The recent update to the MyUSF platform has left students, faculty, and staff at the University of South Florida (USF) scratching their heads. Aimed at improving functionality, the overhaul seems to have achieved the opposite—introducing unnecessary changes while failing to address long-standing issues. Here’s why the latest MyUSF update feels more like a step backward than forward.
A Disconnected User Experience
One of the most glaring problems with the update is the fragmented user experience. The new interface is more complicated, requiring more clicks to access essential tools and services. What once took one or two clicks now takes significantly more, leading to frustration among users.
The redesigned dashboard may look modern, but its functionality leaves much to be desired. The information architecture appears disorganized, and many students have voiced concerns that they cannot find the resources they frequently use, such as class schedules, financial aid information, or the Canvas portal, without an unnecessary hunt.
Unwanted Visual Changes
USF’s decision to focus on aesthetic changes over practicality has been a sticking point for many. The new interface introduces a design that is visually busy, with vibrant colors and large icons. While this may seem like an attempt to appear more “modern” and “interactive,” the end result is that it distracts from ease of navigation.
The previous MyUSF interface may not have been the most attractive, but it was straightforward and functional. The visual overhaul feels out of place for a platform that students rely on daily for practical purposes, not for its design.
Failure to Address Long-Standing Issues
While the update has brought a host of new features, it did little to address long-standing concerns that users have been voicing for years.
1. Slow Load Times
One major complaint about MyUSF before the update was the platform’s sluggish load times. Unfortunately, the new version has not fixed this problem. In fact, some users report that the system now feels even slower, with added load times caused by the increased complexity of the interface.
2. Mobile Usability
With students and faculty increasingly relying on mobile devices to access university services, MyUSF’s mobile functionality remains subpar. While the update aimed to introduce a mobile-friendly interface, users still report a clunky experience on smartphones and tablets. The new interface doesn’t scale well, and vital information is often buried behind poorly organized menus.
Student and Faculty Feedback Ignored
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the update is that it feels like a top-down decision made without adequately considering user feedback. Students and faculty were not extensively consulted on the changes they wanted or needed. Instead, the update seems to be driven by internal priorities rather than addressing real user pain points.
For example, integrating various systems into a single platform was a request voiced by many for years. Yet, this update still requires users to log into multiple portals for different services. The fragmented access to student accounts, library resources, and learning platforms remains a persistent issue.
Was This Update Necessary?
One can’t help but ask: was this update even necessary? While the previous version of MyUSF wasn’t perfect, it got the job done. This overhaul seems to have been done for the sake of change, rather than responding to actual user needs.
The rollout also came with little warning or training, leaving students and faculty scrambling to adjust to an unfamiliar system in the middle of an already busy semester.
Conclusion: A Missed Opportunity
The MyUSF update could have been an opportunity to improve the user experience by focusing on practical functionality, speed, and integration. Instead, it feels like a cosmetic upgrade that sacrifices ease of use for flashy design elements and confusing navigation.
In a time when students and faculty need seamless, user-friendly digital platforms more than ever, USF’s decision to roll out this update without addressing core usability issues feels like a missed opportunity—and one that no one really asked for.
