University Community

Find it on your phone: the official Ohio University app

A new app built specifically for Ohio University students will help first-year students find their classes, let Hungry Bobcats know what’s on the menu in the dining halls and help commuter students catch their buses.

Go OHIO is the official app for Ohio University. Built by OHIO students, the new app allows Bobcats to view their class schedules, GPA, balances, advisors, Catmail, and more — all in one place. The information in the app will be especially helpful to students on the Athens Campus, but all OHIO students will benefit from using Go OHIO. 

Students can log in to view a personalized Student Dashboard with information including class schedule, GPA, final grades, advisors, financial aid, account balances, holds, to-do tasks, meal plan balances and more. 

Go OHIO also includes access to academic and campus resources like maps, safety, well-being, transit, housing, dining, academic calendars, and events, plus systems like Blackboard, Catmail, My OHIO Student Center, DARS, TracCloud, eAccounts, OneDrive, Bobcat Connect, Housing Self-Service, eRezlife and Handshake. It can help students save time, stay on track and stay connected on their path to success both in and out of the classroom.

Phone screenshot of Go OHIO app

How to get the app

The mobile app is available for download at ohio.edu/go-ohio, and the desktop can be accessed at go.ohio.edu.

All OHIO faculty and staff are invited to familiarize themselves with the student-focused features of the app.

Ohio University students will begin receiving communications about the app in early August.

“I encourage all of our students to use the Go OHIO app this year,” Executive Vice President and Provost Elizabeth Sayrs said. “It is designed to help them access the services and resources that are here to assist them.”

Built for students, guided by students

Go OHIO was built for OHIO students and guided by students, and student feedback will continue to shape the app over time.

A 10-week beta phase last spring included more than 100 students who used the app for up to 10 weeks and provided feedback to improve the app before its release this summer.

“At the end of beta, all the students who used the app last spring said they would recommend it to a friend, with 81 percent very likely to recommend it and 19 percent somewhat likely,” said Jen Van Nostran, Go OHIO product manager in the Office of Information Technology.

“We're hoping that excitement continues as students share with their friends how easy it is to find their class schedule, check their meal plan balance, or connect to student organizations and events on campus,” Van Nostran added.

She noted that the first release of the app is particularly useful to Athens-based students, but access to schedules, grades and Catmail are features that will help all students. Plus, OIT will continue to evaluate student feedback and improve the app over time.

“Watch your phone as we’ll be rolling out more features over the course of the year,” Van Nostran said. “We’re also very excited that our new learning management system, Canvas, will integrate very well with the new app but a timeline hasn’t been set on the integration.” Canvas will eventually replace Blackboard, with a pilot rollout starting this fall.

The Go OHIO initiative is guided by a product governance board and steering committee made up representatives throughout the University.

For additional information, visit Getting Started with Go OHIO.

Published
July 23, 2023
Author
Staff reports