ACU has been awarded the Apple Distinguished School Award, which is given to educational institutions that meet criteria for innovation, leadership and educational excellence and that demonstrate Apple’s vision of exemplary learning environments.
This is the second time ACU has been honored with this award, said Dr. John Weaver, dean of Library Services and Educational Technology.
“This past year, we were invited to apply as an Apple Distinguished School due to the broader diffusion of innovation and leadership throughout the university,” Weaver said.
In the fall, a team of faculty and staff from the Provost’s office and the library, including leaders in the Adams Center and the Learning Studio, worked together to author an iBook based on a set of Apple award criteria. It was an interactive digital book that told the story of ACU’s faculty and students and the teaching and learning that takes place on campus.
Lem Byers, Apple area director of higher education, visited ACU in February and met with faculty, staff and administrators, awarding ACU the Distinguished School Award.
“The selection of ACU as an Apple Distinguished School highlights our success as an innovative and compelling learning environment that engages students and provides tangible evidence of academic accomplishment,” Weaver said. “The award signals the successful quality of the learning experience at ACU, and this distinction has the potential to improve our standing among prospective students and other potential partners.”
Dr. Weaver said the award not only highlights the success of our campus, but also helps to raise the national and international profile of ACU.
“We hope that it helps to advance a reputation for excellence at ACU that continues to attract diverse and highly qualified faculty and students,” Weaver said. “The award also raises the profile of ACU among potential employers, hopefully giving our graduates an advantage as they begin their careers. The award is also expanding and deepening the library’s set of individual and institutional collaborators around the world, which should translate into better learning resources and opportunities for our ACU community.”
Students said they are honored to attend a school that has received this honor.
“I am very proud to say that I am a student at ACU,” said Emmanuel Rindiro, sophomore accounting major from Kigali, Rwanda. “It is a huge honor to our campus, and I hope that we can continue to receive awards such as this one.”
