New site to go live Thursday, August 12

We would like to introduce UB’s new website.  On Thursday, August 12 our current website will be replaced with a new, redesigned and completely restructured site. 

The primary audience of the new website is prospective students, with the goal being to enhance the experience our prospective students have so we can maximize our recruiting efforts.  The redesign will bring about an exciting new phase of our multi-channel marketing and communication efforts.

A broad-based group, composed of representatives from each academic and administrative department, has been working collaboratively over the past eight months developing the new site.

You can expect much of the content to be located in different places than the current site due to our restructuring efforts.  Much of the content that is not intended for our primary audience has been moved into the new myUB portal. 

Here are some tips that will help you locate some commonly used resources on the new site:

• Administrative  and academic information and forms for current students, faculty  and staff can be found in the myUB portal at http://bridgeport.edu/myub     
• The Campus Directory lookup has been revamped, and is accessed via the header on the  new site   
• Webmail is accessed via a link in the footer on the new site
• UBNet is accessed either directly via http://bridgeport.edu/UBNet or by visiting the “Additional Information For: Faculty and Staff” or “Additional Information For: Current Students” links off the homepage 

During the next couple of weeks, we will be making additional refinements and continue to review site content for accuracy.  If you find misspellings, links that are not working or any other error, please let us know. We’re pleased to share this exciting new website that so many have worked on with you.  If you notice anything  we’ve missed, please e-mail me with the issue. 

Final Edits Due May 17, Schedule Update, and Profiles Needed

Jumpchart Final Edits Due May 17
Please make any last-minute edits and finalize content for the external website in Jumpchart by Monday, May 17. 

Based on what is in Jumpchart as of May 17, I will be building out your pages in the new web site.

Also, please send me any student, faculty, or alumni profiles you have collected for your program by Monday, May 17.  Feel free, if you haven’t already, to circulate this link to people you know that would make a great profile candidate for your site: http://bridgeport.wufoo.com/forms/send-us-your-story/  .  Using the form, they can submit their profile story for the new website.

Please contact me with any questions.

Thank you for all of your hard work in preparing for the new bridgeport.edu web site. 

Here are some more important updates on the project:

Schedule Update

Please note that the trainings on how to update the new website, which were scheduled for next week on May 10, 11, and 12, have been postponed.  The trainings will be held after we launch the new website, in plenty of time for the fall semester. 

Here is an update on the timeline:

May – June 7: Build
The Web Office will build new website based on content that was staged in Jumpchart.

June 1- July 1: Campus Review
Campus-wide content review period for new website before go-live.  I will be sending a link to the new site in the beginning of June so each department’s Editors and Approvers can have sufficient time to review the new site and send changes to me.

July 1: Launch
After the campus-wide review, the site will launch on July 1.

July-August: Training for Editors and Approvers
Training for Editors and Approvers will be held on how to make edits and maintain their sites.


Student, Faculty, and Alumni Profiles Needed

We are trying to develop compelling student, faculty, and alumni stories about academic life at UB for use in our publications and on the new website.  These stories will highlight how our programs are special and unique.  We would like to collect as many stories as possible. 

Do you know of any students, faculty, or alumni in your programs that have stories to tell that would be compelling to a prospective student interested in UB?  Let us know and they will be highlighted in your program area in the new website, and possibly in future publications. 

Please forward this e-mail to any students, faculty, or alumni that you know who would have a compelling story to tell about your academic program.  Please also feel free to forward this e-mail to faculty within your programs, so they can send the link to students or alumni they may know. 

By following the link below, students, alumni, or faculty can submit their story for use on the new website or in an upcoming publication:
http://bridgeport.wufoo.com/forms/send-us-your-story/

After filling out the form, I may contact them to schedule a photo session to complement the information they submitted in the form.

Thank you in advance for your action and attention, these stories will be essential in highlighting the great students and programs we have here at UB.  If you have any questions please let me know.

Reminder, Content Deadline is Next Week: THURSDAY, APRIL 1

I have been looking in the jumpchart area and have been seeing tremendous progress on content, please keep up the good work.

For those who have yet to stage the content for their areas, this is a friendly reminder that the due date is next Thursday, April 1.

Please remember that if you need help getting started or have questions I am always available by phone, and I also hold regular hours in the Projects Office Training Room from 2-3 each Thursday and Friday this month.

New Website Designs Finalized

Thanks to the hard work of many here on campus, the final design concepts  for the new bridgeport.edu can be found on the Datatel extranet site,   where all deliverables for the project will be posted. Once in the site, click on 'Home' and under 'Pictures' on the left, choose 'Final'. If you do not have login information to access the site please e-mail me or call me at x4510.

Again, many thanks to everyone that helped shape these new concepts.

Web Content Help Available | Friendly Reminder, Web Content Due April 1

Need to work on content?  Have questions about getting your content ready for the new site and portal?  Just need a quiet place to work on your web or portal content without distraction?

That quiet place for content work is the Projects Office training room, where I will be available for folks to ask questions, get help, or assist in simply getting work done on your content.  In the style of the Academic Resource Center, I will be available for hands-on help with any issues you might face in creating and moving content.

I will be available every Thursday and Friday in March from 2-3PM in the Projects Training Room on the 2nd Floor of the Library.  All Editors and Approvers are welcome, this is an OPEN INVITE so please drop in!

Friendly reminder that April 1 is coming fast, and it is our goal to have web content in the staging area (Jumpchart) ready by April 1.  I look forward to working with everyone, and anticipate that my availability in the Projects Office Training Room will be a helpful opportunity for Editors and Approvers to work on content.

Finalizing Content Review Meetings, holding followups, and answering questions campus-wide

Quick update for everyone, I have met with almost everybody on campus (I have about 4 more meetings to hold) and some of you I have met twice.  The support and excitement around the website is tangible.

Thank you for all of your work to date and in advance for the work that will be done in the next few months to get new content created and migrate existing content.

Finalizing Design Phase
We have also finished Round 2 of feedback on the designs for the new site, which will determine what the site will look like.  We have one more round of feedback before the designs will be finalized.  As mentioned in previous posts, you can access the designs via the Datatel site (Datatel Shared Docs)

So, What About the Portal?
The past few months I focused on meeting with everyone involved in lying the groundwork for creation of content -on the ground level- for the new external website.  In many of my review meetings with program directors, faculty, and administrators, we have held some substantial discussions about the portal, and its relationship to the external website.  In many cases I have directed folks to follow up with the appropriate portal representative to make their requirements for portal content known.

Portal Focus Groups Being Held
Various portal focus groups are currently being held for students, faculty and administrators in the next couple of weeks.  I encourage you to attend these, and you should be hearing from a portal representative for your area soon regarding schedules for the focus groups.  The input gathered in these meetings will drive what we will be offering inside the portal to the campus.  If you cannot make a portal focus group, please voice content needs to both your portal representative and me.

Progress Update | Majority of First Round Content Review Meetings Held

I would like to give everyone a quick update on content progress.  An effort like a successful website redesign takes input and involvement from the entire campus.  Lots of thanks to everyone who I have met with to date, and those who I am in the process of scheduling reviews with.  Everyone has been very helpful and the excitement around the new website is tangible with many across campus.

Major Progress Made
Below is a simple pie chart of the progress we have made to date.  The graph shows the amount of offices/departments that have held their initial content review meeting, or are in the process of scheduling the meeting with me in the next couple of weeks (65%), compared to the remaining departments I have left to follow up with.

Content Review Meetings Held Campus-Wide

Round 1 Creative Design Concepts Delivered by Datatel

One of the most exciting phases of the website redesign process began this week.  Wednesday, January 6 Datatel presented the first round of creative concepts for the new website.

The two design concepts can be found on the Datatel extranet site, where all deliverables for the project will be posted.  If you do not have login information to access the site please e-mail me or call me at x4510.

UB now needs to choose one concept to refine in subsequent rounds of revisions.  The redesign steering group has recommended the second creative concept to President Salonen.

The ActiveAdmissions redesign steering group has met twice and held a student focus group to review the design concepts. After careful thought and discussion, the group recommended choosing the second design campaign concept for the following reasons:

• Easier to navigate and find information
• Broad appeal to a variety of key audiences; including international graduate and undergraduate, domestic graduate and undergraduate, and continuing education students
• Presents a more modern and classy look for UB
• 9 out of 10 current students favored the second option in a focus group held here at UB

If chosen, the steering group will direct Datatel to revise the second campaign concept in the following ways:

• Increase the vibrancy of the concept
• Ensure that creative brand elements from the Stamats and Creative Partners’ work are incorporated more fully
• Utilize the strong elements of the Stamats design (colors, impact) and the first Datatel design (vibrancy) in revising the second design

Reminder: Editor and Approver names for Administrative Departments

A friendly reminder for those who have yet to send me names, that Administrative Departments need to name their Editor and Approver by today. I will be following up to ensure that each area has an Editor and Approver appointed for web content.

So How Do Department's Get Started With Content?

For those who I have not yet met, my name is Dan Alves and I am the new Web Manager here at UB.  I am coordinating the campus-wide efforts to redesign the website, and will be leading UB in the content creation and maintenance process for the redesign.  I would like to ask for your assistance in moving this process forward.  The details provided in this e-mail and attachments will give you a detailed background of the project along with critical next steps.

How will departments create content for the new site?

•    A Content Editor designated from each department will manage existing content and upload new content.

•    A Content Approver designated from each department will oversee the efforts of the editor and ensure the content in their area remains consistent and updated.  Typically an Approver will be a department head or Dean.

 The Web Manager will hold a series of individual Content Review Meetings with departmental Editors and Approvers in December-March to review each area, discuss content concerns, and deliver further detail on process.  Content will be finalized by April 1.

How do we begin?

1.  Please Review the Content Management Guidelines and Content Creation Schedule  under posted documents on this blog  and contact me with any questions.

2.  Designate your department's Content Editor and Approver by Tuesday, December 29 for Administrative Departments; and by Wednesday, January 20 for Academic Departments:

• Send an email to danielalves@bridgeport.edu listing the names of the content editor and approver

3.  Schedule your initial Content Review Meeting by Wednesday, January 6 for Administrative Departments; and by Wednesday,  January 28 for Academic Departments:

• Please schedule your initial Content Review Meeting by sending an e-mail to Dan Alves, danielalves@bridgeport.edu, the Web Manager
• Prior to the meeting, have the designated Content Editor and Approver review existing content.  As a group, please decide what “old” content can be eliminated, then in the content review meeting we can focus on refining the “good” remaining content.

The Web Manager's Blog will be the place to check for all updates regarding content creation.
This communication and all information about the content creation process is also available via the new Web Manager's Blog, along with all materials and dates. 

I look forward to working together to create a new and engaging site.