Above: Artist depiction of GPS+ in future Campus Commons building. 

The University of Northern Colorado’s future integrated student services center received its permanent name and logo this week.

Temporarily titled One Stop Plus during its planning phase, GPS+ will become UNC’s integrated services center for students, faculty and alumni needing access to financial aid, registration, bursar, and additional university support resources. GPS+ will be located in the new Campus Commons.

“The GPS+ represents a significant opportunity for UNC to provide a seamless, integrated experience for our students to get help navigating complex university systems,” said GPS+ director Sarah Chase. “Not only will students, parents, and alumni receive help completing fundamental business transactions, but our GPS+ Navigators will be available to connect students with other important resources across the UNC campus such as career counseling, major exploration, civic engagement opportunities, and study abroad (to name a few).”

According to Chase, other universities have begun adopting integrated services, but GPS+ is different.  

“Our model is unique because our GPS+ Navigators will be trained to assist students using a case management strategy. This means Navigators will help students resolve complex issues from the initial point of contact all the way through to a successful resolution. Additionally, UNC’s center is unique in that we’ll be ready to assist students with connections beyond those fundamental business transactions. This component is a real value-add to UNC students.”

The university chose GPS+ because of the association with Global Positioning System acronym  GPS which is synonymous with navigation. 

 “GPS+ captures the idea that our goal is to assist students, parents, alumni, faculty, and staff with resources and information,” says Chase.

“The pinpoint design of our logo ‘points’ to GPS+, and serves as a subtle but consistent reminder that ‘GPS+ is the place to be!’ The body of the logo incorporates a maze, which is consistent with the University experience. It IS like a maze to navigate the complex university environment. And our GPS+ Navigators are there to assist students along their journeys toward success.”

Complete implementation of GPS+ will be phased in over the next few years, beginning with website development and Navigator hiring this year, leading to the opening of the Campus Commons in late 2018 or early 2019.

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