Seton Hall has given out mobile devices in the past, although in much smaller quantities. In the 2008-09 and 2009-10 school years, students in various programs were issued Nokia smartphones and Amazon Kindles, and in 2010-11, Apple and Android tablets were handed out to those in select majors.

The Lumia 900 giveaway is the first time an entire class will be issued a device, though. Terms of the deal between the school and Nokia weren't disclosed, but it appears to be born out of Seton Hall's partnership with both Nokia and Microsoft. And hey, if the Lumia 900 ends up not selling to well, at least Nokia has somewhere to get rid of them.

All devices issued by the university have access to an app and service , which gives students access to campus news, directories, and maps. Freshmen will gain additional features that include social-media functionality.

Freshmen students will be able to communicate with each other and their advisors through the app, which also includes housing and roommate information. The new features seem targeted to making those first few days at college and away from home a little less stressful.