News        from ABAC

Michael D. Chason Director of Public Relations ABAC 30 -- 2802 Moore Highway Tifton, GA 31793-2601 Phone 229-391-5055 Fax 229-391-4781 mchason@abac.edu

IMMEDIATE August 20, 2007

ABAC One Of University System Leaders In Technology For Students

TIFTON - When it comes to technology for students, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College is one of the state’s leaders.  Dr. Chrystle Ross, Chief Information Officer for the college, anticipates tremendous growth in the technology area in days to come.

“We’ll see more students bringing technology to the campus and into the classroom,” Ross predicts.  “I think we’ll also see more faculty making use of virtual communities such as MySpace and Facebook to reach students.”

A pioneer of the technology movement on college campuses nationwide, Ross still continues to be amazed at how fast students pick up on technology, both inside and outside the classroom.

“The key is integrating the student into the college environment in order to achieve success,” Ross said.  “That creates a greater likelihood of the student staying in college and actually completing a degree.”

Ross cites the example of ABAC students this fall semester who will create 2-3 minute iMovies which will be judged by a panel in November. Prizes will be ipods,nanos, and shuffles.  All three of the electronic gadgets can perform a multitude of functions but basically, they are used for listening to music.

Thanks to the work of Ross and her staff, ABAC was one of the first units of the University System of Georgia to change its campus phone system to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).   The new system has proven to be a real winner with faculty and staff.

When the ABAC Foundation built the new ABAC Lakeside apartments, one prerequisite was that the entire site had to be equipped for wireless internet.  Lakeside joins the Student Center, the library, the John Hunt Town Center, and the dining hall as wireless internet hot spots on the campus.  Ross believes the entire campus core will be equipped for wireless internet in two years.

ABAC President David Bridges delivered his first podcast for students last fall.   Ross anticipates that some faculty members will be putting their lectures in a podcast format in years to come.

“As we have already seen with the explosion of web-based tools, college students don’t keep the same hours as their instructors,” Ross said.  “Peak study times typically occur in this asynchronous environment.  There are so many resources available in a mobile format.”

Technology has certainly come a long way since ABAC opened its doors as the Second District A&M School in 1908.  Ross thinks the best is yet to come.

“Though only a real crystal ball can see very far into the future when it comes to technology, my vision sees a campus of students and faculty maximizing whatever the tools of technology are at the time to engage, enrich, and integrate the student into the higher education experience.”

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