Webdesign Committee: Dec 14, 1999 Minutes

Attending: Pat Bosco, John Fairman, John Murray, Susan Bale (for George Brandsberg), Don Crawford, Roger McHaney, Olivia Collins, Linda Johnson, Gale Simmonds, Melinda Sinn, Cheryl May, John Johnson, Bert Biles, Neil Erdwien, Janelle Esau, Jonas Heinrich, Bill Richter, Mel Chastain (for Beth Unger)

• Bill Richter, committee chair, began the meeting and welcomed all the committee members.

• Mel Chastain, standing in for VPAST Unger, provided handout defining Dr. Unger's committee charge. Mel went through points of the handout and opened it for questions and reactions:

• Balance needs to be provided on the home page. The current page looks "inward" to the on-campus audience. It needs to be easily navigable for those outside the campus organization. (i.e. the Provost section is only understood by those who know the University's hierarchy.)

• Neil mentioned we looked at Big XII pages for design ideas before the last redesign. They are all amazingly different. Not many common threads. Many ways to produce a site.

• Should the site be more info intense or less? Does that mean more links?

• Build a site that allows alumni to always be a "student". Provides access to University resources (i.e. electronic library) based on that status. Offer access to faculty and other knowledge bases.

• Could an outside company answer many of our questions and give us a set of tasks? A company could tell us what to do, but we already know: We need an LDAP-based common authentication system to centralize our login process.

• Should think about the direction and how it could work in the best of all possible worlds. Portal technology like Converge could be helpful (http://www.convergemag.com).

• We need to know what we're technologically capable of currently. Then we can what we want to do compared to these goals. Then figure out what we can do.

• It could be approached from the opposite direction. What would be our ideal web site? What functionalities and access do we want to see on the home page? Then take that set and see what's realistic for the first release, the second release, etc.

• We're not here for expertise, but to represent various interests and users to give insight on improving functionality, resolving interests, and what's most realistic.

• There are many ideas, and there's great technology, but our resources are limited. How can we most economically use our time (a major resource of the committee) to arrive at the best results quickly? Take the number of sites that are seen as exemplary (like Harvard Business School) and between now and the next meeting look at them and ours to see the frustrations.

• Cheryl May attended a meeting in New Orleans where they presented an evaluation of university web pages. 100% of universities now have web sites. One of the major problems is that sites are not kept up to date. Same problem at K-State.

• We're conceptualizing a site that needs to be all things to all people--we'll end up with mush. We should identify who we want to speak to externally and internally, then we can find out exactly what they need. Identify the audience first.

• Can we do a web site in a web site? One for everyone, then you "enter" the campus community? We have that right now. A web site is a collection of related pages. We need to see if it's defined well.

• An outsider only wants X, and doesn't want to get bogged down in other info. The Human Ecology site is mostly directed at perspective students. Faculty now want a site for them.

• Iowa State's web site is simple (www.iastate.edu). Its links are For Students, For Faculty, For Alumni, etc.. Really liked Outreach, which went to businesses, community, family, etc. It included info from all over campus. With our current structure we can't find info that is buried.

• Arizona State's home page lists what's available, and you don't need to know the structure of the University to navigate (www.asu.edu).

• We need to know what the user is doing on the web site, track where they go, how they get there, when they leave, etc. Use click stream analysis to determine what the user wants on the home page first.

• Could use a database approach. Just put everything in a database, never update, just add. The user and search all of the databases based on date and topic. Could do it with people, events, etc. It would be information intense, but without all of the bells and whistles.

• Historically, the webteam has been unable to get units to enter their information. Certain offices will take it on, then abandon it again.

• There's the idea of a portal, where you can set up my.k-state.com with how much information they want to receive. Some want just a little, other's can choose a lot.

• We should get the word out to the whole university community about what they'd like to see on the home page. Make sure we include the student perspective. Do we want to put it on the site... yes.

• It would be great if there were a listing for everyone is each department. Not necessarily contact info, but just a list of names. IRMC required phone and e-mail address be published for all faculty/staff. Open records act allows us to put all sorts of info online.

• What's the expectation of the group, product? Who will produce the product? The letter paragraph on design and content guidelines. We need a mock up of a new home page by May 1. Assume it's to be live by fall semester.

• We should be a brainstorming committee.

• There are lots of political things to consider. Committee will need to provide access to process. Easy for people to assume something is happening. Put out a news story--something in Inview. Have a web page that lists names, e-mail, minutes, web site links, etc.

• On the current site certain things loom larger than others. Get input from everyone to meet all needs.

• Generate students to create site? Tackle as a project for students--a contest. Talking about all of it, technical and artistic. Might get us a bunch of ideas. Would post a prize. Design home page, system, suggestions from both sides. The automobile industry uses students to design new cars. It sends the message to students that it's important to have their input.

• Crucial to have student involvement. Need to provide sense of ownership for students, faculty, and staff. Not completely sold on cash prize idea--is that the message we want to send? Welcome having students submit web pages.

• The contest should have three categories, and money for three prizes: $1,000, $500, $200. We should also find out what students want in the different colleges.

• Regarding 2. on second page of Mel's handout. There won't be a place press releases can automatically be posted for the University. Only Extension, Media and Marketing Relations, and Sports Information can send out press releases from K-State. If you don't send them through MMR, then you're missing out on the Listserv, web site posting, media mailboxes, AP style, and blessing from MMR.

• It's frustrating that the University calendar only goes to February. Need centralization of calendaring and other things.

• Where does the "window" (www.ksu.edu/test/k-state.com) fit into this (per Dr. Unger's letter)? Public page with links to academy? (The current portal: www.zk-state.com)

Action Items

• Send all ideas of what we want on the home page to Gale Simmonds (simmonds@sal.ksu.edu) no later than a week before the next meeting.. He'll compile the list group them into categories.

• Neil Erdwien will create a group Listserv.

• Cheryl May will send her conference information to everyone.

• Neil will provide info on popular pages--where users enter and exit the site. (Right off the top, sports, directories, people, Academic directories, etc.)

• Next meeting is in Dole Hall conference room for white board access and videoconferencing.

• Meetings will be every first and third week. Next meeting Jan. 19, 3 p.m.

Kansas State University
January 4, 2000