Want to learn more about your University at the touch of a button? There's an app for that. "The Official Virginia iPhone app" will now allow iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad users across Grounds to remain in closer contact with all things U.Va.
Apple approved the "app" - a piece of software designed for use on iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads - this weekend, and it is available as a free download on iTunes.
A welcome message from President Teresa A. Sullivan greets new users of the app. The user then is asked to identify his connection to the University. Based on this information, the application tailors itself specifically to the needs of the user. For example, an applicant to the University can learn about the school's traditions, while a current student can browse the Course Directory and an alumnus can keep track of his class reunion information.
"Students are certainly the foremost audience for this, but there is something there for everyone," Wheat said.
One of the more high-tech features is reserved for those with an iPhone 3GS or higher. While standing in front of a University building, the app will use the phone's GPS and camera to give the user information about the building in front of him. This could be particularly useful, Wheat said, for prospective applicants and students new to the University.
The popularity of iPhones and the iTunes app store contributed to the decision to create an app for University students, said Zachary Wheat, director of Web Services and the Interactive Media Group at the Office of Development and Public Affairs.
Representatives from various University offices and groups coordinated to work on the product. This collaboration included participants such as the Department of Information Technology and Communication and the Alumni Association, as well as the University Library, the Office of Undergraduate Admission and the athletic department.
"We didn't want there to be 37 different U.Va. apps, so we wanted to work on it together," Wheat said.
Wheat said the creators of the app surveyed similar apps offered by institutions such as Duke University, Stanford University and the University of Texas system. The others were all rather similar products, Wheat said, and he wanted the app to be "very distinctly U.Va."
This effort seems to be reflected in the app's positive reception. Although the program premiered only this weekend, it was already labeled as the top "New and Noteworthy" app in the education section of iTunes by Monday morning.
The app's creators will pay particular attention to the program's use. If it maintains its popularity, the creators will do what they can to provide the app to users of other devices, such as Android phones or Blackberry smartphones, Wheat said.
"We see this as a start rather than a complete thing," he said.
-compiled by Tyler DeBoard
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