ACU Named an International "Center of Excellence" for Innovative Practices

ABILENE, Texas--(Business Wire)--
Abilene Christian University continues to gain worldwide recognition for its
innovation - this time earning the title of "Center of Excellence" by the New
Media Consortium (NMC), an international consortium of colleges, universities
and museums dedicated to the exploration and use of new media and new
technologies.

ACU earned the highest honor awarded by the New Media Consortium for its mobile
learning initiative. This recognition places Abilene Christian among the leading
universities that demonstrate excellence and outstanding achievement in the
application of technology to learning. In fall 2008, ACU became the first
university to initiate a mobile learning program by providing an Apple iPhone or
iPod touch to all incoming freshmen to integrate technology and learning both in
and out of the classroom.

"Winning this award is a bit like being voted the MVP of an all-star game," said
George Saltsman, director of Educational Technology for the Adams Center for
Teaching and Learning at ACU. "The members of the NMC are already an elite group
of schools, so simply being part of the organization is a substantial honor.
This award serves as another validation that our efforts to shape the future of
higher education are being recognized."

Universities and museums were nominated and selected by a committee of anonymous
leaders in the field of academia and industry. Winners of the "Center of
Excellence Award" are expected to have a history of setting standards in the use
of new media forms in teaching, learning, research and creative expression.

"The Center of Excellence Awards celebrate the innovation and creativity that is
part of the fabric of every member institution," said NMC CEO Larry Johnson.
"The NMC organizations recognized this year represent the best of our field, and
each has had a tremendous history of accomplishment."

In 2006, the New Media Consortium first identified mobile phones as a technology
to watch. Later that year, ACU`s LINK leadership team, a technology advisory
team made up of faculty, administrators and campus technologists, used NMC`s
findings to develop a local vision for projects like the mobile learning
initiative, said Dr. Kyle Dickson, director of the Digital Media Center at ACU.

"As we seek to educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout
the world, it's essential that we provide them hands-on experience with the
next-generation of tools and technologies," Dickson said.

ACU faculty continues exploring ways to use innovative learning practices in the
classroom. Today's students have never known a world without the Internet.
Therefore, teaching and learning for this generation has begun to evolve.

"This award really goes to the faculty of ACU who continue to explore and
experiment with mobile learning," said Saltsman. "Their collective efforts will
ultimately shape the future of higher education."

To learn more about ACU`s Mobile Learning, visit www.acu.edu/connected.

Abilene Christian University
Lynne Bruton, 325-674-2692
Director of Public Relations

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