What's New in PAWS

Exciting news! PAWS now offers a new way to communicate and receive important university information.

Communicators across campus, have, until now, been able to target specific groups of people on campus via either the Announcements channel on the PAWS Home tab or via email. Now, thanks to a collaborative effort with Student Computing, announcers also have the option to send time-sensitive, high priority information via text message through the PAWS Announcements system.

But U of S text messages are a two-way street. You may choose to receive, or not receive, announcement texts. Only those who opt-in will get U of S Announcement texts sent to their cell phones or other mobile devices.

To opt-in, click the “Mobile” icon at the bottom left of your Announcements channel on the PAWS Home tab. A separate window will open, where you can specify your operator and enter your cell number.

You'll still receive important information in your Announcements channel in PAWS and via email. If you sign up for text messages, you may also receive especially timely information – short notice changes, campus hazards or significant closures (spills, construction), or other unpredictable events that may affect groups of people at the university – via text. It's yet another way to stay informed about what’s happening at the U of S.

If you've got questions about PAWS announcements via text message, you may wish to read the text-messaging-specific FAQs. As always, you can get help with anything PAWS related by contacting the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 11:53 AM | Permalink

Students wanting to access online academic services, including registration, will notice that managing their academic career in PAWS has been greatly enhanced with a new link system and many visual improvements. Beyond this new look and feel the key content has also been reorganized to create a more fluid user experience.

Access to registration, for example, is still found within the Registration channel of the Academics tab in PAWS. Once you click on the registration link, however, you will notice the improvements. All of the registration tasks, and other academic services related links, now appear in a new multi-function student services page under PAWS.

Similarly, clicking any of the student service links in the Academics tab will send you to this new multi-function student services web page (see above). The four easy access drop-down menus allow students to take care of traditional registration activities, review student records, check admission status, or find tax information. Beneath each of these higher order categories students will find quick access to other important student services functions and related information.

Help with anything PAWS related is offered through the ITS Help Desk. We welcome your feedback, so please send us your comments or suggestions.

Posted by PAWS Content and Communications at 12:58 PM | Permalink