The University’s new Lincoln Alexander Student Service Centre (The Linc) opened earlier this year as students’ one stop for admission, enrolment, records and finance support.

The team in the Office of Registrarial Services has been hard at work since The Linc’s official opening in August, moving forward with planned enhancements to the space and service model. Upgrading the queuing system was one such project and an initiative students were excited about during the consultation phase of the project.

“As part of our efforts to make sure that students are centered in this redevelopment process, we have engaged in significant and on-going consultation with them,” remarked project manager Brian Ingoldsby. “One of the things they’ve really been excited about was the possibility of accessing our services virtually – both getting in line and meeting with our staff – rather than having to visit The Linc in person.”

The new enhanced queuing system allows students to wait in line virtually for both in-person and online appointments. This system makes it easier for students to access the services and support they need to navigate the administrative side of their academic experience. It is a great example of success driven by the University’s IT Strategic Plan.

The new functionality allows students to access the queuing system via The Linc website rather than coming to the kiosk outside The Linc. Students choose between in-person and virtual meeting options and can submit a cell phone number to receive text message about their place in line and notifying them when it is their turn for service.

“This new software gives students more choices as to how they will connect with our Linc team, removing barriers and making us more accessible for our students,” says University Registrar Ray Darling. “It supports our goal of providing U of G students with the industry-leading service quality that we know is proven to promote students’ satisfaction and success.” 

Commenting on the new functionality deployed at The Linc, Dave Whittle, chief information officer, shared, “Reimagining the student experience is one of the five pillars that capture the visions set out in the IT Strategic Plan. The new hybrid service at The Linc is a perfect example of designing systems and processes with the user experience top of mind. It is exciting to see this project come to life and puts us closer to our vision of improving the university experience with the use of technology.”