Student Success offers new informational app

When the Office of Student Success began planning for the Great Lakes Regional Student Success Conference, an app was developed to help conference attendees navigate sessions and get useful information. Once the conference was over, just days before Oakland University ended face-to-face classes for remote instruction due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Student Success saw another way in which the app could be used--connecting with students to help them succeed in the last part of the winter semester. 

The Office of Student Success promotes campus-wide initiatives for OU students specifically related to academic engagement to help students succeed from their first year, all the way through graduation. With so many students depending on their connection to the OSS, the staff had to find a way to continue to support students through the suspension of face-to-face meetings and events. 

The Great Lakes Regional Student Success Conference was held in late February at OU for higher education professionals who support students by coordinating campus resources that help boost graduation rates. The app used during the conference, supported by Guidebook, was designed to help attendees navigate the event and the campus. 

“I am the coordinator and advisory board chair for the Great Lakes Regional Student Success Conference. The app closes after the conference ends, typically a week or so after the last day of the conference. This year, that was roughly the first week of March,” said Krista Malley, director for Student Success. She said the staff saw a use for the app and contacted Guidebook to see if it could be reformatted to help the students. Guidebook agreed to let OSS use the app for no cost and allowed the use of push notifications so students could be provided updates as they happen. 

“My office focuses on academic success, hence we put Student Support Service information that can lend to students succeeding to finish strong in their courses this semester,” said Malley. “This makes it easier access to students to have and view on their phones.”

The app is an additional resource for students. The OSS is still holding appointments via Google Hangouts for those who need more support. 

To get the app, users can go to the OSS website and click the link for the download. There are links to student services like student organizations, library services, tutoring, assistance for math, statistics and writing as well as links to locating an academic adviser and the OU food pantry.

Malley said the overall response to the app has been positive and those who have downloaded it find it useful. The OSS staff, she said, is continuing to add new information that they think will be useful to students.