Madison College’s Student Activities Board recently approved a one-year trial period for a new software package that will streamline dozens of online activities, all while making campus involvement more accessible.

The aptly named CollegiateLink is a software package that was first developed in 2001. It is used on hundreds of campuses nationwide. The package includes a wide variety of tools helpful to students:

• A co-curricular transcript tool would allow students to see both a normal academic transcript, and a transcript including extra curricular activities as well.

• Event management tools and Google Calendar integration would allow students to streamline their schedule organization.

• Another tool would allow online student election organization. This would bring Student Senate and other student body elections online through an organized, streamlined platform.

• Webinars would be available to students through CollegiateLink, allowing them to learn more about a group or an activity. These webinars would also be customizable, allowing student groups to visually reach out to students through the internet.

• Photo galleries and social media integration for sites like Twitter and Facebook would allow students to link their college life with their everyday social life.

• These are just a few of the tools available to students through the proposed CollegiateLink software. The college will give the package a one-year trial run. If it is met with success, Madison College will incorporate the purchase of the package into the 2013-2014 annual budget.

Beyond nifty tools to streamline students’ college experience, CollegiateLink also holds an important function: educating both the faculty and the SAB by researching and recording student opinion.

According to their website, Campus Labs – the founding company of CollegiateLink – was initially developed to “to collect information from students that could be used to impact programs and services.” This includes any number of details from student involvement in extra-curricular activities to turnout in student elections.

On Madison College’s many campuses, this would mean a more holistic view of students’ experiences at the college. CollegiateLink would allow both the faculty and the SAB to collect a plethora of information on student activity and interests.

Student Senate could see which campuses had the highest voter turnout in the last student election, for example. Or, the Volunteer Center could poll to see which upcoming events would be received with the most enthusiasm. The Adventure Leadership Series could even be advertised to students through a variety of social networking sites simultaneously. In short, the possibilities are endless.

On a campus as diverse and as far-reaching as Madison College’s, a unifying software platform could be an incredible development. It would depend on the student body, though, to make it a success. In the 2012-2013 school year, students will be able to test the program for ease of operation and for utility.

If the program is a success, the school will incorporate the purchase of the program in the 2013-2014 budget, and CollegiateLink will become a permanent feature of the college.