Lynn University projects that about 600 students will start school there next week -- the largest incoming class since 2007.
And every one of those kids will have iPad Minis, which they have to buy for $475.
They will not use textbooks this year.
Lynn calls this move "one of the most extensive tablet-based learning efforts in all of American higher education."
Lynn says the move saves students "hundreds of dollars" on books.
The core curriculum will be provided on "e-readers enhanced with custom multimedia content," and the machines will come with "at least 30 education, productivity, social and news-related iOS apps -- some free and some paid for by the university."
Inside Higher Education reported that other universities have experimented with iPad use -- mostly just in certain departments, not the whole school -- but Lynn is different in that its custom curriculum is part of the package.
As for worries that students will just play Candy Crush instead of taking notes for biology lab, faculty say that kids already do that with their phones -- so the school is trying to take advantage of that.
There will be an iPad distribution session on Sunday.
Lynn has something of a reputation as a school for rich white kids who couldn't get in other places (tuition is $32K a year, and there's a 63 percent acceptance rate), but with FAU embarrassing itself left and right all year long, Lynn might just be the cool kid on the South Florida campus now. Students who go there seem to like it all right, and in addition to the iPads, it hosted a presidential debate last year. (Because hosting required the school to upgrade its wireless network, the school was well-positioned to launch the e-learning initiative.)
I dunno, Lynn... Do you have any fraternities? (It does!)
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