Starting next fall, all incoming first-year students at Southern University’s main campus in Baton Rouge will be required to have an iPad tablet computer. Students will be issued the devices which will be paid for through a fee attached to their tuition bill. Once the iPad fee has been paid in full, the student will own the device.
Students will use the iPad to download textbooks and other source materials, greatly reducing their costs for supplies. Each ensuing first-year class will also be issued iPads so that by the year 2020, the entire campus will be virtually textbook free.
Southern University plans to upgrade its campus-wide Wi-Fi system in order to handle the increased network load brought about by all students using their iPads.