IU to revamp campus Web site

The Bloomington campus Web site has not been significantly updated since its launch in 2002.

With the inadequate technology in mind, the Office of the Provost has decided it is time to revamp the Web site, said Thom Atkinson, campus web manager.

“The technology upon which it is based is going on seven years old,” he said. “We want to bring it up to current standards.”

The project of reconstructing the site was put off due to ongoing administrative changes, Atkinson said. Now that IU has a stable administrative environment, the project can proceed.

“The administration has a good feeling for what the goals and priorities are for the institution,” Atkinson said.

When the Web site was first introduced, it was the sole way of communicating with the administration, Atkinson said. With new ways of interaction, people are continually looking for information apart from the campus Web site.

To find out what students, alumni and prospective students are looking for from the Web site, a visitor’s feedback survey has been posted on the site’s home page. The survey will remain available until Feb. 27.

“The survey determines what we need to incorporate into the new campus Web site,” Atkinson said.

Junior Eric de la Rosa said he visits the site at least five times a week.

“The search bar is really helpful,” he said. “Everything is relatively simple.”

Michelle Hackman, a fifth-year graduate student, is also a frequent visitor of the site.

“Sometimes I have trouble finding what I need,” she said. “I think there should be more direct links for the libraries, for example, so you don’t have to dig through the search items.”

The design team has no idea what the final product will look like, Atkinson said.

“It’s going to be based upon ideas from the graphic designer,” he said. “The ideas will be reviewed and evaluated and responded to by the official Campus Web site Advisory Committee.”

The committee will review what visitors have said and compare their responses to the ideas developed by the graphic designer, Atkinson said.

A firm timeline for the project should be available by next week, Atkinson said. He said he wants the Web site up by fall 2009.

“Everyone wants it to happen sooner rather than later,” he said. “We want to deliver the project in a timely manner, but we want it to be as good as it can be. We’re going to take our time to deliver a quality project.”