Spartan Innovation Academy

In 2021, Norfolk State University launched a multi-million-dollar Spartan Innovation Academy, a collaborative effort with Apple, which provides a myriad of Apple products to Students, Faculty, and Staff. The academy is the next generation of the collaboration between NSU and Apple, following the HBCU C2 program which began in 2020. Faculty have been able to integrate these products into the delivery of instruction to our students in a variety of ways. Additionally, the Apple products will create opportunities to conduct scholarly research and professional development activities.

As part of this collaboration with Apple, support services is also available. Part of these services include a full-time Apple Professional Learning Specialist with Ms. Jerolyn ‘Jeri’ Brown. Ms. Brown joined our community in the Fall of 2021 to assist with coaching, modeling and design, and the integration of products into instruction, learning, and productivity.

NSU, the largest Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in the Commonwealth, distributed more than 6,000 Apple products to all students, faculty and select staff members during the Fall 2021 semester. NSU will be the first HBCU to facilitate a campus-wide deployment of these Apple products to all students and faculty in a first-year program such as this one. Students will be able to keep the devices throughout their enrollment at the university. The Spartan Innovation Academy is a special initiative designed to give Norfolk State students constant and seamless access to scholastic activities, professional development opportunities, and retention efforts using Apple’s cutting-edge product line. As a result of this program, students and faculty have benefited from enhanced digital connection to the university’s technology infrastructure with twenty-four hour, seven days a week access to course materials.

See how our students, faculty and staff are using these innovative devices.