IVCC has customized a new app that offers many beneficial advantages for students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

Students as well as faculty can view their schedule, course information, grades, upcoming campus events, and receive push notifications. The IV Leader newspaper and access to web pages and social networks will be featured with direct links as well.

Some other features are links to a map of the entire IVCC campus and faculty web pages with contact information, which are directly accessible.

The new app also allows faculty to have the ability to view their rosters. The app is accessible on all iOS Android phones, tablets, and Kindle Fires. Windows phones and tablet devices are expected to be supported by the app in the fall semester of 2015.

The most interesting thing about the app is how IVCC has so easily acquired it. The app itself comes from a Student Information Systems provider called Ellucian, and it is referred to as “Ellucian GO.”

App customizer Kevin Champlin says, “Ellucian did the legwork to get the app built and available in the iOS App store, Google Play store, and the Kindle Fire store. On our end we needed two servers to get it up and running. We have an API server that communicates with our SIS (student information system) platform and another server running the mobile web software. The two servers gathered the data and pushed it out to the app.”

It only took about 10 days over winter break to get the app up and running. Champlin says IVCC is in the process of creating updates for the app: “Eventually we’ll add more functionality to the app and make it role based so when you sign in you only see items related to your role as a student, faculty, or staff member.”

Future features that are soon to come include a directory with pictures, the occurrence of waitlist notifications, and registration links specifically for students. Future employee features include email access, a request days off link, view pay stub link, and the availability of roster pictures.

The app seems to be customizable and aids everyone’s needs because it can be transformed, updated, and added to in any way possible.

Currently there are no glitches or problems that have occurred with the expedient new app, but if there are issues of any kind, contacting the help desk in D-201 is recommended.

Overall, the app appears to be a great convenience for students, faculty, and staff, and the anticipation for the planned updates and alterations is immense.