From Static to Seamless: Jacksonville State Transforms Campus Navigation and Engagement with Innovative Solutions
Jacksonville State University’s adoption of Concept3D’s Interactive Map and 360º Tour has transformed how the campus engages with students, staff, and visitors. The map enhances the user experience with real-time updates and wayfinding and also improves operational efficiency by saving valuable time and resources.
About Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a 4-year public university located in northeast Alabama. Serving nearly 10,000 students, JSU aims to foster a learning-centered community that provides distinctive educational, cultural, and societal experiences across undergraduate and graduate programs.
The Challenge of Static, PDF Maps
Before implementing Concept3D’s Interactive Map, JSU was relying on a flat, static, in-house generated map which had been in use since 2001. The PDF format of their one-off collection of maps made them laborious and time consuming to maintain and update with current information. There was also no wayfinding capability for campus visitors to utilize.
While there was initial difficulty in justifying the need for a more innovative solution, multiple large construction projects happening simultaneously caused the university to consider a more dynamic option that would reflect constant changes in road closures, construction sites, and parking availability across campus. The true need for a map that could be updated in real-time in order to best serve both the campus community and visitors became undeniable.
An Innovative, Digital-First Approach to Interactive Mapping
JSU adopted Concept3D’s Interactive Map to provide a centralized, dynamic platform for all campus-related navigation and wayfinding. Since implementing the Interactive Map, JSU has seen significant improvements both in user experience and operational efficiency. The Interactive Map allows the university to quickly toggle various layers on and off, such as parking capacity changes, street closures, and event-specific features like game day info and Preview Day locations.
The feedback from staff, students, and visitors has been overwhelmingly positive. According to Newsome, “We’ve had zero negative feedback. Everyone loves it.”
Impact: Efficiency, Analytics, Admissions Tool
The real-time update capability of the map proved to be one of the most prominent benefits as it dramatically reduced the time and effort required to manage campus changes. As Chris Newsome, Director of Web Services, explains, “The map has saved me countless hours of work. Rather than taking time to generate new art and map content for a flat PDF, I can just drop a pin, add some info, publish, and I’m done.”
The Interactive Map’s ease of use eliminated the need to manually adjust artwork, allowing the web team to focus on more strategic tasks. Having accurate, up-to-date information always available also had a significant positive impact on the user experience.
“I can do something in a matter of minutes that in the past would sabotage my whole day”
Chris Newsome, Director of Web Services
The integration of Concept3D’s map and virtual tour has provided significant benefits for JSU’s admissions process. The ability to offer 360° virtual tours has specifically supported the Office of Campus Visits in showing JSU to out-of-state or international students any time of year. Newsome states, “We can give virtual tours year-round without worrying about weather or holidays. It’s a seamless experience for prospective students.”
The virtual tour has also driven increased traffic to the Interactive Map. Prospective students often begin with the tour to get a feel for the campus and then transition to the map to explore specific buildings or areas of interest. During big events on campus like Preview Day, JSU creates custom map layers that highlight key locations for incoming students and their families giving them ample content to engage with. The web team can quickly forward engagement analytics for these custom layers, which allows the admissions team to see which locations prospective students are most interested in and tailor future events to meet future students’ needs. Through the admissions cycle, the 360º Tour and the Interactive Map prove invaluable. Newsome says, “The tour and the map feed off each other, and it’s helpful for the admissions staff to be able to engage with somebody that’s already informed.”
By leveraging the robust analytic features of Concept3D’s Interactive Map, JSU is able to gain valuable insights into user behavior and enhance the overall campus experience through refinement of the map and tour. During Preview Day, Chris Newsome and his team created event-specific markers with unique identifiers like “Angle Hall PVD” to track engagement with event-related buildings. By analyzing the map’s traffic, they could see exactly which locations were popular with visitors and adjust content accordingly.
Additionally, Jacksonville State uses Google Analytics integrated with the map to monitor ongoing trends and improve keyword search. This data helps in understanding how users navigate campus and assists in improving how to write building descriptions with keyword search optimization in mind, ensuring users find what they need quickly.
“We’ve used the analytics to understand what people are looking for, and it helps us shape the content based on real need.”
Chris Newsome, Director of Web Services
Jacksonville State University’s adoption of Concept3D’s Interactive Map and virtual tour has transformed how the campus engages with students, staff, and visitors. The map enhances the user experience with real-time updates and wayfinding and also improves operational efficiency by saving valuable time and resources. By integrating the map with their virtual tour, JSU has created a seamless, cohesive experience that serves both the campus community and prospective students. “It’s a no-brainer,” says Newsome. “Everyone could benefit from Concept3D”
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