Quincy University is in the process of launching a new app for students called QU Navigate which is anticipated to be ready to use during the upcoming 2023 fall semester.

QU approached a handful of classes to use as them as guinea pigs for the new Navigate pilot taking place for the remainder of the 2023 spring semester. Students who were selected were asked to test out the features on the app and provide feedback to help make a better experience for students.

“My class got picked to test out the Navigate app and I’m honestly excited I feel like I have some sort of an advantage of everyone else. I haven’t gotten the chance to use it much but I wish I was able to use this during my first semester here while getting used to Moodle,” Jack Weis, junior transfer student, said.

Students and faculty are in communication about how the app is working in action. During the initial briefing for students on the app, many suggestions were made and taken into consideration right away. On top of the many features the app already has, by doing this, QU Navigate will only continue to grow in regards to the abilities that students have within the app which is exactly what QU wants.

“After seeing what the app is all about I’m actually pretty impressed with how many things they got covered. I wasn’t sure what it was going to be like but it exceeded my expectations,” Henry Balmer, sophomore said.

As of now there are a handful of features within the app such as ability to set up appointments, check class schedules, receive academic alerts, to-do lists and events, study groups, view account holds, access student resources and engage with the campus community.

QU is hoping to make the college experience a little easier for students with this new app. Navigate will be especially useful for incoming freshman and transfer students who need time to adjust to the way education functions at QU.

“I would’ve loved to have something like this during my first semester. The transition from high school to college is hard as it is and I think Moodle is kind of confusing. So I’m looking forward to being able to use this app next fall,” Joey Westerhoff, freshman, said.

Students wishing they had access to the Navigate seems to be a common theme, especially with the freshman. Which is a good sign for Quincy University, and a good sign for the success of implementing a new app/tool for students.

Going forward Quincy University is excited to see how students interact with Navigate and have high expectations on how the app will do. In the meantime, the group that was selected to test out Navigate will be playing around and getting a feel for the new product so the necessary adjustments can be made for the launch this upcoming fall.