Nearly every Cal State Long Beach student has a Facebook. The same cannot be said about BeachSync.
Why?
Well, at first, it is difficult to use. Students and campus organizations must take time to create new profiles, update calendars and set up new events that already exist elsewhere on other social media platforms.
Students have the mentality that because Facebook serves their needs right now, why is Beachsync necessary?
Well, here’s the deal. CSULB needs an online platform to connect all students and campus organizations. It is the most efficient way to showcase our campus organizations in one place.
Honestly, Facebook could work because most students have profiles and know how to use it, but the problem is it’s not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). However, BeachSync is ADA compliant, which makes it a viable option for connecting the campus online.
The decision whether to keep BeachSync is still more than a year away. Those in charge of Associated Students Inc. in July 2014 – when BeachSync’s contract with CSULB expires – will have to make that choice. The number of students on BeachSync has been growing steadily since its launch; however, having a profile on BeachSync doesn’t necessarily mean it is being utilized.
It is important that BeachSync is used by students because it is costing ASI $15,000 a year. If more campus organizations and students begin to use BeachSync, then it would make sense to renew the contract.
The question is, how do we get more people using BeachSync?
Honestly, targeting current students is a lost cause. Current students at CSULB have become increasingly frustrated with the shortcomings of the variety of online resources this campus provides. Between a campus email, MyCSULB, Beachboard and BeachSync, there are a lot of campus-oriented online platforms that students have to keep track of. Not to mention, these programs seem to crash frequently. This and the other ways students communicate online can be an explanation for why BeachSync is not “syncing” with the current student body.
There have been ideas tossed around to have incoming freshman sign up for BeachSync as a part of SOAR.
This could be a clever way to get students acclimated to the program quickly, and if implemented, would ensure every CSULB student has a BeachSync account.
This really is the best way of gaining student participation rather than just having BeachSync sit around. Otherwise, students will stick to what they are comfortable using – Facebook.