More than 660 people have downloaded Hillsdale College’s new app, garnering nearly 29,000 screen views, as of Sept. 1.
Ellucian Go is a free Android and iPhone app that now allows Hillsdale students to access the cafeteria’s menu, their schedules, course registration, and other information on their portable electronic devices. The app is meant to meet the rise of smartphones on campus and offers students quick access to features once limited to computers and web browsers, according to Chris Miller, systems analyst for Information Technology Services.
Miller spearheaded the app’s adoption for the college, which became available to a select group of users in June and to the rest of the student body in August. Schools are able to customize the app, which serves more than 2,400 schools in 40 countries, according to the website of Ellucian Company LP, the app’s maker.
“We are excited to break new ground, but we will also be watching closely to resolve any issues that arise, and we will continue working with other departments to add more functionality,” Miller said.
The app combines several features of Hillsdale’s website, including WebAdvisor and the Mossey Library catalog. Most of the buttons link to an in-app version of the college’s website or switch the user to the web browser on their phone. It also offers a Google Maps rendering of campus with labeled classroom buildings.
“Most of our student data currently flows through an application called Colleague developed by a company called Ellucian,” Miller said. “This mobile app was also created by Ellucian and integrates well with Colleague and thus provides both efficiency and cost advantages.”
Student Activities Director Anthony Manno and Miller worked to create the Student Resources section of the app to increase the relevance of the app for students, Manno said. It includes an event calendar, volunteer opportunities, and in-app versions of all the club and organization web pages, all of which Miller was able to add in one afternoon.
Manno said, in the future, he envisions a My Hours tab for students to log both volunteer and work hours.
The app also has security features. Students have access to emergency phone numbers and a link to the vehicle registration webpage.
Jeffrey Rogers, assistant dean of men, said more functions will come later. Features not used in Hillsdale’s version of Ellucian Go include an assignments calendar and a directory of faculty and student phone numbers.
Several Hillsdale students said clicking on their professors’ names while using the My Classes tab in Ellucian Go caused it to suddenly quit. ITS updated it to display a “Person was not found” message, when someone now clicks on a professor’s name. For now, the tab is marked “under construction,” though students can still access it while it is incomplete.
Senior Hank Prim said he was pleased with the new alternative to logging onto his laptop.
“It’s so much nicer not having to log into WebAdvisor in the morning during the first couple of days and figuring out where you’re supposed to go,” he said.
