Aug. 21, 2019 – "Welcome Week Special" | The Reflector

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THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS

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98

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reflector.uindy.edu

AUGUST 21, 2019

UIndy app launched By Noah Crenshaw NEWS EDITOR

they received from talking with student groups Herriford said. “The other app [Ellucian GO] just wasn’t providing the services that students wanted,” Herriford said. “Students were using the app in the very beginning of the semester to see their course schedule and then they were never using it again.” According to Herriford, there were roughly 130 users a month on the previous app, while the new app has already had nearly 600 to 700 downloads before it officially launched. The usage numbers were one of the main reasons why Herriford made the inital decision that the

As students return to the University of Indianapolis for the start of the new academic year, they will have a new mobile resource for all things UIndy—the UIndy app.The change was announced in an email from Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Steve Herriford to students, faculty and staff in April. UIndyIT, Communications & Marketing, Professional Edge, Student Affairs, Admissions and Indianapolis Student Government were also announced as having a role in the development of the new app, which uses a framework and platform provided “I didn’t want to spend the by Ready Education. money on something The app officially launched on the Google Play Store and the Apple students weren’t using.” App Store on Aug. 19, but students were able to access it almost a week earlier. The early access was not planned, said Herriford, and led to some university needed to replace Ellucian GO. “I didn’t want to spend the money complications. “To get it [the app] into the Apple on something students weren’t using,” App Store and into [the] Google Play Herriford said. “So we made the decision [Store], you have to submit it ahead of to do a very rapid development [and] time and it actually ended up hitting deployment of this mobile app.” The new app has several features for the stores...quicker than we expected,” Herriford said. “We had students joining students that the previous app did not student organizations that weren’t even have. This includes a campus wall for real student organizations. They were just students to post messages on, student organizations, the ability to see every there…[for] testing.” There were many reasons why the campus event in one, unified location university decided to switch, from the and the ability to interact with university number of users on the old app, which was offices directly and a tile for students to provided by Ellucian GO, to the feedback provide feedback on the app.

The campus wall will be monitored by the university, Herriford said, as students will be posting content using their UIndy accounts. “We promote the free exchange of ideas, but students are under the same social conduct policies for this app as published in the student handbook,” Herriford said. “Any user can flag a post as inappropriate via the app and those flagged as inappropriate will be reviewed. I would recommend that students use common sense and remember they are posting as students of the university.” Both Herriford and Assistant Director of Student Activities Steven Freck said that more features are going to be added to the app in the future.The first of these features going live during Welcome Week will be a QR code scanner that will allow students to check in to events using their phones. Freck said that he was most excited for the potential that the app has to inform students about events on campus. “All they’re [students] going to have to do is open their app and scan a QR code,” Freck said. “That will directly tell us who has attended the event, what event they were at and all of that information. It’s going to allow us to hopefully improve the programming that we’re offering students because we’ll be able to see [that] these events were well attended, [and] these were not.” One of the best features of the new app, Herriford said, is the ability to have a list of all campus events in a single location. Photo Illustration by Kiara Conley

> See App on page 4

Red Line opening Sept. 1 CABS dean announced Rapid-transit line will be free through month of September By Madison Gomez OPINION EDITOR

A new bus line will be available for University of Indianapolis and the public when IndyGo’s new rapid-transit Red Line begins operation. IndyGo has been constructing the Shelby Street Red Line station next to campus since June 2018, and now that station, along with the rest of the Red Line, are set to become fully operational Sept. 1. Throughout the month of September, the Red Line will be free for everyone to ride. The energy efficient, electric batterypowered buses will run throughout Marion County, going from Broad Ripple through Downtown Indianapolis to UIndy and will stretch 13 miles. IndyGo Director of Public Relations Lauren Day said that the plan for efficient public transportation for Indianapolis has been in the making since the early 2000s, and the Red Line is one of the first steps in building a larger, more efficient transit system. “At IndyGo, we are committed to being a part of that mobility conversation,” Day said. “With ridership, we definitely see that this is going to be an efficient, improved service that’s going to make a difference [for those] who have been relying [on] or using IndyGo for a long time and for those who are looking to use it more often.” The Red Line station was built near UIndy’s campus for many reasons, Day said. The university is along a path where IndyGo’s ridership is high and is expected to increase. Day said that IndyGo brought in an urban planning expert, who found that along Shelby Street was a good north-to-south route for the Red Line. IndyGo also found that connecting students and other community members to places such as Fountain Square, Downtown Indianapolis and Broad Ripple would cultivate growth in ridership and add a sense of community with using the Red Line buses. While riding the bus will be free throughout September, starting on Oct. 1, the cost will be $1.75 per ride and $4 for an all-day pass. Riders will be able to purchase tickets online through a mobile app called MyKey, Day said, which allows scanning at a validator at the bus stop and on the bus. The validators let riders know whether their bus ticket is valid for a ride or for the day. The electric battery-powered

Photo by David Morris

The Red Line bus station on Shelby Street in early construction back in March of 2019.

Photo by Kiara Conley

The Red Line bus station on Shelby Street is located between Books & Brews and UIndy’s campus. It will begin operation Sept. 1 and will be free through September.

buses will charge at IndyGo’s hub during the night and breaks during the day. In the future, IndyGo plans to install contact charging pads at the various Red Line stations to charge the buses. To charge the battery, the driver parks the bus on top of the charging pad. For now, buses will charge via battery charging and through a process called regenerative braking. In regenerative braking, as the driver brakes, the energy from the driver’s input goes into the bus’battery.To get used to this form of braking requires extensive training, Day said. Throughout the process of creating the

Red Line, University of Indianapolis Associate Vice President and Special Advisor to the President for External Relations Corey Wilson has been in charge of informing the UIndy community members about the Red Line stop near campus. Wilson said he’s very excited to see the Red Line finally come together because the UIndy community can benefit from the new connections it will bring. “The things that I would hope students take advantage of are the connectivity they now have for $1.75 to get to Downtown [Indianapolis] and to Broad Ripple, and > See Red Line on page 4

“We reviewed applications and conducted phone interviews before deciding MANAGING EDITOR on who to bring to campus,” Fekete said. “It was very important that we find a dean The University of Indianapolis has just who understood the diversity of programs welcomed a new Dean of the College of in CABS and had a vision for the future Applied Behavioral Sciences. The Office of our college.” Fekete said that Wilson was a clear fit of the Provost announced on June 13 that Dr. Torrey Wilson will be making with the college. The committee felt that his way into CABS as the dean starting he understood the college and presented a clear vision of integrating the programs, the 2019-2020 academic year. Wilson started his college education while still allowing them to have an by attending Xavier University where he individual identity, Fekete said. He was earned his Bachelor of Science in Psychol- also very charismatic and approachable, ogy and a Master of Arts in Counseling. which was something that everyone apHe continued on to earn his Doctorate preciated, according to Fekete. In terms of the improvements and new of Philosophy in Counseling Psychology ideas that Wilson will bring to UIndy at Loyola University-Chicago. Before coming to UIndy, Wilson with him, he said that there is much to served as an associate professor of clini- learn. Wilson said that he fundamentally cal psychology at the Illinois School of believes and operates from an approach Professional Psychology at Argosy Uni- that says, “I must listen and observe so versity which was located in Orange, that I have a meaningful understanding Calif. In his past position, Wilson was of what I am working with before I can the chair of the curriculum committee, implement change.” “...I will support the doctoral program taught graduate courses and advised doctoral students, according to a press as it moves through the APA re-accreditation process this spring release from the Office of and continue its tradition the Provost. of excellence. I also want to Wilson’s extensive acasupport the other programs demic qualifications, rein CABS in building upon search background and a strong tradition of excelbroad professional service lence,” Wilson said. “That made him the ideal candisaid, how does CABS build date to grow the programs on its accomplishments and in CABS and lead faculty as the university’s academic they prepare for future career master plan of interprofesopportunities, according to sional collaboration. This the press release. aligns with how we prepare In his past positions, our students for the future of Wilson ran a national adoWILSON practice. Setting the groundlescent preventive health program at the American Medical work and operationalization of this is my Association and served as president of preliminary focus.” Overall, Wilson said he is very excited the National Council of Schools and Programs of Professional Psychology. about contributing to CABS and UIndy’s Wilson said that in many ways, his career overall mission of “Education for Service,’’ and past positions have led him to this along with CABS’ mission “to transform lives through science, using principles point in his career. “Both roles provided… understand- from behavioral and psychological science ing of the importance of Integrative to solve complex problems.” “I would add two essential additions Healthcare and the future of healthcare,” Wilson said. “But, it suffices to say that to those statements are to insure that every position that I have held has con- our graduates are culturally competent tributed to how and why I wanted to be and that they have an understanding and a part of CABS and what is occurring in commitment to social justice,” Wilson said. “When we look at health disparithe Health Pavilion at UIndy.” Associate Professor and Director ties and specifically issues of access to of Psychological Sciences Erin Fekete care, along with the absence of culturserved as the interim dean while the ally informed and competent treatment, university was searching for a permanent we have a responsibility to educate and replacement. According to Fekete, the demonstrate our commitment to the committee spent several months looking public we serve.” Wilson officially started his new posifor certain characteristics and qualities for tion on Aug. 1. the new dean to have.

By Cassandra Lombardo


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