Redesigned FIU app puts it all in the palm of students’ hands
The state-of-the-art mobile application is intended to enhance the student experience and represents one of the most advanced at a university in the United States.
Students, looking to make the most of your time at FIU? An upgrade to the FIU mobile app, to be released this week, will put you in the driver’s seat by making easier everything from checking your class schedule, registering for courses and even finding out about cool events on campus.
The newly revamped digital must-have goes all in on meeting students where they’re at, says Vice President for IT and Chief Information Officer Robert Grillo. His team has invested nearly two years in a refresh that supports their needs and goals.
“At the end of the day, it's all about student success,” Grillo says. “The app gives you all the necessary tools to be successful.”
With college enrollees spending a large portion of their time on cell phones - national estimates suggest between five and eight hours per day - a comprehensive app such as FIU’s becomes critical, Grillo says.
Student-centric
Among those helping bring the newest iteration to users is Sebastian Negret ’22. As a marketing undergraduate, he belonged to a tech club that challenged him to reimagine an existing app and decided to tackle the very one he regularly used on campus.
With that exercise under his belt – fellow students gave him great feedback on his demo prototype - Negret approached Grillo and landed an internship that eventually turned into a full-time job.
“This is a very important aspect of the student experience,” Negret recalls in making his case back then. He emphasized the potential of the app to promote greater engagement and productivity among students – something already well understood by leaders committed to continuous innovation in an age of ever-advancing technology.
The FIU app debuted in 2009 and has since gone through several updates, each time in consultation with students, Grillo explains. Eager to understand the ever-changing needs of the target audience, he most recently put Negret on the case.
“I wanted to listen,” Negret says of his charge. He surveyed 250 students about what they desired in a go-to application. His work contributed to implementing the improvements now being trotted out by the team.
All the bells and whistles
And what did Panthers tell him they were looking for? Exactly what the new app prioritizes, Negret says: the ability, through a modern user interface with the MyFIU portal, to easily view one’s class schedule, register for courses, pay tuition, check GPA and more; real-time information about available spaces in parking garages; an easy connection to the career and development platform Handshake; a live listing of nearby open dining options (based on a user’s location, if location services permission is granted) and Grubhub integration for ease of ordering; a calendar of upcoming university events with notations on those that offer free merch and food; campus maps and important university phone numbers; access to the full course catalog; and even live location information for the Panther Mover (which takes students between campuses and the Engineering Center) and a link to FIU News for keeping up with the university.
Beyond the goodies, the upgraded app also overcomes the frustration-inducing glitch that frequently logged out users of the previous version, makes it a breeze to put one’s Panther ID in Apple Wallet, has a dark mode option and generally paves the path for a smooth ride.
“I think what students are going to be most excited about is just the ease of use, how user friendly it is,” says Jessica Elliott Parra, associate director of administration and operations for the Division of IT, “the ability to search for their classes, search for events, the jobs and the internships.”
Already, testers and others who have gotten a sneak preview have given the app a thumbs-up.
“This one is way easier to navigate,” says Caroline Power, a biology major who beta-tested the app. She loves the layout. “It feels much more intuitive [than the previous app]. It would definitely make searching for locations or searching for resources much more convenient. You can tell that a lot of research and planning and thought went into where each feature, each button should go, because I almost didn't even have to think.”
Beyond function, it also ranks high for style, she adds. “It looks so much more modern [than the old app]. I've never really seen any other university have this modernized, developed app.”
Negret agrees. Having researched what’s out there, he says the refresh represents pioneering work in support of the student experience and the kind of innovation not typical of a campus app.
“FIU is one of the few universities that is bringing a digital service like this to students,” he says. “It’s very important and putting FIU in the forefront in terms of technology.”
The upgrade will be available to current users and the new version ready for download by new users beginning Tuesday, Feb. 11. A gathering in the GC Pit from noon to 1 p.m. on that day will take place for anyone needing assistance or wanting a quick tour of the features.