Southeastern's Total Mobile Access proving successful
Contact: Rene Abadie
8/24/11
HAMMOND – When Southeastern Louisiana University introduced its Total Mobile Access service last spring providing users with access to their class schedules, financial aid records and grades on any smart phone or device, officials at the university anticipated it would be a popular feature.
They did not, however, expect the nearly 100,000 visits received from mobile devices in the one-month period between July 22 and Aug. 21, said Chief Information Officer Mike Asoodeh.
This surge in use corresponds with launch of the platform’s enhanced interactivity, which allows students to actually register, drop and add classes and conduct other university business from the palm of their hands.
Southeastern’s innovative mobile access system is catching the attention of other institutions interested in expanding their online services to students via smart phones and similar devices. The university’s system was featured in in the August issue of the national technology magazine “Converge,” along with several other institutions that are developing and refining their mobile strategies.
“This is not an app,” said Asoodeh. “An app provides static information and is only part of our overall mobile optimization plan. Total Mobile Access integrates personalized information with real usability. Not only can students view class schedules, but now they can perform actions to change it if necessary.”
Asoodeh said not many universities have implemented mobile access systems that address as many functions as Southeastern has. Consequently, the university is getting a number of inquiries from other institutions looking to institute a similar service.
The most popular device used to access Southeastern’s system was the iPhone with more than 55,000 visits, followed by the Android with 37,733 visits and the iPad with 7,200 visits. Students also used devices such as the iPod and Blackberry.
“Our students and future students are the ‘Net Generation,’” he said, “and this is the number one technology project for the university as we move into enterprise document and content management. Access for students must be very easy, it must be reliable, and it must be secure. And when they do access the system, we don’t want them to have a long wait.”
Asoodeh said the university continues to work with HighPoint Consulting in Miami to refine the system, which is accessible at southeastern.edu/m.
“HighPoint worked with us to integrate our PeopleSoft Campus Solutions student system into user-friendly formats that are accessible via mobile devices,” he explained. “Access for students must be very easy, and we’re finding that this is exactly what college students today are looking for. They expect to be able to transact business via their mobile devices.”
Among the new features in the system are complete integration with the university’s PeopleSoft Enterprise Campus Solutions student database, a self-service functionality for students, faculty and staff, user-friendly configurations, guest and parent access, and various social networking features.
After the university rolled out its first app for iPhones in March – an app developed in-house -- it began working with HighPoint to develop its total mobile access strategy.
“We recognized the growing demand for this kind of service, especially among our students” Asoodeh said.
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