Volume 1, Issue 6 July 27, 2018
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A Weekly Look at News and Notes from the Louisiana Board of Regents
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BOARD OF REGENTS IN THE NEWS
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ULM professor receives prestigious La. state grant
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July 26, 2018
As part of the Regents Awards to Louisiana Artists and Scholars (ATLAS) Program, a panel of out-of-state experts evaluated a grant proposal written by Dr. Jana Giles, University of Louisiana Monroe associate professor of English, and deemed it “excellent.” Based on the panel’s recommendation, the
Board of Regents
funded Giles’s project, allowing her a year-long sabbatical to complete her project. Giles’s grant of $38,057 was one of only eight awarded in the state.
“I’m so very grateful to the state of Louisiana and ULM for this investment in my research,” Giles said. “The generous time and resources provided will allow me to dedicate myself full time to finish my book.”
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Making Makerspaces Work: A STEAM education collaboration at Louisiana Tech
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July 24, 2018
The Children's Coalition for Northeast Louisiana, Louisiana Tech University College of Education SciTECH, Beta-Design Productions, and Benjamin Gramann are all partnering together a STEAM education workshop. STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics
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The Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program (LaSIP) was established to improve mathematics and science education through a $10 million NSF grant combined with matching Support Fund dollars from the
Board of Regents
and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education.
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Is flushing water lines the best way to lower lead levels? LSU Health study says no
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There’s been a lot of talk in New Orleans about how to protect children from lead exposure through old pipes, but it turns out the current recommendations for running water to flush out lead might not be the most effective way, according to a recent study by LSU’s New Orleans School of Public Health.
“While flushing taps according to prevailing guidelines (for 30 seconds to 2 minutes) may reduce water lead levels for some homes, over half the tested homes had peak water lead levels after that time, so these recommendations may inadvertently increase exposures,” said study leader Adrienne Katner, assistant research professor of environmental & occupational health sciences at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health.
The research was supported in part by the
Louisiana Board of Regents
’ New Research Pilot Funding Program, the National Science Foundation, LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health and the National Institutes of Health.
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LOUISIANA HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS
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McNeese launches effort to raise $1M for education initiative
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July 27, 2018
McNeese State University
on Thursday announced the launch of its First Choice campaign in the presence of Gov. John Bel Edwards and Waste Management leaders, who donated $60,000 to the campaign.
First Choice is a three-year initiative to raise $1 million for “sustained growth and self-sufficiency,” said Daryl Burckel, university president. The idea is to make McNeese the area’s first choice for professors, students, employers and donors, Burckel said.
He noted the school was ranked among the “Best Regional Universities in the South” by U.S. News and World Report and that it offers celebrated engineering, business, education and agriculture programs.
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By the numbers: LSU takes in most state student financial aid in Louisiana
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Louisiana State University
and Agricultural & Mechanical College received $28.6 million in state financial aid for its students during the 2015-16 academic year – the highest level of any Louisiana school – according to a
Watchdog.org
analysis of U.S. Department of Education data.
The Louisiana schools coming in second and third for top student aid were University of Louisiana at Lafayette ($13.4 million) and Louisiana Tech University ($7.9 million).
Louisiana State University received an average of $6,404 per student in state student aid.
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AgCenter takes lead on stopping new nematode
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July 26, 2018
The LSU AgCenter is in the vanguard of an attempt to contain and eradicate a significant plant pest that has been identified in Morehouse Parish.The guava root-knot nematode showed up in a shipment of seed potatoes from North Carolina, said AgCenter nematologist Charlie Overstreet.
Nematodes are microscopic worms, and the largest adult females are smaller than the head of a pin. They feed on plant roots, creating large galls that sap the strength from the plant. Although they are a problem in many crops, including soybeans and cotton, they’re particularly bad in sweet potatoes because the crop is the root itself.
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NATIONAL HIGHER EDUCATION NEWS
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The Right Kind of Innovation
Higher education needs to change -- but the innovations must align with institutions’ missions and need not always be revolutionary, write Kate Ebner and Noah Pickus.
July 25, 2018
Of all the solutions that have regularly been offered to tackle the problems facing higher education today, perhaps no term is as popular as “innovation.” But what does it mean? Can it really make a difference, and if so, how?
As a prophylactic against faddishness, the first thing fellows in the academy learn is that innovation in higher education is not new. Today’s higher education landscape is an amalgam of the handcrafted model from the 18th century, the mass production model from the 19th century and the specialization model that gained prominence in the 20th century. In other words, to the contrary of much of today’s rhetoric, higher education has adapted significantly over the centuries.
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Debt-free college? House Democrats introduce higher education bill
July 24, 2018
WASHINGTON - House Democrats this week are expected to unveil a sweeping plan to make college more affordable by reducing debt and simplifying financial aid. The Democrats' plan would also endeavor to boost graduation rates.
The proposal counters a Republican bill that aims to overhaul the law that dictates the federal government's role in higher education. The Higher Education Act, originally passed in 1965, is supposed to be renewed every five years but was last reauthorized a decade ago. The debate has been closely watched, with members of both parties agreeing that college costs impose an enormous burden on students and families. But with a polarized Congress, compromise has proved elusive.
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July 22, 2018
In the mid-to-late-20th century, the American economy and culture were ripe for 30-year-old men, who — more than European and Japanese — typically landed well-paid careers, bought homes, and supported large families. But since then, getting ahead has become much harder.
What's going on:
Today, 30-year-old millennials are more likely to be still living with their parents and, while earning about the same or less than boomers, are typically saddled with college debt.
One consequence:
Possible trouble for an older generation that will rely on them doing better.
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Poll: Most Americans See Higher Ed Headed in Wrong Direction
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July 27, 2018
A new survey of the U.S. public suggests continued problems regarding the image of higher education -- and negative perceptions are not limited to Republicans.
A solid majority of all adults (61 percent) believe that higher education is headed in the wrong direction, according to
a survey
by the Pew Research Center. But that view is much more likely to be held by Republicans or those who lean Republican than by Democrats or those who lean Democrat.
While both Republicans and Democrats express skepticism about higher education, they do so for different reasons -- Democrats are more concerned about tuition rates, and Republicans are more concerned about their perceptions of campus politics.
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