University of Georgia Foundation Dips Into Reserve

The University of Georgia Foundation will dip into its reserves to provide $533,000 for academic programs deemed worthy by the school's top administrators, including need-based student scholarships. Foundation Chairman Sam Holmes of Atlanta says money also will go for students to study for a semester in Washington, D.C., and some endowed professorships.

Holmes says the money is set aside "in a rainy-day way." It means an increase in foundation support for the university this year, although its assets lost more than $100 million in global recession.

The foundation, with assets of more than $500 million, is giving more than $21 million to UGA this year. The Board of Regents ended its status as UGA's official fundraising arm four years ago.

UGA Fraternities Paid to Move

The University of Georgia has paid two fraternities nearly $2.4 million to move to houses off-campus. UGA officials moved five fraternities from along South Lumpkin Street and plan to build new homes for the UGA School of Family and Consumer Sciences, the Terry College of Business and other academic buildings. Contracts released by UGA last week show that the university paid Chi Phi fraternity $1.75 million to move from its house and Kappa Alpha got $600,000 to move out of a nearby residence. The three other fraternities on South Lumpkin opted to move into a new Greek Park on East Campus scheduled to done in the fall instead of taking money from the school. The school released contracts to the Athens Banner-Herald under an open records request.

(Associated Press)

Athens Shootings Spike Calls To Hotline

An Athens-based agency that helps battered women has seen a spike in calls in the weeks since the fatal shootings of three people by a University of Georgia professor. On April 25th, UGA marketing professor George Zinkhan shot and killed his wife, two others, and later himself. The director of Project Safe says the very public shooting emboldened many women to seek help from dysfunctional relationships. Project Safe typically averages about 116 calls a month, from numbers for all of 2008 through the first few months of this year. But in May, following the shootings, the hotline received 162 calls. The Georgia Commission on Family Violence found more than 700 people in the state were victims of domestic violence-related homicide between 2003 and 2008. Georgia ranked 14th in the nation for its rate of men killing women.

(AP)

Accused UGA Prof Still Being Sought

There is still no sign of a University of Georgia professor suspected in the killings of three people last weekend. The search for 57-year-old George Zinkhan is now worldwide, after it was discovered he had a airline ticket purchased for the Netherlands. Zinkhan is accused in the shooting deaths of his ex-wife and two others outside the Athens Community Theatre Saturday.

UGA Athletic Association Donates to Academic Branch

The University of Georgia Athletic Association is donating $6 million to the institution's academic side. The state cut the university's funding by 10 percent, or about $40 million, this fiscal year and could slash another 10 percent next fiscal year, which starts July 1. Adams says he plans to use the money to help keep top-notch faculty members by paying for travel to conferences and buying academic journals and books. The athletic association expects to make $77.6 million in revenue this year, ending the year $4.2 million in the black.

(Associated Press)

UGA Fires Basketball Coach

The University of Georgia fired men’s head basketball coach Dennis Felton Thursday. Bulldogs’ Athletics Director Damon Evans made the announcement in Athens, less than 12 hours after the team suffered its seventh-straight loss to fall to a record of 9-11 this season.

Felton was in the middle of his sixth-season leading the Georgia men's basketball program. His tenure included one appearance in the NCAA Tournament--that came last season, following the Bulldogs’ improbable run to win the Southeastern Conference Tournament.

Assistant coach Pete Hermann will take-over for the remainder of this season.

Stafford and Moreno leave UGA for Draft

Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are leaving the University of Georgia for the NFL draft. Georgia coach Mark Richt joined the two at a news conference this afternoon. Stafford may be among the top two picks in the draft. Moreno had 1,400 yards rushing with 16 touchdowns this season to join Herschel Walker as the only players in school history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.

(Associated Press)

No cost of living raises for lawmakers

Georgia legislative leaders have voted to put off a 2.5 percent cost of living increase for state lawmakers. The vote came at a meeting Monday of the Legislative Services Committee. The committee met at a legislative training session at the University of Georgia in Athens. Cost of living adjustments have already been frozen for state employees as Georgia grapples with a budget deficit. Lawmakers are set to return to the state Capitol on Jan. 12 for the coming legislative session.

(Associated Press)

Jan Kemp, UGA whistleblower, dies

The whistleblower who exposed the University of Georgia's preferential grading system for athletes has died. Jan Kemp died Friday of complications from Alzheimer's Disease. Dr. Kemp was fired from UGA in 1982, and won a court case after she sued saying she was targeted because she protested UGA's allowing athletes to play sports even after they failed remedial classes. The trial eventually led to sweeping reforms at UGA and the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

(Associated Press)

Judge sides against UGA

A federal judge is recommending that the University of Georgia clear the name of the campus' former journalism dean. The judge said in court documents Friday that UGA should rescind sexual harassment charges against John Soloski. The judge called the university's probe into the harassment allegations made by employee Janet Jones Kendall "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonable." Soloski resigned from the deanship at UGA's College of Journalism in 2005 after Kendall filed a complaint against him for making comments about her appearance. He sued the university in 2006, alleging UGA President Michael Adams used the harassment allegation to settle a long-standing grudge and force him to resign.

(Associated Press)

Newt Gingrich to teach UGA course

Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is set to teach a law course in Athens . Gingrich will teach a judicial review class next spring at the University of Georgia School of Law, according to the Athens Banner Herald. Gingrich was elected to Congress in 1978 from suburban Atlanta and represented the 6th Congressional District for 20 years. He was speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999.

(Athens Banner-Herald)

UGA to produce campus threat video

The University of Georgia wants students, faculty and staff to be prepared for an on-campus shooting. Thanks to a $20,000 grant from the state, UGA is producing a 15-minute educational video to show to incoming students. The video demonstrates to students, faculty and staff how to react in different scenarios, including barricaded in a classroom and face-to-face with a gunman. It will eventually be distributed to schools across the state.

(Associated Press)

Food banks get competitive

It's being called the "Beat Tech Food Drive." The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia has challenged Georgia Tech's respective food bank, the Atlanta Community Food Bank, in a drive to collect the most food through Nov. 26. UGA and Tech are competing in the food drive in the weeks leading up to the Nov. 29 football game between the two schools in Athens.

(Associated Press/Athens Banner-Herald)

UGA football game closes some northeast Georgia schools

Some county school officials in the Athens-area have found a way this year, to address widespread teacher absences that occurred last year. Schools are closed in Clarke County, as well as nearby Madison and Oglethorpe counties today. The reason? The Georgia-Florida football game tomorrow.

Last year, 137 teachers called in to say they wouldn’t be in for class, and schools could not find enough replacements. Administrators found in a study that almost twice as many teachers called in the day before the big game, then on an average school day.

State's first Arabic language program

The University of Georgia is launching the state's first degree program in Arabic. Demand for the language has grown so much that the university has been scrambling to hire faculty to teach the classes. Nearly 200 students are already studying Arabic at UGA this year. The new program will open in January.

(Associated Press)

UGA honors former governor

At the University of Georgia campus in Athens, a student activities center is set to be named after former Gov. Joe Frank Harris. Harris led the state from 1983 to 1991. During his two terms as governor, Harris secured funding for the Georgia Dome and helped lead Atlanta to win the bid to host the 1996 Olympics. Harris, who graduated from the university in 1958, will speak at the naming ceremony October 10th. UGA also has plans to name another building for former Gov. Zell Miller later this month.

Conference addresses education problems

The state of education in Georgia is the subject of a conference today at the University of Georgia. Dozens of education leaders came from across the state for the day-long workshop at UGA's Buckhead campus in Atlanta. Leaders from the Department of Education, UGA education college faculty and leaders from local school districts across the state. Issues included state funding of prekindergarten, teacher preparation, pay for educators and challenges for the state's higher education system.

UGA warns of ticket scams

Football ticket scam artists could target University of Georgia fans. UGA is warning that high demand for tickets to Saturday night's game between Georgia and Alabama could bring ticket scalping, scam artists and fake tickets. The warning comes after a high number of bogus tickets surfaced at last weekend's Auburn-LSU game.

UGA may require writing test

Getting into the University of Georgia might soon require a writing test. UGA may begin considering standardized test writing scores in their formula to admit students. The school says the writing score is a good indicator of how well a student can handle college courses. The change could come as early as the incoming freshman class.

(Associated Press)

UGA radio legend Larry Munson calls it quits

A sports radio broadcasting legend in the state has ended his time behind the microphone. In a late Monday afternoon statement released by the University of Georgia, Larry Munson announced his retirement after 42 years calling Georgia Bulldog football. He had called two home games in this his 43rd season--the last was a week and a half ago.

Munson has been in failing health in recent years. Just this year, following a fall in the spring, he underwent brain surgery. Munson stopped traveling to games recently last year, only calling home games.

The statement released by the school Monday said Munson decided over the weekend to call the end of his career after talking with doctors, family, and close friends.

The Munson archives overflow with classic Georgia Bulldog football calls, including from the national championship 1980 season.

The University has announced that Scott Howard will assume play-by-play duties the rest of this season, with former UGA star Eric Zeier on color commentary. The two had been paired on road games since last year.

Munson plans to watch Georgia’s upcoming game against Alabama at home with family and friends. He turns 86 years old this weekend.