The St. Ambrose University’s homepage. (Photo courtesy of Makenna Verdon)

As the new fall semester began, students and staff adjusted to a new beginning with updated innovations that were made around the university. A brand-new St. Ambrose University website and an upgraded Blackboard have staff and students learning how to use these different technology softwares. 

The brand-new St. Ambrose University website has been designed for students to easily engage on multiple platforms. 

“The old site was actually built for a student from 2015-2016, this is built for a student of 2024-2025, who starts their journey on their phone and then goes to the website as a secondary source,” said Toby Arquette, vice president of strategic growth, marketing, and digital transformation.

This new SAU website will provide a more interactive experience that productively helps visitors to the site.

“We will get a lot more information about how users are using the website so that we can more effectively provide content that matters. When you are on the website, the content dynamically serves up what you are looking for based on your engagement with the site,” said Arquette. 

The new website is intended to also be more personable for users.

“We have implemented a new Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software called Slate.  It will allow our admissions counselors to reach out to prospective students in a more effective way to help personalize the communications and hold more meaningful conversations with students, helping them through the admissions process,” Clare Holladay, associate vice president of enrollment said. 

Holladay continues, “A person can land on the SAU page and see right away where to go to sign up for a visit or apply. The information regarding programs and student life have also been condensed into fewer pages so that you don’t have to dig so far down to find the information you are looking for.” 

New features to the website are beneficial, but current SAU students are finding it difficult to adapt to the new changes.

“The new website looks great, but it’s hard to find the information I need,” says SAU senior.

Faculty and students have used the platform Blackboard, an educational platform that provides a place to manage class content and provide up to date grading accessibility. This fall the campus upgraded to Blackboard Ultra.

“Blackboard Ultra is a modernized version of Blackboard Learn, featuring a redesigned, intuitive, and user-friendly interface that enhances the overall experience for students and instructors,” said Donnie Ingram Jr., director of the center of instructional design and technology and online learning. 

Blackboard Ultra will include different advancements and educational tools that will be beneficial for staff and students to use.

“This will greatly change the way online courses are viewed. We also intend to introduce new features over time such as Video Studio, AI Design Assistant, and MS Teams integration. As we continue to shape the future of the learning management system, our goal is to provide faculty with robust tools to improve course delivery, whether in face-to-face or online formats respectively,” expressed Ingram. 

Despite the added features to Blackboard Ultra, students find it challenging to locate things based on the way it is structured.

“This new Blackboard is set up very differently than the last one. So, it takes longer to find everything,” says SAU junior.

In addition to the changes to the Blackboard website, SAU staff have been working to try to improve the experience of this educational tool throughout campus.

“From the student perspective, the main challenge has been adapting to the new look and navigation, though feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive. For faculty, the biggest hurdle has been adjusting to the new Gradebook; however, we are actively gathering data and submitting recommendations to the product team to drive ongoing improvements,” Ingram said.

With these changes, SAU students and staff have been adapting along with the technology. 

“Change is always hard, technology change is always a little bit jarring. But we already see evidence that it is making lives better for students, faculty and staff, as they learn how to navigate the new structure of the new system,” Arquette said.