ABAC President says students in 2013 will be ‘prepared for life’

TIFTON — As the calendar year 2013 unfolds, the president of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College says a new strategic plan aims for more bachelor’s degree graduates on the campus who will enter their chosen profession “prepared for life.”

Dr. David Bridges, who has completed six and one-half years as the ABAC president, said a new 18-person planning group at the college has sifted through ideas for months and spent three full days together in December constructing a road map to ABAC’s future.

“This strategic plan is focused on fueling a rapid growth in baccalaureate numbers and producing graduates who are prepared for life,” Bridges said. “Since we began offering baccalaureate programs in 2008, we have moved from 41 students to over 650.”

ABAC’s fall term enrollment of 3,227 students could grow to 4,000 if the new plan meets all its projections.

“Ideally, we would like to be a college with 4,000 students that enrolls 1,000 new freshmen each year,” Bridges said. “But this plan is not just about enrollment. It’s about producing leaders who give back to society.

“ABAC is a unique place. We built our reputation on the quality of the graduates we have produced. The future will be no different. This institution hits its sweet spot when we focus on our real mission of preparing these students for life, no matter if they’re completing their degree in two years in a quality nursing program, transferring or finishing a full four-year degree at ABAC.”

Bridges said a part of the new five-year plan will involve personnel in all six schools of study at ABAC contacting employers and determining the type of preparation necessary for ABAC graduates to succeed in the workplace.

The strategic plan coincides with the rededication of three of the original buildings on the campus when the college opened as the Second District Agricultural and Mechanical School on Feb. 20, 1908.

Tift Hall, Herring Hall, and Lewis Hall will again become a functioning part of the campus and the community in a ceremony on March 1 which will serve as the kickoff to the Celebrate ABAC Alumni Weekend.

“This will be a high moment for this college,” Bridges said. “The Stafford School of Business will open for the first time in Lewis Hall, admissions will be back on the front of the campus in Herring Hall, and most importantly, classes will again be going on in buildings on the front of campus. That will breathe new life into the historic front door of ABAC.”

The president’s office and other administrative offices moved back into Tift Hall on May 14. Construction is wrapping up on Lewis Hall and Herring Hall, the front campus landscaping, and a plaza area behind the three buildings.

“The next 60 days will look like organized chaos but we’ll be ready in some form on March 1,” Bridges said. “It will be a great day for ABAC.”

Offices at ABAC will open for 2013 on Jan. 2. Students who hope to add a class for the spring semester should contact the admissions office as soon as possible. Classes begin for the ABAC spring term on Jan. 7.

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