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Easy access to event calendars, financial services and grades for students. Convenient HR, IT and health services links for faculty and staff. For everyone, an easier way to find out what’s on the lunch menu in the student union.
Campbell launched its new MyCampbell app over the summer, touting it as the “digital front door” to the university. Available and free in the Apple and Google Play stores, the app’s purpose is to “work seamlessly with a student’s academic journey” and to keep the Campbell community better connected.
“One of the things I’ve heard loud and clear for the last six years is that the university needs to be able to share and receive information better internally and to make it easier for people to participate in activities happening at Campbell,” said Sherri Yerk-Zwickl, vice president for information technology and chief information officer. “Students today expect to have timely announcements, reminders and other ‘pop ups’ sent straight to their phones to keep them informed and engaged.”
While the app is in its infant stage, Yerk-Zwickl’s team is working to create lists for more targeted messages and push notifications. Building those lists takes time, according to Kimberly Whitted, director of technology infrastructure and operations, and over time the team will be able to reach those groups with more personalized messaging.
“The app is very customizable for the user — they can choose to receive push notifications or they can ask that everything is sent in an email digest,” Whitted said. “We’re working on our end to make sure we’re not just overloading everyone with information, so much that they end up turning off notifications or deleting the app because it’s become annoying. There will be a select few who have that capability to send out notices, and we’re trying to outline the best use of these features.”
The app — in its initial phase — is full of information, from academic bulletins from specific schools, health and wellness options on campus, instant access to IT and its Helpdesk and financial aid opportunities. Employees can access benefits and tax information, course evaluations and programs like Colleague.
All users can send direct messages to other faculty and students who use the app.
The app was revealed to incoming students during their freshman orientation over the summer. For those students, the app will be a part of their college experience from the beginning. The hope is to get other undergraduate and graduate students on board in the coming weeks and months and eventually reach as close to 100-percent adoption as possible.
“It’s important, because we’re going to be moving forms and resources [that don’t need to be on a public-facing website] to this portal, and this will be the only place they can access them,” said Charles Phillips, director of digital media services at Campbell. “We’re calling this the ‘digital front door’ to Campbell, because everything you need for our faculty and staff and for our student life — the goal is for all of this to move into this portal. Everything will be at your fingertips.”