We often seek campus information on-the-go, not while sitting at a computer. From important phone numbers to the location of a certain building, every student could benefit from increased information at his or her fingertips.

This is why the new GW Mobile iPhone application is a welcome addition to the University’s outreach efforts.

The GW Mobile iPhone app, from its creation to its content, demonstrates a commitment to student success and understanding of what users genuinely seek from a mobile app. A Ph.D. candidate in the engineering school led the effort to create the app and worked with other students to make it happen. It is laudable that the University employed the talents of its students to create a program for students. Few undergraduates can boast that they were given the opportunity to involve themselves so completely on a technological project of this nature.

The fact that members of the community inaugurated the app is also reflected in the app’s content. Students can access information about course availability, important dates and athletics. They can even add their own course schedule to their mobile calendars.

The accessibility of the program within the app will allow students to consult the GW Mobile app frequently and easily. Another impressive function of the app is that it allows students to quickly and easily access the ALADIN library databases from their phones.

This mobile app follows GW’s commitment to outreach and engagement through new technology and social media, and as the app develops, we hope that it will also become available for other smart phones. BlackBerry and Droid users could also benefit from having such technology.

These efforts to engage students and provide more information about GW to the community are vital to making students feel included and demonstrating that the University employs the most advanced technology it can.