Liberal arts major Chani Pickett, 19, of Urbandale, holds up her phone with the DMACC app.
DMACC has recently launched a new mobile app for smart phones.
Information Solutions Executive Director Mark Clark was quoted on the school’s website saying: “The DMACC mobile app is designed to help students, perspective students, faculty, staff and others to stay connected with DMACC wherever they are.”
According to Linda Fiderlick, Supervisor, Administration Application Support, the app came about when the marketing department was trying to reach new people.
“The marketing department had shown interest in being able to correspond with students and felt that a mobile app will have a lot of impact on recruiting possibilities, getting students on the door. We contracted with a consulting company that has been hired by a consortium of colleges,” Fiderlick said.
The hope for the school is that the app appeals to future and current students.
“The mobile app was basically designed to simulate web info system,” she said.
The app, which can be installed via Google Play for Android and through the app store for iPhones, has features similar to what can be found on the DMACC homepage. However, some features like Webmail are missing. For Fiderlick, updating the app will be an ongoing process.
“In fact, right now, we are doing testing on the new platform it is getting moved over to. There will be a way to update your emergency contact information and update your address. We have talked about integrating it with the office 365, getting a link added to the app, but we have not done that yet,” Fiderlick said.
It might be a little bit of a wait for new features.
“Right now, we are in the process of switching platforms that the mobile app is being designed on. So we probably wouldn’t do any additional features until we get that switched over to the new platform,” she said.
Student reaction to the new app varies, from not knowing about the app to not knowing how to get the app installed.
Pre-nursing student Carla Negrete said she is not aware of the app, but would install it because she would find it useful.
Daniel Albers and Michael Powa say they wouldn’t download the app because they don’t have a need for it.
“I wouldn’t use it. I get my information through email and I have all my classes memorized,” Albers said.
“I always log to my laptop; the app on my phone wouldn’t matter,” Powa said.
While some students say the app doesn’t make a much of a difference, others find it useful.
Billy Noy, first year student, and Daniel Mazurets, nursing major, say they use it.
“I found it very useful. I used it to look up classes at DMACC and now I use it to check what time I have classes,” Noy said.
“I found it pretty useful at the beginning of the semester when I needed my courses,” Mazurets said.
Fiderlick said the app is a great way to check current schedules and courses by day. She also added that in the future, there are plans to enable students to access their financial aid.
Fiderlick also encourages students to give feedback about the app.
“I would like to get feedback from them especially if they have any problems. They can always contact tech support and I will always get those tech support tickets when there are issues. I would like to hear from people if they have ideas and what they would like to see,” she added.
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