Student Senate officially launched the BoxerMobile app for iPhone and Android users Feb. 5 at the Spring Club Fair and App Launch. The app is available for free download on the Appleapp store and Google Play.
Vice President of Communications and senior Cameron Chow said BoxerMobile was created as an effort to integrate university resources into an accessible platform for students.
Chow said the app is a work in progress and will continue to grow and improve the longer it is out, but that Student Senate is very excited for its release.
When users open to the app’s homepage, they can navigate between calendar, dining, athletics, video, news, photos, social media, emergency and feedback. Chow said the app is going to gain a Moodle icon in the near future, potentially by the end of the week.
For convenience to individual users and club leaders, the calendar is linked to the Master Calendar on the University website. Chow said all leaders have to do to have their club events on the app is to put them on the master calendar, which is located on the Pacific University homepage.
As users scroll through the calendar, they can select events, add them to their personal calendars and set reminders and alerts in their phones.
All of the other icons in the app link to external pages where users can further subscribe to events and news that is tailored to their interests.
The emergency icon lists all of the current alerts for each campus and lists contact numbers for Campus Public Safety for the Hillsboro and Forest Grove campuses as well as the contact number for Campus Wellness. Chow said Boxer Online is not currently on the app because the current program does not support or integrate Boxer Online but that there is potential for it to move to the app in the future.
Chow said Senate plans to expand the number of icons in the home view as well as the information within the icons.
“The app is something many of the other universities are moving toward and we are trying to stay with the times and integrate more technology and help solve the communication problem on campus,” Chow said. “Our main goal was to get students more in the know.”
The app project was started in 2014 by the previous Vice President of Communications alumna Svea Larson. Student senate spent several months researching different platforms and companies.
When Chow was elected, Student Senate decided on ModoLabs and the Kurogo platform. His work began in March with the Kurogo conference and training workshops with the platform. He said he really started working on the app toward
the end of summer meeting with other organizations on campus to make it as cohesive as possible.
Chow said he worked very closely with University Information services, Marketing and Communications and the larger Student Senate.
Chow said he wanted to extend a big thank you to Jim Flemming, Ted Krupika, Steve Mason,Ben Griffin, Pete Erschen and Steve Klein forbeing such a great help getting the app organized and started.
“Getting connected with so many different people on campus has been a really great experience with the app,” Chow said. “I’ve gotten to know people I otherwise wouldn’t have and I am really thankful for that.”
While there was significant help from other organizations during the beginning phase, Chow said the project will be managed by students.
Because the members of Student Senate change every year with the new elections, Chow said the program senate purchased includes training systems so the new VP of Communications can be trained as they come in.
Chow said the intent of the app is to expand to other parts of campus and organizations, including admissions, commencement, conference events services and alumni programming.
“This is a step to meeting the communication needs on campus,” Chow said. “It’s a work in progress, but it will continue to get better every step.”
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