About the MUG

Drastic changes are taking place in the workplace and institutions of higher learning. Digital technologies have and continue to change the way we work in fundamental ways. A wide array of professions are implementing emerging technologies in order to improve their services and connect with their customers, and the marketplace increasingly demands that graduates be equipped with cutting edge skills in order to be competitive.

These skills are becoming less and less about word processors and email clients, and more about being digital content creators and administrators. Students need to know how to create and administer websites, interact with social networking technologies, blog, and utilize a host of other new tools.

Additionally, the market is seeing a shift away from closed platform environments towards more open, flexible approaches. Solutions from Apple Inc. are becoming increasingly more common, and no company has innovated using these emerging technologies more than Apple.

Due to this changing market demand, and to a lack of available instruction, the Macintosh Users Group (MUG) was created to help students and faculty become more competitive in the classroom and the workforce by providing education and exposure to these new technologies.

The MUG meets monthly, addressing an array of topics that relate to software, hardware, and usage. By providing instruction regarding effective usage, and exposure to new and emerging technologies, the MUG helps students and faculty become more productive in the classroom, and consequently extends and enhances the learning environment at BYU-Idaho.

The MUG also works in conjunction with the Communications Department to improve professional and internship opportunities with Apple Inc. and their associates in the tech industry. Expertise with the OS X platform is required for these opportunities.

In the past, the MUG has been instrumental in coordinating visits from Apple corporate employees and engineers, and in coordinating large-scale educational seminars where these corporate personnel have provided training free of charge.

In addition to encouraging students to participate in the leadership of the organization, the MUG provides many opportunities for society members to participate in creative and organizational ways. Students are often keynote speakers at our meetings, and our members participate in a host of projects and events.

The MUG was also created to facilitate a gathering place for the ever-increasing number of Mac users on campus, both students and faculty: to teach them to better utilize their machines, and create an environment for constructive and collaborative sharing. In addition, the MUG is part of a national network of user groups.

The Macintosh Users Group provides a valuable supplementary service to BYU-Idaho by providing educational opportunities and extra-curricular activities that benefit students in the workplace and socially.

All students and faculty are welcome to join the MUG. Regardless if you're already a Mac user, or just want to learn more about the Macintosh: come party with the most creative and innovative people on campus and learn more about the digital lifestyle!

 

Please visit our Calendar page to learn more about our meetings and events.