Humber Polytechnic is building community among its students with the Goin' app.
Amanda Koski, manager, International Student Services, said about 4,100 Fall 2024 students have already joined the app which initially launched last year as a way to engage incoming international students, but has since been expanded to include domestic students as well.
The student-led platform creates a sense of community and offers students an opportunity to make new friends, share experiences and exchange resources about life on campus and living in the GTA.
The social networking platform lets registered students join online social groups or have one-to-one peer conversations where they can meet and connect with their fellow students. They can connect with other Humber students in their academic program or those with similar hobbies and interests or to network and share resources on subjects including housing, jobs, community events, leadership opportunities and more.
Koski said Goin' is a great tool for students coming to Humber for the first time and it is an example of how Humber provides an unparalleled student experience. Through the app, they can make friends with others in their program so they know people when they arrive. Attending post-secondary for the first time can be intimidating and the app hopes to allay some of those fears by letting students connect and build a community before they arrive on campus.
More than 350 groups have been created on the app - everything from gym enthusiasts to music lovers to part-time jobs for students - and Koski said there have been more than 120,000 connections made through the app with about 29,000 being between people from different countries. It's an average of about 22 connections per student.
Shaun Carson, associate director, Student Life and Learning, said research shows that the more involved a student is in post-secondary life, the more successful the experience is in terms of GPA and retention. Goin', along with initiatives such as First Year Experience and Orientation, help introduce learners to the Humber community before and after they arrive on campus.
Carson said there's about a six to eight per cent increase in GPA and roughly a 10 per cent increase in retention for students who enroll in Orientation and First Year Experience.
Students who feel connected and engaged might be more inclined to, for example, raise their hand during class to ask a question or join an extracurricular, Carson added. They may become more involved with campus life rather than attending class and leaving once they're done for the day.
Humber is also using student ambassadors, such as Yu Wang, to raise the app's profile among the student population. Wang, a second-year Culinary Management student, has been promoting it from her own social media accounts and talking it up to her peers whenever she gets an opportunity.
"This is an amazing app that can be used by students to start networking before they even arrive and to enhance their post-secondary experience," said Wang.
Carson said Humber students, like many young people, are active online and on social media platforms. Goin' is a way to reach them where they are. However, Carson said the students also crave in-person experiences as well and Goin' can help with that.
"Online is where students are living a lot of their time," said Carson. "So, they can connect with our community online first and that can open the door to in-person connections. They've been welcomed into the community and now feel comfortable so maybe it's a little easier to take the next step to come out to an event or sign up for something."
According to a report by Goin', 97.1 per cent of Humber students using the app reported that Goin' enhanced their pre-arrival experience while 91.6 per cent noted reduced anxiety thanks to the platform.
The connections made through Goin' also contributed to higher reassurance rates with students feeling more confident in their decision to attend Humber as 83.8 per cent of students indicated that Goin' reassured them that enrolling at Humber was the right choice.
Those interested in finding out more about the registering for the app can email fye@humber.ca their email inbox for a personal invitation in the coming weeks.
