Apple partners with Philly design school to provide new students with iPads

According to sources at the Moore College of Art & Design, new BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) students will get an iPad 2 when arrive at school for the upcoming fall semester.

Philadelphia tech and lifestyle blog, Flying Kite Media, reports that “the iPads will come pre-loaded with apps chosen to support visual art and design education at Moore, which is the first art and design college to partner with Apple to provide students with iPads in this manner, according to a school-issued news release.”

Academic Dean Dona Lantz explained in a press release last week:

Faculty at Moore are committed to educating students for contemporary careers in art and design. The iPad 2 will be a pivotal learning tool in the new Foundation curriculum where the integration of digital media and tools will be taught and used in tandem with traditional drawing and design media.

With Apple strongly rumored to be introducing the iPad 3 next month, it remains unclear exactly which version of the device the university will end up supplying to its students. However, it could in fact be the second-version, given that the third iteration is currently unreleased and likely considerably more expensive.

We’re not sure how intimately the renowned art school worked with Apple to secure the deal, or what sort of bulk/educational pricing agreement was reached, but this is certainly a taste of Steve Jobs’ goal to revolutionize education with devices like the iPad. The company’s recent updates to its iTunes U and iBooks apps make Apple look all the more serious in its attempts to achieve that goal.

From Happy Craven Fernandez, Moore President:

We are proud to be the first art and design college to partner with Apple to provide iPad devices to all new BFA students. This is an exciting opportunity to increase interactivity within the classroom andMoore community.

On a lighter note, I sure wish I was welcomed with an iPad 2 on my first day of college. Hopefully, students wont also be greeted with even higher tuitions to cover the costs of these rather pricy tablets.