Reading time: 3 minutes
Each year, the TU Dresden offers students the opportunity to study various courses in Dresden through a one-week trial course. Since 2018, the TU Dresden has been using an event app for this purpose and this has made communication significantly easier.
In an interview, Eric Mildner, a member of the Student Counsel Centre responsible for the Summer University, tells us how he used the app and which additional benefits he and the participants can profit from. Have fun while reading. ?
LineUpr: Hello Eric. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. Please introduce yourself and the TU Dresden.
Eric: I have been working at the Student Council Centre of the TU Dresden since 2014 and there I am responsible for the Summer University. The TU Dresden has 32,400 students and, with 53 undergraduate and 71 postgraduate programs, a very wide range of subjects: natural sciences, engineering and traffic sciences, linguistics, literature and cultural studies, economics, education and training sciences, forestry, geo and environmental sciences, hydro sciences as well as computer science and medicine.
LineUpr: You first used LineUpr in 2018 for your Summer University. What is this event about and which target group are you addressing?
Eric: With the Summer University, we offer prospective students the opportunity to get to know university life at the TU Dresden for over four project weeks during the holiday. Under the motto “Try first, then study” you get insights into study courses, research and professions of STEM disciplines at the science campus Dresden. LineUpr allows prospective students, who are usually between 16 and 19 years old, to view our up-to-date program in compliance with data protection laws on their smartphone.
LineUpr: Was it the first time that you created an event app yourself? What is your feedback about LineUpr?
Eric: I used LineUpr for the first time and I am very satisfied. The handling is easy and the team is always available to answer questions.
LineUpr: Do you also use printed products for the participants or is everything digital?
Eric: We used a printed program until 2017, which was then completely replaced by LineUpr.
We welcome them in the app and give them tips on how to use them. Then we ask you to give us feedback on which events you would like to attend.
LineUpr: How do you use the app before, during, and after the various events?
Eric: A few weeks before the start of the Summer University we send the participants the link to the program for their week. We welcome them to the app and give them tips on how to use it. Then we ask them to give us feedback on which events they would like to attend. In the week itself, the participants mainly use LineUpr to find out the times and locations of their events. Via Posts, we also publish important notifications such as updates to the program or reminders, so that everyone is up to date.
LineUpr: How did the students react to the app?
Eric: LineUpr was very well received and there were no problems using it.
Thanks to LineUpr, we can reach all of our participants at once and that too in compliance with data protection law, which makes communication much easier.
Quote: Thanks to LineUpr, we can reach all of our participants at once and that too in compliance with data protection law, which makes communication much easier.
LineUpr: How have the two event formats changed by using the event app?
Eric: Thanks to LineUpr, we can reach all of our participants at once and that too in compliance with data protection laws, which make organization /communication much easier. Besides, it helps the participants because they use the app intuitively and can be navigated directly to the locations.
LineUpr: We want to grow daily and offer our customers a better experience, what features do you wish for the app and why?
Eric: For us, it would be extremely helpful if the participants could preselect their event in the app and submit it to us so that we can get rid of the PDF forms that we send in the email with the link to the app.
LineUpr: Which top three tips would you like to give other organizers when using LineUpr?
Eric: Just get started and ask the team in case of doubt. It is very easy to use.
LineUpr: Thank you, Eric, for the great interview and feedback. The summer university is a great concept to allow students to first test out a real study course. More information about the Summer University can be found on the homepage of the TUD. The profiles of the TUD on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube are always worth a visit.
We are already looking forward to the next four weeks of the Summer University.
