Volume XL, Number 42

www.abac.edu

June 24, 2002

Tuesday, June 25

Today-Midterm deadline for withdrawal without penalty

9:00 a.m.-Institutional SAT (Student Life Hearing Room)

11:00 a.m.-Faculty PDA Training (Cordell Conf. Room A)

3:00 p.m.-Faculty PDA Training (Cordell Conf. Room A)

Wednesday, June 26

11:30 a.m.-Faculty/Staff Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

Thursday, June 27

Today-Orientation

5:30 p.m.-Perfectly Social (Magnolia Room)

Friday, June 28

Today-Orientation

6:00 p.m.-Griffin/Payne Wedding Rehearsal (Chapel)

Saturday, June 29

6:00 p.m.-Griffin/Payne Wedding (Chapel)

Tuesday, July 2

9:00 a.m.-Regents' Exam (Cordell Conf. Room)

1:30 p.m.-Regents' Exam (Cordell Conf. Room)

6:00 p.m.-Regents' Exam (Cordell Conf. Room)

Wednesday, July 3

11:30 a.m.-Faculty/Staff Luncheon (Magnolia Room)

Friday, July 5

5:00 p.m.-Guess/Bemore Wedding Rehearsal (Chapel)

7:00 p.m.-Mason Family Reunion (Dining Hall)

Saturday, July 6

2:00 P.M.-Guess/Bemore Wedding (Chapel)

Sunday, July 7

Today-21st Century Leaders

Today-Migrant Program

Monday, July 8

Today-21st Century Leaders

Today-Migrant Program

8:00 a.m.-Vollmer Breakfast (Magnolia Room)

8:00 a.m.-Ga. Chiefs Assoc. Management Program (Student Life Hearing Room)

The next edition of this prized publication will appear in your boxes on July 8. If you have information for the FOCUS, please turn it in to the Public Relations Office by noon on July 2.

Cookbooks Available

The Baldwin Woman's Club cookbook titled Cooking With ABAC is available for $8 per copy from Louise Foote, Missy Hutto, or Amy Willis.

Red Hill Ribbon Cut

The ribbon cutting for the Red Hill Athletic Center is tentatively scheduled to take place on Aug. 27 at 3 p.m. at the new building located adjacent to the ABAC Tennis Center. Mark your calendars.

Petitgout Resigns

Lee Petitgout has resigned her position as one of the ABAC recruiters in north Georgia. She is moving to South Carolina.

Smith Wins Staff Award

Pathelyn Smith, Systems Administrator in Information Technology at ABAC, received the Staff Forum Award for the summer term. She received a plaque and a check for $100. Great job, Pathelyn!

Holidays July 4-5

ABAC will be officially closed for the Independence Day holiday on July 4-5. Offices will reopen on July 8.

Harris Selected as Chair

Former Georgia Governor Joe Frank Harris has been elected to a one-year term as chair of the Board of Regents, the 16-member governing body for the University System of Georgia. He is the first former governor in the nation to chair or serve on the board of a public higher education system.

Harris will serve as the board's chair from July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2003.

Harris served as Governor of Georgia for two terms from 1983-91. He was appointed to the Board of Regents to represent the Seventh Congressional District in 1999 by Governor Roy Barnes.

Barred by law from seeking a third term as Governor, Harris returned to life as a private citizen in 1991. He is the chairman of the Harris Georgia Corporation and a member of the boards of directors of AFLAC, Inc., and Bankhead Railway Services, Inc.

Harris earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Georgia. He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Cartersville.

The Board of Regents is a constitutional body that governs and manages the University System of Georgia, comprised of 34 public colleges and universities. Currently, more than 217,000 students are enrolled in System institutions and there are more than 30,000 faculty and staff.

Nature Area Expands

Students in the Forestry-Wildlife Club made significant progress last year in the development of ABAC's nature study area located on Farm Lane leading to the J.G. Woodroof Farm. The site provides an outdoor classroom for the college and the K-12 schools in the area. Dr. Doug Waid estimates that over 1,000 hours have been logged in by the students at the nature study area during the spring term. Visitors can enjoy the area around the duck pond where they will see several species of birds, reptiles, mammals, insects, and trees and plants native to Georgia.

Golf Course Pays Off

Dr. Jerry Davis said his classes completed 600 student hours on ABAC's Forest Lakes golf course during the spring term. Dr. Ed Seagle said his classes completed 1,000 student hours on the golf course during the spring term. Golf Course Manager Wayne Cooper said play has been very heavy.

Note of Sympathy

The ABAC Family expresses sympathy to Vickie Wilson, whose aunt, Aesha Mateen, passed away last week. Sympathy is also extended to Barbara Woods' daughter, Jessica, whose father passed away on June 20. Please keep both these families in your thoughts and prayers.

Note of Thanks

To my ABAC Family,

I appreciate all the cards, gifts, and kind thoughts for my speedy recovery.

Ellen Resta

ABAC Family,

Thank you for the flowers, cards, and calls during Isaiah's hospital stay. Your thoughtfulness was a blessing to us.

Fran & Isaiah Kinchen

Retirement System News

The 2002 General Assembly passed three different bills regarding the Teachers Retirement System of Georgia. They could have some effect on you.

HB210s refers to K-12 public school retirees who retired prior to Jan. 1, 2002, at age 60 or over with 30 or more years of service. Under certain specific conditions they can return to fulltime teaching without penalizing their TRS benefits.

HB765s allows active TRS members under specific conditions to establish service for private school teaching and for participating in programs relating to early childhood development. Application for this service must be made no later than July, 2003. Human Resources Director Hubert Wood said the employment must have been with a non-profit agency which had a contract with a state agency at least partially funded by a state or federal grant. The early childhood provision is for service for a specific period, Jan. 1, 1977-Dec. 31, 1980, in a county early childhood program funded by a state or federal grant.

HB955 allows up to three years service credit to be purchased by TRS members at full actuarial cost if they have 25 years of service. The Governor has already signed this bill.

For details on these and other TRS programs, visit www.trsga.com.

Care & Concern

Kip Smith's two-year-old son, Conner, is recuperating at home following surgery to remove his adenoids and insert tubes into his ears. Ellen Resta is also recuperating at home after having her gall bladder removed last week. Vickie Wilson's aunt, Annie Louise Ware, is in critical condition at Crawford Long Hospital in Atlanta. Please keep all these members of the ABAC Family in your thoughts and prayers.

Students Cite Satisfaction

Nearly 80 percent of respondents to a fall 2001 survey of University System of Georgia students are "satisfied or very satisfied" with the college or university they attend, System officials announced recently to the Board of Regents.

The results show System student satisfaction levels similar to national norms and mirror that of an earlier System-wide student satisfaction survey, conducted in the fall of 1997.

Students were queried regarding their satisfaction with campus environments and services provided by their institutions, with a goal of determining how they assess their learning experiences in University System institutions. The surveys were modified for two-and four-year institutions, to reflect the different missions of these institutional sectors.

The two-year college respondents expressed the highest level of satisfaction in the areas of class size relative to the type of course; library and learning resource facilities and services; computer services; and the attitude of teaching staff toward students.

The greatest gains in satisfaction at two-year institutions from 1977 to 2001 were in parking facilities, financial aid services, and the assistance provided in the admissions process.

Positions Open

ABAC:

Assistant Farm Manager (deadline 6/28/02)

Salary $23,800

Rodeo Team & Animal Science Lab Assistant

(deadline 6/28/02) Salary $26,500

Contact the Office of Human Resources for details.

Abraham Baldwin Family

Mike Vollmer and Mike Chason spoke to the Turner County Kiwanis Club about opportunities at ABAC on June 18.

Dr. Gail Dillard, Sue Wilson, and Angie Palmer traveled to Washington D.C., on June 9-11 for the Standards-Based Teacher Education Project (STEP) Conference. They represented ABAC as part of the Valdosta State University Team which focuses on improving teacher preparation programs. The conference was sponsored by the Council for Basic Education and the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Paul Foote spoke to the Rotary Club of Tift County on June 11 on the Role of the U.S. Supreme Court in First Amendment Issues.

Dr. Maggie Martin and Phyllis Kester administered the final national ACT for the testing year to 30 students from 17 communities and three states. Thanks to Jack Larry, Scott Jackson, and Anita White for their help.

Lee Petitgout attended the FFA/FCCLA Joint Camp in Covington on June 11-12.

Robin Poor attended staff development training at Middle Georgia Tech on May 23.June 13, 2002

ABRAHAM BALDWIN WATER QUALITY REPORT-2002 2770004

The ABAC Maintenance Department conducted over 180 tests for 92 potential contaminants in our drinking water during 2001. Only one of those parameters was found at a level higher than EPA allows. As our public notice stated at the time, our water only temporarily exceeded drinking water standards for this parameter. For more information on this occurrence, see the additional information provided in this report. The ABAC Maintenance Department is committed to providing its community with clean, safe and reliable drinking water for all of us on a year round basis. Your operators are diligent in their efforts too not only meet but exceed federal and state guidance.

Your water comes from one (1) municipal groundwater well. This well provides sufficient volume of water for the community and this source of water comes from the Floridian Aquifer.

Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk. More information about contaminants and potential health effects can be obtained by calling the EPA's Safe Drinking Water Hotline (1-800-426-4791).

Some people may be more vulnerable to contaminants in drinking water than the general population. Immuno-compromised persons such as persons with cancer undergoing chemotherapy, persons who have undergone organ transplants, people with HIV/AIDS or other immune system disorders, some elderly, and infants can be particularly at risk from infections. These people should seek advice about drinking water from their health care providers. EPA/CDC guidelines on appropriate means to lessen the risk of infection by Cryptosporidium and other microbial contaminants are available from the Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (1-800-426-4791).

In order to ensure your tap water is safe to drink, EPA has regulations, which limits the amount of contamination in water provided by public water systems. Attached is a list of all contaminants that were detected in our drinking water during 2000. The presence of these contaminants does not indicate that the water poses a health risk.

Terms & Abbreviations used below:

mg/l: milligram per liter

pCi/l: picocuries per liter (a measure of radiation)

MCL: Maximum Contaminant Level - the highest level of a contaminant that is allowed in drinking water. MCL's are set as close to the MCLG's.

MCLG: Maximum Contaminant Level Goal - the level of a contaminant in drinking water below which there is no known or expected risk to health. MCLG's allow for a margin of safety.

Organic Contaminant Parameter	MCL	MCLG	ABAC	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Total Coliform Bacteria (+ or -)	1+	0	2+	2001	Yes	Naturally present in the environment
Inorganic Contaminant Parameter	MCL	MCLG	ABAC	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Barium (mg/l)	2	2	.180	2001	No	Erosion of Natural Deposits
Radioactive Contaminants	MCL	MCLG	ABAC	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Alpha Emitters (pCi/l)	15	0	7	1996	No	Erosion of Natural Deposits
Inorganic Contaminant Parameter	MCL	MCLG	City of Tifton	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Barium (mg/l)	2	2	.170	2001	No	Erosion of Natural Deposits
Fluoride (mg/l)	4	4	1.2	2001	No	Water additive that promotes strong teeth
Organic Contaminant Parameter	MCL	MCLG	City of Tifton	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs) (mg/l)	.1	n/a	.0142	2001	No	By product of drinking water chlorination
Radioactive Contaminant	MCL	MCLG	City of Tifton	Sample Date	Violations	Type Source of Contaminant
Alpha Emitters (pCi/l)	15	0	3	1998	No	Erosion of Natural Deposits

About our Total Coliform Bacteria violation: During August and December of 2001 we had some positive samples of Coliform Bacteria. We posted a notice at the times the violations occurred. Coliforms are bacteria that are naturally present in the environment and are used as an indicator that other, potentially-harmful, bacteria may be present. Coliforms were found in more samples than allowed and this was a warning of potential problems. No further bacteria was detected and additional testing found the samples to come back negative. The EPD and EPA require us to test the drinking water on a regular basis to ensure its safety. ABAC would like to assure its water customers that the water they are drinking is tested more times than required and meets all prescribed regulations.