What is SCAPEGOAT? and Why You Should Care
I’m sure by now that many of you have seen some of the advertisements on Facebook for an app called Scapegoat. Whether or not you decided to take a peek, I’m here to give you the run-down on what Scapegoat is, and why you should care.
In addition to it’s unique name, Scapegoat sets out to revolutionize the way that UIUC students schedule and manage their classes. As a former Illini, I’m more than aware of the frustration that is scheduling your classes each semester. Aside from the 130984239 windows you need to have pulled up on your computer simultaneously, the dinosaur of a technology that is the UIUC Enterprise system makes the task of scheduling all the more enjoyable.
So there you are, laptop open, counting down the minutes until you finally get the green light to open up the registrar. You’re stuck racing the clock in order to beat out the rest of your classmates for a spot in some of the most popular classes. 27 clicks and 5 logins later, you’re finally directed to the course selection page. But you learned your lesson the first time around (sorry freshman.) You’ve spent hours mapping out the courses you need to register for--frantically you type the course numbers into the infamous outlined boxes at the bottom of the page.
*Presses Enter, Crosses Fingers, Has Heart Attack.*
ERROR: One or more of the sections you have registered for has a conflicting start time.
“[Insert choice expletive here]” -- you yell as immediately you race for the page-back button to correct your mistake.
ERROR: One or more of the sections you have registered for is currently full.
Ladies and gentlemen... UIUC Registration.
Now, imagine a world where this was no longer the case, where you had a platform that generates the perfect schedule--complete with sections suggested based on required prerequisites for your major, class and professor ratings, friends in those classes, proximity between classes and more. No more wasted time trying to map out the perfect schedule, giving you the freedom to focus on actual learning.
Meet Scapegoat.
Although currently Scapegoat does not connect directly with the university registrar, this Beta version of our product gives UIUC a glimpse into what campus management where Scapegoat reigns supreme would look like.
Ultimately our goal is to convince the university that Scapegoat presents a game-changing interface for students to efficiently and effectively schedule their semester courses. We need your help UIUC, to spread the word and prove to the university that they should allow Scapegoat access to the registrar. This would allow us to build-in the features you want to see in a smart-scheduler.
Imagine the ability to real-time pre-check the database for time conflicts and filled sections, along with waitlist capabilities to register and swap courses within your schedule as students drop and add new courses the first few days of the semester.
Now that’s a game changer.
With a university partnership, the possibilities are endless. Spread the word.