As years go on and campus changes, so does NW’s technology. Recently, there has been a refresh to NW’s student portal. With this change comes questions from students still learning how to navigate this new and changing version of the student portal. Below is a series of frequntly asked questions and answers from two of NW’s faculty and staff who have been involved in the prcess of these changes.
First, how do you find the Campus Directory?
Chau Le said, “The Campus Directory is currently undergoing maintenance and we expect it to be back up within the next couple of weeks. Once it’s back online, you’ll find it listed under the Quick Links section on the homepage, within the dropdown menu under ‘More’.
Second when are we going to be able to see our transfer credits?
Scott Monsma said, “The transfer courses should be showing up in the student advising worksheet. They may not be in the right place yet. We knew we would run into data conversion issues and this is one that happened. The registrar’s office has been working hard on this – but there is a large number of transfer courses to address. Faculty advisors are aware of this issue and are working to correctly advise students and work with the registrar.”
Third, why did we switch the website in the middle of the year?
Scott Monsma said, “No timing would have been perfect. The administration made the choice for the dates of when we would switch the databases. I understand it was a complicated decision and there was no best date to choose. The switch to the updated MyNWC had to happen at the same time we did the database switch. Thus the reason for the update mid-semester.”
Fourth, why is the login different from the old website?
Chau Le said, “Log in has always required just the username (typically firstname.lastname). For years, many users tried logging in with their email addresses, so we added a script that automatically removed the ‘@’ and everything that comes after to make it work. With the new system launching, we’re moving away from that temporary fix and helping everyone learn the correct way to log in.We realize this change has caused some confusion, and if it continues to be a widespread issue, we may revisit this decision.”
Fifth, why does it take two to four clicks to get to something that used to only take 1 click?
Chau Le said, “We’ve received feedback that navigation is generally easier now, so having a few specific examples would help us pinpoint what might still need improvement. The goal of the redesign was to make important things more accessible and less cluttered. We encourage everyone to give it some time. Changes are always a bit tricky to navigate at first, but people usually get used to them before long and things eventually feel second nature again.”
Sixth, on student employment, why is that just a link to the old website?
Chau Le said, “For students, this is the only area still connected to the old site. With the tax year being January to December 2024, it was better to wait to switch the time entry system until January. Expect a new payroll setup in the new MyNWC next semester.”
Seventh, what benefits will this new website provide once it is completely set up?
Chau Le said, “Strictly from a user experience standpoint, the new design offers smoother navigation, mobile friendly interface, a cleaner layout, some new features, and overall more intuitive experience.”
Eighth, how long until the new website is completely built?
Chau Le said, “We expect it will take around two semesters to smooth out most of the major bugs. That said, like any system, it will always be evolving. New updates, features, and fixes will keep coming. So in short, it’ll remain a work in progress, just like the old one had been.”
For more information on the MyNWC website, contact helpdesk@nwciowa.
