Students use mobile devices in nearly every facet of their lives so why should upgrading to a mobile friendly interface be off-limits.

According to Tim Leong, district director of communication relations, such a change may not be feasible.

InSite Portal is indeed a crucial navigator for mandatory necessaries such as registering for classes, schedules, events and any other pertaining information for students.

Which would validate the argument that how students view how InSite Portal is viewed through mobile devices has to change.

Most students experience frustration or difficulty when trying to access InSite on their phone, although some, however miraculously, have viewed it.

Whenever a student tries to bring up InSite Portal on his or her phone, a home screen is brought up and a list directory appears.

From the links listed, nothing is helpful for students or would benefit them immediately.

There is a link titled financial aid documents, which brings the user to a list of what would seem to be Contra Costa College’s documents for financial aid for the last five years.

Because of this random redirection, it is no wonder students find it confusing when trying to log on InSite through their phones.

An added inconvenience is the redirecting of the email server.

The simple fact that one cannot receive a email directly to their personal email without having a third-party system doing it for them, is quite upsetting.

The Peralta Community College District sends out emails directly to whichever email is listed on the student’s academic file, whether it be an district assigned email or personal one.

What are the restrictions within the Contra Costa Community College District  where the rearranging of an online email system is too difficult to perform?

“The system was set in a way to ensure the safety of a student’s information,” Leong said. “So no one hacks or accesses the information that isn’t theirs.”

The cyber security approach is one way of masking the simple action of redirecting emails for students hassle free.

And of course, students can access their email on an entirely different link: http://mail.4cd.edu, where you can sign in without having to go through the college’s website.

Leong also said there will be the use of the Microsoft SharePoint platform in the next two upcoming semesters where the plan is to implement feedback between different college staff for more say in portal sites and other web projects.

While the upgrades will strengthen the portal’s online usage, the district has to focus on the technological advances being made daily and to accommodate these very needs. Most students do not use InSite through the college’s website simply because there is no a real reason to visit the website. It is all done via phone.