Marist Groups: The New App for Club Management

Student viewing the Marist Groups app on his phone. Photo by Mackenzie Devitt '30

The new-and-improved Marist Groups app has recently taken over the campus as a central platform to organize all campus activity for both student-run clubs and official Marist University events. 

Initial reception of the app has been mixed. While some club officers claim that Marist Groups has greatly streamlined the process of club management, others cite difficulties they face with the app.

“One issue is that they implemented it on such short notice at the beginning of the year,” said Matthew Ingoglia ‘28, treasurer of Marist Computer Society. “We had barely any training on how to properly use the software.”

While Marist Groups has existed for several years, only recently has it been updated with all-new club management features. Club leaders are still adapting to this new platform and integrating it into their organization.

“It was actually the day before classes started, we got an email [about Marist Groups],” said Jane Swykowski ‘27, president of Marist Mindfulness Club. “Sorry, but there was nothing before that. Absolutely nothing.” 

Even though this timeline resulted in complications for clubs, some claim the rapid release was ultimately necessary.

“Our original plan was to introduce it in the spring and get clubs comfortable with using it, but there was a lot of work that we had to do on the backend,” said Kelli Nienstadt, assistant director of Student Activities. “We had to make sure it could do everything we wanted it to do.”

Despite complications, club organizers are confident that Marist Groups has the potential to grow into a powerful and versatile platform to power club management.

“In terms of direct effect on club meetings, the process has become significantly more streamlined,” said Rohan Plante ‘28, vice president of Marist Computer Society. “Before, to take attendance, someone with a laptop had to go around to everyone and ask for their name, email and CWID, but now it’s just simplified to scanning a QR code.”

Besides helping with attendance, Marist Groups also serves as an official platform to assist prospective members with contacting any club on campus.

“I know a ton of people from the past who wanted to join Mindfulness Club, but they had no idea how to contact us besides through social media,” said Swykowski. “Marist Groups gives clubs and extracurriculars a more official appearance, and it’s also an easier way to track people’s Priority Points.”

Regardless of the platform’s difficulties, many club officers agree that Marist Groups has the potential to revolutionize the social scene on campus.

“The people who were hosting the conference were aware of the flaws, and they’re actively trying to fix [them],” said Swykowski. “There’s potential for it. I just wish we would have gotten notified a little bit sooner.”