Students were willing to pay an additional $100 fee to have their own iPad because it increased their access to curriculum information, online courses and let them purchase eBooks, which were cheaper than hard cover texts. The university is using a Citrix-based VDI to support the iPads.

Before the iPad deployment, the admissions process could be arduous, he said. Students had to carry around paperwork showing they'd been certified free of meningitis, had vaccinations and had paid their tuition fees. Now students can simply check off an online list, indicating they've submitted medical certifications and completed other admissions paperwork.

Baroudi sold the iPad idea to the University's chief marketing officer by saying it would set the school apart and add a measure of prestige. He then sold it to the chief academic officer by explaining how live webcasts and online materials could streamline learning. But the university also set up strict policies.

"We had a policy for BYOD, even though they were buying the device," Baroudi said. "We made them sign a legal form on the website. Any broken device would be between them and Apple. You're covered for one year through our policy and you can buy additional coverage if you like."

Lucas Mearian covers storage, disaster recovery and business continuity, financial services infrastructure and health care IT for Computerworld. Follow Lucas on Twitter at or subscribe to . His e-mail address is .