Kwantlen: Is there an app for that?

By Denny Hollick [Coordinating Editor]

When you’re going to university, there are two things that go together harmoniously: the student and their cell phone. The iPhone has been so popular amongst students that many universities have taken the time to develop mobile applications.

Currently, universities such as Ryerson and University of Saskatchewan (USask) have implemented mobile applications for their students, but are amongst a minority of universities that have taken the time to keep up with technological trends of our generation.

Applications are an excellent way to distribute information to students such as campus events class cancellations, grades, class schedules and other information significant to students. It’s also a great way for the university to collect feedback and communicate with other students and professors.

Mobile applications can also work as a catalyst for improving student life around campus and getting students involved, just by better informing them.

These applications aren’t just limited to iPhones. By making applications mobile browser based, they can also be accessed on other devices such as the Blackberry, Android and iTouch.

Maggie Fung, the Executive Director of Information and Educational Technology at Kwantlen thinks the creation of an iPhone application for Kwantlen would be an excellent idea, but said that nothing is currently in development now.

Many universities have their mobile applications designed by computer science students as class projects, as opposed to having to invest large amounts of money into development and staffing costs.

Some universities such as USask have classes specifically focused on mobile application development. This class has even gone on to start developing applications for other institutions.

Kwantlen also has a computer science program, but nothing on the Kwantlen website specifies anything focused around mobile application development.

With students becoming increasingly tech savvy, the demand for universities to be more technologically integrated is constantly growing.

Jenny-Lynn Hutcheson, a third-year Kwantlen student and iPhone user thinks you should be able to access your e-mail and your myKwantlen homepage from your iPhone, saying that “there should be an app for everything.

“I can’t leave the house without it, I’m obsessed with it.” Hutcheson continued saying that a Kwantlen iPhone application is a “stellar” idea. Kwantlen athletics score updates, email, and push reminders for tuition and registration deadlines are just some of the things she would love to see.