Tag Archives: cms

Athletics

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Form of contact: Meeting with Coaches, AD, and Stakeholder

Stakeholder: Brad Nadeau

WebRedo Contact: Jamie Northrup

Website: http://www.middlebury.edu/athletics

Brief: The Athletics Department is interested in a few key areas- a more interactive site overall with photos, video, and interaction, the ability to customize individual team pages, and a better recruiting interface.

Athletics Requirements:

  • Upload/display/show/imbed video
  • Mobile score updates through current scoreboard interface designed by web services
  • Easy blogging for coaches
  • Easily upload audio sound/interviews to be played
  • Online store through bookstore to sell athletic merchandise
  • Flexibility for displaying different fonts/colors/sizes of text etc…
  • Ability for podcasts/RSS feeds
  • Way to display photos for potential purchase, thumbnails, full-size etc. aka-photo store
  • Top level visibility (don’t hide athletics)
  • Athletics template that can be customized with photos
  • Athletics wants to design/control IA for their site
  • Want mouse-over / menu display functionality
  • New recruiting functionality

Breadloaf School of English (BLSE)

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Jan. 29, 2009

Attending:  Sanda Legault, Judy Jessup, Elaine Lathrop, Lexa DeCourval, Karen Browne, Susan Holcomb with Renee Brown and Shel Sax

One major complaint was the Middlebury branding, student profiles that are undergraduate focused which doesn’t work for Bread Loaf. – would like to have the ability to use BL appropriate content. Love the fact that BLSE is well-positioned on the College’s home page along with MIIS, Writers Conference, etc.

Unlike other groups on campus, BLSE has its own communication/conferencing/email program, Breadnet (First Class software) that it uses for communications, particularly during the summers when the 4 campuses are in session. During that time, many students don’t use the Middlebury College web page, since all available relevant information is accessible from Breadnet.

Types of information: very basic information is currently there but have talked about photos, something like a Facebook page that connects applicants to current students, etc.

  • overview at BLSE page – with who we are, what we do, faculty
  • information that we have is there but the CMS standards are too rigid and have prevented BLSE from changing content – so the original content was mostly straight from the catalog and that’s what’s still there – this summer, looking to have a media section where they can put podcasts – this is an idea for the reunion – also issues with permissions for a large scale podcast initiative
  • integration with Banner Web is critical, particularly for the online applications process.
  • online application is confusing to students – students from the Language Schools apply to BLSE, for example

Navigation/Search:

  • Want to make sure that the inquiry process is in place for admissions, so that online applications and forms work well from the current web page. – some students need assistance but typically because they don’t read the available online instructions
  • some things are very hard to find e.g. webcams, campus map, etc.
  • search function is not a big help but a site map would be a big help. – are there people to advise on the better way to structure the site and to do more creative and interesting things
  • people want to get to information with only a few clicks

Requested Features/Functionality

  • areas for growth including online newsletter, audio and video of presentations, plays, readings, etc.,
  • online community for alums and current students, BLTN for example
  • Single log on and customization of individual pages would be desirable
  • Unique factor about BLSE is the use of FirstClass (Breadnet) for communication and some document sharing. Otherwise, use Ocelot
  • Having a link to Breadnet would be useful
  • Forms, applications, etc. are typically Banner based or on Ocelot
  • Definitely want embedded photos, video, podcasting, etc.
  • visual map for the various campus, virtual tours of the 4 campuses
  • Want to have students submit and publish photos taken by BL’ers with some control.
  • Ability to create summer content that would be easy to turn on and turn off as the yearly cycle turns. How to communicate with students during the yearly cycle that permits the targeting of specific subsets of the BLSE community.
  • Want different types of information – some general for non-enrolled students, faculty, etc. and then have a log in for students, faculty and staff to access more individualized information.
  • Ability to ‘push’ information rather than publish information. – RSS feeds might be of use, but assumes that people use RSS feeds and it is not clear how to create such an environment
  • For example, want to let enrolled students in Vermont that theater tickets are available, but don’t want this information to go to BLSE students on other campuses.
  • want something to facilitate the publishing of images on the web, automating the optimization of the image size, etc.

Workflow – current & desired

  • Interested in having multiple editors with one or two ‘approvers’
  • would like a way to individualize the application forms for BLSE – and looking to put course registration online
  • Use pdf files, and forms that interact with Banner.
  • Note that students range in age from young to old and the older cohorts have difficulties navigating the web site and online forms – there’s lot of individualized assistance provided by the BLSE staff
  • lack of use of credit cards is an issue

ES/EA/Sustainability Integration (SI)

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Stakeholder: Jack Byrne

Redo Contact: MS Costanza-Robinson

Currently, ES/EA/SI has a relatively low-tech site that includes text and photos on their page and has a variety of file types for download (powerpoint files of presentations, pdfs of reports and newsletters). This functionality needs to remain, but be expanded and improved upon. The current status of the site is due largely to limited personnel time dedicated to the website. A recent (1-year only) hire will have some role in introducing content and improvements. Requests and or plans for future functionality/technology include:

  • Embedded video and/or audio (e.g., of the weekly ES Colloquium or other seminars)
  • Better access (possible including standard reports) to better web-use statistics
  • Ability to easily form Listservs or groups that specifically include non-Midd addresses (not just built within Outlook) and the ability to generate an email newsletter to the listserv participants; people should be able to subscribe and unsubscribe.
  • Training / portal functions
  • Tagging/aggregating/approving sustainability information from across the website (athletics, EA, SI, IS) and feed it to the ES/EA/SI site
  • Add ability to accept online submission of grant proposals (see URO stakeholder report for more on this requirement)
  • Add searchable archive of ES/EA/SI funding (proposals/reports from previous grant awards) or perhaps of Environmental Council minutes of meetings (see Faculty Council requirement document)
  • Integration of databases across campus and web-output of data: for example Facilities has a lot of information (facility energy consumption, building occupants) that Jack needs. The current process includes too many file-type conversions and people involved in getting the right information. The data exist, but the searches/databases (Sightlines?) are not web-based. Obviously, permissions issues would be important here.
  • The possibility for people to web-submit photos/ideas/text for the website for possible inclusion on the page.

Specific problems with the current site/CMS that were mentioned

  • Tiny blue font
  • CMS awkwardness – simplify direct editing of pages (uploading too many clicks, particularly when you upload the wrong file by accident, to remove that and upload the correct one takes far too many clicks; what you see (even in preview mode) isn’t always what you get)
  • CMS editor permissions issues: student workers have historically done some of the content management for ES/EA/SI. Jack Byrne, as the person in charge of these areas, would like privileges to set-up/approve student permissions. Currently, the administrative hurdles here are time-consuming.
  • Channel pages creating/editing: is it possible to reduce administrative bottlenecks
  • Improve ability to edit CMS on Macs

Specific non-technological requests/thoughts for new site

  • Increase EA/SI prominence on webpage (homepage?)
  • Branding is important, but the flexibility of many templates would be helpful
  • More training – existing training is good, but more could be useful on more topics

International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

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Stakeholder: Kathy Foley-Giorgio and Kaye-Lani Laughna
Website: http://www.middlebury.edu/campuslife/diversity/isss/
WebRedo Contact: Ryan Kellett / Pooja Shahani

General: “ISSS provides advising, programs, services, and support to our international students, staff, and faculty who come to study and work at Middlebury College in our many programs (13 summer Language Schools, the Bread Loaf School of English on three U.S. campuses and one site abroad, Bread Loaf Writer’s Conference, and the undergraduate college).  ISSS manages the College’s involvement in the U.S. government’s Student & Exchange Visitor System (SEVIS) as well as institutional compliance with related immigration regulations.  We also coordinate International Student Orientation and the Friends of International Students (FIS) host program.”

Requirements:

  • Varied constituencies: ISSS has wide variety of users from current students  but also a large group of alumni that also are required by law to be in contact with Middlebury/ISSS. Feeding the right information to the correct constituents is an important part of what ISSS. Finding new and unique ways to push new and timely information to constituents is important and needed.
  • Forms/Documents: ISSS hosts a lot of internal and governmental forms, some of which are PDFs, printable documents (which are sent back and then printed in hard copy). ISSS needs an organized way to serve and push this information out to constituents especially when deadlines are near or if information changes.
  • Government Interface: Is there any way to interface with online government forms that are currently filled out through ISSS? We were brainstorming about how to create fillable forms that would directly come back to our office in a legible way, unlike the current fillable forms that do not make sense once they are submitted, as they come back in paragraph form rather than the form in original form.
  • Multi-language support: Some ISSS users do not speak/write English. Language or at least graphic suport for this is requested. Either way, simplicity is key.
  • CMS: New CMS must be easier to manipulate and more flexible so that content can be posted faster. ISSS can do content updates but requires one-time consultation/assistance in rethinking new ways to display and interface information. CMS currently too much of a burden as a tack-on to job requirements. LIS support for CMS is key.
  • International Alumni: ISSS requests a way to remain in contact with these particular alumni because ISSS maintains immigration records for them. Automatic reminders and notifications of changes should be pushed to alumni. A place to continue contact, conversation, networking through ISSS is also requested.
  • Alumni: Single accessible database for alumni updates. In particular, ISSS finds that alumni update the school with information but that information is not then shared college-wide. A single database of alumni records is needed.
  • Newsletters: ISSS would like to support an online newsletter that is easy to draft and send without email.
  • External audience: international host families should be able to research and apply online to the program. Ability to manage those applications online.
  • Feedback forms: Need for data collection about services and if constituents’ needs are being met.
  • Multimedia: Would like to welcome visitors with more photos, colors, etc.
  • IA: ISSS requests assistance with cleaning up their information architecture which has evolved to be a bit unwieldly since it is currently organzed with redundant information for multiple constituents.Fewer pages needed, drop-down menus requested.

Office of Institutional Planning and Diversity (OIPD)

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Stakeholder: Jennifer Herrera
Website: http://www.middlebury.edu/campuslife/diversity
WebRedo Contact: Ryan Kellett / Pooja Shahani

General: OIPD has a variety of separate constituencies embedded within this larger area. International Student & Scholar Services has their own Stakeholder report. ADA (http://www.middlebury.edu/campuslife/diversity/ada/) and Institutional Research (http://www.middlebury.edu/administration/instres/) are included in this report.

Requirements:

  • Maintain support for the recently completed IPD flash site (highly branded, front-end site) (http://sandcat.middlebury.edu/comm/OIPD/)
  • Events Scheduling: IPD requests a better way to push events information for Cafecito hours and other diversity-related events to internal audiences, in particular students. This can be accomplished through a news feed (RSS). When an event changes, IPD requests an automatic event notification that alerts people to the change. IPD is willing to reduce email blasts if events feed is effective.
  • Forms: a dynamic customizable form that can be used by students to apply for co-sponsorship funding. There needs to be a better way and interface for accessing the data collected from these forms because it’s hard to understand the datafields that come back through email currently. Form should be more easily accessible by students.
  • CMS: Easier, better, and more-flexible CMS. Spellcheck within CMS?
  • Website font too small. Easier way to increase font size.
  • Sharing: IPD requests ability to share relavent articles from around the web with visitors of the site.
  • ADA Office:
    • The webpage must be meaningfully accessible e.g. work with screen readers and have tags that truly describe photos and the like.
    • Some people have had trouble “noticing” the page links to the left of my current site… they actually think that the only information for the ADA Office is on the first page that comes up. Can we make the links more obvious? Perhaps list the links on the actual page instead of to the right or left of it?
    • The ADA Policy is fairly long so it is helpful to be able to click on a section link and be directed to that section… that is currently the set-up and I’d like to make sure it stays that way.
  • Institutional Research: As you might expect, we do a lot of reporting on our website-it is a place where external folks, such as colleagues at our peer schools, find details they need about Middlebury and where our staff and faculty can find info they may need in their work. At a basic level, we need the site to have a place for all the items there currently, such as Factbooks, CDSs, National Surveys, etc. We need a place for posting just things for internal viewing (also similar to what we have now). My hope is that the IR site would continue to be an easily accessible, clear place to find data and reports that external and internal “customers” need.

    In terms of wishes, one enhancement to the internal part of the site may be dedicated to Self-Study/Re-accreditation work (depending on how it is decided to set things up for this campus-wide work). Other enhancements may be to post or link to some of the items Jenn Nuceder works on, for example with regard to MIIS reports.