UD student’s Web site a hit with users, not officials

Now site is up for an innovation award in Indiana, the home state of its creator.

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 11:00 AM Saturday, April 11, 2009

University of Dayton student Ryan Sapp created a college note-sharing Web site that’s being used on hundreds of campuses, but UD officials aren’t thrilled about it.

The junior from Indianapolis launched ISleptThroughClass.com in September 2007. The free site allows students to upload class lecture notes from their college or university, or to download them from a database when they miss a class.

“People are bound to miss class every once in a while, and it’s not just lazy people or the people that have been partying too much,” said Sapp, 21.

The site, which has 12,000 active members at 900 schools, is an “educational resource,” Sapp said.

University officials believe otherwise.

ISleptThroughClass.com was a finalist in UD’s annual Business Plan Competition, which offers more than $35,000 in prizes. The site was disqualified in January because it conflicts with the university’s values.

“It could be viewed as, and probably is for some students, an enabling mechanism not to go to class when they should,” said Dean McFarlin, management and marketing department chairman.

This month, Sapp’s site was nominated as Innovation of the Year at the 2009 TechPoint Mira Awards, honoring Indiana’s technology leaders. Mira Awards finalists will be announced today, April 10.

ISleptThroughClass.com is a big help to UD student Dan Wallace. “Just in case you miss a class, you have something to do, it will put you over the top,” said the sophomore from Chicago.

UD student Matt McCarthy downloaded a study guide for a class. “I go to class,” said the junior. “It was just another set of notes to look at.”

Students who upload notes earn points, which can be redeemed using the site’s rewards catalog.

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