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 March 23, 2009

ABAC UNVEILS UNIQUE BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN RURAL STUDIES

TIFTON—One of the most unique bachelor’s degrees in America is now available at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College.

ABAC President David Bridges announced March 23 that when the fall semester begins on Aug. 17, ABAC will begin offering a Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Studies.

“Many college students today are looking for degrees that are new and different,” Bridges said. “This Rural Studies degree fits both categories. This has to be one of the most innovative academic programs anywhere.”

Bridges unveiled the program in the center of the ABAC campus in front of a fully loaded cotton wagon which was hitched to a pair of mules on loan from the Georgia Agrirama. Students on fiddle and guitar opened the announcement of the program, which has been endorsed by such notables as Grammy award-winning vocalist Trisha Yearwood and Senator Saxby Chambliss.

“I am delighted to hear about the Rural Studies program that ABAC has started, especially the art and culture courses,” Yearwood, whose father, Jack, was an ABAC alumnus, said. “This program gives me one more reason to love ABAC.”

Chambliss likes the leadership development potential of the degree.

“ABAC has a strong tradition of developing its students into community leaders,” Chambliss said. “With the introduction of the Rural Studies degree program, ABAC is further encouraging the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of its students to ensure that our rural communities remain competitive.”

Students who enroll in the program can choose from three different areas of concentration including Rural Business and Economic Development, Rural Arts and Culture, and Rural Community and Social Affairs.

Graduates of the program might find careers with private sector organizations that deal with rural issues, government agencies, and non-profit organizations. Other possibilities include historic preservation, rural history, rural sociology, global studies, journalism, or public administration.

ABAC Academic Affairs Vice President Niles Reddick will conduct two information sessions on the new degree at ABAC on March 24 at 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. in Room 7 of King Hall. The sessions are open to anyone who has any interest in the Rural Studies degree.

Seven bachelors’ degrees are now offered in their entirety on the ABAC campus included Diversified Agriculture, Turfgrass and Golf Course Management, Resource Management, Accounting, Management, Early Childhood Education, and Rural Studies.

For more information, interested persons can visit the ABAC web site at www.abac.edu/ruralstudies or call (229) 391-4782.

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