Georgia State University News & Events

University Relations Tip Sheet - June 10, 2008

A leaner Father’s Day?
Thanks to rising gas prices and generally more precarious economic times, fathers may see a bit less of their sons’ and daughters’ largesse this June, experts predict. “I believe expenditures are going to be significantly less for fathers on Father’s Day this year and the reason is consumer confidence is somewhat in the pits,” according to Georgia State marketing instructor Christopher Lemley. “The other thing that you’ve got going right now is $4-a-gallon gas, so the discretionary income is just not there.” The National Retail Federation predicts consumers will spend $94.54 on dad this year, down from $98.34 last year. The price of gas may keep sons and daughters from visiting dad as well, Lemley said. To speak with Lemley, contact Michael Davis at 404-413-1361 or mdavis6@gsu.edu.

High CRCT failure rate shows need for data-based teaching
Since the results of Georgia’s high-stakes test came out last month, many people have questioned how thousands of students failed the math and social studies portions of the exam. Sheryl Gowen, chair of Georgia State’s Department of Educational Policy Studies, says a new curriculum and test rolled out too quickly by the state were partly to blame. But more importantly, Gowen says, not enough attention is being given to professional development of teachers already in the field. “Teachers really want to do well, but you can’t expect them to do something they haven’t been trained for, and a lot of teachers have not been taught how to use data-based decision making to improve student achievement,” she says. To address the problem, Georgia State is offering a new teacher education course that focuses on linking instruction and regular classroom tests to the state’s standards and CRCT. “Teachers need to be able to assess student performance, to figure out where students are not doing well and what they need to do to improve,” Gowen says. For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at lbabiarz@gsu.edu or 404-413-1356.

Use caution when encouraging child athletes
With the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer, children and teens may watch the world’s best athletes compete and be inspired to pursue their own dreams of Olympic gold. But Georgia State kinesiology professor Walter Thompson cautions parents to evaluate what is in a child’s best interest before aiming for the elite level and to watch for warning signs that training is excessive. “One sign that a child is being pushed too hard or too far is when they start to say things like they don't want to go to practice or they want to quit their sport,” said Thompson, a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and a member of the International Paralympic Committee, who recently chaired a symposium on the training, competition, injury prevention and rehabilitation of child Olympians and Paralympians. Because child athletes are particularly susceptible to growth plate injury, Thompson says coaches need to be sure they are getting proper rest and nutrition. For more information, contact Liz Babiarz at 404-413-1356 or lbabiarz@gsu.edu.

Survey: CEOs view Sarbanes-Oxley as ineffective, burdensome
Chief executives from corporations across the United States view the 2002 Sarbanes-Oxley Act as over-burdensome and say it’s done little to improve ethical standards at their firms, according to a survey of nearly 300 CEOs conducted by ethics centers at Georgia State and Clemson universities. The National Survey of CEOs on Business Ethics was conducted this year by Georgia State’s Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility and Clemson’s Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics, and supported by Atlanta-based UPS. “Basically, [Sarbanes-Oxley is] a really unpopular piece of legislation and it’s unpopular because people have real doubts about whether the good that it’s done can justify the costs,” said John Knapp, the director of the Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility, who noted CEOs still rank “improper accounting practices” as the No. 1 ethical issue facing business in general. For more information about the survey or to speak with Knapp, contact Michael Davis at (404) 413-1361 or mdavis6@gsu.edu.

Happenings at Georgia State University

PBS’ “Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal” comes to Georgia State
“Washington Week with Gwen Ifill and National Journal,” will broadcast before a live audience at 3:30 p.m. June 20 at Georgia State University’s Rialto Center for the Arts, 80 Forsyth St. As it celebrates its 40th anniversary, the live broadcast is coming to Atlanta as part of a 10-city, AARP-sponsored road show tour during the 2008 campaign season. A special “Washington Week Extra: Atlanta Edition,” with Gwen Ifill and her panel of journalists answering questions, also will be taped at Georgia State and aired on Georgia Public Television at 8 p.m. June 20. A webcast of both programs will be streamed on www.pbs.org/washingtonweek. Free tickets are available at the Rialto box office. There is a four ticket per order limit. For more information, visit https://tickets.rialtocenter.org/Public/show.asp or call 404-413-9849.

Ethics Center to host training seminar
Georgia State University’s Center for Ethics and Corporate Responsibility will host a full day of ethics training sessions led by top executives from Atlanta’s leading employers. The sessions, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. June 12 at the Loudermilk Center, 40 Courtland Street, will include ethics training for different generations, addressing fear of retaliation, outcome assessment and other topics. For more information, visit http://robinson.gsu.edu/ethics/programs/seminar/index.html.

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