Stay ahead of the curve as a political insider with deep policy analysis, daily briefings and policy-shaping tools.
Request a Demo![](https://stateaffairs.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Online20Tuition20header201300x60020Brittney20Phan-1.png)
Illustration by Brittney Phan (State Affairs)
- Georgia professors risk being fired or suspended for moving classes online amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
- New discipline policy came as Georgia grappled with high COVID-19 case numbers due to the Delta variant.
- State officials defend in-person class policy by citing lower academic performance for students in online classes.
A battle has broken out between college officials and some professors in Georgia over online classes held during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Unable to require masks in class, some professors have defied orders to keep their courses in person for the 2021 fall semester by moving them online without approval from college heads – at times at the cost of their jobs.
Meanwhile, top university administrators say it’s time for normal campus life to return as COVID-19 cases fall after a summer spike, while many students push to get the full experience their tuition paid for following months of virtual learning at the pandemic’s start last year.
In this three-part story, State Affairs spoke with several professors who have run afoul of recent state policy on online college classes and dug into the background of that policy in open-records requests.
Our story
Part I: Professors Under Fire
James Schiffman doesn’t regret moving one of his classes online this semester, despite the trouble he now finds himself in with his school’s administration.
Part II: Discipline Policy Takes Shape
Schiffman is among a handful of Georgia professors who have sought to move their classes online this semester, going against orders not to do so. Some of those professors have resigned recently or been fired.
Part III: Getting Back to Normal
Amid criticism, university system officials have been battered both ways with complaints from Georgia residents who want classroom mask mandates on the one hand, and on the other from those who staunchly opposed any mandates.
Professionals still face licensing delays amid state’s transition to online system
The Gist Georgia’s professionals and business owners are still struggling to obtain professional licenses in a timely manner. As the Secretary of State’s Office rolls out its new Georgia Online Application Licensing System to expedite the process, the efficiency of this new process is being put to the test. What’s Happening Thursday morning at the …
Controversy over AP African American Studies class grows
Rashad Brown has been teaching Advanced Placement African American Studies at Atlanta’s Maynard Jackson High School for three years. He’ll continue to do so — even though the state’s top education official removed it from the list of state-funded course offerings for the upcoming school year. While Brown prepares to start teaching his class on …
Students, teachers, lawmakers blast decision to end AP African American history classes
ATLANTA — A coalition of lawmakers, civil rights leaders, clergy, educators and students Wednesday called on the state’s education czar to rescind his decision to drop an advanced placement African American studies class from the state’s curriculum for the upcoming school year. “This decision is the latest attack in a long-running GOP assault on Georgia’s …
Kamala Harris’ presidential bid reinvigorates Georgia Democrats
Georgia Democrats have gained new momentum heading into the November election, propelled by President Joe Biden’s decision to bow out of his reelection bid and hand the reins to Vice President Kamala Harris. The historic decision, announced Sunday, is expected to prove pivotal in the national and state political arenas and breathe new life and …