Texas State launched NavigateTXST, a platform designed to streamline academic management for incoming and current students.

The app launched on April 28 for incoming students and Texas State plans for an additional full release for current students on Aug. 5.

Available on the App and Google Play Store as “Navigate Student,” the app enables students to create to-do lists, communicate with advising centers, make appointments and receive personalized guidance, according to Associate Vice President for Student Success Michael Preston.

“[NavigateTXST] is going to be the number one platform for [students] to interact with our advising centers on campus, for degree plans… it’s an opportunity for [students] to have all those resources in one place,” Preston said.

Preston said the application would allow students to directly send questions to Texas State.

“We will have a feature called Hand Raise where you can ask a question and we will have a team that will get back to you,” Preston said. “Hopefully, that will eliminate the shuffling around campus to try to find the right person [to answer a question].”

Additionally, Preston explained how the platform’s analytics will enable Texas State to assist new students facing challenges in university life. By comparing the academic paths of current students with those of past students who had similar journeys, NavigateTXST can identify those who may be struggling. This allows the university to address potential issues early on.

“[NavigateTXST is] a predictive analytics platform… and what it does is it takes 10 years worth of student data and analyzes it,” Preston said. “Each student will have a different profile that advising centers can review and make sure [the student] will hold up to graduation.”

Preston said NavigateTXST will protect students’ information by retaining it at Texas State and using the same encryption methods as other campus sites that store student data.

Lizzie Ibeabuchi, an incoming health sciences freshman, supports the program and said it would benefit her as she transitions to college.

“I think that [NavigateTXST] could help, especially [for] freshmen when you’re getting used to that shift from high school academics to college academics,” Ibeabuchi said.

According to Preston, current students will also see an immediate difference when it comes to communicating with the university.

“[One] nice feature is [that current students] will be able to make a number of different appointments outside of the normal business hours,” Preston said.

One of those students is Carlos Bacca, a history senior who said his freshman year was isolating, especially during COVID-19. Bacca said this program would have been helpful when he was starting at Texas State.

“The extra support [from Texas State] would’ve given us another perspective on why… [students were] struggling,” Bacca said. “[NavigateTXST] might have given [students] advice that you are maybe not getting from someone else or someone that’s close to you.”

For Preston, the main goal of NavigateTXST is to help students successfully graduate.

“[NavigateTXST] can find [students] a more efficient way to graduate and they don’t stay here an extra year,” Preston said. “[Students] don’t pay another year of tuition, [students won’t have] to take out more loans [and] get to a full-time job faster.”