Marketing
We will begin to generate awareness by holding short info sessions where representatives from uO Connect will host a short (5 minute or less) info session at the beginning of lectures around campus for a week.
This is where we will introduce uO Connect as an alternative to uozone, and where we will inform students about upcoming info sessions, events, and other promotions around campus in regards to the app.
Additionally, we will invite students to follow the uoconnect twitter and uO Connect website where they can find updates on app development, find additional information, and explore upcoming app features. This will also give the students a chance to contact the uO Connect team through social media and the website to ask any questions or suggestions they may have.
As previously mentioned, we plan to host a Makerspace event here at the university, where students with an eye for coding and app development can put their skills to the test. Students who enter the contest will create and design a version of the app that they think should be implemented. The student that wins will have their design implemented and will be involved in the development of uO Connect. The contestants will have their designs judged by a panel of school officials as well as the uoconnect team. Students will also be able to vote on the app they think is best and will want to use, which will further involve students in the creation of our student-focused app.
This marketing initiative will create buzz for uO Connect and will create friendly competition among students. Students who participate in the competition will gain amazing real world experience which is good for them and will look great on their resume.
After this, we would like to set up uO Connect booths around campus, inviting students to download the app, as well as showing them how to log in and how to go through the multiple pages and options in uO Connect.
Cost and Development
Based on quotes received from Otreva and OOZOU, uO Connect will cost approximately $150 000 to develop. The quotes from these companies reflect the scale of the app that we are looking to develop, a multi-platform interface, and a number of the features that we are proposing to include in the app such as:
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Calendar synchronization,
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Interactive GPS map
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Email log in
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Personal dashboard
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Bookings
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Billing and e-commerce options
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Multilingual support
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Usage analytics and content approval
However, there are a number of features that were not included in the quoted price of $100 000, leading to an estimated $50 000 allocated to additional features including:
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Personal course scheduler and agenda for assignments
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Integration of the student card and bus pass
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Posting and sharing of events on campus through the app
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Location filters for study spaces (noise level, access to services such as microwaves and vending machines, etc.)
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Self-guided tours
Additionally, it should be estimated that 20% of the development costs be allocated annually for the maintenance of the application; for a $150 000 app, about $30 000 should be budgeted for yearly maintenance.
Revenue Structure
When considering funding strategies for the application development, initially shifting the costs onto the student body through tuition fees was proposed. Through this structure, approximately $1 per year per undergraduate student would be allocated to maintenance of the app, and to build the funds, $5 per undergraduate student would be added to tuition fees.
While the majority of students we surveyed were in favour of increasing tuition fees for access to an app that would allow them to be more engaged as a uOttawa student, due to the Ford government changes that allow students to opt out of non-essential student fees, this structure could make this option unsustainable. The students in our survey indicated that they were less likely to purchase the app on the app store than if it were available to them as a free download, paid for through their tuition fees.
Funding could also be found through a corporate and third-party sponsorship model. However, the majority of uOttawa donors are alumni, and the second largest category of donations, at 38% of the total donations made to the university in the fiscal year 2018, was student experience. This indicates that there is a large body of donors who are looking to fund the student experience at uOttawa, therefore the proposed funding strategy for this app would be to engage these donors through a charitable giving campaign.
Furthermore, this app should be considered an investment in the university’s current and future student population. According to Ready Education, an education application developer, applications similar to uO Connect saw an over 90% adoption rate among first-year university students and a very high rating by students. The developer also reported that usage of the app ranked in the Top 5 Predictors of At-Risk Student Persistence. This indicates that especially first-year students are engaging with university mobile apps, and bodes well for increased student retention rates. While the majority of students are dropping out for personal or financial reasons, it is estimated that each student who drops out can cost a university up to $40 000 in resources allocated to recruiting, admissions, and more. Even a small increase in retention rates will compensate for the initial investment of $150 000 into the app’s development.