Get Connected: UTM Engage apps links students to events, clubs and more
Looking for a club to join or the date for the next Eagles varsity basketball game? A new app launching at U of T Mississauga will help keep campus events as close as your nearest device. Launching in time for O-Week, the new UTM Engage app provides a centralized UTM events calendar on your mobile device, making it easy to see what’s on and connect with others across campus.
The app, which is free and available for Apple and Android devices, is aimed at the entire UTM community, including students, staff and faculty. Users log in with their UTORid information and customize their profile to tailor content to their needs. Participants can also add their social media handles to connect with other members of the UTM Engage community.
“Until now, there hasn’t been a central place where student clubs and groups and academic departments could post their events, aside from their own websites and Facebook pages,” says student engagement coordinator and project lead Sako Khederlarian. "The UTM Engage App allows users to easily explore opportunities based on their interests and availability, RSVP to events, stay organized by importing their Google calendars to see their full agenda all in one place. The UTM community can use this app as an engagement tool and as the main platform to promote their activities, events and other programs.”
All events will appear under a Campus calendar tab, but members of clubs and groups will see relevant events highlighted in their feed. Users can receive notifications from opt-in calendars or swipe through the Explorer section to discover new events of interest. “Users can also search for new groups to join and view those private discussion boards once they have opted in to that group,” Khederlarian says. Users may also choose to maintain their privacy through the app settings. “You'll be able to make yourself invisible, if you'd like,” he says. And because it’s a UTM creation, users will be able to direct questions to UTM staff.
“This app is a great tool for campus partners, including academic departments, to stay in touch with students registered to the programs,” Khederlarian says. “Once users subscribe to a department calendar, they can see all the events happening within that department.”
“The UTM Engage app is a one-stop shop for events, and will be a really valuable tool for students looking to connect with potential employers or learn about services offered by the Career Centre,” says Doug Lu, a career development officer with UTM’s Career Centre. “Our team will be using the app to market events and workshops to help students with their career path. Students who subscribe to the Career Centre calendar through the app will be notified of events like the Get Experience Fair, interview workshop, and employer information sessions.”
Fourth-year criminiology undergraduate student John Spiteri welcomes the new system. ”There’s a lot going on and it can sometimes be hard to find events on campus,” he says. “This app puts all the events and resources in one spot, and it’s simple to sign in with your UTORid. I can find cool things that I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do if I wasn’t at UTM.”