Whether students are looking for the closest meal and Ryan Lombardi’s latest tweet or parents are seeking assurance their freshmen are in good hands, Ohio University’s website offers answers.
One of the pages students said they use most often is the eDirectory. This comprehensive online directory allows anyone to search through all of OU’s students, staff, faculty and administration. The database provides a person’s full name and email, and in some cases also includes a phone number or address.
For those looking for organizations that suit their interests, the student organization directory allows students to search by name or organization type.
The website also offers a campus map and virtual tour for those still learning their way around campus.
"That’s what I use to figure out where all of my classes are at the beginning of every quarter,” said Morgan Meade, a sophomore studying advertising management.
The Dining Services page is rich with information. It includes hours of operation for OU’s dining halls, markets and Grab N Go facilities, information about student employment and menus for each dining hall.
Some students say this proves especially convenient.
"I didn’t actually figure that out until Spring Quarter,” Meade said. “I always thought that was very convenient to do because the hours sometimes change.”
The current students homepage on the OU website links directly to the Twitter account of Ryan Lombardi, OU’s dean of students.
Lombardi’s Twitter (you can follow him @OUdean) addresses events going on around campus, announcements about various student organizations and messages the dean wants students to hear.
"I use it because it’s a great way to communicate with students,” Lombardi said. “This year, I started doing contests on it, too.”
One Twitter contest he ran last year was a song suggestion contest where students could suggest new songs for Lombardi to hear; those who suggested his favorites won a prize. He also gave away concert tickets last year.
Lombardi also tries to use his Twitter account, which currently has more than 1,800 followers, to highlight examples of student leadership. He said he avoids tweeting personal details but tries to allow students to see what is happening on campus through his viewpoint.
Although students may turn first to the current students page, the website provides information geared toward parents and families as well. The parents page provides as much news as the students section, ranging from tips about financial aid and learning communities to announcements about family weekends. On the page, family members have the option of signing up to receive a parents’ e-newsletter, which provides information about campus activities, health alerts, surveys and upcoming events.
aw366209@ohiou.edu
@ThePostCampus
