iPhone goes to college

The University of San Diego has signed-up for the mobile application march, introducing a suite of student-focused applications for use on the iPhone and other devices.

Dubbed, "MySDMobile," these solutions let students and faculty use their iPhones or other mobile devices to view a GPS-enabled interactive map of the university campus, including where particular classes are located; they can call or email faculty and staff members using the directory feature of the application; and browse through the university’s course and library cataloguess.

Students can also use their devices to view university content on YouTube or iTunesU, and get up-to-the-minute scores for USD Toreros athletics teams. Current news and campus events are also accessible, along with photos of USD’s campus that can be used as phone wallpaper.

USD’s Information Technology Services unit developed custom applications for the university in partnership with Terriblyclever. "It has been our fundamental philosophy that students today are digital nomads and expect an array of practical services to be easily available through their mobile devices at all times," said Chris Wessells, USD’s chief technology officer.

Initially, nine powerful mobile programs are being delivered within the MySDMobile application, and USD is already planning future addition of new mobile programs with features including paying tuition and fees, enrolling in classes, selecting meal plans, viewing grades, and tracking university trams through GPS map services.