GroupWise supports ActiveSync to mobile devices. Contact you schools IT department again asking where is the GroupWise Mobility Server (Novell Data Synchronizer Mobility Pack for GroupWise). ActiveSync is a bi-directional sync of Calendar, Contacts and Email protocol from Microsoft which is what the GroupWise Mobility Service does 100%.
This GroupWise Mobility Server is documented at https://www.novell.com/products/groupwise/features/mobile-email-sync.html?ref=h
Here is a video covering the GroupWise mobile solutions topic - https://www.novell.com/media/content/mobility-solutions-for-novell-groupwise.html
GroupWise 2012 is the latest version of GroupWise. This Mobility Solution works for GroupWise v8 and v2012.