Earlier this month, the Division of Student Affairs released a newsletter featuring a brief overview of an app called “Laker Dock.” Laker Dock is advertised as a “one-stop shop” for Grand Valley State University students by Information Technology (IT), providing a plethora of information and resources.
With the app, students have access to resources like account balances, class scheduling and housing information. It can also run tools like Blackboard, University Gmail and Navigate. Additionally, it can help students connect with tutors, IT support and Student Accessibility Resources. Laker Dock can be downloaded on both iOS and Android devices and accessed on desktops.
Laker Dock arose from the University’s Digital Transformation Strategy, a campaign to enhance and extend GVSU’s academic, research and collegiate experiences through supportive technologies. The strategy’s conception included interviews with faculty, staff and students who all shared a desire to have a centralized University resource. Laker Dock’s app development began in 2023 in collaboration with Pathify, a cloud-based platform designed for higher education. By early 2024, the app officially launched.
Although Laker Dock has been available to the public since 2024, a majority of the student body is still unaware of its existence. With the recent newsletter, the Division of Student Affairs is hoping to make the app more widely recognized, and engage potential users.
GVSU student Grace Salmerón explained although they do not have the app, they understand the potential benefits.
“I do not have this app (but) I do think this app has the potential to be beneficial, especially for freshmen learning the school system,” Salmerón said. “Having one location or app that contains both MyBanner and Blackboard is incredibly helpful,”
Director of Enterprise Applications and Information Technology Nick Nelson explained that despite the push for more users, there are students that currently utilize Laker Dock.
“We consistently see around 1,000 interactions in the app per day and typically have around 200-300 active users every day,” Nelson said. “We typically see a spike at the beginning of the semesters as well.”
According to Nelson, a popular feature of Laker Dock is its customizability. On the app, users can bookmark specific tools and pages to allow for quick access, as well as customize their dashboard to only show relevant information.
An additional feature Nelson highlighted was the ability to create groups using the Laker Dock, such as a group for the Outdoor Adventure Center. These groups work similarly to Facebook groups, Nelson explained, and can be either private or public. Users can also be auto-enrolled into groups based on major or class standing.
Currently, the Outdoor Adventure Center is the only public group on Laker Dock. The center is a branch of Recreation & Wellness, and has a mission to get students outdoors by providing adventure-based opportunities.
“We are constantly improving the app to add new content and features,” Nelson said. “Anyone interested in using the group functionality can reach out to us and we would be happy to have a conversation to see if the groups are a good fit.”
