Ellingsburg University Educating students who will change the world StudentAffairs.com 2005 Case Study Jenny Koslovsky, Jessica Rehling & Glenn Sterner

Ellingsburg University


Educating students who will change the world

StudentAffairs.com 2005 Case Study

Jenny Koslovsky, Jessica Rehling & Glenn Sterner


Presentation Overview

• Portal Objectives (Slide 3)• Portal Conceptual Development Team Members (Slide 4)• Portal Audiences (Slide 5)• Reasons for a portal vs. a website (Slide 6)• Portal Channels (Slide 7)• Rationale for Channels (Slide 8-16)• Technology Based Systems (Slide 17)• Organization (Slide 18-19)• Benefits (Slide 20)• Theoretical Integration (Slide 21)• Bobby Compliant (Slide 22)• Feedback & Assessment (Slide 23)• Checklist (Slide 24)• Model Portals (Slide 25)• References (Slide 26)


Portal Objectives

• Create an aesthetically pleasing design that attracts users• Communicate a positive and accurate image of Ellingsburg

University• Develop a user friendly web presence• Ensure easily navigable channels• Establish “One Stop Shop” for our academic community• Meets the needs of multiple university constituents• Incorporate feedback and input from university stakeholders• Provide clear and apparent paths to university resources• Retain accessibility for all web users• Reflect the diverse student population of Ellingsburg

University


The Portal Conceptual Development Team

Current Members:• Jenny Koslovsky, Jessica Rehling & Glenn Sterner• Director of Residence Life• Office of Communications Representative• Faculty Senate PresidentNew members:• Technology Director• Student Representative• Community Representative• Presidential Appointee


Portal Audiences

• Current Students

• Prospective Students

• Faculty

• Staff

• Alumni

• Parents

• Community Members


Reasons for Portal

• Build an online community• Present information rather than forcing user

exploration• Provide easily obtainable resources• Increase student dialogue• Strengthen security• Integrate applications and content• Track user activities

– Improve services– Monitor conduct

• Collaborate online programs and information


Portal Channels

• Current Students• Prospective Students• Faculty & Staff• Parents• Alumni & Donors• Community Members• History & Traditions• Country Map • Search Bar


Rationale:Current Students Channel

• Provide current EU students with multiple online communities– Provide links to Residence Life Webpage and individual

hall websites– Use current technological trends to increase connections

among different student populations (i.e. facebook, blogs, etc.)

• Encourage co-curricular learning• Provide easy access to frequently used resources (i.e.

grades, discussion boards, enrollment, calendars, deadlines, etc.)

• Inform students of campus activities and events• Display EU’s value for student-centered curriculum and

services


Rationale:Prospective Students Channel

• Provide positive representation of EU• Display easy access to university

resources• Offer simple online application process• Present realistic portrayal of first-year and

transfer student experience through current student blogs

• Make contacting university administrators effortless


Rationale:Faculty & Staff Channel

• Include resources for teaching tips and guidelines• Provide resources for professional development

opportunities• Display quick links to information pertaining to faculty

and staff• Pool instructor-specific resources• Create central database for administrative forms• List literature and current events pertaining to college,

discipline or functional area• Connect to different national unions based on university

occupation


Rationale:Parents Channel

• Provide links to popular parent resources (alumni association, tuition statements, family weekends, financial aid, investing in EU, Parents Association, etc.)

• Demonstrate value of parent influence in student development and success

• Incorporate ideas of how parents can become involved with EU activities and functions

• Provide links to literature and resources for coping with parent-student separation

• Create student and parent blog exchanges• List personal information granted by student for parent

use


Rationale:Alumni & Donors Channel

• Provide link to Alumni Association and Investing in EU

• Connect to Athletics page• Link to EU Bookstore• Display university calendars• Create historical journals of past EU

students• Construct links for hassle-free

contributions and fundraising


Rationale:Community Members Channel

• Include events calendar for increased community participation

• Provide on-campus volunteer opportunities

• Create system for local resident-student mentorships

• List resources for successful and peaceful off-campus student-local resident interactions and living experiences


Rationale:History & Traditions Channel

• Include audio and text of EU Fight Song and Alma Mater

• Present photo album of university traditions with meanings and explanations

• Display virtual slideshow of campus• Provide a virtual walking tour of campus

highlighting historical buildings, monuments, and gathering places

• Narrate history of institution• Celebrate the culture of EU with the user


Rationale:Country Map Channel

• Visually demonstrate the regional diversity of the institution

• Display clickable map by state to assist users in arranging carpool or flights home or to other destinations


Rationale:Search Bar Channel

• Assist users in obtaining resources

• Support user navigation of portal through collections of links

• Connect users with other campus community members

• Provide campus directory


Technology Based Systems

• Secure Sign-on• Customization options

– Single sign-on enables customization in which users can choose hyperlink preferences and backdrops to suit their liking

• Chat Software• Blog software

– Users would experience E. U. through the online journals/blogs of 6 current first-year and transfer E. U. students

• Online picture yearbook with profiles– Similar to http://www.thefacebook.com/

• Music downloading program• Virtual tour (Java software)• Structured Query Language (SQL) (database-web language)• Secure login• Search technology• Online communities

– Angel/Blackboard (online academic communities where students have web access to their courses’ content)


Organization

• Clickable index with each alphabetical letter listed• Search bar

– Drop down box option for people and the university as a whole• Quick Links (student services)• Headings and subheadings

– Column on the left of page• Campus events calendar(s)

– Click on date to link to calendar (date would be in upper left corner of the portal page

– Picture (non-flash)• University address listed

– Hyperlink to mapping software


Organization cont.

• “Contact us” hyperlink• US Map

– Serves as a Carpool Board by region– Visible representation of student population

• Student Life Link– Athletics, Admissions, Residence Life, Greek Life, Intramural

Activities, Student Governments, Registered Student Organizations

• Frequently Asked Questions • No necessary scrolling on opening page (all information is available

within one screen presence)• Name of school in large readable font• Include color scheme on all pages as a coordination tool


Benefits

• Creates and presents a positive image of EU• Serves as a “One-Stop Shop” for users• People are able to easily locate and utilize EU

resources• Utilizes new technology to expand student

community building• Expands user base through increased

accessibility (Bobby approved) and representation of EU’s diverse student population

• Provides easy access to feedback and input


Theoretical Integration

• Astin’s Input-Environment-Outcomes Model– Utilizing the environment of the portal to enhance positive student outcomes

• Blimling & Whitt Principles of Good Practice in Student Affairs– Engages students in active learning– Uses systematic inquiry to improve student and institutional performance– Uses resources effectively to achieve institutional missions and goals– Forges educational partnerships that advance student learning– Builds supportive and inclusive communities

• Upcraft and Schuh– Practice multiple avenues for assessing and evaluating success and

improvements for portal (i.e. focus groups, satisfaction and interest surveys, polls, etc.)

• Watson, et al.– Display reality of campus culture and diversity within portal– Provide students of color additional paths for communication and support– Use portal to encourage student involvement


Bobby Compliant

• The Ellingburg University Portal will be Bobby Compliant“Bobby is a comprehensive web accessibility software tool designed to help expose and repair barriers to accessibility” (Watchfire Corp., 2005, ¶ 1). – “Offers suggestions for improvement and generates

summary reports highlighting critical accessibility issues before posting content to live servers” (Watchfire Corp.).

– Tests for compliance with government standards.


Feedback & Assessment

• Create hyperlink on main page to provide open-ended feedback

• Implement monthly interest and satisfaction polls• Send campus-wide survey emails twice a semester• Utilize residence hall surveys to gather information on

user satisfaction• Conduct annual focus groups of community members• Provide hyperlink to report abuse or inappropriate

use of the online communities• Monitor user data (who is logging in and when, what

sites they are visiting)


Checklist

Ensure correct spelling and grammarLimited use of Ellingburg jargonVerify that all links are activeRegularly incorporate feedback from

constituenciesEffectively meets objectivesCatches users’ attention


Model Portals

• Here is a listing of current university portals from around the country which have a variety of characteristics that EU’s portal would emulate– Yale University– Pennsylvania State University– University of Washington– Mitchell College


References

Astin, A. W. (1993). Assessment for excellence: The philosophy and practice of assessment and evaluation in higher education. Westport, CT: The Oryx Press.

Barratt, W. Models for Evaluating Student Affairs Web Sites. Retrieved on February 23, 2005 from, http://www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Spring_2001/will1.html

Bitler, D. A., Rankin, W. P., & Schrass, J. M. (2000). Academic affairs online: A survey of information available on websites in higher education. College Student Journal, 34, 3, pp. 325-333.

Blimling, G. S., Whitt, E. J., & Associates. (1999) Good practice in student affairs: Principles to foster student learning. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Borges, J. A., Morales, I., Rodriguez, N. J. (1996) Guidelines for designing usable world wide web pages. CHI ’96 Companion, pp. 277-278.

Goldsborough, R. (2004). Creating web sites for web surfers. Black Issues in Higher Education, 21, 9, p. 120.Schuh, J. H., Upcraft, M. L., & Associates. (2001). Assessment practice in student affairs. San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.Seabreeze, J. R. (1997). Student affairs world wide web sites. New Directions for Student Services, 78, pp.

97-103.Stoner, M. (2004). How the web can speak to prospective students. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50,

34, p. B10.Turrentine, C. G., Schnure, S. L., Ostroth, D. D., & Ward-Roof, J. A. (2004). The parent project: What parents

want from the college experience. NASPA Journal, 38, 1, pp. 31-43. Watchfire Corporation (2005). About Bobby. Retrieved on February 24, 2005 from,

http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/about.jspWatson, L. W., Terrell, M. C. , Wright, D. J., Bonner, F., & Cuvjet, M. (2002). How minority students experience

college: Implications for planning and policy. Sterling Virginia: Stylus Publishing LLC.

Documents

Ellingsburg University Educating students who will change the world StudentAffairs.com 2005 Case Study Jenny Koslovsky, Jessica Rehling & Glenn Sterner