The Outdoor Program (OP) is one of the best opportunities for students to see Colorado, make friends and go on an adventure in their free time. The OP gives students the access to cheap outdoor gear and a number of cheap trips to explore the western slope.
However, without the use of digital trip information, it can be harder than needed to #getyouselfoutthere.
I will say this because I feel like I have to, but this is my opinion about the OP and this is one thing that I think the program could improve on. I am not an avid user of the OP services but would like to be.
I personally find it difficult to plan and create time to visit the OP because I am so busy like most CMU students.
I am a supporter of the OP and love the idea and the opportunities it presents students with, but I believe it would be more effective if there was more information online about trips and events happening and be able to sign up for trips online.
Having to actually go into the OP office seems like the long form way of doing thing nowadays, and people are lazy.
It would be more efficient if a list of the trips offered was put up online so that people could plan around their schedules. I know some of the OP trips are planned on the fly, but even a week’s notice online would be helpful for busy college students.
I know employees of the OP are super nice and helpful, but without having these trips posted online, the OP seems exclusive to just the regular users of the program and employees of the OP.
Students can go to the OP and look at the list of trips, but sometimes we are so busy that we forget about that. Orgsync is another possible space that the OP could post trips. The school calendar is on Orgsync and it is easy to use and post to.
I follow their Instagram and I find it helpful as a way to stay connected with them. The OP has just under 1,500 follows, which is a significant amount of this school.
The OP does do a good job of post on the day of an event, like a trip to Powderhorn or hiking. But, it would be nice if they posted days in advance so students could plan around their busy schedules faster or save the money needed to go on the trips.
I think it would be great if the OP could at least set the dates of several trips before a new semester begins and post them on Instagram, Facebook or the create a CMU OP website.
Students would be able to take off work or plan their winter and spring break around these awesome trips right from their computers at home. More students could join a trip, not just the OP group.
At this point, it feels more like an OP clique than a group where all students are welcome. The OP gets a lot of money from our student fees, so it seems it wouldn’t be too bad or expensive to create a website to show what trips are happening and be able to sign up right then and there.
