ABAC aims to be a ‘destination’ college

TIFTON — In his 11th fall conference address to the faculty and staff, Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College President David Bridges, the longest-serving president in the University System of Georgia, said last week that “life is better” at the Tifton college.

Speaking at Howard Auditorium, Bridges, who began his 11th year as ABAC president on July 1, said that ABAC has stayed true to its mission since its founding 108 years ago as the Second District Agricultural and Mechanical School.

“Making the lives of young people better was the mission in 1908, and we’re still doing that today,” Bridges said. “We offer only one product but it is a very valuable product. We offer the opportunity for a life-changing educational experience to every student who walks on our campus. The value of the ABAC experience is absolutely priceless.”

In his first address in 2006, Bridges predicted that ABAC, which had been a two-year college since 1933, would become a bachelor’s degree-granting institution.

“In 2008, we had 41 students in baccalaureate degree programs,” Bridges said. “When classes start (this) week, we will have about 1,500 students studying for bachelor’s degrees. That is a stark contrast to most of the state colleges in the University System. Our vision is to be a destination college and because of our affordability, I believe that will happen.

“Our enrollment has increased or it has been stable for the past four years. We are hiring faculty, not firing faculty. I will put the quality of the ABAC faculty up against any state or regional university in the system. Life for faculty is better at ABAC.”

Bridges discussed improved faculty teaching load issues and a progressive pay scale which was implemented in July 2015. He also said that ABAC will begin a year-long process to transition the six existing schools of study into four schools, including the School of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Nursing and Health Sciences, and the Stafford School of Business. This, he said, will permit reallocation of funds, that are currently spent on administration, to be invested in faculty.

“Whether we like it or not, change is the way to prosper,” Bridges said. “Prosperity for ABAC is defined by producing more graduates who have experienced the life-changing potential that goes along with the ABAC experience.

“Seeing those graduates walk across that stage in December and May makes me happy. Our graduation rate is 200 percent of the state college average. The ultimate mark of success for ABAC is the quality of those graduates.”

Bridges said the foundation of the new ABAC strategic plan, titled “Destination ABAC,” rests on five tenets — excellent programs of study, financial accountability so that students graduate with little or no debt, engagement on all levels, keeping up with changes in technology, and increased philanthropy as the college builds on its reputation and image to find new revenue sources from the private sector.

“These five tenets will make life better at ABAC as we explore each one of them under the new strategic plan to prepare ourselves for the future,” Bridges said. “And believe me, there will be more changes in higher education in the next two years than there have been in the last 10 years. We have to be ready to meet those challenges.”

Classes begin for the ABAC fall semester on Wednesday.