Last summer, Bradley announced a partnership with T-Mobile that would foster a digitally connected campus, providing all students and faculty with iPads in stages.
Following the distribution of iPads to select students and faculty last fall, all full-time students received an iPad at the beginning of the 2024-25 school year.
In the two weeks since the full rollout, there have been mixed reviews among students on executing what initially seemed like a great idea.
For the art majors, it is easier to use iPads for Procreate and small Adobe Illustrator projects; however, the devices can’t handle larger Adobe Photoshop jobs. Many art students prefer to use their required laptops, as they are more familiar.
Students in other fields of study feel that iPads are mostly obsolete and inapplicable to their classes. For many, iPads are a technological alternative to physical textbooks and notes, which might make educational resources more accessible. For those who prefer paperback copies or handwritten notes, though, iPads are nothing more than an accessory.
Additionally, much of the dissatisfaction around the rollout of the iPads is rooted in the introduction of a technology fee. Beginning this semester, students noticed the additional $250 charge for technology on their tuition statements. The unfortunate timing of this charge led many to believe their iPads carried a cost no one opted into. However, it is unclear if this expense is actually related to the devices or not. The failure of administrators to explain the technology fee has resulted in misguided students into frustrated with the iPads.
The lack of communication didn’t stop there, though. For many incoming freshmen who already purchased their own iPads last summer, Bradley-issued devices felt insignificant.
To top it off, students in certain majors have had professors explicitly ban the use of iPads in the classroom.
In the end, a partnership with T-Mobile might’ve seemed like a great idea in theory, but the university’s impractical rollout of iPads and lack of communication have made them marginally beneficial for several groups of students.