The University will pilot a new MyBGSU web portal during the next few months and will implement the new portal sometime next fall, a University developer announced at Monday night’s Undergraduate Student Government meeting.

Chris Wammes, senior applications developer in Information Technology Services, gave the plan for the portal to USG in a PowerPoint presentation.

The project will update the portal’s software, which is nine years old, and will make the site more user friendly, Wammes said.

“It really looks dated at this point,” he said.

The new design will work equally across all browsers and will better configure to different screen sizes, particularly smart phones, Wammes added.

The portal will better integrate the current features of MyBGSU, such as Canvas and the student center, which gives users their class schedule, meal plan balances and more.

“There’s a lot of things you get to, the portal provides a gateway to get to those different services,” he said.

The portal’s first phase will begin Jan. 31 as a private test for 175 participants in various offices including the ITS and bursar office. The second trial will begin Feb. 25 and is open to student volunteers.

“The second pilot is where we really want to open it up to anyone to volunteer,” Wammes said.

Wammes told USG he would like around 1,000 volunteers for the second pilot.

Bill Kidd, director of support services for the Wood County Hospital Association, also presented updates to the health center, the Falcon Health Center, which the University hopes to open for the fall 2013 semester.

Construction for the building, which will be located on the corner of South College and Wooster streets, will begin this week.

“We want to make sure we get this resource available for you by next August,” Kidd said. “That’s the goal and it’s an aggressive one.”

Senator Eric Juzkiw also presented legislation for a reform to Alert BG.

Alert BG is a text message and email alert system in which University Police send messages to warn the campus community of emergencies. Students automatically receive emails, but they must opt-in to receive texts.

The legislation supports an opt-out initiative, meaning students would automatically be signed-up for the texts unless they chose not to be.

Juzkiw said students are not aware of the program, which is why only one in four have signed up for the texts. This is something he said students would want to be a part of.

“You have to really want to not be a part of this to opt-out,” he said.

Speaker Melissa Dzienny tabled the legislation for further discussion this week. USG members will vote to endorse the opt-out initiative next Monday.

“I’m hopeful that a USG endorsement will come next week,” said USG President Alex Solis.