Transcript Western Idaho College

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Team members: Marissa E. Blas, Monica Jolly, Sabrina Moss
Team Advisor: Dr. Andrea McDowell
Seattle University Student Development Administration Masters Program
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Introduction
Our committee has been tasked with evaluating and creating a
philosophy for the Student Life web site at Western Idaho College.
In this presentation, we will:
1. Identify Our Goals
2. Address Student Needs
3. Assess Our Current Status & Policy
4. Outline Course of Action and Strategy
5. Incorporate Relevant Student Affairs Theory
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Goals
• Assess current Student Life website against
standards as a baseline for improvement
• Create a Student Life website congruent with
institutional mission and values
• Transform Western Idaho Colleges Student Life
web site to reflect its progressive website
philosophy
• Promote a campus culture that values quality
service through learning & collaboration
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What We Want Our
Website To Do:
•
Provide current, accessible information to students, family,
alumni, faculty, staff and friends
• Make connections between students, the community, and WIC
• Advance Western Idaho College by remaining competitive in the
areas of online communication and technology
• Engage and retain students
• Provide opportunity for growth and talent development
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Trends Shaping Student Affairs
In Looking beyond the horizon: Trends shaping student affairs:
Technology, Upcraft and Terenzini note that:
• Students increasingly rely on technology in and out of the
classroom
• Staff and administrative support services increasingly rely on
technology
• Distance and virtual education programs have grown extensively
• Keeping up with technology and innovation proves challenging
Upcraft, M. L., & Terenzini, P. T. (1998). Looking beyond the horizon: Trends shaping student affairs: Technology.
ACPA Senior Scholars Conference Presentation. Available online at:
http://www.acpa.nche.edu/seniorscholars/trends/trends5.htm
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Services Provided
• Comprehensive, current, & accessible services
to connect student to WIC
• Offer services that provide access & encourage
growth (orientation, career services, the
learning center)
• How can we use the website to pave the way
for further on-line growth (online applications,
distance learning, etc.)
• Remain consistent with standards & criteria for
evaluating websites
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Action Plan
•
ASSESS the current web site
•
Determine initial student service FOCUS
•
IDENTIFY policies & departments affected by
website changes
•
Develop PARTNERSHIPS to support plans for
new services
•
CREATE an implementation plan
•
Continue to UPGRADE services on an ongoing
basis to maintain state-of-the-art service
•
TEST the new service with a pilot group of
students
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Assessment
• Survey students’ satisfaction with current
Student Life website
• Elicit feedback from students who do not
attend WIC
• Implement Power User Pilot Program:
Before & After
• Form focus groups for student, faculty, staff,
alumni & community to identify needs
• Adopt two models for website evaluation
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A Look At Best Practices
Xavier University
http://www.xula.edu/index.html
• Excellent example of a website
congruent with institutional mission & values
University of Puget Sound
http://www.ups.edu/external_homes/
• Website demonstrates a personal connection
to students & a student-centered focus
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Policies Affected
• Identify policies & people affected by website
enhancements & modifications
• Seek feasible solutions, available resources &
identify capabilities to create change
• Communicate the goals & objectives to those
affected; seek input & support
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Partnership
• Gain support & input from administration, students, staff,
& faculty
• Seek out community partners
• Seek out individuals & departments to help assist
Information Technology,
•
Model Behavior: Communicate to campus community
about website standards being adopted by Student Life
• Use Information Technology (IT) on campus to provide
training sessions to help sustain new website standards
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Power User Pilot Program
Users attempt to navigate website and
obtain specific information.
Phase 1: Individuals use existing Student Life website
Phase 2: Individuals use Student Life Beta site
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Continual Growth of the
Student Life Website
• Provide learning opportunities for students to
maintain Student Life website
• Provide staff training on how new tool can be
of service to them
• Autonomy for departments & students to
communicate & document timely information
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Website Developments
• Student Life Website Philosophy
• Criteria for Evaluating Website Content
• Website Assessment for Student Affairs
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Student Life Website
Philosophy
To provide a comprehensive, current, & accessible web
site that focuses on celebrating and engaging students
in their campus community.
Our students will have free access to information & will
be invited to develop their talents in an environment that
engages & sustains their future growth.
Student needs will be the cornerstone of the Student
Life web site, & they will be reflected in a manner that
fosters involvement of faculty, staff, family, alumni, &
community.
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Criteria For Evaluating
Website Content
• Authority: Ensure that website authors can provide information that is
reliable & error free
• Accuracy: Do quality control measures ensure against grammatical,
spelling, & typographical errors?
• Objectivity:Are goals & site information clearly stated with a minimum of
bias?
• Currency: Is the information up-to-date & reflect current revision?
• Coverage: In what depth is the information covered, & does it reflect
whether information is complete
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webeval/eval1198/sld001.htm
http://www.wcet.info/projects/laap/guidelines/cheatsheet.htm
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Web site Assessment For
Student Affairs
Barratt W. (2001). Models for evaluating student affairs websites
• How well are our values communicated?
• Have we considered our actual campus ecology & reflected this in
the Student Life website?
• How is the development of identity reflected in the web site? To
what extent does the web site promote student development?
• To what extent does the web site promote student learning?
• What has the evaluation of the website been able to do for
students?
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Communicating Values
Current Site
• Dept.’s & divisions in
Student Affairs are
represented
• Active information is
available (athletic sched. &
events)
• Some regulatory
information is available
(Student Conduct Policies)
Beta Enhancements
•Inclusion of all student groups
•Links with allied departments
•Enhance convenience (SGA
Constitution & Student Conduct
Policies)
•Include mechanisms for student
interaction
•On-going updates for currency
•More community & global links
•Continued awareness of
accountability and accessibility
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Campus Ecology
Current Site
• Limited contact information
of people provided
• Location & physical addresses
made available
• No attention is given to the
college “campus web visit”,
Banning, (2000)
Beta Enhancements
•Accurately reflect campus climate
and diversity
•Incorporate Wayfinding online
Arthur, P., & Passini, R. (1992).
Wayfinding: people, signs and
architecture. Students are able to
find their way online, as it is applied
through signage on campus
•Strange (1996) specifically
mentions virtual tours on the
Internet as elements of a campus'
physical environment
•Considers student demographics
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Student Development Tool
Current Site
• Does not use student
development theory in
Student Life website
• The development of
purpose, such as
volunteerism is not reflected
• Opportunity for student
autonomy is not provided
Beta Enhancements
•Chickering’s (1993) Education &
Identity, Boyer’s (1990) In Search
of Community theory drives
content of Student Life website
•Continue to promote student
autonomy by removing barriers to
access information
•Create innovative ways to
promote student community
development, e.g. online
perpetual plaque for outstanding
student involved with community
service
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Learning Tool
Current Site
• Fails to engage more
students with Student Life
on campus
• Does not foster “talent
development”,Jacobi
(1987), by allowing
students, faculty, & staff to
learn about website
evaluation
Beta Enhancements
•Address ways to
engage students who
are technologically
savvy in Student Life
•Continue to engage
students in future
learning projects in
Student Life to foster
talent development
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Site Design & Features
Current Site
• Site design does not
reflect how students
access information
• Material is not
available within
three clicks
• Specific information
can not be accessed
quickly
Beta Enhancement
•Develop goals for the website
•Articulate target audience and
remain consistent when adding
content & features
•Track usage, e.g. add counters
•Consider individual access
tracking & privacy issues
•Printing is facilitated by limiting
page lengths & containing
appropriate page titles
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Student Evaluation
Current Site
• Students not
satisfied with
access, e.g.
calendar
• Students not
satisfied with
amount of content
information
provided
Beta Enhancements
•Recruit a group of students from
neighboring colleges & high schools to
participate in pilot testing the website
•Prior to launch create a usability
team & assign them tasks to test site
functionality & ease of use
•Once the site is launched, work with
current students to ensure it meets
their needs
•System requirements needed to load
or view web pages
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Design & Content Evaluation
Current Site
• Design of site meets
very basic system
requirements;
contains no
flickering images
• Content contains
simple, objective &
appropriate language
Beta Enhancements
•Adhere to Web Accessibility Initiative
(WAI) guidelines as outlined by the
World Wide Web (W3C) to ensure full
ADA compliance
•Ensure that site design reflects current
campus technological capabilities
•Provide training to support staff to
enable inclusion of active & current
information
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Future Inclusion in
Student Life Web site
Provide specific information on:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Student Government
Clubs & Organizations
Health & Wellness
The Tuber Times (Student Newspaper)
International Students
Take Your Professor to Lunch Program
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Presentation of
Student Life
Beta Enhanced Site
Online at:
http://students.seattleu.edu/mosss/default.htm
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Launch Party
In celebration of the new Student Life website,
Boyer (1990):
• Launch date for proposed site: March 3, 2003
in the Student Center at 11:00 am
• The Student Life website will be available
online at all campus wide monitors
• Reception will immediately follow for the
campus community
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References
http://www.wcet.info/projects/laap/guidelines/cheatsheet.htm
Alexander, Janet E., and Marsha A. Tate. "Evaluating Web Resources." Chester, PA: Widener University, 2001.
http://www2.widener.edu/Wolfgram-Memorial-Library/webevaluation/webeval.htm
Arthur, P., & Passini, R. (1992). Wayfinding: People, signs, and architecture. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company.
Banning, J. H., Davies, T.G., Quick, D.G. (2000). The campus web visit. Student Affairs On-Line. Vol 1. No. 3.
Retrieved from http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2000/art3.html#Guernsey
Barratt, W. (2001). Models for evaluating student affairs websites. Student Affairs On-Line. Vol 2. No. 2.
Retrieved from: http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Spring_2001/will1.html
Boyer, E. (1987). College: The undergraduate experience in America. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers.
Boyer, E. (1990). Campus life: in search of community. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
Jacobi M., Astin A., Ayala F. Jr. (1987).College student outcomes assessment: talent development perspective. San Francisco: JosseyBass
Xavier University of Louisiana. (2003) Retrieved from http://www.xula.edu/index.html
Strange, C.C. (1996). Dynamics of campus environments. In S.R. Komives & D.B.,Woodard, Jr. (Eds.). Student services: A handbook for
the profession (pp. 244-269). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Upcraft, M. L., & Terenzini, P. T. (1998). Looking beyond the horizon: Trends shaping student affairs: Technology. ACPA Senior Scholars
Conference Presentation. Retrieved from: http://www.acpa.nche.edu/seniorscholars/trends/trends5.htm