University of Rhode Island was recognized for its innovative Rhody Connect mobile app by Modo Labs in its 2021 Appademy Awards honoring colleges and universities for exemplary digital experiences through mobile apps. URI received second place for Best App for Recruiting and Admission for its Rhode to Becoming a Ram module for Admitted Students.
According to Modo, the fourth annual Appademy Awards emphasized the ways in which institutions of higher education “evolved to address the role mobile and the campus app plays in the Covid-era and highlights how schools are shifting to virtual events, empowering students to stay well and fostering community while many are off-campus.”
“The Appademy Awards not only recognizes the dedicated and creative efforts of colleges using the Modo platform but it also is a glimpse into the priorities and needs of institutions of higher education,” said Matt Willmore, senior director of product marketing at Modo. “In this year’s entries, we saw excellent examples of the ways that college apps made tasks easier, such as registering for classes and paying fees, and also substituted for many in-person college experiences like orientation and graduation.”
Launched in August 2020, Rhody Connect was a key element in safely welcoming URI students back to campus last fall, providing access to #rhodytogether support and study space availability, as well as daily self-assessment reminders that automatically triggered upon arrival to campus.
In March, URI developed in-house and launched the winning New Student Persona and Rhode to Becoming a Ram module, a companion to the Rhode to Becoming a Ram website, a cross-divisional and outcomes-based resource serving all of URI’s incoming students and their supporters.
In a press release announcing the winners, Willmore noted, “It’s impressive to see the variation and creativity of the app development teams. We saw again and again in this year’s applicant pool that colleges did more than get tasks done, they created digital experiences and options for students to engage with their college in ways we’ve never seen before and in ways that kept college an engaging, immersive experience.”
Rhody Connect is available for download on the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. When setting up the app, be sure to allow for push notifications to receive important University news and information.