As of April 24, Saint Louis University students, faculty and staff have a revamped Internet portal through which to access all of their most-used SLU Web tools.

Formerly known as Gateway portal, the new mySLU was created to be user-friendly, more convenient and more aesthetically pleasing. SLU Information Technology Services hopes that SLU users will utilize mySLU more than its predecessor as their go-to online resource.

Vice President of ITS Ellen Watson said that the SLU Internet portal was transformed to “make it easier to navigate and make it more useful to people.” To these ends, the portal was streamlined and organized to link SLU users to their most-used online resources directly. In addition to e-mail, users can now access services such as Banner and Blackboard, the newer counterpart of WebCT, without having to log-in to each service separately.

Still more appealing to university users might be the customization potential that mySLU provides. Watson said that users can post events on their own personal calendars, make their calendars public and set appointments with other users. Also, students can create and join interest or class groups and send personalized announcements to other group members.

“It pushes all of the relevant news and information out to you so that you don’t have to go looking for it,” said Watson, “It’s a really big convenience.”

While all users still have access to certain universal tools, like SLU people finder, from their homepages, “staff, faculty and students all see different pictures” when they log on to mySLU, said Watson. For example, students can access a ‘student’ section that takes them directly into their own Banner account and links them to online registration and financial aid information. SLU staff members have an ’employee’ tab that gives them access to their pay-stubs and time sheets.

As mySLU’s content has been tweaked, so has its appearance. Watson said that to emphasize the portal’s useful resources and information, the site is now “nice and clean,” simply laid-out and with few frills. The portal uses SLU blue and white, unoffending neutral fonts and minimalist icons.

It seems that, even with all of its informational resources and one-stop-shop appeal, users might be hooked to mySLU first by this look.

“It’s different. It’s more aesthetically pleasing so people will want to use it,” said junior student Alba Calderon.

Jeff Kapp, director for administrative applications and a central contributor to mySLU, said that mySLU was launched just before classes started this semester so that students could get used to using it regularly.

“We think there are a lot of benefits there,” said Kapp. “We are willing to sit down with students and student groups who want to learn more [about using mySLU],” he said.

The new portal, at the web address http://myslu.slu.edu, has been in the works for “at least six months,” said Watson. “Many of the changes were made with student suggestions over the last year or so.”

Kapp said that he wanted especially to incorporate some of the ideas that the Student Government Association proposed last year, such as changing the name and appearance of the Gateway portal.

“MySLU has the potential to be a really good service at a good centralized location,” said SGA President Andrew Clifton. “It can be a more effective means of getting students connected.”

ITS is also working together with the SGA to launch a new student-centered SLU Web page called SLUConnection, which will link other resources for students such as an on- and off-campus events calendar, student-focused news, entertainment listings and a public blog. SLUConnection will launch on Sept. 13.