Itinerary builder to personalize open house experience, say organizers

A new online application allowing registrants of tomorrow’s UWindsor Open House to schedule their activities for the day will help them to set their own priorities, says Zora Savic.

Events coordinator in the Office of Liaison and Student Recruitment, she is “thrilled” with the program. The day is jam-packed with dozens of activities across the campus dealing with academic programs, admissions, scholarships and services.

“It is so difficult for students, who want to attend everything,” Savic says. “This scheduler is so straightforward, it will help our visitors to pre-plan so they don’t miss any sessions.”

The work of Graham Fawcett, an application program in the Centre for Teaching and Learning, the tool allows users to specify which sessions they wish to attend, and produces an individualized itinerary with event descriptions, locations and times.

It’s just one of the contributions that faculty, staff and students are making to ensure the success of the open house, which provides information to applicants making final decisions about their post-secondary careers.

Savic offers the example of Food Services, which came up with an innovative solution to the challenge of serving thousands of extra patrons their lunches.

“We physically cannot feed everybody at once in the Marketplace, so Dean Kissner and Dave McEwen suggested we offer a barbecue menu,” says Savic. “Knowing that may not be practical during a Canadian winter, they are opening Winclare A, Katzman Lounge and the Oak Room in Vanier Hall to our guests.”

She expects tours of the Centre for Engineering Innovation at 3 p.m. and its labs through the afternoon will also prove a highlight of the day. The March 8 open house will offer opportunities for individual discussion with instructors and current students. Find details, including a full schedule of events, on the open house website.