| Tuesday, April 27, 2021 |
| Virtual Town Hall On Covid Vaccines To Be Held Tuesday Evening | |
 | Students from all eight public universities in Mississippi have the opportunity to have their questions about COVID-19 vaccinations answered by experts in real time at a Virtual Town Hall Meeting, which will be held Tuesday, April 27, 2021, from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and moderated by student campus leaders. Students may submit questions through an online form. Presenters include Dr. Thomas Dobbs, State Health Officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health; Dr. Samuel Jones, Director of the Jackson State University Student Health Center; Clayton Whitehead, Health Communications Specialist, Centers for Disease Control, Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention; and Shanice White, Director of JSU's Latasha Norman Center for Counseling Services. "We are thankful to Dr. Dobbs for taking the time to participate in this forum," said Dr. Casey Prestwood, Associate Commissioner for Academic and Student Affairs. "Our universities want to give students an opportunity to have their questions about the COVID-19 vaccines answered in hopes they will get vaccinated. Having everyone in the campus community do their part and get vaccinated will enable our campuses to lift COVID-19 guidelines." Coordinated by the Jackson State University College of Health Sciences, the forum will be held at Jackson State University and will be broadcast at all eight universities. Students may join through Facebook, at Facebook.com/JSUTV and Facebook.com/JacksonStateU. The purpose of the forum is to allow students to ask questions about the vaccine in hopes of alleviating concerns and encouraging students to get vaccinated. |
| MSU-Meridian recognizes outstanding graduates for spring 2021 | |
 | Five graduates at Mississippi State University-Meridian are being recognized as outstanding students for spring 2021 at commencement ceremonies to be held Monday, May 3 at 11 a.m. at the MSU Riley Center: April Bonner of Meridian, Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Division of Arts and Sciences and recipient of the Dennis J. Mitchell Award of Excellence; Jason Holland of Philadelphia, Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Division of Business; Q'Essence Walker of Florence, Outstanding Graduate Student for the Division of Business; Brittney Harrison of Meridian, Outstanding Undergraduate Student for the Division of Education; and Elizabeth Bennett of Meridian, Outstanding Graduate Student for the Division of Education. They are among 116 students who are receiving diplomas, including 28 honor graduates, 10 Riley Scholars and three Stephen D. Lee Scholars. |
| 'From City Hall to Lee Hall' mural underway in Starkville | |
 | Things are looking a bit brighter in Starkville thanks to a few area artists. A new mural is underway on Jackson Street on the west side wall near Cadence Bank. The painting depicts several well-known buildings from Starkville and Mississippi State University. The theme of the project is "From City Hall to Lee Hall." The students responsible for the work of art have majors ranging from Architecture, Geosciences, Fashion Merchandising, and of course, Art. Funding for the project was provided by MSU's Art Department and private donors around town. The mural is expected to be complete sometime around mid-July. |
| Stimulus-driven state GDP projected to grow 2.8% | |
 | Fueled primarily by federal stimulus money, the Mississippi gross domestic product (GDP) is projected to increase by 2.8 percent this year. That would be the biggest increase in the state since its economy increased 4.1 percent in 2008, according to the University Research Center (URC) of the Institutions of Higher Learning. The U.S. GDP is expected to expand by 6.2 percent this year, though it would "cool" to 4.3 percent next year then 2.2 percent in 2023, the URC outlook states. The 2021 U.S. growth rate estimate would be the biggest since 1984, according to the URC. Corey Miller, state economist, said the presumed ending of the trillions of dollars in stimulus will work against inflation, which means the dollar buys less than it had before. But Miller said he sees the Federal Reserve, the nation's central bank, likely handling the trend without major hikes in interest rates to curb growth. "In historic terms, it's not going to be high," Miller said. Most observers do not expect an interest hike before 2023, he said. Miller said, the spike in the economy is "a bit of a sugar high." The tax cuts under the Trump administration had a similar, though less dramatic effect, because "we were already in recovery" from a recession. |
| Census shows Mississippi lost population and diversified | |
 | Mississippi became more diverse during the past decade, but it is also one of only three states that lost population, according to 2020 Census numbers released Monday. The population loss was not large enough to cost Mississippi a congressional seat this time. The state dropped from five U.S. House seats to four after the 2000 Census because other states grew faster. It will remain at four seats after the 2020 Census. The new Census numbers show Mississippi had a net loss of about 6,000 residents from 2010 to 2020. That is a 0.2% decrease in a state of nearly 3 million residents. The other states that lost population were West Virginia, with a 3.2% decrease, and Illinois with a 0.1% decrease. The Census numbers show that, from 2010 to 2019, Mississippi gained nearly 20,000 Black residents, about 16,700 Hispanic residents and about 4,500 Asian residents. The number of people who identify themselves as being of two or more races increased by about 11,200. Mississippi lost about 48,400 white residents during the decade. |
| 2020 Census shows Mississippi 1 of 3 states to lose population | |
| Across the last decade, Mississippi's population has slightly declined, losing about 6,000 people, according to the 2020 U.S. Census. The U.S. Census Bureau on Monday released statewide population data and Congressional apportionment figures, showing Mississippi with a population of 2,961,279. In the 2010 census count, Mississippi had a population of 2,967,297, so the state's resident population has declined by 0.2 %, according to the nation's once-a-decade headcount. With those numbers, Mississippi will retain four congressional seats in the U.S. House of Representative. The Magnolia State has had four U.S. House seats for 20 years now, since the 2000 Census caused Mississippi to lose a seat. Only statewide totals were released by the Census Bureau on Monday. Population numbers for cities, counties and other local jurisdictions are expected to be released later this summer, by Aug. 16. Mississippi's nearly stagnant population came even as the South was the region with the highest amount of growth in the county, at 10.2%. The 2020 Census occurred even as the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the count and curtailed many traditional outreach efforts. Rural residents, as well as racial minorities, are often undercounted by the census. In Northeast Mississippi, local civic and political leaders had planned efforts to raise the visibility of the census in these populations. Pandemic restrictions largely halted those efforts. |
| South is the fastest growing region, according to 2020 US Census results | |
 | The South is the fastest growing region in the United States, according to newly released data from the 2020 census. The region had a 10.2% increase in population over the last decade, census officials said Monday as they released state-level data determining how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Western region grew by 9.2%, the Northeast by 4.1% and the Midwest by 3.1%, according to census officials. The South includes Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Tennessee as a whole grew by 8.9% from 2010, according to census data. Georgia grew by 10.6% in that time period, Florida by 14.6% and Texas by 15.9%. Some states had less growth, including Arkansas at 3.3%. Mississippi lost population, with -0.2% growth. According to the census, there are 334,735,155 people living in the United States and Puerto Rico, an increase of 7.1% over the 2010 census. |
| New census numbers shift political power south to Republican strongholds | |
 | Political power in the United States will continue to shift south this decade, as historically Democratic states that border the Great Lakes give up congressional seats and electoral votes to regions where Republicans currently enjoy a political advantage, according to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Texas, Florida and North Carolina, three states that voted twice for President Donald Trump, are set to gain a combined four additional seats in Congress in 2023 because of population growth, granting them collectively as many new votes in the electoral college for the next presidential election as Democratic-leaning Hawaii has in total. At the same time, four northern states with Democratic governors that President Biden won in 2020 -- Illinois, Michigan, Pennsylvania and New York -- will each lose a single congressional seat. Ohio, a nearby Republican-leaning state, will also lose a seat in Congress. The numbers are the first to emerge from one of the most challenging population counts in the nation's history, one disrupted by a global pandemic. Trump, during his term, also pushed to add a citizenship question and exclude undocumented immigrants from the census. |
| Senate Earmarks Are Back: Democrats Make It Official | |
 | The Senate will once again accept earmarks on a bipartisan basis for spending bills for the next fiscal year, with added measures to boost transparency and accountability, said the chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D., Vt.). Earmarking allows lawmakers to direct federal agencies to spend specific amounts on projects in their home states or districts. Under Mr. Leahy's guidelines, senators' earmarks -- Mr. Leahy prefers the term "congressionally directed spending items" -- will be subject to pre-existing rules that require senators to make any requests in writing and certify that they and their families don't hold financial stakes in any of the projects for which they are seeking funding. There are new restrictions as well. The money for earmarks will be capped at 1% of discretionary spending; funds are barred from going to for-profit entities; and senators are required to post their earmark requests online, along with their paperwork attesting that they and their relatives won't benefit financially. The change had been anticipated. House Democrats said earlier this year that they would revive earmarks, with new rules in place, and the House GOP voted last month in a secret ballot to allow them, as well. |
| President Biden To Establish $15-An-Hour Minimum Wage For Federal Contractors | |
 | President Biden will require federal contractors to pay their employees a minimum wage of $15 an hour starting March 30, 2022, senior administration officials say -- a hike that will benefit a few hundred thousand people and underscore the broader Democratic push to raise the federal pay floor to the same level. Biden plans to sign an executive order on Tuesday that will kick off the rulemaking process for the higher wage, the officials told reporters Monday. Biden's order will continue to index the minimum wage for federal contractors to an inflation measure. The current pay floor for workers under federal contracts is $10.95 per hour. The administration also plans to eliminate the tipped minimum wage for federal contractors, which currently lets employers pay tipped workers $7.65 an hour, by raising it to the same minimum wage as other employees on federal contracts by 2024. Officials told reporters the change will help address income inequality. They said they do not expect the higher wage to raise costs for taxpayers because it will boost productivity and morale and reduce recruitment and training costs caused by higher turnover. |
| USDA chief says climate plans won't involve a leaner meat diet | |
 | The Biden administration will not use eminent domain to take farm or ranch property out of production to meet its climate goal of conserving 30 percent of U.S. land and water by 2030, nor will it try to restrict people's meat consumption, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Monday. Vilsack told a conference of the North American Agricultural Journalists that unnamed groups were raising the specter of eminent domain and using the media as part of climate pushback directed at the administration. Vilsack seemed to chuckle in exasperation when asked Monday about the land issue and rumors of a crackdown on beef consumption. "Folks who represent commodity groups and farmers are using the media in a way to message the administration on issues. This discussion surrounding 30 by 30 is really, really off base," Vilsack said. Fifteen Republican governors sent a letter to Biden on April 21 saying they were concerned about any potential expansion of federal land ownership or restrictions on state-owned land. Vilsack said the administration is looking for ways to encourage, not force, farmers and ranchers to join the effort to address climate change. |
| How a false claim about beef and President Biden's climate plan spread | |
| On Sunday afternoon, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott tweeted out a Fox News graphic about President Biden proposing a reduction in red meat consumption. "Not gonna happen in Texas!" proclaimed the Republican, who serves nearly 30 million constituents. Abbott was retweeted by fellow Republican Gov. Brad Little, who said, "Idahoans also have beef with this agenda and for dinner!" The two governors followed in a line of conservative politicians, pundits and news outlets who spent days proudly stating their opposition to a provision of Biden's climate plan that doesn't exist. The false narrative stems from coverage of Biden announcing his new climate goals last week in honor of Earth Day, including cutting U.S. carbon emissions by at least 50 percent by 2030 over 2005 levels. The plan drew immediate Republican condemnation, but the beef-specific narrative stems from a Thursday article in the Daily Mail, a conservative British tabloid. The lengthy headline reads, "How Biden's climate plan could limit you to eat just one burger a MONTH, cost $3.5K a year per person in taxes, force you to spend $55K on an electric car and 'crush' American jobs." The Daily Mail's detachment from reality did not stop the false narrative from spreading. |
| Pine Belt colleges, universities holding in-person graduations | |
 | After a year of virtual classes and canceled events, Pine Belt universities and colleges will be honoring their graduates with in-person graduation ceremonies, though capacity will be limited. Only those with tickets, which will be provided to students, will be allowed to attend. The University of Southern Mississippi will allow 2020 graduates to walk in the ceremony after the 2020 graduation ceremony was postponed and then canceled. Jones College also will be celebrating its 2020 graduates in its upcoming ceremony. USM's 2021 graduation ceremonies will celebrate both the graduating class of 2020 and 2021. There will be no commencement speakers, USM spokesperson Margaret Macloud said. Tickets will be required for entry into each ceremony. Each student will be provided three tickets for guests. Any children age 3 and older will be required to have a ticket. Commencement ceremonies will be streamed live for families and friends who are not able to attend in person. Students and guests will be required to wear masks at all times and remain six feet apart. |
| Jackson State University alumna Mia Neal makes Oscars history with styling award win | |
| Mia Neal, a Jackson State University alumna, made history after becoming one of the first Black women to ever win the Best Makeup and Hairstyling Oscar at the 93rd annual Academy Awards Sunday. Neal, 41, headed the hair department and was a wig and hairstyle designer for the Netflix drama "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom," which stars Viola Davis. Along with Jamika Wilson, the two became the first Black women to win the award since the category was created by the Academy in 1981. "What a night," Neal wrote on Instagram Monday. Neal and the rest of the movie's hair and make-up team also won the Critic's Choice Movie Award for the film in March. During her acceptance speech, Neal thanked her grandfather, James Holland, an original Tuskegee Airman and a U.S. representative in the first Pan Am games. She said she hopes that she and Wilson breaking a glass ceiling by becoming the first Black women to win the award opens more doors for others in the future. |
| Some Mississippi community colleges are making their summer classes free | |
| When COVID-19 hit Mississippi last spring, students at Northeast Mississippi Community College in Booneville flooded Michelle Baragona's office to withdraw from their classes. They cited similar reasons, said Baragona, the college's vice president of instruction. Their parents were laid off, so they needed to work. They no longer felt safe attending class in-person. As the year wore on, withdrawal requests kept coming in as students struggled to overcome pandemic-related academic challenges. In the fall semester, Baragona said one student requested to withdraw because his grades had suffered after he was exposed to COVID and quarantined four times. In a bid to get these students back, several community colleges across the state are doing something they've never done before: making summer classes free. The colleges are paying for the free summer classes with money from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF), the portion of the federal stimulus package that's set aside for colleges and universities. So far, three community colleges are using HEERF funds to cover summer tuition and some other expenses for students: East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC) and Hinds Community College. |
| Itawamba Community College helps students apply for financial aid with drive-through event | |
 | It's no secret that higher education is very expensive. That's why staff with the Itawamba Community College hosted a drive-through FAFSA event, to make it convenient and safe for students to apply for financial aid. Staff couldn't go into schools to help students complete their financial forms this year because of the coronavirus. "With students not having that assistance in the classroom, FAFSA volume is way down," said ICC Financial Aid Director Terry Bland. However, with the help of technology and hard work, Bland said staff found a way to help students, by hosting the drive-through event. "We've had more people just drive up that didn't sign up for the event which is perfect. We've been pleased with the response," said Bland. "We're doing everything we can to try and get assistance to the students, to help them file their FAFSA. So when they enroll in the fall, they have a means of paying for college," said Bland. |
| Camp War Eagle to offer both in-person and virtual options for the incoming first-year students | |
 | First-year Auburn University students enrolling in the fall of 2021 will have options for how they want to experience Camp War Eagle. First-year students enrolling in the fall of 2021 can choose between 14 in-person and four virtual options for the required traditional orientation program spread out from May 24-June 25, according to the university's First Year Experience Office. The annual freshman program switched to all virtual last summer after the pandemic hit. In-person sessions will be capped at 325 people on a first-come, first-serve basis, and virtual sessions will be capped at 150 students. Students will be required to watch three online modules featuring information on the student's college and major, basic university facts and "Connecting the Creed" online on Canvas. This assignment opens May 3 and must be submitted by June 29. In step with the Class of 2024's experience, the Class of 2025 will virtually meet academic advisors before their session to discuss which classes to take, academic responsibilities and how to register for traditional freshman classes. |
| Auburn University receives multiple reports of suspicious man in white van offering rides to women | |
| Auburn University has received several reports of a suspicious man trying to give rides to local women in a white van, according to a campus safety advisory from the university. On Saturday, a student reported that a man tried to give her a ride in his van while she was walking on West Magnolia Avenue near Chipotle. After seeing tools in the back of the van with no seats, she ran and the van drove away, the campus safety advisory from the university stated. After the initial advisory, three more reports were given to Campus Safety from women about similar behavior on the same day happening on campus near Cambridge Hall and off campus on West Glenn Avenue and North College Street. One of the women reported that she accepted the ride at first, and after the suspect took her to another location and tried to kiss her she exited the van and he drove away, Campus Safety said. The suspect is described as a man with tan or brown skin in his late 20s or early 30s with short black hair and a Hispanic accent. The vehicle he was driving is described as a newer model white Ford Transit Connect with an Alabama tag, black door handles and windows in the back through which tools and landscaping equipment were seen, according to Campus Safety. |
| Former, current LSU students file lawsuit against university over assaults, sex discrimination | |
 | Seven women who have come forward in recent months with stories about being sexually assaulted or beaten on LSU's campus and then failed by administrators after reporting the allegations filed a federal lawsuit against the university Monday. The suit alleges violations of the federal Title IX law that prohibits institutions from discriminating based on sex, and was filed in the Baton Rouge-based U.S. Middle District of Louisiana. The plaintiffs have become familiar names in Baton Rouge as they've testified before the Legislature and protested on LSU's campus. They include former LSU tennis players Abby Owens, Jade Lewis and Kennan Johnson; former LSU Athletic Department student workers Samantha Brennan and Calise Richardson; soon-to-be-LSU-graduate Elisabeth Andries and a Jane Doe. Karen Truszkowski, the Michigan attorney who is representing the women said in a news release Monday that while many have focused on the discipline LSU has imposed against key staffers, more attention needs to paid to "the young people who were hurt, damaged, ignored and at times ridiculed." Jim Sabourin, LSU's vice president of strategic communications, said Monday that officials had just learned of the lawsuit and hadn't had time to review it yet. |
| UGA 2021 spring commencement to take place over multiple days | |
 | University of Georgia graduates will get a spring commencement ceremony -- but with COVID-19 modifications. UGA President Jere W. Morehead announced Friday that the university will have not one, but four ceremonies for the spring 2021 graduates -- three undergraduate ceremonies and one ceremony for the masters, specialists and doctoral degrees. The decision to split up commencement into multiple days would be to comply with social distancing guidelines. Additionally, this year's graduates will sit in the stands with their guests, and there will be no formal processional. ESPN reporter and UGA graduate Maria Taylor will be the commencement speaker. For undergraduates, commencement will begin May 13 and end May 15, taking place in Sanford Stadium. Among other social distancing precautions, visitors will be required to wear masks over the nose and mouth. This year, because of COVID-19, UGA will not provide transportation from remote parking lots to the stadium. Officials warn that "visitors should be prepared to walk significant distances, up to 1 mile, from parking and throughout the stadium," according to the commencement website. |
| Petition demands U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville changes to aid assault survivors | |
| A $20,000 legal settlement paid by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to a former student found responsible for sexual assault under UA policy has led to demands that more be done for assault survivors. A petition started Sunday calls for the university to donate $20,001 in support of survivors of sexual violence and to ensure that those reporting assault are updated about legal developments, such as a settlement of the type made public last week. "John Doe," as he was identified in legal documents, in a lawsuit had claimed gender discrimination and a lack of due process. UA released the settlement agreement under the state's public disclosure law after "Doe" and the university on Wednesday filed a joint motion to dismiss the suit. More than 1,100 people by Monday evening had signed the petition, co-authored by Gillian Gullett, whose report of sexual assault led to "Doe" being sanctioned by the university for misconduct. UA settled the lawsuit without telling Gullett, who gave the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette permission to use her name. "It's incredibly blindsiding not to be notified of this at all or included in the process, especially considering these lawsuits are based on a violation of due process. At this point, I feel like my due process has been violated," Gullett, a May 2020 graduate from UA, said in a phone interview. |
| U. of Florida professor retires amid investigation after grad student's suicide | |
 | A computer engineering professor is resigning from the University of Florida amid the university's investigation into the 2019 suicide of one of his graduate students, Huixiang Chen. Tao Li's last day is May 15, according to documents in his personnel file received by The Sun. He was first hired at UF as an assistant professor in 2004 and has been on paid administrative leave since Feb. 15. Li's resignation letter was sent April 10 and accepted April 13, and he will remain on leave until his last day, said Hessy Fernandez, a UF spokeswoman. He is paid $153,239 annually by the university. The four-sentence-long notice -- including Li's signature -- does not mention Chen's death or the ongoing investigation but merely states his end date and wishes "all the best" to the UF Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. Li, 48, declined to comment in a brief phone call with The Sun. Fernandez said the university would not comment about the ongoing investigation but that it is still being pursued. She did say UF's two prior investigations into Li "raised significant concerns," but, "before the University could fully evaluate these concerns, Dr. Li chose to resign." |
| U. of Missouri professors group calls for end to restructuring of social justice centers | |
 | A resolution approved unanimously by the University of Missouri chapter of the American Association of University Professors calls for the halting of plans to restructure campus social justice centers. The resolution also calls on the office of the vice chancellor for inclusion, diversity and equity to retain all five center coordinator positions and initiate a dialogue with students and staff harmed by the proposed restructuring in order to earn student trust. The resolution further calls on officials in the vice chancellor's office to visit each center and learn from staff and students the work each does and the constituency each serves. An additional demand is to "begin an open-ended public consultation with students, staff and faculty on all aspects of the proposed restructuring, including the fundamental question of whether or not restructuring is needed at all." The planned restructuring of the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center, LGBTQ Resource Center, Multicultural Center, Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and Women's Center last week drew protests after reports surfaced that the current center coordinators would lose their jobs in the restructuring. |
| The Class of 2020 Feels Cheated on Graduation | |
| For four years, Maggie Lake imagined descending the majestic hill in the middle of her college campus with her classmates on commencement weekend. But she may need to wait a few more years. Colgate University's 2020 in-person graduation has been rescheduled twice, this time to 2022. The administration says they already held a virtual ceremony last May and delaying an in-person one allows alumni, including Ms. Lake, and their families to participate safely. But grads say the special moment is gone -- and it feels odd to take time off work to attend your commencement. For 2020 graduates---and their parents---there are plenty of hurt feelings when it comes to how universities handled graduation. In a WSJ analysis of 50 schools, all held virtual celebrations last year and 32% will offer in-person graduations this year; 56% still plan to reschedule a celebration. "There aren't any perfect solutions," says Lynn Pasquerella, president of the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a trade group. "With no handshakes and no hugs, it's not going to be the experience that we hope for on college campuses." |
| For colleges and universities, fingers are crossed for in-person graduations | |
| College graduation-day ceremonies have never felt so up in the air. Last year, the vast majority of schools held only virtual graduations, so students knew they wouldn't be able to walk across a stage to cheers from their families. But this year, with just weeks to go, some schools are still determining whether they will be able to hold an in-person commencement. And if they can, who will be able to attend? And where will it be held? And what will it look like? As winter turned to spring and the academic finish line approached, commencement plans flipped and flopped -- and flipped again. College and university leaders across the country, as well as students and parents, wanted in-person events, but the lingering coronavirus pandemic has produced spikes in infections and unprecedented uncertainty. For Georgetown University's Class of 2021, the limbo ended Thursday with the surprising announcement that commencement would be held in person at Nationals Park. Many schools have opted to again hold only virtual graduations, but those planning to have an in-person event must follow state, local and their own guidelines for how to do so. And those guidelines can change as viral infection rates rise or fall, meaning that the likelihood of being able to hold an in-person event can change accordingly. |
| Survey reveals positive outlook on online instruction post-pandemic | |
 | When colleges switched to emergency remote instruction last year, some online learning advocates feared the hasty transition would leave students with a negative impression of online learning. While more pre-pandemic online courses resulted from months of careful planning and significant financial investment, few instructors enjoyed these luxuries last spring. Despite the challenges and shortcomings of this emergency transition to remote instruction, a majority of students want the option to keep studying online, according to new survey results. The Digital Learning Pulse survey, published today, is the fourth in a series of surveys published by Bay View Analytics in partnership with Cengage, the Online Learning Consortium, the WICHE Cooperative for Educational Technologies and the University Professional and Continuing Education Association. The survey includes responses from 772 teaching faculty, 514 academic administrators and 1,413 students who were registered at a U.S. higher education institution for both the fall 2020 and spring 2021 semesters. The results will be discussed in a free webcast tomorrow. The majority of students, 73 percent, "somewhat" or "strongly" (46 percent) agreed that they would like to take some fully online courses in the future. A slightly smaller number of students, 68 percent, indicated they would be interested in taking courses offering a combination of in-person and online instruction. |
| Sometimes, doctors and residencies don't match | |
| To become a doctor, you have to go through medical school. Then you have to complete a residency. That's a three- to seven-year stint at a hospital that has a residency program. And to do that, you first have to "match," as it's called, with one of these programs. Every year in mid-March, matching videos show up on social media. They're of medical students finding out where they're going to do their residencies and become practicing doctors. They drink Champagne in rooms full of balloons and cry tears of joy. But not everybody has something to celebrate. Every year, there are medical students who don't match. In 2021, there were more than 42,500 applicants for just over 38,000 residencies. That's more than 4,000 would-be doctors who don't -- initially -- get a spot. By some estimates, there are even more than that. And without a residency, you can't get a license to practice medicine. Many residencies are funded, in full or in part, by Medicare. The funding for more slots isn't there now, yet the need for doctors is increasing, said Janis Orlowski, with the Association of American Medical Colleges. "In the next 10 years, there's going to be somewhere between 54,000 and 139,000 physicians that we are going to be short in the United States," she said. |
| This Trustee Was Censured by His Board. Now the Supreme Court Will Weigh In. | |
 | The nation's highest court said on Monday it would take up a First Amendment clash about college governance, evaluating whether a public-college board had the grounds to censure one of its members in a case that could have broad implications for boards and free speech. The case centers around David B. Wilson, a member of the Houston Community College Board of Trustees between 2014 and 2019. Board members voted to censure him in 2018. At that point, Wilson had filed several lawsuits against the college, and he had also backed robocalls protesting college operations in Qatar and arranged a private investigation into whether a board colleague lived in her district. The board's chair at the time, Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, called his conduct "inappropriate" and "reprehensible." As part of the censure's sanctions, Wilson would be unable to hold board leadership positions or get reimbursed for board travel. He also would need additional approval for community-affairs spending. To Wilson, the vote was a violation of his First Amendment rights. He was punished, he argued, for speaking out on issues of public concern, and it caused him mental anguish. |
| U.S. national academy picks record number of women, minorities as part of diversity push | |
| The U.S. National Academy of Sciences (NAS) chooses its members in a process that has long discriminated against female and minority scientists, as well as those from less prestigious universities. But NAS officials have begun to tinker with that process with the goal of increasing gender, racial, and geographic diversity. And this year's class, announced today, shows the impact of those changes. One-half of the members of this year's class -- 59 of 120 -- are women; 10 years ago it was roughly one-quarter. The new cohort also includes nine Black scientists; NAS officials say there were never more than three in previous classes, and often the number was zero. "I'm amazed at how far we've come," says plant geneticist Susan Wessler, NAS home secretary. "Of course, we can still do better. But the demographics are changing much more quickly than I ever imagined." NAS is also trying to improve its geographic diversity. NAS has been criticized for having a disproportionate number of members from a small number of elite institutions, often located on either the country’s east or west coast. U.S. policymakers have become increasing concerned about a similar geographic imbalance in the allocation of federal research dollars. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves said he wanted to promote unity. Then he declared Confederate Memorial Day. | |
| Adam Ganucheau writes for Mississippi Today: Rep. Robert Johnson, the minority leader in the Mississippi House of Representatives whose measured and respectful demeanor has brought recent policy success to Democrats in a ruby red state, is disgusted. He's disgusted that months after lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag after 126 years, Mississippi is once again celebrating Confederate Memorial Day. He's disgusted that Mississippi is -- once again -- garnering a negative image on front pages and in news broadcasts across the nation because some prominent leaders continue to embrace the ugliest parts of the state's history. He's disgusted by Tate Reeves, the governor who codified the official state holiday after claiming during the 2020 flag debate that he wants to unite Mississippians. "I don't understand how a man with a reputation of being reasonably intelligent who says he wants to move Mississippi forward keeps wrapping his arms around these things that make us all look so bad," Johnson told Mississippi Today on Monday. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State junior Ford Clegg Named SEC Scholar-Athlete Of The Year | |
| Mississippi State junior Ford Clegg was named the SEC Men's Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year at the conclusion of stroke play at the conference championship on Friday evening. The Southeastern Conference selects a Scholar-Athlete of the Year in every sport. In order to be nominated for the annual award, a student-athlete must have legitimate athletic credentials, have competed in at least 50 percent of a teams' competitions and be a sophomore, junior or senior with a cumulative 3.2 GPA. I am so proud of Ford and all his hard work to earn SEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year," head coach Dusty Smith said. "Ford has the desire and the drive to be excellent in everything he does, and he has proven that with his performance on the course and in the classroom this year." Clegg has turned in a 4.0 GPA and been named a President's Scholar in every semester of his collegiate career. On the course he ranked fourth in the SEC in stroke average (70.50) entering the SEC Championship, and he was one of four SEC men's golfers with a round of 63 or better this season, firing each of State's four lowest rounds on the year. |
| Mississippi State Softball Set To Make Up Games With Tennessee On May 5 | |
| Mississippi State's softball program will make up two of three games against No. 18 Tennessee on Wednesday, May 5 in Starkville. The series originally scheduled to be played April 9-11, was postponed due to a positive COVID-19 test and contact tracing within the Tennessee program. The teams will now play a doubleheader at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. CT with both games airing on SEC Network+. |
| College Football Playoff Committee Still Believes Four Teams is the Best; Plans a Return to Normalcy | |
| The College Football Playoff (CFP) management committee met remotely for two days this week. "It was quite a year," said Bill Hancock, the Executive Director of the CFP. "Given all the challenges presented by the pandemic, teams were fortunate to have played as many games as they did. It's a real testament to the student-athletes, commissioners and their staffs, athletics directors, coaches, the schools' staffs, medical personnel, and, frankly, everyone who loves this game. Satisfaction with the CFP remains high, and we can't wait for what we hope will be a more typical season this fall." Hancock said the CFP intends to return to the traditional pageantry of college football for the CFP games this year. "We are planning to have marching bands, cheerleaders, mascots and the rest of the wonderful traditions at the CFP games. We are optimistic, but, of course, everything will depend on the circumstances this fall." Stadium seating capacities, he said, will be determined by CFP in the fall, in conjunction with local health and safety officials. In addition, the committee received a briefing from a working group of four of its members charged with considering options for the future format of the playoff for the management committee's review. |
| Both parties back bill for name, image, likeness rights for college athletes | |
| Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, a former Ohio State football player, reintroduced on Monday a bipartisan bill that would give college athletes the right to earn money through endorsements and sponsorship deals. Gonzalez, R-Ohio, and Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., co-sponsored the Student Athlete Level Playing Field Act, which would give college athletes the right to be paid for the use of their name, image and likeness. In a statement, the NCAA said it valued the bipartisanship of the bill. "Their House bill will strengthen the college athlete experience and support the NCAA and its members to modernize name, image and likeness rules but not pay student-athletes or turn them into employees of their college or university," the NCAA said. It is the third bill related to NIL compensation in college sports to be introduced during this Congress, but the first with support from Democrats and Republicans. Six other lawmakers have signed onto the bill, three from each party. The NCAA's attempts to reform its bylaws and permit college athletes to capitalize on their names, images and likenesses have stalled, but several states have NIL laws scheduled to take effect July 1, including Florida and Mississippi. |
| Kim Mulkey wanted to come home to LSU, but 'it did take some money to get me away.' Here's how much | |
| A few days after Kim Mulkey talked with athletic director Scott Woodward about taking the LSU women's basketball job, the university sent Mulkey an offer. The longtime Baylor coach, winner of three national championships in 21 seasons mulled her choices as she spoke to her family. "Something felt right here," Mulkey said. "And it just was icing on the cake that it was LSU. I would not have left Baylor for any other school except LSU." Mulkey decided Sunday afternoon to accept the position, leaving a school she built into a national powerhouse. LSU has not yet made contract terms public, but sources have told The Advocate she will make about $2.5 million in her first season. It is roughly the same amount as men's basketball coach Will Wade, but more than three times the $700,000 annual salary that Nikki Fargas, the previous women's coach, made in her final contract with LSU. "I think it's something that probably is really going to rejuvenate her at this point in her career," said LSU baseball coach Paul Mainieri, who coached Mulkey's son, former shortstop Kramer Robertson, and greeted her at the airport. "I read her bio yesterday. It made me dizzy, her accomplishments. They made me look like a Little Leaguer compared to my bio. I've never seen anybody have so much success in a career." |
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