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Indiana University has a new gateway Web page. And the early reviews (the site went on line March 1) have been positive.
Comments from high school students, school counselors, parents and other people from outside IU, even from outside the United States, were solicited to provide feedback about how fast IU's new site appeared on the screen and whether the information it offered was useful.
"The IU Web site is a great introduction to the IU system. It looks and feels vibrant and allows quick access to the key information that students and parents need," said Mark Rothschild, whose Chicago-area company, FastWEB, has been called the premier one-stop financial aid and career Internet site for college-bound students and their parents.
Last fall, IU's Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations (PAGR) joined forces with University Information Technology Services (UITS) to create a unique new team of Web information architects, writers, graphic designers and survey researchers. Several faculty members also were consulted.
Their efforts resulted in a complete redesign of IU's main home page, as well as nearly 20 other new Web pages devoted to resources available on all eight IU campuses, application information, available majors and programs, and other information identified as important in surveys.
"For too many schools, Web sites serve as a collection of links, rather than creating a cohesive whole," said Rothschild. "Schools fall into one of two traps with their Web sites. One, it's just a front page with a collection of links to individual departments, with no cohesive strategy or consistent user experience, or two, they just simply make it a brochure on line."
In April 1998, IU Web servers were accessed more than 2.8 million times, and about one-third of these "virtual visits" came from outside the IU community. The look and feel of the new Web pages will be comfortably familiar to those who have seen the university's promotional literature and commercials, noted Christopher Simpson, IU vice president for public affairs and government relations.
"Because the new Web page is an invaluable communications tool, we felt that it is essential that it be user-friendly, comprehensive, informative and fun," he said. "We believe we have met these objectives, while visually aligning the page to the university's current marketing efforts. The Web page dovetails both in appearance and key messages with our other communications venues, including publications, posters, billboards and television commercials.
"With the Web page as an integral piece, we believe the effort to better tell IU's wonderful success story has become truly integrated," Simpson added.
Cynthia Schultz served as team leader and project manager. Julie Jensen managed usability testing of the Web pages and assisted with all aspects of the project, including conceptualizing sites and organizing information into formats for Web pages.
IU's site, under development and testing since last fall, replaces an existing gateway page for IU and its eight campuses. Its new features include quicker access to IU libraries and a new search engine powered by InfoSeek and developed by UITS Web Tech Services.
Greater ease in finding E-mail addresses, computing help and other university-wide tools are other key features.
Future plans for the site include an events calendar about cultural, athletic and academic events at all eight IU campuses.
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