Academic Advising Scheduling Software Automating, Simplifying the Way Students Schedule Sessions

Aug. 24, 2010 - PRLog -- Scottsdale, Ariz. – The fall rush at academic advising offices on campuses coast-to-coast has begun as college students eager to discuss their majors and college objectives schedule appointments with advisors and their staff.  This renewed interest, however, can present appointment-setting challenges for administrators at these advising offices, especially if they rely on outdated methods of scheduling and managing student appointments and information.

That’s why many academic advising offices at colleges, universities, technical schools and other institutes of higher learning are turning to Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com/academic_schedule_software.php) for automating and improving their appointment-scheduling procedures this fall semester.

“Academic advisors, administrators and support staff have many responsibilities in the day-to-day management of their offices,” says Bob La Loggia, president and founder of StormSource Software, the developer of Appointment-Plus. “Scheduling student appointments can be very time-consuming and tedious, which makes our scheduling software the perfect fit for streamlining appointment-setting procedures and freeing up staff resources.”

A leader in online academic scheduling software since 2001, Appointment-Plus provides academic advising offices the tools they need to automate and simplify their appointment-setting procedures, including: online student self-scheduling, which allows individuals to view availability and book their appointments at their convenience, 24 hours a day; automated e-mail and text message reminders sent prior to a scheduled appointment; robust record-keeping and reporting functionality; and e-marketing capabilities.

Colleges and universities that utilize Appointment-Plus for their academic-advising scheduling needs include:

• Cleveland State University
• Eastern Michigan University
• George Mason University
• Penn State University
• Southern Methodist University
• University of Maryland
• University of Montana
• Vanderbilt University

As a Web-based application, Appointment-Plus is accessible from any Internet connection. This is beneficial not just to students wishing to schedule appointments online, but also to advisors, administrators and staff that manage their schedules from outside their office or from different on- and off-campus locations.  Departments that implement the online self-scheduling option can also minimize the amount of staff time dedicated to answering phones and reading e-mail messages from students requesting appointments. Administrators can easily direct students to their online scheduler with an Appointment-Plus-provided button link on their Web site or page.

Appointment-Plus also eliminates the need to manually enter appointment and booking information into a book, spreadsheet or electronic calendar. Once scheduled, the system can automatically send e-mail and text message reminders to the students. Appreciated by students, these automated reminders can help cut the “no-show” rate by 50 percent.

Because it’s Internet-based, Appointment-Plus doesn’t require costly hardware or program installations. Additionally, the department or faculty does not need to own or operate a Web site to use Appointment-Plus. Pricing starts at $39 per month with no long-term contracts, along with free set-up assistance with a dedicated coach.

“Tech-savvy students rely on Web-based programs and applications for many of their daily activities, including scheduling on-campus meetings and sessions,” La Loggia adds. “Let our innovative scheduling software give your academic advising office the ability to offer this important benefit to them, while simplifying the way your administrative staff manages its student sessions and information.”
   
                                                                                    -30-

About Appointment-Plus:  Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com/academic_schedule_softwar...) supplies almost 4,000 clients throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries the tools they need to efficiently and accurately schedule appointments and sessions, book rooms, accept registrations and many other services. The flagship product of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based StormSource Software, the online application has scheduled over 48 million appointments since its launch in 2001. Users of the service include colleges and universities, Fortune 500 companies, healthcare agencies and facilities, federal and local governments, freight and delivery services, and small businesses such as such as tutors, instructors, medical offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists.

# # #

About Appointment-Plus: Appointment-Plus (http://www.appointment-plus.com) supplies almost 4,000 clients throughout the United States, Canada and 10 other countries the tools they need to efficiently and accurately schedule appointments and sessions, book rooms, accept registrations and many other services. The flagship product of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based StormSource Software, the online application has scheduled over 48 million appointments since its launch in 2001. Users of the service include colleges and universities, Fortune 500 companies, healthcare agencies and facilities, federal and local governments, freight and delivery services, and small businesses such as such as tutors, instructors, medical offices, spas, health clubs and massage therapists.