Historically Black Norfolk State University in Virginia has launched the Spartan Innovation Academy program, a new initiative that will provide students, faculty, and staff with access to industry-leading technology and specialized training for app development. Norfolk State is the first historically Black university to facilitate a campus-wide deployment of these Apple products to all students and faculty in a first-year program such as this one.
The university gave every incoming and returning student an iPad Pro with ultra-fast 5G speeds to access their studies on and off campus, as well as Apple Pencil, Apple Smart Keyboard Folio, and AirPods Pro with active noise cancellation, enabling students to access all aspects of the university’s academic enterprise and digitally engage with faculty, peers, administrators, and university learning platforms from any location. The devices will give students the opportunity to unleash their creativity, download digital textbooks, and cut down on overall back-to-school expenses.
Students will be able to keep the devices throughout their enrollment at the university and upon graduation, can purchase the device for a nominal fee of $1 dollar. The devices will be provided to faculty and staff at no cost.
Javaune Adams-Gaston, president of Norfolk State University, stated that “the Spartan Innovation Academy program is all about giving students the tools they need to be successful in and outside of the classroom. The university is committed to access and affordability for all students. We know that providing access to powerful tools for learning will help ensure that our students will have a successful academic career while reducing the cost of obtaining a degree. Moreover, we know that the creativity of our students is endless. I am excited about the possibilities for coding and app development, with the help of our amazing faculty, that will be beneficial for the entire community.”
