News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-5051 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE February 5, 2009

ABAC President Announces Six New Schools of Study

TIFTON – President David Bridges has big plans for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College in its second century of service. He unveiled one of those plans at the recent spring term faculty-staff meeting when he announced that the academic curriculum at the college will be divided into six schools of study beginning with the 2009 fall semester.

“We are a State College now,” Bridges said. “We offer bachelor’s degrees. It’s only logical that we create a structure to enhance the academic environment of the college.”

Bridges said instead of the divisions which now exist on campus, ABAC students will enroll in courses of study in the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the School of Business and Information Technology, the School of Human Services, the School of Mathematics and Science, the School of Liberal Studies, or the School of Health Sciences.

“These changes to our structure and function will help ABAC become Georgia’s State College of choice,” Bridges said. “Having departments within schools will strengthen the academic environment by improving faculty recruitment and retention.

“It will allow department heads to focus on management duties, such as instructional quality, mentoring faculty members and other day to day duties. At the same time deans will be able to focus on strategic planning, faculty and student recruiting, development and other forms of leadership duties.”

ABAC has added Bachelor of Applied Science degrees in Diversified Agriculture and Turfgrass and Golf Course Management and also offers bachelor’s degrees in accounting, management, early childhood education, and resource management on its campus in a joint program with Georgia Southwestern.

Bridges made it clear that while ABAC will make a greater investment in baccalaureate programs, it will retain its focus on transfer programs that send well-prepared students to other senior institutions. At the same time it will continue its highly respected two-year programs such as Nursing, Wildlife, Forestry, and others.

“Students in Moultrie will still have the choice of taking core curriculum classes in Moultrie or coming to the main campus in Tifton,” Bridges said. “We will expand the definition of who we are but we will maintain our role as an access portal to the University System.

“My goal is to establish ABAC as a strong four-year institution. I want students to come to a more enlightened place for a richer academic experience.”

Bridges said most of the projects in the Second Century Plan, which ABAC initiated in the midst of the 100^th birthday celebration last year, have been completed. He said the college is ready to tackle new endeavors.

“We had a great celebration of ABAC’s 100^th birthday,” Bridges said. “Now I think we better understand the past so we have a clearer path to the future.”

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