Versity.com
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By Jed Conklin/Herald reporter 

Students miss class.

It’s an undeniable part of life at college. 

But each absence poses two problems. One, there are missed lectures, notes and announcements. And two, sometimes you can’t rely on copying notes from friends and your teacher would rather see you nose-dive into the empty pool of failure than enable your slackdom. 

The good news is that Versity.com, a site started by four University of Michigan students in 1997, promises to help. The online company provides class notes, homework assignments and daily class announcements free. 

“I think that students should use the site to enhance their education and to take advantage of all the products Versity offers, not just the lecture notes,” said Mike Burrell, the site’s campus operations manager for Western.

Western student Crystal Sparks, a freshman from Tell City, Ind., is one of the 35 Western students Versity.com employs as note-takers and marketers. She posts notes for some of the 60 Western courses the site offers and advertises the site through the countless chalk-drawings across campus.

Sparks says that students are afraid they’ll be charged once they get online or that the process will involve long forms to fill out. 

“It is real easy and quick to be a member,” she said. “It’s like totally free, (the site) makes money through ads.”

Some Western students think that Versity.com is for students who skip class. John Wilson, a Madisonville freshman said he does not visit the site.

“I know you get free lecture notes, but I usually go to class,” Wilson said.
Burrell admits that some students feel that the site is for skipping class. He does not. He thinks that by sharing notes between students, the learning experience is enhanced. 

“We don’t promote it (Versity.com) for skipping class,” Burrell said. “Students may want to check another student’s point of view.”
So what do the professors think about Versity.com? 

Burrell said the site encourages faculty feedback to help avoid bad lecture notes. He said among the professors he’s talked to, he’s only received one negative response. 

Chemistry department head William Shank thinks Versity.com is a good idea.

“If they can learn online, so be it,” Shank said.

Education professor Janice Ferguson says that she “wouldn’t recommend anybody using it because the middle person may have a different perspective than the teacher.”

Ferguson said the education department is starting to provide online courses and chat rooms for students. She would prefer that students use the notes from that site than from Versity.

“I’m more comfortable in the way we are moving to with our own web increment course,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson also warns that the students may not be the best for note taking.
“The person may or may not be a good note taker,” she said. “They may just be doing it for the money.”

Ferguson may not have to worry about many of her students getting bad notes.

The fact is that most of the students at Western, despite the advertisement, are not checking out the Web site. 

“This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything about it,” said Jerry Nunn, a Glasgow junior, after reading a chalking in front of Downing University Center.

Even students that know Versity exists do not access the site. 

“Someone gave me a card on it once, but when I’m online, I never think about,” said Jason Burgess, a  freshmen Mt. Juliet, Tenn., freshman.
Then there are the students that hate the site. Sean Murphy, a Louisville freshman, said he despises it. Murphy admitted that he had never visited Versity.com, but thinks the advertising is annoying and a waste.

“You think it would go away, the advertisement is everywhere? why do I need to see it more?” Murphy said. “If you want notes, go to class. If you can’t make friends, talk to the teacher. It’s a waste to go online. I guess people are just lazy.”

Despite the critics, including fliers that suggest doing pretty uncomfortable things to Versity.com, there are more and more new hits daily.  Since they have stepped up the advertisement to include free giveaways and hardcopy lecture notes, they have more than doubled the number of hits from last month. 

“In February we had 99 hits and in the last week we have had 200,” Burrell said. “Our user numbers are skyrocketing.”

So what happens if Versity.com falls flat on its dot-com?

Burrell thinks that his job could be jeopardized, but he does not think it relies solely on the user numbers. 

“I don’t think it is totally in the numbers, I think it would be managing skills,” Burrell said. “If the number of hits was like zero then I probably would be fired, but we’re new and the numbers are skyrocketing.” 
 

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