Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) students and club leaders manage and organize clubs through a system called OrgSync. The Office of Student Leadership and Community Development (OSLCD) decided to replace Campus Groups, the previous system used for three years, after students found that it was inconvenient.

The switch to OrgSync first took place at the beginning of this school year. After a month, several students and faculty shared positive feedback about it.

Michelle Tam, FCLC ’13 president of Asian Pacific American Coalition (APAC), said that Campus Groups was not functional and said, “As treasurer of APAC last year I only ever used it to request money and request rooms. No one was on it and the only reason people went on it was for treasurers to request money.”

Tam said, “I like Org Sync because now everyone is on it and all the students can check the calendar to see what is going on instead of just relying on emails which are not always delivered.”

Aisha Blake, FCLC ’13 and secretary of Global Outreach (GO!), said that Campus Groups was an “unfortunate self-fulfilling prophecy.” She said, “I didn’t get any updates from clubs when I was a freshman, so I forgot about it.” Blake also said, “When I became a club leader, I figured most people had a similar experience, so why use it if no one was going to pay attention to my updates?”

According to Dorothy Wenzel, director of Student Leadership and Community Development, “Campus Groups was a good system for processing club requests, but we had some complaints from students about technical difficulties.”

Wenzel said that after FCLC students participated in a demonstration of OrgSync last year, they recommended to switch. She said that OrgSync is “designed for the entire student body,” not just club leaders.

In addition, Wenzel said that OrgSync is “a great way to find out what’s happening on campus.” “Students can join clubs through OrgSync and get news and updates about their student organizations. FCLC students also have access to the Rose Hill clubs and organizations to join those groups and find out about events happening at Rose Hill. “

Kevin Quaratino, FCLC ’13 and president of Commuting Students’ Association (CSA), agreed with Wenzel about OrgSync’s convenience, and said, “From what I understand, it’s extremely user friendly. We’re big fans of the “social networking” inspired design as well as the efficient process for submitting event requests.”

Other leaders like Nazia Kamruzzaman, FCLC ’13 and public relations officer of Desi Chai, said, “The greatest part about OrgSync is that we can book rooms without clashing with other clubs and students are well aware about where and when club meetings will occur.”

“There are times when OrgSync gets confusing but there is a ‘help’ button which provides explanations and can help you find what you’re looking for,” Kamruzzaman said.

Umma Saima, FCLC ’14 and also public relations officer of Desi Chai, said, “Last year people barely ever knew anything about what was happening at Rose hill. With OrgSync, it’s easier to stay updated about both campuses.”

First year students, like Noureen Qureshi, FCLC ’15, said that OrgSync helped her stay involved on campus. “In general, this tool allows me to schedule my academic and social life, leaving little room for mixups in my schedules,” Qureshi said. “At first the system takes some getting used to, but the calendar and event list are to the point and easy to access.”

Overall, students like OrgSync better compared to Campus Groups, but there were still some that disagreed. Leon Nisnevich, FCLC ’15, said, “It’s one more social network type of thing I have to keep track of.

He said, “It’s must easier to use Facebook. Clubs should have better Facebook integration because it’s much easier to use and is a multi-platform.”