A PantherNOW story by Sherrilyn Cabrera/Contributing Writer

Business students now have a new incentive to be involved on campus with the launch of a new app that offers prizes for involvement.

The FIU College of Business (COB) released the BizPass mobile app on Monday, Aug. 20 on the Playstore and App store. FIU Bizpass is a platform to expose business students to a range of professional events and activities, as well as social opportunities.

Each business student with the app will have access to a list of campus and community events, earning them points when they attend by scanning a QR code or entering an ID specific to the event; ultimately, the points will add up, rewarding the students with prizes.

BizPass and its point-based system, an idea led by Dean Joanne Li of the COB, is what Li described as an important concept to reach the competitive nature of the business student.

“It’s kind of like a frequent mileage, a built-in loyalty system for the student,” Li said. “When you get to a certain point, we get your engagement, we want to reward you.”

The mobile app, expected to launch this fall as the new class of the business college is welcomed, also aims at reaching the mobile-friendly, app-savvy habits of the current generation.

Li described this generation of ‘learners’ as much different than previous ones, as well as their approaches to engagement.

“The goal is to really use the language, use the culture of this generation to get to engage our students,” she said. “Your generation is very much used to the idea of downloading apps, paying through Venmo, workout apps, all these things. So, we want to be a part of your life.”

With the mobile app, events and activities will be easily accessible and presented immediately at the fingertips of the students, allowing flexibility for the college to easily manage programs and resources.

This flexibility, as the dean described, will open a new academic path for students.

“This is a very good way to open a path for the business student, without them really thinking about it,” she said. “We want to use BizPass to gently nudge our students to build their careers, their skills, build a professional network, and truly to build a sense of commitment.”

Uploading a resume, or scheduling an appointment with a career advisor, will add points to the student’s score board.

Events will be academically motivated, with special guests and speakers scheduled to visit the COB. Other events will be professional and social, such as job-fairs and ‘dress for success’ evenings.

“You may ask ‘woah, this is a business school, why are we talking about social activities?’,” said Li. “Actually, social activities promote very strong essential skills for any profession, very essential to grow a business professional.”

Students will no longer be limited to searching a website, hearing by ear, or waiting for email announcements when it comes to engagement at the college.

BizPass’s ultimate goal is to create a sense of habit in the student’s mind, as Li described. Student’s will be able to plan their week efficiently by scheduling days for networking and skill building, all while earning points.

As of Friday, Aug. 24, the app has had 500 downloads and logins, according to Cynthia M. Corzo, senior account manager for the COB.

“As the college of business, we have a judicial duty to make sure that we use our resources in the most effective and efficient way, to ensure student success,” said Li. “Afterall, students are our number one constituents.”