Dynamite Explosion breaks ground at ABAC - WALB.com, Albany News, Weather, Sports

October 23, 2006

Tifton - The latest project at the Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College started with a bang as college officials broke ground for a state of the art freshman housing complex.  "What sets this apart is it's designed for freshmen, it's designed to support their academic life and try to blend their social life," says Dr. Gail Dillard, Interim Vice President for Student and Enrollment Services at ABAC

Planning for the 17 million dollar ABAC Lakeside building began two years ago when the faculty realized the need to create a home-like environment for students leaving their families for the first time.  "We need an environment to place them in where they will have peers, brothers and sisters so to speak, a family of councilors and guidance personnel who will help them adjust to their new home," says ABAC President David Bridges.

To create this environment, the new building will feature spacious suites for 489 freshmen, recreation rooms, and an in-house team for academic support.  "We will have academic support programs in the residents halls, we'll have tutors on sight," Dillard adds.  "We will have advising on sight so students can ask questions and get some answers."

They hope this building will help enhance the student's freshman year experience and help them feel like they are part of the community while increasing retention rates at the college.