North Carolina A&T State University launched a new initiative backed by an $8 million investment to provide first-year students and faculty with Apple devices.
The Aggie Mobile – Unlimited Possibilities (AMP-UP) program intends to improve students’ academic careers through technology-aided creativity, innovation learning. The goal is to help ensure that more freshmen persist into their sophomore years by providing equity through a university-wide mobile learning platform. It will also help alleviate any financial hardship students might face in acquiring the latest technology.
Participating first-year students and faculty who teach first-year students will receive several Apple devices: a 64 GB iPad Air, Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard Folio.The three items have a total retail value of about $875.
In addition, participating students and faculty will have access to AppleCare+ for Schools for technical support. An Apple Professional Learning Specialist will work at NC A&T for one year to work with faculty and students.
“This effort will support innovations in the methods and practice of teaching, or pedagogy, and will include ways to successfully engage learners from all backgrounds,” Audrey Dentith, director of the A&T Center for Teaching Excellence, said. “This technology will inspire faculty to imagine new ways to connect with students and energize their teaching for greater learning outcomes.”
A pilot program will begin in January and run for two years. First-year students in the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 academic years are eligible to receive the technology. At of the beginning of the fall semester, 2,930 first-year students are enrolled at NC A&T.
The $8 million will cover the cost of the technology and personnel support. During the pilot program, NC A&T will assess whether to continue and expand AMP-UP and what kind of funding is available to sustain the program, a spokesperson for the university said.
The technology is expected to facilitate operational efficiencies and help reimagine recurring activities such as orientation, advising and career services. Students and faculty will be able to keep the Apple devices as long as they are enrolled at or employed by NC A&T.
“This project will empower both faculty and first-year students with tools that allow them to easily incorporate and integrate innovation into their existing learning, creativity and research activities in any subject, including communications, science, history, engineering, computer science and, an area of strategic focus for A&T, mathematics,” Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Beryl McEwen said. “The mathematics environment will include tools that allow for learning in new ways, from resources for tutoring to visualizing math in augmented reality.”
The AMP-UP initiative aligns with NC A&T’s strategic priorities for the year, which includes evidence-based initiatives and programs to improve student success and implement unique operational improvements.
AMP-UP will be supported through federal funds from the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). The $8 million investment represents one part of a total of $21 million investments in seven areas of student success this fall, with every student affected by more than one area, according to NC A&T financial leaders.
Other areas include free textbooks for students, emergency grants, free summer tuition in 2021 and 2022, and rent and meals scholarships.
