New software to help clubs communicate

OrgSync, a software system to manage communication and organization for campus clubs is going to be installed and integrated into ACES.

Jeff Jackson, associate director of student life, announced at the club Presidents Round Table Thursday.

Jackson, who used to work for OrgSync as a trainer, said with the system, students and organizations will be able to create profiles and pages in a manner similar to Facebook.

Students will be able to browse pages for organizations that they may want to join.

If they want to join one, students can send an electronic request.

Organizations also can invite students to join.

Jackson said that each group will have its own network so members can communicate with each other.

Clubs will be able to decide what information they can make public or private.

Jackson said the system will contain multiple features such as a website builder, a calendar, contact lists for each club, a to-do list that officers can assign tasks to members from, shopping lists for each organization and storage for club documents.

Club members also will be able to keep track of service hours and build résumés.

"It's as if we purchased a Facebook specifically for SAC," Jackson said.

Jackson said Orgsync is not a Banner product, but students and organizations will be able to access it through ACES.

District IT is integrating the software into ACES so when students log into ACES, they will automatically be logged into OrgSync.

Once that is finished, the system will roll out slowly, starting with club presidents, then members of each club, then the general student population.

"I want to make sure it's implemented properly," he said.

Jackson said training sessions for club presidents and advisers should be scheduled next week.

Jackson said the system's form function will help cut down on paper usage: clubs will be able to design forms that will allow advisers, club members and others to leave an e-signature.

"We want to stop the paper flow," Jackson said.

According to its website, OrgSync was founded in 2007 by University of Texas students Eric Fortenberry and Cayce Stone in response to problems they encountered with campus organization.

Their website says that they expect to have more than 150 campuses using their software by the end of 2010.

The software was used to conduct the Student Government Association's survey of student experiences with Banner and ACES earlier this semester.

The Presidents Round Table is a chance for club presidents to meet to discuss events and activities their clubs are organizing or participating in.

Sixteen clubs participated in the round table.

The next meeting will be at 2 p.m. Oct. 28 in the craft room in Loftin Student Center.

For more information, call the office of student life at 486-0125.