Mobile Computing | News

Seattle Pacific University Releases Mobile App

• By Kanoe Namahoe
• 01/23/12

Seattle Pacific University (SPU) has launched SPU Mobile, a mobile app that enables students to access information about campus services right from their smartphones or Web-enabled devices. SPU worked with Blackboard to develop the mobile app.

Funded by student technology fees, SPU Mobile provides students with GPS-enabled campus maps, self-guided campus tours, library databases, complete course catalogs, access to student payroll, and the ability to schedule advising appointments. Students can access the student information system and register for classes from their mobile devices. They can also use the mobile app to retrieve publications and printed materials such as admission packets and alumni magazines.

"Like most colleges, our students spend so much time on their smartphones--text messaging, accessing social networks and enjoying multimedia," said David Tindall, assistant vice president for technology services at Seattle Pacific University. "Giving them access to key campus information on the devices they use most often is the most effective way to engage them."

SPU Mobile is available for Android, BlackBerry, iOS, and webOS devices. The app has been downloaded by more than half of the campus community, according to Blackboard. Four months after the university debuted SPU Mobile, it released a second version with enhanced features. The institution plans to continue updating the app, tailoring it to the needs of its students.

"We not only want our students to download our app, but use it regularly and frequently over time," said Tindall. "The ability to control the graphical interface, leverage attributes already embedded in mobile devices, and use distinct functionality to deliver tailored, engaging content, ensures a strong user experience and repeated log ins. We have also created a foundation for long-term growth that easily allows for successive app versions that grow as we do."