The system supplement: a report of the Georgia Board of Regents, Vol. 45, no. 6 (Oct. 2008)

The
System Supplement

A report of the Georgia Board of Regents Vol. 45, No. 6 October 2008

"Creating a More Educated Georgia"

Regents Salute Excellence in USG Customer Service
KSU Named Institution of the Year for 2nd Time

At its October meeting, the Board of Regents paid tribute to the University System of Georgia (USG) individual employees and teams who provide faster, friendlier and easier services to the University System's customers.
The University System Office received 250 nominations for the 2008 Chancellor's Customer Service Outstanding Excellence Awards.
"Together, all of our winners have shown how we strive to be the best educational system in the nation," said Deborah Scott, who has been leading the System's Customer Service Initiative. "Our focus is on service to all of our customers not only our students, but faculty, staff and our partners in education."
The winners were as follows:
n The Joseph Greene Award for Champion of the Year, a new award named for a former member of

the Board of Regents who was a professor and Customer Service Champion at Augusta State University when he died in 2007. This award is given to a Customer Service Champion who has guided customer-service improvements throughout his or her organization, built customer-service teams and had a positive impact on USG customer service over the last year by working with other champions and leaders:
Linda Lyons, director of the Center for University Learning and customer service champion, Kennesaw State University.
n Customer Service Institution of the Year, given to the USG institution that has shown the highest commitment, the highest performances and the most improvement in customer service across the University System over the last year:

2008 Chancellor's Customer Service Excellence Award
Gold Medal Kennesaw State University;
Silver Medal Macon State College;
Bronze Medal University of Georgia;
Honorable Mention Augusta State University.
n Leadership Award, which recognizes a leader in a department, division, program or institution who, through his or her leadership in customer service, has made a significant, positive impact on customer service to the citizens
See "CS Awards," Page 2

SOLID GOLD: Board of Regents Chair Richard Tucker (far left) and Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. (second from right) posed with the gold-medal winners in the Customer Service Excellence Awards. From left to right, they include: Allen DeVane of Valdosta State University's Information Technology Helpdesk; Dr. Anthony Tricoli, president of Georgia Perimeter College; Brad Baxter and Lauren Fancher, GALILEO team leaders; Greg Fischer, manager of the USG's Customer Services Helpdesk; Benjamin Li, manager of Valdosta State University's Information Technology Helpdesk; Terence Sullivan and Alicia Roberson, academic advisors with the Student Success Center at Valdosta State; Don Walter, manager of the North Parking Deck Traffic Flow Reengineering Team at the University of Georgia (UGA); Amy Wells, instructor of mathematics at Bainbridge College; Mike Cosby of UGA's North Parking Deck Traffic Flow Re-engineering Team; Cori Loftis, program specialist in the University System of Georgia Office of Student Affairs; Linda Lyons, customer service champion at Kennesaw State University(KSU); and Dr. Daniel Papp, KSU president. Q

Board Approves Budget Reduction Plans for System Institutions

The Board of Regents approved the Fiscal Year 2009 six percent budget reduction amounts for the 35 System institutions at its October meeting.
In August, the regents had approved overall budget reduction amounts for the University System of Georgia (USG), along with a System FY2010 budget request. Their action in October moved beyond the broad numbers for the System which at the six percent reduction level totals $136 million for the current fiscal year to approve

each institution's respective amounts to meet the budgetreduction instructions.
"Our institutions have responded to the serious challenges we face in terms of the state's economy," said Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr. "We are guided in our decisions by the priority to maintain, first and foremost, the System's core academic mission. However, we must protect this core mission without sacrificing the quality our students expect and deserve." Q

Tom Daniel, senior vice chancellor for external affairs, accepts

CS Awards

his Gold Medal Customer Service Leadership Award from

Continued from Page 1... Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.

2008 Chancellor's Customer Service Excellence Award

and customers of the University System of Georgia over the last year:

Gold Medals Dr. Anthony Tricoli, president, Georgia Perimeter College; and Thomas E. Daniel, senior vice chancellor for external affairs, University System Office;

Silver Medal Rosalind Meyers, associate vice president for auxiliary services, Georgia Tech;

Bronze Medal James Black, vice president for finance and administration, Valdosta State University;

Honorable Mention Shawn Ellis, director of client services, University of Georgia.

n Improvement Initiative Award, given to a division or program that has designed and implemented a planned process improvement or initiative that has resulted in a significant positive impact on their customers over the last year:

Gold Medal Student Success Center, Valdosta State University;

Silver Medal Enrollment Process Improvement Initiative, South Georgia College;

Bronze Medal Bookstore Adoption Project, Kennesaw State University;

Honorable Mention Parking Services Department, University

Inauguration Day
at AMC
Dr. Gary McGaha was formally installed on Oct. 17 as the third president of Atlanta Metropolitan College (AMC). The ceremony capped three days of special events at the two-year access institution, including a convocation, a sunset jazz concert and AMC Community Day. The latter provided a means to further enhance the relationship between the college and the community via campus tours, a health and wellness fair, a political forum and forums on early admission and dual enrollment. McGaha was AMC's newly appointed vice president for academic affairs when he was called on to serve as interim president in January 2007. Student enrollment at AMC has increased 30 percent since Fall 2006 and is now at an all-time high. Q

of Georgia; and Banner Upgrade Project, Kennesaw State University.
n Individual Awards, given to those individuals who have demonstrated the most outstanding service to USG customers over the last year and whose actions reflect all five of the state's customer service attributes (courteous, helpful, accessible, responsive and knowledgeable):
Gold Medals Amy Wells, instructor of mathematics, Bainbridge College; and Cori Loftis, program specialist, University System Office;
Silver Medals Peter Adams, business affairs manager II, University System Office; and Loren Sumerlin, operations manager, Georgia Tech;
Bronze Medals Darin Givens, communications specialist, University System Office; and Charles Aust, professor of communication, Kennesaw State University;
Honorable Mentions Jennifer Brannon, director of admissions, Middle Georgia College; Timothy Brunt, air conditioning technician, Valdosta State University; Kathleen Daughtry, senior secretary and "Director of First Impressions," Georgia Southern University; and Rosser Jones, Stingerette Driver, Georgia Tech.

n Team Awards, given to the teams who have demonstrated outstanding team service to USG customers over the last year:
Gold Medals GALILEO, Georgia's Virtual Library, University System Office; and the North Deck Traffic Flow Re-engineering Team, University of Georgia;
Silver Medals the crew of the research vessel Savannah, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography; and Integration and Deployment Services, Academic Systems, University System Office;
Bronze Medals Office Resources, University System Office; and the Writing Center, Columbus State University;
Honorable Mentions the Group Success Team, Armstrong Atlantic State University; Digital Back Office Enrollment Services, Kennesaw State University; the Virtual Lab Development Team, Gainesville State College; and the academic advisors, Gainesville State College.
n Call Center Excellence Awards, given to the USG's exceptional call centers, based on outstanding performance and improvement in customer service:
Gold Medals the Customer Services Helpdesk, University System Office; and the Information Technology Helpdesk, Valdosta State University;
Silver Medal Client Support Services ("The HUB"), Clayton State University;
Bronze Medal Enrollment Services Communications Center, Kennesaw State University;
Honorable Mention Financial Aid Call Center, Macon State College. Q

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USG Digest
USG has Top ROTC Cadet
n Earl Porter, a senior at North Georgia College & State University, was recently named as the nation's top ROTC cadet. Porter earned the top spot on the Army's annual ROTC National Order of Merit list, a ranking of 4,417 students in more than 270 ROTC programs across the country based on their grade point averages, performance at the Army's Leadership Development Assessment Course at Fort Lewis, Wash., physical fitness and campus-based leadership performance.
"I'm the first in my family to go to college, and I didn't think I was college material," said Porter, a criminal justice major. "I was not a model student in high school, but coming to North Georgia gave me a new start."
As commander of Foxtrot Company in North Georgia's Corps of Cadets, Porter has 97 students under his supervision on a daily basis, and he plans to commission into the Army as a second lieutenant following his graduation from North Georgia in spring 2009. In addition to Porter, four other cadets from NGCSU ranked in the top 10 percent of the National Order of Merit list.
CSU Onine Math Contest
n As national experts continue to stress the need for more science and math education, a fun math contest on the Columbus State University (CSU) website is doing its part to keep interest alive by offering not just equations, but brain teasers and reallife scenarios for different age levels.
Hundreds of thousands of people from more than 213 different countries around the globe are finding their way to the site (www.colstate.edu/mathcontest) every month to solve the Problem of the Week and try out Algebra in Action, Middle School Madness and the Elementary Brain Teaser. More than 564,000 visits were logged last year, and the counter is on track to double that mark this year. The site also has reached the coveted No. 1 spot on Google for "math contest" searches.
The man behind the contest, David Rock, dean of CSU's College of Education, has spent most of his career trying to change perceptions of math. When the Internet first hit the mainstream in the mid 1990s, Rock found a way to combine technology with learning and make math fun. "Too many of our kids lose interest in math as they become older," Rock said. "Perhaps it's because it's not cool or because they don't think it's relevant. But whatever the reason, we've got to do what we can to change that perception, " he commented. Q

ON CAMPUS

AASU President Thomas Jones to Retire in June `09

Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) President Thomas Z. Jones recently announced plans to retire effective June 30, 2009, after serving the University System of Georgia (USG) in this role since August 2000.
Susan Herbst, the USG's executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer, praised Jones' longstanding leadership, which has resulted in significant growth in student enrollment on the Armstrong campus, in the construction of needed facilities, and in creating academic programs to meet area workforce needs, particularly in healthcare.
"He has worked tirelessly to ensure that Armstrong Atlantic fulfills its higher education and public service responsibilities to the Savannah community and southeast Georgia," said Herbst. "His accomplishments are a capstone to a long and productive career in the University System that has benefited thousands of students. His leadership is an enduring legacy and will be missed."
After stepping down from the presidency, Jones will continue to serve the University System for one year, developing projects related to institutional leadership at the request of Chancellor Erroll B. Davis Jr.
During his tenure as president, Jones has led the transformation of AASU from a commuter campus of 5,400 students to a residential university of more than 7,000 students.

He led an effort to establish the AASU Educational Properties Foundation, Inc. (EPFI) in 2001 as a publicprivate enterprise to fund capital projects without involving state funds.
The foundation has allowed the University to create significant residence hall capacity at AASU. The 2006 purchase of the Armstrong Center now home to the Department of Professional and Continuing Education and the planned construction of a $16 million Student Union to be completed in fall 2009, also have been managed by the Foundation. In all, the university, in partnership with its foundation, has invested more than $75 million in instructional and studentlife facilities.
Additional milestones achieved by Jones during his tenure include the University's growing collaboration with area healthcare providers to educate medical professionals to meet growing workforce needs. Over the last few years, AASU has been able to double its number of nursing graduates and has added a wide range of new academic programs including nuclear medicine, cyber security, and graduate programs in teacher education.
Board of Regents Chair Richard Tucker will initiate a national search process to identify candidates to fill the post being vacated by Jones. Details of that process will be announced in the coming months. Q

Board of Regents' `Excellence Awards' Announced

Five University System of Georgia faculty members and one academic department are the latest recipients of the annual Board of Regents' Teaching Excellence and Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Awards.
The Board of Regents' awards program recognizes and rewards outstanding teaching by individual faculty members and outstanding teaching by a single academic program or department. Each year, recipients are selected from nominations submitted by the chief academic officers of University System institutions.
The awards program honors exemplary teaching that significantly improves student achievement and recognizes research demonstrating innovative teaching techniques that enhance student learning. Each

honoree will receive $5,000 and a certificate of achievement.
"These awards allow us to recognize outstanding faculty in the University System of Georgia who are making a tremendous difference in the lives of our students," said Dr. Susan Herbst, the University System's executive vice chancellor and chief academic officer. "We are proud to spotlight these exceptional faculty and programs and their commitment to student learning and achievement."
For the current year, three faculty members and one department have been chosen to receive the Regents Award of Excellence in Teaching, while two faculty members have been tapped to receive the Regents Award for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
See "Regents' Awards," Page 4 ...

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Regents' Awards
Continued from Page 3...
The recipients are as follows:
Regents' Teaching Excellence Awards (Faculty):
Two-Year & State Colleges
Dr. Christy Price, professor of psychology, Division of Social Sciences, Dalton State College. Price, who won the 2007 Dalton State College Foundation Teaching Excellence Award, has a distinguished record of contributing to best practices in teaching and learning. Her students often report that her courses have had a lasting impact on them and their ability to think critically. The depth of her understanding of the elements of effective teaching has led to numerous conference presentations and invited professional-development workshops for faculty at institutions both within and beyond the University System of Georgia.
Regional & State Universities

knowledge into tangible products that benefit the university and its students.
Research Universities
Dr. Balasubramaniam Ramesh, Board of Advisors professor of computer information systems, J. Mack Robinson College of Business, Georgia State University. Ramesh, with an impressive record of teaching and research awards from Georgia State, actively involves and mentors students in his research projects. He is a leader in creating opportunities for students to learn in a global environment and working with area public schools to advance science, technology, engineering, and math education. Ramesh has demonstrated outstanding responsiveness to industry needs, both in the development of new curriculum and in modifying his teaching methods to strengthen students' problem-solving skills and critical analysis.
Regents' Teaching Excellence Awards (Department/Program):

Dr. Carol Barnum, professor of information design/technical communication, Department of English, Technical Communication & Media Arts, Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU). Barnum has an international reputation as a teacher and scholar, having won the J. R. Gould Award for Excellence in Teaching Technical Communication and the International Society for Technical Communication Distinguished Award for her book, "Usability Testing and Research." A faculty member at SPSU since 1979, she has been a campus leader in graduate education, distance learning

Schwob School of Music, Columbus State University. The Schwob School has developed into a model department that sustains a culture of commitment to teaching and learning excellence. Based on the American Association for Higher Education's "Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education," faculty engage regularly in peer review of their teaching and have set clearly defined benchmarks

for student learning

"These awards allow us to recognize outstanding

that are routinely measured for program

faculty in the University System of Georgia who are improvement. As a result

making a tremendous difference in the lives of our of this commitment to

students."

Dr. Susan Herbst

excellence, students and faculty have hosted a



Executive Vice Chancellor

number of national and



Chief Academic Officer

international competitions



University System of Georgia and meetings, a growing number of outstanding

and international education, and as the director of SPSU's Usability Center, which helps businesses to design more useful products. In the classroom, Barnum transforms

students are selecting Columbus State as their institution of choice, and Schwob graduates are being accepted by prestigious institutions such as Yale, the Peabody Conservatory and Boston University.

Regents' Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Awards:
Dr. Charles H. Atwood, professor of chemistry, Department of Chemistry, University of Georgia. Since his appointment as director of general chemistry more than a decade ago, Atwood has shown an uncommon devotion to instruction in freshman chemistry. He developed JExam, an online homework and exam system and has systematically researched its effectiveness as a teaching and learning tool. The results have been outstanding, demonstrating a significant effect on student learning and increasing student retention in the sciences. Atwood is a leader in working with other instructors to enhance the teaching of introductory chemistry at UGA, and the results have caught the attention of the national chemical education community.
Dr. Matthew Laposata, associate professor of environmental science, Department of Biology and Physics, Kennesaw State University. Laposata has developed a method to gauge the effectiveness of a professor's teaching by measuring improvement in student learning. His methods serve as a model for others engaged in the scholarship
of teaching and learning. Whether he is teaching college environmental science or working with elementaryschool science teachers, his approach involves the identification of a need, the design of a solution, a test of the solution's effectiveness and, most importantly, the dissemination of results to advance the teaching of science nationally. The number of grants supporting his work, his impressive record of professional peer-reviewed presentations and publications, and the availability of his teaching modules and techniques on several highly respected online libraries all bear witness to the enthusiastic response to his teaching methods. Q

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Listening to President Denaiel Kaufman's presentation are (left to righ) regents Willis J. Potts Jr., Doreen Poitevint, James R. Jolly, William "Dink" H. NeSmith Jr., Felton Jenkins and James A. Bishop.
Georgia Gwinnett Growing Strong as USG's Newest College Celebrates Third Student-Centered Year
Having just celebrated the start of the third year of classes at the state's newest institution of higher learning, Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) President Daniel J. Kaufman delivered a progress report to the Board of Regents at its October meeting.
"We want learning to take place continuously in and beyond the walls of the traditional classroom," Kaufman said. "We are innovative in our use of technology, and we have a commitment to an integrated educational experience that develops the whole person."
The college opened its doors in August of 2006 with 119 students, and graduated its first class earlier this year. College officials expect GGC's enrollment to top 2,000 by the end of the current academic year.
Currently, GGC awards degrees in biology, business, information technology and psychology, but will expand its program to include majors in nursing, education and radiology. Within the next 24 months, the college expects to add majors in English, history, mathematics, political science, exercise science and criminology.
The college also is in the middle of becoming accredited. As a new institution, GGC is seeking initial accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Earlier this year, SACS awarded the institution candidacy toward accreditation, which should be finalized in late 2009.
Within the next two years, GGC expects to add student housing, a parking deck, a new library and a student center to its growing campus, Kaufman said. Q

UGA-Based Civil Rights Digital Library Recognized

The Civil Rights Digital Library (CRDL), based at the University of Georgia, won the 2008 Award for Excellence in Archival Program Development from by the Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board.
The CRDL an initiative of GALILEO, GeorgiA LIbrary LEarning Online is an archive of news film and related historical materials from educational institutions across the U.S. The CRDL promotes an enhanced understanding of the movement through film, instructional materials

and a civil rights portal providing drawing together holdings from more than 90 libraries and allied organizations across the nation.
According to P. Toby Graham, director of the Digital Library of Georgia, it is the most ambitious and comprehensive initiative to date providing online educational content on the civil rights movement.
See the Civil Rights Digital Library online at www.civilrightslibrary.org Q

BOARD OF REGENTS
Richard L. Tucker Duluth CHAIR
Robert F. Hatcher Macon
VICE CHAIR Kenneth R. Bernard Jr.
Douglasville James A. Bishop
Sea Island Hugh A. Carter, Jr.
Atlanta William H. Cleveland, M.D.
Atlanta Felton Jenkins
Madison W. Mansfield Jennings Jr.
Hawkinsville James R. Jolly
Dalton Donald M. Leebern Jr.
Columbus Elridge W. McMillan
Atlanta William `Dink" NeSmith Jr.
Athens Doreen Stiles Poitevint
Bainbridge Willis J. Potts Jr.
Rome Wanda Yancey Rodwell
Stone Mountain Kessel D. Stelling Jr.
Marietta Benjamin Tarbutton III
Sandersville Allan Vigil McDonough
OFFICERS
Erroll B. Davis Jr. CHANCELLOR
Burns Newsome BOARD SECRETARY Usha Ramachandran
TREASURER
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