James July-August 2025 web - Flipbook - Page 4
P U B L I S H E R ’ S M ES SAG E
BAD ACADEMIA NEWS NATION ALLY; GO OD NEWS IN GEORGIA
edia reports indicate that a
growing number of students
are gravitating from Ivy
League universities and Northern colleges and looking to attend Southern
colleges. It’s not surprising.
This trend may be accelerated by
warmer weather and great college
sports. And out-of-state tuition is also
reasonable in Georgia and other Southern universities that provide affordability, quality and value. Also, within the
University System of Georgia (USG),
its 26 institutions have invested in new
infrastructure and many dorms are
modernized. That attracts applicants.
Furthermore, students are beginning
to realize that a marquee college name
doesn’t always translate to greater
success. A 2023 study by a Dartmouth
professor found that just 11.8 percent of
Fortune 500 CEOs have an Ivy League
education, and only 9.8 percent got their
MBA from an Ivy League school.
Another attraction is that some of
the highest paying careers now are
STEM-heavy, and Georgia’s colleges
and universities especially concentrate
on this sector. STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) departments require evidence of
exceptional academic ability in their
applications. That draws applicants
blessed with exceptionally high cognitive ability to Southern schools.
During the past couple of years,
though, there’s an increasing motivation driving young people away from
Northern and West Coast schools. It’s
their dominant left-wing politics which
many feel deepen cultural divides rather than promoting critical thinking and
healthy debate. Sadly, the traditional
model of campuses serving as an open
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forum for ideas has been replaced with
an us-versus-them mentality, where
there’s only one “right” answer to any
contentious issue with the “winner”
being the one shouting the loudest.
Consider that a guest speaker who
is pro-life, pro-Israel or who dares to
criticize biological males dominating
women’s sports, or DEI (diversity,
equity and inclusion) racial quotas is
all too often verbally attacked or even
physically assaulted.
That’s why it’s gratifying that the
USG Board of Regents is fully committed to free speech and assembly
but, to quote USG Chancellor Sonny
Perdue, “a red line cannot be crossed.”
He warns, “If students violate campus
rules by preventing other students
from pursuing educational opportunities by blocking a campus or
buildings or setting up encampments,
they would be subject to suspension.”
Check out my interview with USG
Regents Chairman T. Dallas Smith who
further addresses this topic.
For the first time since such polling
began, a majority of Americans disapprove of current higher education.
Only 10 percent of Americans believe
an Ivy League degree translates into
becoming a better American worker.
So, the message is clear: Colleges and
universities must adhere to a mission
of offering rigorous and meritocratic
education. They should guarantee constitutional protection for all on campus,
slash administrative bloat and hold the
line against rising tuition costs.
To conclude on a positive note, I
again refer readers to my Smith interview where he details the wide range
of innovation and progress in Georgia’s
taxpayer-supported University System.
Indeed, it is heartening that there are
many fine public and private schools
and universities that Georgia’s students
and parents can choose from. And we at
James believe it is especially instructive
that we annually publish our ranking of
Georgia’s colleges and universities as a
resource for students and parents.
ADDITIONAL EDUCATION-RELATED NOTES
Thanks to Gov. Brian Kemp, there
is the GEORGIA MATCH initiative.
It’s a first-of-its-kind direct college
admissions program that simplifies the
pathway from high school to college.
Technical College System of Georgia
Commissioner Greg Dozier expands on
this program in a must-read column.
Since the program’s implementation,
the system has seen a 26 percent increase in applications— “a clear indication,” he says, “that GEORGIA MATCH
is driving more students toward
technical education and the promise of
a rewarding career.”
Georgians also ought to be especially proud of the Georgia Lottery which
is overseen by the state. The Lottery
is perhaps best known for funding the
popular HOPE Scholarship, and it is a
successful model for other lotteries.
Georgia’s students and parents also
should be pleased, as Lottery Corporation CEO Gretchen Corbin notes in her
column, that Gov. Brian Kemp and the
2025 General Assembly provided for
100 percent tuition to the HOPE and Zell
Miller scholarships in our public colleges
and universities.
PHIL KENT CEO & PUB L I S H E R
