Abilene Christian University is now giving an iPhone or iPod Touch to all incoming freshman

Finally, a university that understands its students...

Abilene Christian University is taking a bold move, offering incoming freshmen their choice of either an iPhone or an iPod.

 

To meet the students in their digital space, ACU gave faculty and every student on campus an iPhone or an iPod Touch last fall. Students can choose either one, but if they want the cell phone functionality of the former, they pay for that themselves.

Unlike other schools in the country that have handed out high tech devices, ACU has made a point of tracking usage and researching what, if any, benefits the devices have provided. One early lesson: Not all devices are created equal. When students are asked how often they use their device for academic purposes, there is a statistically significant higher level of satisfaction among iPhone users, which is about 68 percent of the campus. "Because it’s socially connected, students don’t go anywhere without it," says Saltsman, noting that a device without cell phone capability will be more likely to be left at home.

 

Check out the full story on ACU's iPod and iPhone program here.