannah come up for the day.”

GHC also has been selected as a top school by Military Advanced Education & Transitions several times, is considered a military-friendly college and participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Wise said the college had 114 students certified fall semester for VA education benefits at all campuses, with 46 of those being at the Cartersville location, and that’s not including student-veterans who currently aren’t using the GI Bill.

AS SEEN IN THE DAILY TRIBUNE NEWS

Around 25 students took advantage of a college success workshop organized and led by Georgia Highlands College President Don Green. The four-week workshop took place at the beginning of the semester. Dean of Natural Science and Physical Education Greg Ford and Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce also worked with the students.

The pilot workshop set out with four specific goals for the students to achieve by taking part. Those goals were: define your vision, set short term and long-term goals (personal and professional), learn how to achieve those goals, and introduce effective learning skills and strategies.

President Green said learning these fundamentals early on in college can make a huge difference in a student’s life.

“When I was 17, I left high school a year early and went off to Michigan State University to start my college education,” Green said. “I left one year early because I was supposed to be gifted. What I was not gifted with was maturity, an understanding of how to study, nor a clearly defined career path.”

Green explained that college was very new to him and his attention was not on his studies the way it should have been, preferring more to play basketball than read or do his assignments. Later, he was even put on academic probation.

Green stated he immediately shifted gears and took his college work more seriously, taking more notes, reading his books, and doing more work than was assigned. On top of all that, he made regular visits to the tutorial center.

“My mistakes may seem obvious, and my solutions even more so,” he said. “But every day, we see students at GHC, like every other college, who are learning the same lessons. At GHC, we care about student success. We understand our mission of access and success. We help students take charge. And we continue to pursue new strategies to enhance that mission.”

Dean Boyce said the four weeks really made an impact on the students who participated. The group discussed ways to effectively network and how to create a strong support system.

“This was an outstanding opportunity for our students,” Boyce said. “We would love to continue this each year and get more faculty and staff involved.”

Dean Ford also did a neuroscience/brain biology presentation to demonstrate how to improve the retention of information.

“Our goal is to share our knowledge and experience to give students the tools to create an individualized learning strategy to improve success,” he said.

Director of Academic Success Jennifer Hicks, Douglasville Site Director Julia Areh, and Campus Dean Leslie Johnson were also key in organizing the workshop and look forward to expanding and getting more students involved in the future.

Georgia Highlands College spent summer 2017 and fall 2017 working to improve enrollment processes for all students. Updates included some risk to enrollment growth for both semesters, but are expected to help students in the future.

Summer 2017 enrollment saw a decrease of 73 students overall, while fall 2017 enrollment remained at 6,013 students (a zero percent change from fall 2016).

GHC updated enrollment deadlines to give priority to students who completed registration and course selections early. Students were also given more time overall to make selections by meeting with advisors to ensure they were taking the proper classes they needed to graduate on time.

GHC additionally put more emphasis on financial aid, scholarships, and payment plan options, spending more time with each student to ensure they were on the right track to pay for college with all the resources available to them.

President Don Green stated slowing the enrollment a bit to refine a system that cares about student success is necessary for growing in the right direction.

“We knew we wouldn’t see increases we had experienced over the past several semesters. However, turning our focus to drastically improving our enrollment processes bolsters our student retention and helps students be more successful,” he said. “It’s worth it when you consider how this will help students complete their degree on time, as well as set them up on a financial plan that has them graduating with little to no debt upon completion.”

According to the University System of Georgia, there was a 1.1 percent increase system wide.

GHC continues to hold the second highest enrollment for state colleges in Georgia.

For the full USG enrollment report for fall 2017, please visit: http://www.usg.edu/assets/usg/docs/news_files/BOR_USG_Fall_2017_Enrollment_Report.pdf

Georgia Highlands College has launched a new robotics program for middle school students called Charger Robotics. Students from fifth grade through eighth grade were formed together into teams, and will compete in the upcoming 100 Scholars First Lego League Regional competition on December 16 at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, facing 750 other teams collectively at various locations across the state.

The 100 Black Men of Northwest Georgia and Kemet Robotics are co-sponsoring GHC’s program. The program is supported by the GHC-STEM Initiative grant as an outreach program to engage students in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

“Robotics is a great opportunity to teach STEM in a fun and engaging way,” said Dean of Natural Science and Physical Education Greg Ford. “Students learn programming basics, about the technology behind the physical robot, engineering and design practices, and mathematics to control how the robot moves and interacts with objects.”

The Charger Robotics program currently consists of 21 middle school students from all across Northwest Georgia.

“We have a diverse population of public school, private school and home school boys and girls,” Ford said. “From the program participants, we will form two teams that will compete in the First Lego League Competition.”

The competition is an all-day event that includes a project presentation based on the theme of “Hydrodynamics,” a poster competition, and a series of problem-solving “missions.”

“The teams will compete in the robot game that includes 15 missions to solve using the Lego EV3 robot with Lego Mindstorm Technology,” Ford said. “The robots are engineered to complete the missions using Lego parts. If the teams are successful, they will have the opportunity to compete in the state competition in January.”

Ford stated the team is well into the engineering and programming aspect of the competition, practicing twice a week.

“The students are learning to use motors and sensors to drive the robotics and manipulate objects within the missions. They are engineering a number of accessories like lift mechanisms, robot claws and levers that will attach and detach to accomplish specific missions. We will preview our competition robots and our mission strategy in a practice competition against the Clear Creek Elementary School team coached by Robin Morrow and Shelly Abernathy, gifted teachers at the school.”

Ford explained the new robotics program puts mathematics right in the center of everything they do, since national data has shown that math readiness upon entering college is one of the biggest obstacles for students wanting to choose a career path in STEM.

“The big idea is to grow the STEM workforce in the region to fill the high demand for a well-educated 21st century STEM workforce,” Ford said. “When students are exposed to STEM early and often, there is a greater chance they will choose a STEM discipline in college. With five locations across Northwest Georgia, GHC has a fantastic opportunity to really promote STEM and impact each student’s future.”

Georgia Highlands College continues its “Charging Across China: A Cultural Celebration” yearlong event in October with an academic conference jointly sponsored with Columbia University Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Ohio State University East Asia Studies Center, Middle Georgia State University and The Nine University and College International Studies Consortium of Georgia.

The conference will take place at the Cartersville site in the Student Center on October 27 from 8AM to 4PM. It will cover the history, politics, society and cultural aspects of doing business in China.

“This conference will feature guests and attendees from across the University System of Georgia and the Northwest Georgia business community, as well as speakers on China from several prestigious institutions,” said Associate Professor of History Bronson Long.

Sessions will include topics on “U.S. and China Relations in a Historical Perspective” presented by Christopher Jespersen, dean of the college of arts and letters at the University of North Georgia; a session on “Contemporary Chinese Society” presented by Bin Xu, assistant professor of sociology at Emory University; a lunch session on “Cultural Aspects of Doing Business with China” presented by Patrick McAloon, SinoConnect & Founding Member of the Greater Columbus (Ohio) Chamber of Commerce; a track on “Multi-media Resources for Teaching about China and Asia” presented by Roberta Martin, director of Asia for Educators from Columbia University Weatherhead East Asian Institute in New York; and more.

Long, who is also the director of global initiatives and study abroad, stated that the plan to have China be GHC’s “theme country” this year came from discussions about ways to inspire students and the community to consider participating in GHC’s upcoming study abroad program in China set for May 2018.

The study abroad trip will be focused on business and culture in China. The nine-day program will visit Beijin, Xian, and Shanghai, including trips to the Great Wall of China, Tiananmen Square and businesses like Coca Cola, Microsoft and Volkswagon.

Student Life Director John Spranza and his team came up with the name “Charging Across China: A Cultural Celebration” and several student life events to compliment the trip.

“When it seemed likely that we would have an overarching theme of China for this year, we brainstormed a bit about activities and events that could tie into that theme,” Spranza said. “We created an activity schedule that includes at least one Chinese-themed event each month at all locations.”

Activities include creating a bamboo garden, watching the Atlanta Chinese Dance Company perform, learning how to cook Chinese cuisine with Chef Egg, and more.

The business community is invited to attend the conference, but there are only a limited number of spaces available. Please RSVP with Bronson Long by email: blong@highlands.edu

For more information on the trip, please visit: https://www.harttravelpartners.com/ghcchina

Georgia Highlands College has been named the most affordable four-year college in Georgia by Scholarship Owl. GHC was also referenced in an article by Ebony highlighting the research gathered by Scholarship Owl.

In Ebony’s article called “A List of the Most Affordable 4-Year Colleges in Each State,” it explains how obtaining a degree has become important to landing a job in today’s economy, but going to college can sometimes be incredibly expensive.

Ebony compiled a list of the most affordable colleges and stated that “some of the most affordable institutions offer the best curricula.”

Scholarship Owl notes that “getting a quality education doesn’t have to require a lot of spending.”

Scholarship Owl goes on to point out that Georgia Highlands College is the most affordable four-year degree option in the state.

Currently, students at GHC pay less than $1,700 a semester (for 12 credit hours), and can obtain a two-year degree for less than $8,000 and a four-year degree for less than $16,000.

To learn more about GHC’s tuition and fees, please visit: www.highlands.edu/tuition-and-fees/

To read Ebony’s article, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/y8zbqh9m

To learn more about how Scholarship Owl determines which colleges are most affordable, please visit: https://tinyurl.com/yavbcpmx

Georgia Highlands College has launched a new workshop series for students called #Adulting that focuses on practical skills students can use in their everyday life.

“Adult” as a verb or “Adulting” as a gerund may seem a little off, but it is becoming more commonly used to explain the action of doing things an adult is expected to do or knowing how to do those things.

Over the next few months, GHC will be focusing on different topics. In September, the theme was “Sewing Basics.” For October, the theme will be “Car Care Basics.” Other topics that will be included are: Etiquette Basics, Banking Basics, Resume Basics, and Business Basics.

The fall lineup is all about personal improvement, while the spring lineup is focused more on job and career development skills.

GHC has partnered with several local businesses and other agencies to assist with the workshops, so students can get advice and lessons from experts in those fields.

Some of the local businesses or agencies that are assisting with these sessions include: The Stitchery in Rome, Pat’s Apparel in Dallas, Cornerstone Sew & Vac in Douglasville, Jim’s Tire Service in Rome, Express Oil in Dallas and Douglasville, Charm Etiquette in Atlanta, Wells Fargo Bank, Regions Bank, Northwest Georgia Regional Commission, Elwood Staffing in Douglasville, and the Georgia Small Business Development Authority.

Picture: Students participate in the September #Adulting series at GHC by learning how to sew with experts from The Stitchery in Rome.

Georgia Highlands College’s Dean of Health Sciences Michelle Boyce was featured in two editions of the American Dental Hygienists’ Association magazine called Access.

In the July 2017 issue, Boyce explained the dental hygienist’s role in an article called “Interprofessional Collaboration: Dental Hygienists Taking an Active Role.”

In it, she explains how interprofessional collaboration (IPC) is an increasingly important component of evidence-based, patient-centered health care, and that dental hygienists are primary advocates for patients’ optimal overall health. She cites how the oral system is connected to heart disease, diabetes, respiratory infections, pregnancy, and more.

“As the primary oral health prevention specialists, dental hygienists are equipped to move forward into an active role in IPC,” she says in the article. “Dental hygienists understand the importance of the oral-systematic health link at a time when many other health care providers have yet to be educated on the importance of maintaining good oral health.”

In a second article from the August 2017 issue called “IPE-Just Do It,” Boyce stresses the importance of including IPC into existing college dental hygiene and nursing curriculum, and shares how GHC has done so for its students (IPE stands for interprofessional education).

“Students were placed into 13 groups of one dental hygiene student and six or seven nursing students. Initially, students were skeptical of the process,” she says in the article. “As they began to learn about, from and with each other, they soon realized the benefit of leaving their professional silos.”

Boyce is a Registered Dental Hygienist with an Associate of Science Applied Technology in Dental Hygiene, Bachelor of Science in Dental Hygiene, a Graduate Certificate in Public Health, a Master of Health Science and a Doctor of Health. She is currently enrolled in the PhD in Health Science program at Nova Southeastern University and her research interests include “Interprofessional Education and Collaboration.”

She is also an active member of the Georgia Dental Hygienists’ Association and the Vice-Chair for the Georgia Oral Health Coalition. Prior to becoming an educator, she practiced clinically full-time at both general and periodontal practices. She has a passion for community health promotion and disease prevention and has volunteered her time to help organize and attend many health fairs and screening events. She has also traveled abroad on numerous occasions for dental mission trips.

Other GHC faculty also contributed to the articles: dental hygiene faculty members Regina Gupta, Donna Catapano-Martinez, Regina Gupta, and nursing faculty member Paula Stover.

Georgia Highlands College had two of its members in the Cobb Education Consortium (CEC) graduate the Leadership Academy: Professor of Communication Travice Baldwin Obas and Advisor Jillian Petro.

Baldwin served as project director for the inaugural community service committee. They partnered with MUST Ministries to provide financial literacy resources for the organization’s annual “Step Up Your Game” event geared to provide resources to job seekers in Cobb County.

Petro serve on the K-12 team. They partnered with Lockheed Martin to provide a full STEM day at a middle school in Cobb County.

Obas was additionally recognized as the CEC “leader of the year.” She will continue to serve on the CEC Steering Committee and be responsible for planning and implementing leadership activities for Leadership Academy participants.

Two more GHC employees will be joining the CEC Leadership Academy this year: Accounting Technician Tyler Wilson and Assistant Professor of Chemistry Sarah Tesar.

Wilson and Tesar will join last year’s GHC additions to the CEC Leadership Academy: Veterans Affairs Coordinator Amy Wise and Enrollment Management Specialist Lynzee Patrick.

Participants in the CEC Leadership Academy are chosen at the institutional level, through a competitive process. The leadership academy prepares employees at member institutions for greater leadership roles in the community and the institution. The first academy year provided participants the opportunity to network and experience a variety of seminars and presentations, retreats, school visits, governmental activities, guided readings and interaction with the CEOs. During the second year, members tackle an extensive group project under the guidance of a committee of specialists, designed to further their professionalism and expertise.

The CEC consortium is composed of public educational entities in Cobb County, Georgia: Chattahoochee Technical College, Cobb County School District, Georgia Highlands College, Kennesaw State University, and Marietta City Schools. These CEC members enroll over 140,000 students from throughout their service areas.

For nearly 25 years, the CEC has been dedicated to improving the quality of education among its member institutions. The consortium is a unique, solution-based collaborative with the participating schools, colleges and universities working together unselfishly for the benefit of their students.

Cobb Education Consortium website: http://www.cobb-ed-consortium.org/

Picture: Jillian Petro and Travice Obas