Friday, July 9, 2021   
 
Mississippi State's Department of Communication to offer master's degree
Mississippi State University's Department of Communication will now offer students a new Master of Arts in Communication program. The program begins in January 2022. Leaders said the new curriculum that encompasses crisis, health and leadership communication, was approved by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning this past spring. "This program has been a work in progress for the faculty in communication," said Terry Likes, professor and head of the communication department. "We frequently get requests from graduating students, those working on campus, alumni and others in the region about whether we have a graduate program. We are thrilled we'll soon offer courses to meet the needs of those seeking an advanced degree in communication." The degree is aims to advance careers, preparing to become educators of speech, media and communication, or planning to pursue a Ph.D. Melody Fisher, an associate professor in the communication department, will serve as graduate coordinator for the new program that is a 33-credit-hour degree.
 
Former Starkville bank is becoming a hub for Mississippi State innovation
A former Starkville bank is set to become the hub for business innovation in the region. The Mississippi State University Research and Technology Corporation has started its renovation of the Cadence building on Main Street. The corporation bought the building 2 years ago with plans to create the Downtown Innovation Hub. The Hub will provide start-up businesses access to office space and other amenities that come with working in the downtown area. Tenants will also be close to cutting-edge research and development at Mississippi State. It will also cater to companies that want to expand into the Starkville area. The Hub joins the Idea Shop as the University expands its entrepreneurship efforts from campus into the city.
 
Staying safe from ticks this summer
Ticks are small bugs, but they can cause big problems. Illnesses like Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are possible from tick bites. "Check yourself for ticks when you come out of the woods, the first thing before they have time to attach themselves," said Shani Hay, a Mississippi State University Extension agent for Lauderdale County. "If they do attach, back them out slowly with a pair of tweezers. Don't twist, don't jerk, you want to back them out so that you don't break their head off in your skin." Ticks live in tall grass and shrubs, so avoid walking in these areas when outdoors, if you can. "If you can't, you need to wear protective clothing, so like socks with your pants tucked in and preferably use a product with DEET in it," Hay explained. Experts also recommend talking to your veterinarian about good products for your pets to keep ticks away. "[Ticks are] bad this year because of all the moisture, and obviously more moisture means more grass and shrubs growing up, so keeping your yard clean will help keep them away," Hay said.
 
NIST opens challenge for drone search and rescue research
To advance the capabilities of unmanned aircraft systems for search and rescue, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has launched the First Responder UAS Triple Challenge. The competition offers more than $700,000 in prize money and features three challenges aimed at advancing UAS technology. "Our goal at PSCR is to accelerate the development and adoption of advanced wireless communications for the public safety community," Division Chief Dereck Orr said. "These prize competitions are a way for us to find solvers from around the world to help us with this important research." Entries will be accepted beginning Aug. 2, with multiple stages running through June 2022. Entries for all the challenges must be user friendly, compact, lightweight, easily rechargeable and affordable for local responders. The First Responder UAS Triple Challenge is being hosted by NIST's Public Safety Communications Research Division and managed by Kansas State University, in partnership with Mississippi State University.
 
Oktibbeha County could raise taxes for capital improvements
The Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors could potentially raise taxes next fiscal year to generate revenue for a capital improvement fund. Lynn Norris of Madison-based Government Consultants presented the board with various scenarios for issuing bonds and creating a fund for future county projects at a work session Wednesday. In order for the county to build funds, millage must be transferred or increased. "What we're trying to do is develop a long-term capital improvement plan," Norris said. "What you want to achieve is a stable millage that will support bonds." Mills are used to calculate property taxes. For example, a person who owns a $100,000 home without a homestead exemption pays $10 in taxes per mill. While the 2021 millage rates have not been set due to assessment numbers not being received yet, for the 2020 fiscal year, the millage for the county was set at 58.59. County Administrator Delois Farmer said she hopes to receive this year's assessment values any day. The county will need to issue bonds to bring in revenue for the capital improvement fund. Three years ago, the board approved a 3-mill increase to go toward a four-year plan for bonds for capital improvements. This would also be a four-year plan. "A bond is the most effective way to create capital improvements," Norris said.
 
In Mississippi, many still lack broadband access
As federal officials debate pouring billions of dollars into broadband access, data suggests many of Mississippi's schoolchildren and adults who preferred to work from home spent the pandemic with sub-par access to high-speed internet, particularly in the state's least-wealthy counties. Advocates say that "digital divide" across the United States is due largely to two factors: a lack of internet infrastructure in the country's rural reaches and the relatively high cost of broadband that has made the service unaffordable for many in urban centers. In about half of Mississippi's counties -- 42 of 82 -- measured by a Federal Communications Commission study, broadband access is available to at least 66% of residents. Yet in about half of the state measured by Microsoft -- 42 of 82 counties -- no more than 9% of households actually have high-speed access, a USA TODAY analysis shows. President Joe Biden and a bipartisan group of Senate moderates have reached a deal on a far-reaching infrastructure plan that would direct $65 billion to increase broadband connectivity from coast-to-coast. Despite the agreement, it's unclear whether it would address the solutions some lawmakers want to see such as continued broadband subsidies for low-income families, greater competition among wireless providers and continued buildout of high-speed networks in poorer, rural areas. In Mississippi, 26% of residents don't have adequate broadband infrastructure and 50.1% live in areas that have only one internet provider, according to the White House.
 
Job Openings Are at Record Highs. Why Aren't Unemployed Americans Filling Them?
More than nine million Americans said in May that they wanted jobs and couldn't find them. Companies said they had more than nine million jobs open that weren't filled, a record high. As the economy reopens, the process of matching laid-off workers to jobs is proving to be slow and complicated, a contrast to the swift and decisive layoffs that followed the initial stage of the pandemic in early 2020. The disconnect helps to explain why so many companies are complaining about having trouble filling open positions so early in a recovery. It also helps to explain why wages are rising briskly even when the unemployment rate, at 5.9% in June, is well above the pre-pandemic rate of 3.5%. The relatively high jobless rate suggests an excess of labor supply that in theory should hold wages down. This has implications for policy makers: Sand in the wheels of the labor market could cause inflation pressures that spur Federal Reserve policy makers to pull back on low interest rate policies meant to support growth. In the longer-run, on the other hand, the slow matching process could have benefits, leaving workers in jobs they prefer and the economy more efficient. Several factors are behind the development: Many workers moved during the pandemic and aren't where jobs are available; many have changed their preferences, for instance pursuing remote work, having discovered the benefits of life with no commute; the economy itself shifted, leading to jobs in industries such as warehousing that aren't in places where workers live or suit the skills they have; extended unemployment benefits and relief checks, meantime, are giving workers time to be choosy in their search for the next job.
 
Renovation of old Stone Hotel in downtown Columbus proceeds quickly
The new apartment/retail project in a 116-year-old downtown Columbus building has yet to be given a name. But more than four years after Chris Chain and a partner purchased the old Stone Hotel on the 200 block Fifth Street with a plan to create a boutique hotel with retail shops, the project is fairly flying toward completion now. Call it The Rolling Stone. "We expect to be finished in six months," the longtime Columbus developer said Wednesday while providing media tours of the project. After purchasing the property from Susan McKay, whose family had owned the building for more than 70 years, Chain has a new partner, a new plan and a new aggressive timetable for the project, one that should make the 28,000 square feet of space available at the beginning of 2022. "I wouldn't wait too long if anybody out there is interested," said Bill Legier, owner of New Orleans-based De la Tour Holding, which is partnering with Chain to develop the property. "We expect these spots to fill up fast, especially the apartments," Legier said. The new plan will feature 18 apartments and 8,000 square feet of retail space, along with an atrium/colonnade, New Orleans-style courtyards, an elevator for access to upstairs apartments and a gym/fitness center. The COVID-19 pandemic altered Chain's original plan to build a boutique hotel.
 
Amtrak and freight railways agree to small step toward Gulf Coast passenger route
Amtrak has gained some access to the freight-owned tracks it needs to begin a Gulf Coast passenger route. But whether Amtrak's desired Jan. 1 start date will go on as planned is still unclear. Despite an ongoing battle through a federal transportation board, freight operators have given Amtrak limited access to their properties on the Gulf Coast. The agreement, outlined in letters given to the board, allows Amtrak workers on freight-owned property to survey and prepare for the possible Gulf Coast route. But the parties are still far from agreeing to operate a passenger service that connects Mobile to New Orleans with four Mississippi stops. Amtrak filed a petition with the U.S. Surface Transportation Board in March, asking the board to step in after years of failed negotiations over the route. This week, Amtrak again pushed the board to speed up its decision making so it can begin the route in 2022. A spokesman for the Surface Transportation Board said it does not comment on timeframes for decisions. As of July 8, the transportation board had 65 separate filings from stakeholders, public officials and the railways to sift through.
 
Minority Businesses Development Agency to locate business center in Mississippi
The Minority Businesses Development Agency will locate a business center in Mississippi. A $375,000 grant, announced by Senator Roger Wicker, will pave the way for the creation of the center. Although no location has been given, according to the agency's website, their business centers are located in areas with the largest concentration of minority populations and the largest number of minority businesses. In D.C., Wicker and several other Senators on both sides of the aisle introduced the Reaching America's Rural Minority Businesses Act of 2021 that would support the creation of up to 10 business centers at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. When the legislation was introduced last Congress, it was endorsed by all of Mississippi's HBCUs, including Alcorn State University, Coahoma Community College, Hinds Community College-Utica, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College, and Tougaloo College.
 
Why Mississippi is changing policy on releasing police shooting videos, DPS chief says
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, the agency charged with investigating all fatal shootings by Mississippi police officers, has typically responded to requests to release video footage and other evidence with a simple answer: No. Now, that's changing. Public safety commissioner Sean Tindell, who took the statewide position in June 2020, said he has directed the agency to be more responsive to public records requests. Last month, the agency turned over video footage and some investigative material from its investigation of a Harrison County deputy's shooting of Reginald Johnson outside the Biloxi courthouse in January 2021. "As more and more of these incidents of officer-involved shootings are shared with the public in other parts of the country, I believe we need to be more transparent here in Mississippi as well," Tindell said. "I've always been a big believer in transparency. I believe that if you ... maintain a cloak of secrecy, then it lends itself to conspiracy theories and incorrect assumptions. I believe the public should have a right to view the footage and understand exactly what happened." Tindell said his guidance for transparency applies to all agencies under his department.
 
Poll finds strong support for restoring state's ballot initiative
An overwhelming 82% of Mississippians believe there should be two ways to enact laws in the state -- through the Legislature and through a citizen-sponsored ballot initiative process, according to a poll commissioned by the Southern Poverty Law Center's Action Fund. The poll also found that there could be political consequences for Gov. Tate Reeves, who according to the poll already has a slim 48% to 46% approval rate, and for legislators if they do not take steps to revive the initiative process that was struck down by the Mississippi Supreme Court. "The data show he (Reeves) is not in a position of strength on this issue," said Ben Tulchin, president of Tulchin Research, which conducted the poll for the SPLC Action Fund. "If he wants to stay in office, he should heed these numbers and listen to the will of the people." The poll found by a 76% to 17% margin, voters favor Reeves calling a special session before the summer is up to give legislators the opportunity to reinstate the initiative process and to pass a medical marijuana law. The poll did not address the costs of a special session or other costs that would be associated with trying to revive he ballot initiative as quickly as possible. SLPC released results of the poll Thursday during a Zoom conference with members of the media.
 
Business groups, unions join together on infrastructure plan
Major business and union groups have formed a new coalition designed to add momentum for a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package that the Senate is expected to take up this month. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the AFL-CIO, along with trade groups representing manufacturers and retailers, announced the coalition Thursday. The group's formation comes as a bipartisan group of senators tries to craft a bill from a blueprint that aims to dramatically boost public works spending over the next five years. "Don't let partisan differences get in the way of action – pass significant, meaningful infrastructure legislation now," said the new Coalition for Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment. The business and union groups often differ on policy issues in Washington, but that has not been the case when it comes to infrastructure as they tout the prospect of new jobs that would be created shoring up the country's roads, bridges, rail lines and airports. They have emphasized that the legislation should be something that lawmakers from both parties can support. "I appreciate the supportive words. Those are music to my ears," Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said of the coalition's announcement during an event held by the Bipartisan Policy Center, a think tank that works to advance what it views as the best ideas from both political parties to solve problems.
 
QAnon has receded from social media -- but it's just hiding
On the face of it, you might think that the QAnon conspiracy has largely disappeared from big social media sites. But that's not quite the case. True, you're much less likely to find popular QAnon catchphrases like "great awakening," "the storm" or "trust the plan" on Facebook these days. Facebook and Twitter have removed tens of thousands of accounts dedicated to the baseless conspiracy theory, which depicts former President Donald Trump as a hero fighting a secret battle against a sect of devil-worshipping pedophiles who dominate Hollywood, big business, the media and government. Gone are the huge "Stop the Steal" groups that spread falsehoods about the 2020 U.S. presidential elections. Trump is gone as well, banned from Twitter permanently and suspended from posting on Facebook until 2023. But QAnon is far from winding down. Federal intelligence officials recently warned that its adherents could commit more violence, like the deadly Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. At least one open supporter of QAnon has been elected to Congress. In the four years since someone calling themselves "Q" started posting enigmatic messages on fringe internet discussions boards, QAnon has grown up. That's partly because QAnon now encompasses a variety of conspiracy theories, from evangelical or religious angles to alleged pedophilia in Hollywood and the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, said Jared Holt, a resident fellow at the Atlantic Council's DFRLab who focuses on domestic extremism. "Q-specific stuff is sort of dwindling," he said. But the worldviews and conspiracy theories that QAnon absorbed are still with us.
 
Pandemics, plagues and innovation in history: the striking parallels between COVID-19 and the Black Death
As both business owners and working stiffs try to sort out what a post-COVID economy will look like, historians suggest it's instructive to look back at the plague of all plagues, the Black Death of the 14th century, and the long-term innovations it helped foster. In medieval Europe, the term "revenge spending" may not yet have entered the lexicon, but it appears to have been a real thing after the Black Death, which killed roughly one out of every two people between about 1346 and 1353. "It's sort of like a YOLO thing," said Eleanor Janega, historian and guest teacher at the London School of Economics, referring to the popular acronym for "you only live once." "They know they very well might die at any moment. So there's kind of this 'if not now, when' attitude." Just like today, when loads of Americans are dying to get away to, say, Miami Beach or Yellowstone, peasants back in the day splurged on post-plague religious trips, or pilgrimages. Which were not always so religious. Medieval workers also took comfort in their newfound economic power. "When I see articles lately, saying 'Oh, well. Not as many people want to work at McDonald's,' it does remind me of the situation for peasants post-Black Death, where they're saying, 'Well, no one wants to do this really difficult, thankless job for no money,'" Janega said. The Black Death created a shortage of workers, giving peasants options.
 
Delta variant now dominant COVID-19 strain in Mississippi
As public health experts have warned for weeks, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is now the dominant strain circulating in Mississippi, causing a spike in cases and hospitalizations. Delta is now also the dominant variant across the United States. Nationally, the average number of new cases has started to trend upwards due to localized Delta outbreaks in places, like Mississippi, that have low vaccination rates. With 678 confirmed cases, the Alpha variant, which originated in the United Kingdom, still represents over 75% of all variant infections in Mississippi, but the Delta variant is now circulating much faster. Over the past two weeks the number of Delta cases has increased more than fivefold, up from 29 to 137. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs has repeatedly stressed that Mississippians have the choice of getting vaccinated or contracting COVID-19, and that in every scenario a vaccinated person is going to have a better outcome than if they had declined the shot. The Delta variant has considerably increased the already high risks posed by the virus to unvaccinated people. The variant, first identified in India, is believed to be about 60 percent more contagious than the Alpha variant and up to twice as contagious as the original strain of COVID-19.
 
Scientist, a USM grad, creates unique carbon fiber sculptures
Scientist, artist, inventor, U.S. Marine and economic developer Jesse Smith says that throughout his career in polymer science and industry, "I was always wanting to create something that hasn't existed." Raised in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, Smith has early memories of accompanying his mom, Bobbie Smith, to her art classes. "She painted lots of cool stuff. Art has always been in our family. And my dad (Jim Smith) has been an entrepreneur ever since he came back from Vietnam, running his own HVAC business. Selling cold air in southern Mississippi is a very good business during the summer." After a stint in the Marine Corps, he pursued his other love --- science --- at the University of Southern Mississippi. He earned an MBA and a degree in polymer science, which enabled him not only to invent products and improve state-of-the-art technical aspects in manufacturing, but also to evaluate and expand their business potential. But the art bug remained. "There are so many talented artists in the world. I searched for years to be able to do something completely different. I decided to use what I learned in polymer science and industry to create something that no one has done before." His chosen medium? Carbon fiber.
 
JSU alum Sekou Smith honored with NBA Summer League SWAC student internship opportunity
The memory of Sekou Smith lives on. On Thursday, the Atlanta Hawks announced the inaugural Sekou Smith Hawks Summer League Experience. A student will receive an all-expenses paid trip to the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, including flight and hotel accommodations with a per diem for meals and incidentals. The student will also have mentorship meetings with respected NBA journalists, including close colleagues of Smith. Applicants must be at least 21 years old by Aug. 1, be able to travel to Las Vegas and available to work from Aug. 1-18, and must be fully COVID-19 vaccinated by Aug. 1. The internship gives the opportunity for a journalism, broadcasting or multi-media student from a Southwestern Athletic Conference university or college. The SWAC features 12 Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Jackson State, where Smith graduated from in 1997. Smith, who began his career at The Clarion Ledger, was the Hawks beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution from 2005-09. In 2009, he joined NBA.com and became a NBA Digital personality. Throughout the years, he appeared as on-air talent at NBATV and wrote the Kia Race To The MVP Ladder weekly column. He died at the age of 48 on Jan. 26 with COVID-19 complications. Jackson State has also started a journalism scholarship fund in his honor.
 
Delta State alumni announce 2021 dates for Pig Pickin' & Homecoming
Delta State University's National Alumni Association announced the dates for two of its signature events: Pig Pickin' and Homecoming. The 35th annual Pig Pickin' will be September 10-11 and will be highlighted by the second home football game featuring the Statesmen vs. McKendree University. The 89th annual Homecoming weekend celebration is slated for October 29-30 as the Statesmen football team hosts Shorter University. Alumni Homecoming events will kick off with the annual Alumni Gala on Friday, October 29, which will celebrate the class of 1971 upon its 50th anniversary.
 
Changes in LSU hierarchy: New president ousts Provost Stacia Haynie in his first week
Within three days of taking over LSU, System President William F. Tate IV already has begun rearranging the top leadership at the state's flagship. Executive Vice President & Provost Stacia Haynie, LSU's de facto second in command, was removed from the position Thursday and will return to teaching at the College of Humanities & Social Services. As provost, Haynie has been in charge of academics and curricula since 2018 and is one of the four top executives at the university. Tate says he has been spending most of time -- before and after his official start at LSU -- talking with faculty, staff, and the community. "I am also in the process of formulating a longer-term, strategic vision for LSU that will further position us to do great things," he said. Tate has said in a recent interview that his immediate goal is what he calls "scholarship first," which will include upgrades in research and a focus on making some of LSU's programs among the best in the nation, including engineering, environmental, coastal, and human health studies. He also wants to raise more money for scholarships and research. Vice Provost for Academic Programs and Support Services Matt Lee will take over as provost while LSU conducts a national search for the permanent leader of the academic community.
 
Horror author, UGA grad credits former Grady College professor with career foundation
With six published books to his name and more than a dozen of his works featured in short story collections, author and University of Georgia alum Matthew W. Quinn's "The Thing in the Woods" or "Little People Big Guns" wouldn't necessarily reflect a background in history and journalism based on the titles. Quinn told the Banner-Herald that the origins of his career as a writer of horror, dark fantasy and speculative fiction can be traced back to his time as a Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communications student. "I knew the late Dr. Barry Hollander, who had written short horror fiction for magazines," said Quinn. "He agreed to look over my stories before I sent them to publication." Quinn made improvements based on Hollander's suggestions, and many of the stories went on to be published, including "I Am the Wendigo," which was sold to the now-defunct webzine Chimaera Serials when Quinn was still an undergrad. During his time writing for the Red & Black, Quinn learned how to streamline his content production and organizational skills that would later help him arrange book signings and convention appearances. Quinn was also a reporter for the Griffin Daily News and the editor of the Johns Creek Herald.
 
New U. of Missouri School of Journalism initiative focuses on Mississippi River coverage
Subjects related to the Mississippi River will be the coverage responsibility of 10 reporters funded through a $1.4 million grant from the Walton Family Foundation to the Missouri School of Journalism. Topics of agriculture, water and environmental issues will be among the focus of the coverage. The team of reporters will work on what is being called the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk. The three-year grant will place the journalists in newsrooms in the region through a partnership with Report for America, a national service program for emerging journalists. They will receive training and mentorship from faculty of the journalism school and experts from the Society of Environmental Journalists. Sara Hiles, associate professor in the Missouri School of Journalism, will oversee the project as its executive director. The first step will be to recruit news organizations to participate, she said. "Our first job is a lot of education and outreach," Hiles said. The journalists will be recruited in the fall, with training by MU and the Society of Environmental Journalists, including at its annual conference. The reporters will start working next summer. Because of job cuts at news organizations, there usually are not many headlines about the Mississippi River until it floods, she said.
 
AAUP at U. of Oklahoma challenges FIRE statements on free speech
The American Association of University Professors and the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education are both organizations with stated commitments to academic freedom and free speech. But the AAUP chapter at the University of Oklahoma says FIRE erred in its description of a program at Oklahoma where faculty members trained other faculty members on how to make minority students feel comfortable and excel in class. FIRE says the program's speakers showed insensitivity to academic freedom and free speech. Anti-Racist Rhetoric and Pedagogies was one of nine professional development offerings for faculty who teach first-year composition at Oklahoma. Other sessions dealt with such topics as grading and teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic. No faculty member or graduate student was required to attend any of the sessions. "Think Black Lives Matter shouldn't engage in property destruction? We'll have to 're-adjust' your thinking," says a description of the program on FIRE's website. "If you're a student at the University of Oklahoma -- congratulations! Your instructor may already have done all of the thinking for you. But beware: Deviating too far from an instructor's personal opinions can cost you. A recording of an 'Anti-Racist Rhetoric & Pedagogies' workshop acquired by FIRE raises alarm bells about the state of free expression and freedom of conscience at Oklahoma's flagship university." The University of Oklahoma's Belinda Higgs Hyppolite, vice president for diversity, equity and inclusion, responded to the piece with a note that said, "the University of Oklahoma unequivocally values free expression and the diversity of all viewpoints ... In no way does OU endorse or condone censorship of its students."
 
After a Year of Losses, Higher Ed's Work Force Is Growing Again
After shedding a net of 660,000 workers over the course of the pandemic, the labor force that powers America's colleges and universities finds itself growing again at a steady, if uneven, pace. Since 2021 began, higher education has recovered a third of the labor force it shed in 2020, with the sector adding an estimated 90,000 jobs in May, according to preliminary seasonally adjusted estimates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That's on top of a net of 153,000 jobs added since December of last year, when the number of jobs hit its lowest point during the pandemic. Higher education's gains parallel those of the wider economy, where the overall unemployment rate for June 2021 came in at 5.9 percent, down from a high of 14.8 percent in April 2020. Still, uncertainty abounds. The highly contagious Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is now the dominant strain in the United States. At the same time, vaccine hesitancy among large numbers of people, along with the loosening of many public-health restrictions in several states, has presented obstacles to efforts to tame the virus. And, as it has in many other industries, the pandemic has and will continue to reconfigure higher education's labor force in ways not yet fully understood or anticipated.
 
HR Officials Expect Increases in Hybrid/Remote Employees
Senior human resources officials anticipate increases in the proportion of administrative staff working in hybrid or fully remote positions, according to a new survey of 50 "human resources leaders" from Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States conducted by EAB, an education research and consulting company. Those surveyed expected the proportion of staff working in hybrid arrangements consisting of a mix of remote and on-campus work to increase from 6 percent pre-pandemic to 23 percent post-pandemic. They forecast a smaller increase in the number of fully remote staff, from 6 percent pre-pandemic to 8 percent post-pandemic. Human resources officials expect that information technology, finance and procurement offices will see the largest increases in employees working in hybrid arrangements, while they anticipate modest increases in areas including human resources and legal affairs and advancement. They expect minimal increases in hybrid work arrangements for individuals working in academic advising and facilities-related roles.
 
Redesigning universities to produce more equitable outcomes
By traditional metrics, Georgia State University is far from elite. A large urban university in Atlanta with more than 50,000 students, the university is one of the largest minority-serving institutions in the country, with 75% of students being non-white and 60% Pell-eligible. Our student-to-faculty ratios are well above national averages and our tuition costs are well below them. How, then, have we raised graduation rates by more than 60% over the past decade? How is it that our Black, Hispanic and Pell-eligible students now graduate at or above the rate of the student body overall -- and have done so for six years running? The simple answer is that we have worked at Georgia State to address the design problem that plagues American higher education. Without restricting admissions or raising our tuition to the rates of elite institutions, we have leveraged data and new technologies to deliver unprecedented levels of personalized attention to our students. As recently as five years ago, we were losing almost 20% of our confirmed freshman class each fall to a phenomenon known as summer melt. Students were not making it to the first day of college classes because they were getting tripped up by bureaucracy. Some were failing to complete their federal aid applications, while others were not submitting verification documents, proof of vaccinations, transcripts or placement scores. Most of the students who struggled with these issues were from low-income backgrounds.
 
Biden administration whittling away at backlog of student debt relief claims
Working through a backlog of student debt relief claims, the Education Department said Friday it will cancel the loans of more than 1,800 people defrauded by defunct for-profit chains Westwood College, Marinello Schools of Beauty and the Court Reporting Institute. The Biden administration inherited a score of petitions from former students of for-profit schools requesting the department cancel their debt under a statute known as "borrower defense to repayment." Applications piled up at the department amid a series of college closures and the Trump administration's efforts to delay and limit loan cancellation. Advocacy groups have complained that the new administration is not working fast enough to resolve claims that in some cases have languished at the department since President Barack Obama was in office. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona says the federal agency is committed to helping students whose colleges took advantage of them. The latest approvals amount to a total of $55.6 million in relief. That follows the discharge of federal loans held by former ITT Technical Institute and Corinthian Colleges students in recent months, bringing the Biden administration's total loan cancellation through the borrower defense statute to more than $1.5 billion for nearly 92,000 people.
 
The Plan to Resume Federal Student-Loan Repayments in October Just Hit an Obstacle
One of the handful of organizations that has a contract to service federal student loans announced today that it would not renew that agreement at the end of the year. For some politicians, the announcement from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, known as Pheaa, is good news for student borrowers who, they say, have been misled and mistreated by the company. "Millions of loan borrowers can breathe a sigh of relief today knowing that their loans will no longer be managed by Pheaa, an organization that has robbed untold numbers of public servants of debt relief and was recently caught lying to Congress about its atrocious record of fines and penalties," Sen. Elizabeth A. Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, said. But the change also complicates the White House's plan to resume student-loan payments in October and adds another big wrinkle to the numerous problems facing the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. Pheaa is the only servicer now handling the program. Since 2014, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators has produced several reports detailing the longstanding challenges of the program, many of them related to a lack of transparency and communication from Pheaa.


SPORTS
 
MSU Takes Over SEC Network Sunday, July 11
Fans can relive some of the greatest moments from last season and from Mississippi State history as the Bulldogs take over the SEC Network on Sunday, July 11. For the seventh consecutive year, SEC Network is turning over the keys to the network, as the SEC Network Takeover returns to present all 14 Southeastern Conference schools a dedicated day of network programming for a two-week stretch. A complete list of MSU's programming follows (all times Central): 11 p.m. - Baseball: Mississippi State at Auburn (April 11, 2021); 2 a.m. - SEC Storied: Thunder and Lightning; 3:30 a.m. - Football: Maroon and White Spring Football Game (April 17, 2021); 5:30 a.m. - Football: Mississippi State vs. Missouri (Dec. 19, 2020); 8 a.m. - Softball: Mississippi State at South Carolina (May 1, 2021); 10 a.m. - Football: Mississippi State at LSU (Sept. 26, 2020); 1 p.m. - Women's Basketball: Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss (Jan. 10, 2021); 3 p.m. - Men's Basketball: Mississippi State at Ole Miss (Feb. 20, 2021); 5 p.m. - Baseball: Mississippi State vs. Ole Miss (April 16, 2021); and 8 p.m. - Football: Mississippi State vs. Tulsa (Dec. 31, 2020).
 
Can Mississippi State baseball repeat? What the Bulldogs roster could look like in 2022
College baseball is due for a repeat champion. No team has repeated as College World Series champion since Ray Tanner led South Carolina to victories in 2010 and 2011. There have only been nine repeat College World Series champions since the trophy was first awarded in 1947, and four of those were USC pulling off a five-peat from 1970-74. Since USC's string of success, college baseball has had approximately one repeat champion every 10 years. Stanford pulled it off in 1987-88, LSU went back-to-back in 1996-97, Oregon State took two in a row in 2006-07 and then South Carolina got its rings. Vanderbilt came close to joining that group. The Commodores were one win away from a repeat in 2015 and then one win away again in 2021 if it wasn't for Mississippi State taking down the team poised to repeat behind ace arms Kumar Rocker and Jack Leiter. Mississippi State goes into 2022 with a chance to join elite company. It'll be an uphill climb; the Bulldogs are expected to lose a number of huge pieces including their top arms and bats. But with the core Mississippi State has a chance to return, there's no reason to count the Bulldogs out of the repeat conversation just yet. Here's a quick look at what Mississippi State's roster might look like in 2022.
 
2021 MLB draft guide: Besides Will Bednar, how do Bulldogs players, signees project?
Mississippi State right-hander Will Bednar is a likely first-round pick when the 2021 MLB draft begins at 6 p.m. Sunday. But where do the rest of the Bulldogs project? The Dispatch spoke with ESPN Baseball Insider Kiley McDaniel about four MSU players and three prospects likely to hear their names called early in this year's version of the draft. Despite being one of the country's most productive college players, Tanner Allen won't be at the top of draft boards come Sunday, McDaniel said. While the Bulldogs right fielder's hit tool has never been questioned, it's the other aspects of his game that keep Allen to a fourth- or fifth-round projection. "You're getting a high-contact, slam dunk, 'This guy's going to hit,'" McDaniel said. "The question is, 'How much ceiling is there?'" According to McDaniel, Allen and Arkansas relief ace Kevin Kopps, who is already 24 years old, are in a similar boat. The certainty they offer could entice a pro club into taking them in the second or third round, giving them a bonus commensurate with the fourth or fifth round in order to save money and sending them straight to High-A or Double-A.



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