SOU adopts new Navigate app to enhance student connections
Southern Oregon University has subscribed to and tested a new, online system that will help students to “navigate” their college careers – from registration through meeting with advisors, scheduling classes, applying for financial aid, accessing campus resources and graduation.
Navigate – a new system from the higher education strategy firm EAB – will link faculty, advisors, staff and students in a coordinated network that will help students organize their time and keep track of their obligations.
The Navigate Student app was introduced at SOU on a limited basis last fall, and will be rolled out for use by all students – with participation by faculty and staff – during spring term. It is considered an effective platform for initiating and maintaining important connections even as all classes at the university are delivered remotely.
Students are encouraged to download Navigate Student in the App Store or Google Play and begin exploring its features – from forming study groups to interacting with professors or advisors.
Faculty and staff are asked to participate in the campus-wide introduction of the app by taking part in an abbreviated, online EAB Navigate training session of 30 minutes or less. They are also asked to incorporate downloading the Navigate Student app into course assignments, as appropriate, and to take other opportunities to encourage students to get and use the app.
Students will be able to use the app to explore careers that fit their goals, find events, make appointments with advisors and get alerts about registration issues and other important information. Students who begin using the app will be asked to take part in an intake survey that will enable them to receive customized notifications related to their interests.
Those who have any suggestions regarding the Navigate Student app, or who have issues downloading or using the app, are asked to email navigateadmin@sou.edu. An SOU team that is implementing the use of Navigate Student on campus will send text messages to students about the app.