Most college campuses are high-traffic areas, and that’s usually a good thing. The buzz of students, professors, visitors, and staff create that signature campus energy. But for the foreseeable future, the spread of COVID-19 has made that same atmosphere a liability.
While vaccine implementation is on the horizon, it will still be many, many months before the COVID pandemic is under control. That’s why college and university administrators must work creatively to reduce high volumes of traffic and gathering, especially in indoor areas. Queuing technology solutions can help keep students, educators, and everyone else safe, healthy, and on campus.
A queuing solution transforms crowded waiting areas into safe, controlled environments.
As long as there are students on campus, administrative areas like registration, financial aid, and advising/guidance offices must adjust their operations to ensure social distancing while efficiently providing student services.
Cloud-based queuing software eliminates congregating by allowing students to join a virtual “line” from anywhere on campus via the modality of their choice: a website, mobile app, on-site kiosk, or phone call or text. Students are free to study, enjoy the outdoors, or squeeze in a few minutes of much-needed self-care instead of waiting in a long line in an enclosed, indoor space.
Queuing technology that enables two-way communication—like Q-Anywhere—is especially helpful. It means that staff members can keep in touch with students throughout the appointment and queuing process. Staff can manage lines, schedule appointments strategically to take advantage of less busy times, and receive real-time feedback. Students can request more time if they’re running behind, or leave the line if they need to.
Capacity management lowers the risk of gathering and helps keep campuses open.
There’s no question that students, parents, and educators still highly value—and prefer—in-person, on campus learning and interaction. By reducing the risks of gathering, queuing solutions create a clear path to keep campuses open and functioning.
Frequent wait time notifications and updates assure students of their place in the virtual queue, eliminating the necessity of calling or visiting the office in-person to follow up. Students are notified when their appointment time nears, and it’s safe to enter the building. If appointments are running behind, wait times will automatically update to ensure only the minimum number of individuals are in the space to prevent overcrowding.
Creating an atmosphere of safety increases staff engagement, student experience.
If your staff and educators don’t feel safe, it will negatively impact your student experience. A virtual queuing solution helps you maintain an organized flow of students, increasing staff satisfaction and productivity. Gone are the overwhelmingly long lines and crowded lobbies that not only hamper social distancing, but cause students to grow impatient and frustrated.
When you adopt queuing technology, you can eliminate the types of overcrowded environments that increase stress and anxiety among your staff—emotions that can become palpable to students in the environment. In contrast, when staff know that a queuing solution is central to safeguarding their health at work, they’re better equipped to provide optimal service.
When you provide a safe environment for students, faculty, and staff, everybody wins.
Preventing the spread of COVID with the Q-Anywhere virtual queuing solution enables colleges and universities to keep their campuses open, continuing to provide the education and experience that parents and students value so much. Faculty and staff feel safe at work, and you can reduce the risk of shutdowns that harm your institution’s revenue and interrupts school, work, and business operations.
So what about post-COVID, when things are “back to normal?” Social distancing and masking may eventually become a thing of the past, but queuing solutions like Q-Anywhere—and the convenience, efficiency, and satisfaction they bring—aren’t going anywhere.
