Migrating information on the University’s orientation programs to a mobile app will better meet the needs of today’s students, says Amber Norman.

Student development specialist in the Student Success Centre, she admits to excitement over the launch today of “University of Windsor Guides.”

“Making these functions digital better reflects what our new students are looking for,” she says. “The resources on the app will be so much more than we can possibly offer in print.”

Built on a platform provided by software developers Guidebook, the app is currently aimed at incoming students planning to attend a session of Head Start, which begins May 26.

“They’ll be able to sign up for Head Start and access the full schedule only through the app,” Norman says. “We will be encouraging new students and their parents to use the app to get the most out of our transition supports.”

“University of Windsor Guides” will also provide the portal for registering for Welcome Week activities once they are finalized. Among other features, it includes a detailed map function to help users navigate the physical campus, and answers to common questions from “How do I get into a class that is full?” to “Which meal plan is right for me?”

Norman emphasizes that the app is intended for students rather than faculty or staff advisors. To that end, it includes a tool for students to engage with one another during individual Head Start sessions.

“As we move away from using print, we feel that this new tool will advance our program so that our incoming students and their parents will have one of the best experiences in the province when it comes to getting ready for their university journey,” she says.

Students new to the University of Windsor this fall can download “University of Windsor Guides” for iPhone or any Android device from uwindsor.ca/headstart.