Over 4,000 students are expected to strap on their backpacks and hike to class when Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College opens the 2021 fall semester on Aug. 10, marking the second straight fall term that ABAC has experienced an enrollment increase. 

For ABAC President David Bridges, it is a return to the way college life ought to be. “We want to make this fall semester as close to normal as we can,” Bridges, who approaches his record-setting 16^th fall semester as the ABAC president, said.  “With the pandemic, there was nothing normal about last year.   

“Our primary concern this year is for ABAC students to receive in-person instruction in a safe environment.  The virus is still with us, and we want to take the necessary precautions.” 

One year ago, ABAC students took a mix of online classes and in-person classes.  In the 2021 spring semester, students took mostly in-person classes with some online classes.

“I want students living in on-campus housing, going to club meetings, playing sports, and eating in the dining hall,” Bridges said. “Give our students what they deserve, the total college experience. 

“ABAC has always been known for its friendly atmosphere and a quality education that prepares students for life. Even during the pandemic, we did not back off that premise.”

Dr. Chris Kinsey, Director of Residence Life, anticipates 1,320 students living on campus this fall at ABAC Place and ABAC Lakeside.  They will occupy every single living space on the campus in apartment-style dwellings.  The ABAC housing staff is getting calls from students who are searching for a place to live. 

If the trend continues, females will far outnumber males when fall term classes commence.  The percentage of female enrollment at ABAC reached an all-time fall semester high of 59.4 percent during the 2020 fall term when 2,371 females outnumbered the 1,619 males as the college enrollment reached 3,990 students. 

Most of the ABAC students this fall will be enrolled in four-year degree programs.  A total of 2,353 of the 2020 students enrolled in one of the 12 bachelor’s degree programs at ABAC which now include Agribusiness, Nursing, Agriculture, History and Government, Agricultural Communication, Biology, Agricultural Education, Writing and Communication, Environmental Horticulture, Business, Natural Resource Management, and Rural Community Development.

“Bachelor’s degrees are the lifeblood of this campus,” Bridges said. “ABAC offered only two-year degrees for 75 years, and we still have some outstanding students seeking associate degrees, particularly in nursing. But the future of ABAC rests on the shoulders of those students who will be with us for four years or more.”

Unlike last year when the schedule was tightened due to the pandemic, ABAC’s 2021 fall schedule includes a fall break for the students on Oct. 21-22.  Classes will conclude on Nov. 19, and finals will end on Nov. 24. The fall commencement ceremony is set for Dec. 2. 

Students who are not graduating will not return to the campus after Thanksgiving until the start of the spring term on Jan. 12, 2022.

Bridges, the longest-serving president in the history of ABAC and currently the longest-serving president among the 26 colleges and universities in the University System of Georgia, is as anxious as ever about the kickoff of the fall term. 

“There’s nothing like the excitement of the first day of fall classes,” Bridges said.  “Every single day our goal is to prepare these students for life.  We want every ABAC student to get a quality education at an affordable price.  I’m ready to get started.”