Whether students are trying to find out the latest happenings on campus or
track down a map to locate their classes, Ohio University’s website offers answers to almost any question a student or parent could have.
Most commonly used by students is the website’s e-directory, an online
database that allows anyone to search through all of OU’s students, staff, faculty and administration to find an email or office number.
For anyone looking to join an organization, it is easy to find a group’s Web
page by using the search bar on the website.
Another tool gaining popularity that was added just recently is the Virtual
Tour to go along with OU’s campus map for anyone who might still be learning his or her way around campus.
“It was definitely a great tool for the first day of classes,” said Adam Robertson,
a sophomore studying mechanical engineering. “It gives you a clear idea of where your class is and what it’s near on campus.”
Also found through OU’s website is the Dining Services page, which offers rich
information including hours of operation for dining halls, Grab N Go locations,
markets, menus and information about student employment.
Additional daily information and soups of the day can be found by following
@OUDining on Twitter.
A growing feature on the OU website now links directly to specific OU
administrators’ tweets; the most popular is Ryan Lombardi’s, interim Vice President for Student Affairs. You can follow Lombardi's tweets at @OHIOVP.
“I use it because it’s a great way to communicate with students,” Lombardi said
in a previous Post interview. “This year, I started doing contests on it, too.”
One of Lombardi’s most notable “Twitter giveaways” was for sold-out Wiz
Khalifa tickets for Khalifa’s concert at The Convo in May. Lombardi used everything from a Twitter scavenger hunt around campus to climbing the rock wall at Ping Center, giving away five tickets in the days leading up to the concert.
Lombardi has said he tries to use his Twitter account, which currently has
more than 4,600 followers, to highlight examples of student leadership and
announce events around campus from day to day.
Although students may turn first to the Current Students page, the website
provides information for both parents and families as well as providing a student
news section. Contents of this section range 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.
“It took me awhile to explore, but once you figure out all the features
available (on the website), it becomes almost an everyday tool,” Robertson said.
af234909@ohiou.edu
