Students Express Frustrations with MyBU
Photo provided by Rampage student photographer Zander Slouth.
For many students at Bluefield University, MyBU is an essential tool for managing academic and financial information. However, numerous students have voiced frustrations about its usability, citing issues with accessibility, navigation, and functionality.
BU student Charles Howard described his struggles with MyBU’s search function.
“It is hard to look something up when you are intentionally looking for it,” Howard said. “For example, looking up courses or even your transcript — it’s hard to access simply.”
Going through the hassle of getting to something simple can be frustrating, Howard added, and it can also be time-consuming if you have to go through extra steps to get needed information. This frustration is shared by other students who find themselves wasting valuable time trying to locate basic information. The search bar, students say, often fails to provide relevant results, forcing users to click through multiple pages to find what they need. For students juggling coursework, extracurricular activities, and personal responsibilities, these inefficiencies only add to their stress.
“It (MyBU) can glitch me out at times and can be really frustrating,” BU student Max Boyd said, “especially when you’ve already gotten to the website you’re on.”
BU’s Tim Robinette, director of technology services, said the IST Department is well aware of the navigation and accesibility issues with MyBU, but he added that some of those problems are out of the control of IST because of the security measures on the portal.
“We fully understand the justification for these complaints,” Robinette said. “Our student portal is directly tied in with our student information system (SIS), which is designed with security in mind to protect students’ academic and financial information. Due to this, many aspects of the design were not chosen, implemented, or are in control by IST. That said, we do agree with students that there is a need for improvement in this area. Moving forward, we will work on improving organization and navigation of MyBU.”
Students also expressed concerns about getting logged out of MyBU unexpectedly or encountering loading errors at crucial moments, such as when registering for classes or checking their financial balances. Alden Addington also noted difficulties with navigation.
“Trying to see where your transcript is at is really annoying, and it can also lead to misunderstandings,” said Addington, who added that he wished the MyBU layout were more intuitive. “Sometimes you end up clicking through multiple pages just to find something simple.”
This issue is particularly problematic, students say, because it can cause them to miss important deadlines or overlook critical information, impacting their academic progress and financial obligations. The lack of an intuitive layout, they say, forces students to spend additional time navigating the portal, detracting from their focus on studies and campus life.
In addition, some students have reported difficulties logging in, experiencing technical errors, and struggling to find key academic information. As a result, students often turn to peers or faculty for help, further slowing down their ability to complete important tasks independently.
“IST has always appreciated feedback from students as it gives us students’ perspectives on where we can strive to provide a better experience,” Robinette said. He also encouraged students to reach out to IST when they’re dealing with specific issues.
Students experiencing issues with MyBU are encouraged to use the “Support” tab/tool in MyBU to submit a request for assistance with the Information and Systems Technology (IST) Department. Students may also e-mail IST to request support.