The previous, printed system required all information to be finalized months in advance, didn’t allow for updates and was often ignored by students. The new system uses Microsoft software the university has already invested in, combining SharePoint webpages, Outlook calendars and mobile apps to create a digital version of the planner with up-to-date information, real-time reminders and clickable links to campus resources. In addition to convenience, the news release said, the digital format is more sustainable and reduces printing costs.
“We needed the planner to be more accessible and dynamic,” Kim Sousa Peoples, senior director of First Year Student Engagement and Experience, said in a public statement. “We imagined a digital version which students could use wherever they are, with clickable links to resources and a calendar that can be updated so they wouldn’t miss payment dates or class withdrawal deadlines.”
The news release said Sousa Peoples approached Planet Technologies, a Microsoft partner, with the vision. With this collaboration, the team built the planners inside the Microsoft environment UNCG students already use for email and class work.
According to Maggie Nichols, assistant director of new student transitions at UNCG, tailoring SharePoint pages like this is common practice in the business world, but less common in higher education.
“While the web components themselves already existed, no other institution has structured and leveraged them quite like we have,” Nichols said in a public statement. “The planner was built collaboratively with campus partners to create something uniquely student-centered.”
The project reflects a broader trend toward digital transformation in higher education. The market for digital planners is expected to grow in coming years due to demand for personalization and paperless products, according to the research firm Cognitive Market Research.
