User testing underway for portal that centralizes campus information

March 26, 2024 (Volume 47, Number 15)
Article by Peg West

small groups of two, three students sitting on the lawn steps in front of Zumberge Pond

Select students are accessing the Laker Dock and providing feedback on the portal.

Photo Credit: Kendra Stanley-Mills

User testing is underway for a new web experience designed to allow students to access the information and resources they need on one platform.

The portal, which will be called The Laker Dock, is set to fully launch this fall. This spring, select student users are accessing the platform and providing feedback to help refine the features offered.

"The goal of The Laker Dock is to provide a hub and a launching-off point for GVSU community members to find applications, tools and resources, and receive notifications from across the university," said Nick Nelson, director of enterprise applications. "The Laker Dock is a web experience that works on any device you have and as a mobile application that you can download from the app store.

"We will continue to build out the widgets and content in The Laker Dock over the coming months and years as we receive feedback from the community on what they would find useful in this tool."

The platform will include a variety of useful information for students, including records and registration, Blackboard, tutoring and other support resources, events and other campus information, and more in one access point.

The Laker Dock addresses a need communicated by GVSU community members to centralize information and systems to simplify technology usage as well as help people discover resources, Information Technology leaders said.

IT leaders envision everyone at GVSU eventually using this tool; the initial focus is on students since they are the largest population and the most impacted by the platform.