By Anna Sumner ('25)
You enter the chapel and open the Campus Groups app on your phone. It’s a new scanning method this fall, and it boots you from the app, blocking access to the QR code. You then sign in using the laptop.
Why does Houghton use Campus Groups, anyway?
Sadie Nakamura ’26 said that she “was not as much a fan [of Campus Groups] as ID scanning”—a method used during the 2023-2024 academic school year. Both she and Kaitlyn Avery ’26 expressed annoyance with the long line and being unable to access the QR code.
Dr. Bill Burrichter, Vice President for Student Life, explained that the previous method of scanning student IDs for chapel and Around the Table attendance was becoming unpractical and outdated. ID barcode scanners collected student data, which then had to be manually uploaded by a staff member to mark attendance. Several of these barcode scanning devices broke and needed to be replaced.
Houghton had a choice, explained Dr. Burricher, whether to replace the expensive barcode scanners or switch to an alternate method. Even when using the ID method, attendance was marked on Campus Groups and was already implemented across campus. Also, most students already own mobile phones. It seemed like the obvious choice.
During the first two weeks of using Campus Groups for chapel scanning, Dr. Burricher said there were “some glitches.” The app was not entirely equipped to handle the level of engagement across college campuses. On the Houghton end, upcoming chapels were batch uploaded without being sorted properly, which needed to be manually fixed.
Dr. Burrichter said that the reason students are removed from the app is because of data signal confusion, chapel Wi-Fi and the app itself. Students log into the Hub using their data, and when they enter the foyer, their phones switch over to the Wi-Fi signal from the newly installed routers. The app detects the change and prompts a re-sign in.
Signing in again is a slow process. The app needs to receive the signal, find the Houghton Hub again and requires password input. Dr. Burrichter explained that the signal is often impacted by the walls and glass between the sanctuary and foyer. They have already placed two routers in the foyer and are planning on more.
“As an institution, we are committed to figuring it out.” Dr. Burricher added that “we are trying to make the best of technology, and technology is challenging for all.”
In the 2022-2023 school year, HU used a QR code projected onto the wall that students would scan using the Campus Groups app. It was “chaos and mayhem,” Dr. Burrichter said. The method encountered frequent problems.
Rachel Wright, the Director of the Office of Vocation and Calling, is on the team with Jana Newberry (the Director of Student Engagement) to make Campus Groups work for HU.
“As a Houghton alum and as somebody who’s worked here in a variety of roles, I don’t think I’ve ever met anybody that is not willing to listen to students,” she said.
Rachel Wright is an advocate for Houghton students to the organization, and is in frequent contact with Campus Groups. She described herself as a “buzzing fly.”
She has several tips for students to improve their chapel scanning experience. Firstly, students should reinstall the app, because it doesn’t update automatically. The most recent update was in September. Secondly, she recommended taking a screenshot of the QR Code on Campus Groups. Thirdly, if students receive an error message, they can send an email to her with a screenshot of the error and their phone model. She will report this error to Campus Groups who can then pinpoint the glitches. ★