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NIU Mobile debuts on smartphones

June 10, 2011

NIU MobileNIU is now as close as the nearest smartphone with the debut of NIU Mobile in app stores this week. The free mobile campus application brings an interactive campus experience to smartphone users.

“We wanted to put useful, fun, interesting and dynamic information in the hands of our campus community,” said Jennice O’Brien, team leader for web communications in the Division of University Relations. “Students especially have asked for a way to connect with NIU through their mobile devices, but there is something for everyone in this new app.”

NIU Mobile features:

  • Learn – Login to access Blackboard Learn content, including announcements, grades, discussions and more
  • Library – Look up the availability of materials in the library holdings
  • Courses – lookup course information, include sections meeting times and days and instructors’ names
  • Maps – search by building, find a description of what services are in each building and pinpoint your location on campus
  • Directory – access public directory information and initiate a phone call or e-mail
  • Athletics – check news, schedules and scores for every Huskie Athletics teams
  • Events – view upcoming events and add event details to your smartphone calendar
  • News – Read the latest headline stories in NIU Today
  • Videos – Watch videos from NIU’s YouTube Channel
  • Images – View campus images from NIU’s Flickr gallery
  • Emergency – View and call emergency phone numbers

“We’ll be introducing additional features like campus dining menus, real-time Huskie Bus locations and self-guided tours this fall,” O’Brien said. ““Having access to information on the go is really the key.”

NIU is one of the first public universities in the Midwest to adopt the full Blackboard Mobile application which includes both Mobile Central and Mobile Learn, giving students access to their online academic coursework from a smartphone or tablet computer.

“NIU is first and foremost an educational institution committed to academic excellence and the success of our students,” said Kathy Buettner, vice president of university relations. “We held off releasing NIU Mobile until we could provide students, faculty, staff and alumni with both the academic and student life components. Our ultimate goal is to give students the ability to register for courses, pay bills and fees, purchase event tickets and complete other transactions with the university through this app.”

NIU Mobile was developed by Blackboard Mobile in partnership with NIU Web Communications and Information Technology Services. It is available now for free on Android and Apple iOS . Applications for BlackBerry and Palm devices, as well as a mobile web version for browser-enabled phones and devices, will be available by the end of the month.