’BIRDS NARROWLY ESCAPE OVERTIME THRILLER SPORTS 8
ISU REDBIRD FLIES INTO CIRQUE DU SOLEIL’S TOP 11 FEATURES 7
videtteonline
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2015
Vol. 128 / No. 11
ILLINOIS STATE UNIVERSIT Y’S NEWS SOURCE SINCE 1888
ISU introduces mobile app BRENT BADER News Reporter
Illinois State University students can be more connected to important campus information than ever before thanks to a new official mobile application. “We know that more and more students are coming to our websites from mobile devices,” Katy Killian, assistant to vice president for Student Affairs for Marketing and Communication, said. “In addition, students have indicated that they would like to have as much information available to them as possible in a central and easily accessible location. The mobile app and downloadable guides within it allow us to provide this to our students.” The free mobile app gives students the ability to download specific “guides” for topics and events they’re interested in, such as the Career Center and Campus Dining. Those guides will then provide relevant information on that topic, including general information such as hours and location. The guides also feature topic-specific details such as graduation information in the Career Center guide. The app is available on both the Google Play store and the App Store on iTunes. “We hope that the app will make it easier for students to learn more about their campus community,” Killian said. “The app provides us with another way to communicate with students to provide them with important information about safety and security, housing, dining, health and wellness, involvement opportunities, advice from the Career Center, activities in Bone Student Center and much more.” The Web and Interactive Communications department created the app after they saw a need to consolidate the number of ISU apps already on the market. “We looked to gather interest from units with an app and also included units that expressed interest in having their own app,” Arturo Ramirez, director of Web and Interactive Communications, said. “We usually get requests from departments that want their own individual website or application and it’s just not sustainable for everyone to do individual apps. So, we took a close look at our analytics to see what’s popular for students on mobile devices and we found favorites such as Campus Dining and Rec Center hours.” Since its soft launch in April and its full unveiling last summer, the app has been downloaded over 8,000 times. The app was not specifically developed by ISU, but instead uses a pre-existing system to create the guides. “The app is powered by Guidebook,” Ramirez said. “It’s a pretty solid platform that’s also used by Amazon and Google. We asked ourselves whether
NIKKI NIGGEMEYER News Reporter
Paige Meisenheimer / Photo Editor
The new ISU mobile app lets students download guides for topics and events that interest them.
we should buy a framework or build the app ourselves and ultimately it came down to using a platform that had been proven before.” Individual guide analytics are also available for Ramirez and his team to use in order to determine what guides and departments are popular. The staff will use the students’ interest in certain guides as a framework when expanding the app in the future. “As this app is driven by student feedback I think we can anticipate other events that are sponsored by or have formed a partnership with ISU as being included in the future,” Ramirez said. “We’re very interested in exploring other possibilities.”
Dept. of Ed tool to rate universities EMA SASIC Senior Reporter
ISU joins state mumps outbreak
college’s students with incomes greater than the average high-school graduate. The web site also shows the proportion of students who have paid at least $1 toward the principal on their student loans within three years
Illinois State University. “These data reflect very positively on our high graduation rates and the value of the investment The U.S. Department of Education unveiled its in choosing to graduate from Illinois State,” Johnnew College Scorecard web site Sept. 12 to offer son said. “These data should help encourage our unique help to future college students. current students to commit to gradu Provost Janet Krejci explained ate and the data should attract new the new College Scorecard provides students.” prospective students and parents According to College Scorecard, 92 with information that will help percent of ISU graduates are paying them through the college selection down their debt, which is 25 perprocess. cent above the national average. The The new site, which replaces an typical total debt for undergraduate older one under the same name, borrowers who graduate from ISU is brings a more modern and user$22,500. ISU is known for its low stufriendly design to visitors, along dent debt rates, making it an attractive with new information about coluniversity for parents and students. leges not found on many federal In addition, 73 percent of students data sources. who attend ISU earn more than those “Scorecards are always a bit with only a high school diploma. The imperfect as it is difficult to capmedian earning of former students is ture a true picture with just a few $45,100, more than $10,000 above selected metrics,” Krejci said. the national average. “However, it is important to give Along with the information prostudents and their families good vided on the College Scorecard, Krejci Screenshot from collegescorecard.ed.gov information on which to make good said ISU has many reasons to be a top decisions and this scorecard is one The College Scorecard gives information about universities around the country. school for prospective students. way to do that.” “Just recently ISU was ranked College Scorecard gives earnings data and of leaving college, according to the College Score- fourth in the Midwest as a best value for the debt repayment rates. Using information from card website. investment, and ISU brought in the largest freshthe Internal Revenue Service, users can see the Associate Vice President for Enrollment Man- man class in 26 years, which is quite a testament median salary of students 10 years after they agement Troy Johnson explained the information as other universities across the state and nation enrolled in the college and the proportion of a provided on College Scorecard is beneficial to have decreased in enrollment numbers.”
The total number of confirmed mumps cases throughout the state has now reached 200. Illinois State University officially confirmed three cases on campus and declared a campus outbreak Friday. Local health officials, along with the Champaign News-Gazette, reported that the virus has spread to Normal West and University High School as well. In an effort to stop the spread, letters from the McLean County Health Department are being sent to faculty, staff and students who have been near those infected. There have been a total 21 confirmed mumps cases in McLean County. University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign campus, where 134 cases have been confirmed, is the central location for the statewide outbreak. “We need to stress there is no need to panic, we just need to take the steps to be as prepared as possible,” McLean County Health Department Spokesperson Lisa Slater said. Mumps is a contagious disease spread by infected people coughing, sneezing, kissing or sharing food. Symptoms do not show until 12 to 25 days after being infected, and people are contagious 2 to 5 days after experiencing symptoms. Symptoms of mumps include fever, headache, malaise and swollen salivary glands. Students are advised to seek medical advice if any of the listed symptoms are experienced. Mumps is no longer a common occurrence in the U.S., however, with cases numbering a couple hundred to a couple thousand each year. Students can prevent infection by making sure they have received two up-to-date MMR shots. Students can check their immunization records online at the Student Health Services website. “Seeing pockets of disease such as the mumps pop up on college campuses isn’t rare due to the close proximity the students are in,” Slater said. It is also highly recommended for students to wash their hands more frequently, not share utensils or drinks, cover their nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing and stay home if they are beginning to feel sick or experience any mumps symptoms. By taking these steps “you are doing everything you can possibly do right now to try and make sure you don’t become infected,” Slater said. Nikki Niggemeyer is a news reporter for The Vidette and can be reached at vidette_nniggem@ilstu.edu.