August 19, 2008

Purdue rolls out new communication systems for students, administrators

The new software systems and online options, including MyPurdue, PurduE-Board, eSidewalk and Get Involved@Purdue, will make communication on campus much easier for everyone, including administrators, staff and students, said Pablo Malavenda, associate dean of students.

"The changes that the university has made are great alternatives to our previous methods," he said. "Due to the sheer number of e-mails that students receive, Purdue administrators have found that many of the messages sent by the university have gone unread. The new options make sure students get all the important messages they need, along with a way to opt in or out of general announcements and news.

"We've also adopted some more up-to-date ways students can communicate with other students about organizations and events. These alternatives, including PurduE-Board and eSidewalk, give students some free, easy and effective ways to announce group call-outs, activities and events."

The first stop for students, faculty and administrative staff is MyPurdue, which allows users to personalize content by subscribing to information channels, or RSS feeds, of their choice. MyPurdue will take the place of SSInfo by offering students a way to get secure access to grades, class schedules and account balances. Visitors to MyPurdue will need to log in with their career account ID and password.

From the MyPurdue portal, visitors to the site will have access to PurduE-Board, which is a site that can be used to promote events via the eSidewalk. There, visitors can create and receive digital fliers that advertise student activities and organization events and call-outs, similar to fliers that used to be taped to sidewalks on campus.

"We've introduced eSidewalk as an alternative to sidewalk fliers, which are no longer allowed on campus due to environmental and aesthetic issues," Malavenda said. "Students will now be able to easily post their events online at eSidewalk for free. Now organizations will be on a more level playing field when it comes to advertising, since printing costs and the size of the organization will no longer play such a large role in recruiting new members."

Purdue administrators will screen submissions to PurduE-Board Monday through Friday to make sure all posts follow guidelines that prohibit sales of any type, student surveys that collect identifiable information without approval, harassing or intimidating language or requests for roommates. All approved submissions should show up online within 48 hours during the workweek, Malavenda said.

From MyPurdue accounts, student organization leaders and interested students also can connect to Get Involved@Purdue, which allows students to browse through Purdue's more than 844 student organizations and subscribe to RSS feeds for specific groups or interest areas. The site also will provide ways for students to identify and join student organizations, track their participation in co-curricular activities, communicate with fellow club members, manage events, create forms and organize their activities, all in a 24/7 online environment.

Writer: Christy Jones, (765) 494-1089, christyjones@purdue.edu

Source: Pablo Malavenda, (765) 494-1232, pablo@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page