My Manchester for students launches
06 Sep 2011
A new online portal for current students has been launched, which integrates key services, tools and information in one user-friendly location.
My Manchester brings together the Student Portal, StudentNet, Blackboard, the Crucial Guide Live and other relevant online resources.
Content is organised under a series of easy-to-navigate ‘tabs’, with new features including an A-Z index of student support and services, an Ask A Question database and a student-specific news and information service.
My Manchester has been developed in direct response to student feedback on their use of the University's online systems and reported difficulties in finding what they need quickly and easily.
It aims to enhance the student experience by improving access to the wealth of information and services already available, and also to facilitate better communication with students. Feedback from early user testing has been positive and enthusiastic.
The Students’ Union has been heavily involved throughout the initial development to help ensure My Manchester focuses on the needs of the user.
Student views and opinions have been sought regularly during development, and Phase Two will see on-going improvements and more features, based on in-depth student feedback.
Students trying to log into the Student Portal will now be automatically redirected to My Manchester.
The main StudentNet page is being gradually replaced by a 'guest view' of My Manchester, which will allow people who are not current students to access certain features of the system.
However, all deep links within StudentNet (e.g. pages with a www.studentnet.manchester.ac.uk address) will continue to work – and this includes direct links to the Crucial Guide Live.
The development of My Manchester was led by The Directorate for the Student Experience, with significant support from staff in IT Services and the Communications, Media and PR Division.
Two guides to My Manchester have been produced. Any queries can be directed to mymanchester@manchester.ac.uk.
NOTE: Staff who log into the portal will see the new My Manchester design but will have access to the same tools and services as previously.