Ellingsburg University Ellingsburg University Portal proposalPortal proposal

University of South Florida University of South Florida

Michael Crump, Jennifer Gallagher, and Nicholas RauMichael Crump, Jennifer Gallagher, and Nicholas Rau

Our VisionOur Vision

To create the best portal design for To create the best portal design for Ellingsburg University. Our unrivalled Ellingsburg University. Our unrivalled approach to university portal design approach to university portal design comes from our unique understanding of comes from our unique understanding of students and student development. By students and student development. By synthesizing our knowledge of portals and synthesizing our knowledge of portals and students, we can offer unprecedented students, we can offer unprecedented control and choice of user service.control and choice of user service.

OUR ConceptOUR Concept

Our design begins with a secure, Our design begins with a secure, password protected login. From that login, password protected login. From that login, users will be directed to their own users will be directed to their own personalized portal based on their status personalized portal based on their status as students, parents, staff, faculty, or as students, parents, staff, faculty, or alumni. Our multi-tiered design allows alumni. Our multi-tiered design allows each user the ability to access each user the ability to access individualized, highly relevant information. individualized, highly relevant information. We have eliminated the information We have eliminated the information overload to provide users the content they overload to provide users the content they want on demand.want on demand.

the Portal will…the Portal will…

Increase user performance Increase user performance Raise quality of customer serviceRaise quality of customer service Lower information technology costsLower information technology costs Provide unified look for easier useProvide unified look for easier use Help consolidate informationHelp consolidate information

Webmasters have as much influence, if not more, Webmasters have as much influence, if not more, over prospective millennial student decisions over prospective millennial student decisions than the admissions director (Wallace, 2000).than the admissions director (Wallace, 2000).

Be available to all members of the Be available to all members of the university communityuniversity community

Be personalized with user name and Be personalized with user name and passwordpassword

Have multiple customizable channelsHave multiple customizable channels Serve as the communication hub for the Serve as the communication hub for the

university communityuniversity community

Our portal will…Our portal will…

your portal Will…your portal Will…

Access student information systemAccess student information system Feature a customizable main page with Feature a customizable main page with

links, announcements, and campus newslinks, announcements, and campus news Access an interactive personalized Access an interactive personalized

calendarcalendar Link to discussion boardsLink to discussion boards Access university emailAccess university email

Theory in practiceTheory in practice

Person-environment congruence (Strange, 1996)Person-environment congruence (Strange, 1996)– In order to have an educationally purposeful experience In order to have an educationally purposeful experience

and guarantee satisfaction, individuals need to feel and guarantee satisfaction, individuals need to feel comfortable in their environment. comfortable in their environment.

– By creating a customized portal, the individual will create By creating a customized portal, the individual will create able to create a comfortable environment ensuring a able to create a comfortable environment ensuring a positive working condition. positive working condition.

““Interactive capacities of computer-mediated Interactive capacities of computer-mediated communication lead to the formation of communication lead to the formation of characteristic social aggregations.” (Strange & characteristic social aggregations.” (Strange & Banning, 2001)Banning, 2001)

Development TeamDevelopment Team

The following were identified as The following were identified as stakeholders who serve as end users or stakeholders who serve as end users or content providers, or both: content providers, or both: StudentsStudents Faculty Faculty Student Activities/Residence Life Student Activities/Residence Life University RelationsUniversity Relations Enrollment ManagementEnrollment Management

Development ProcessDevelopment Process

End user focus groupsEnd user focus groups– Reliability of serviceReliability of service– Ease of navigationEase of navigation– Accuracy and timeliness of contentAccuracy and timeliness of content

Online/email questionnaireOnline/email questionnaire– Satisfaction assessmentSatisfaction assessment– Solicitation of user inputSolicitation of user input

Consultation of contributorsConsultation of contributors– Ease of information accessEase of information access

System SUPPORT NETWORKSSystem SUPPORT NETWORKS

User access and authenticationUser access and authentication Enrollment management databasesEnrollment management databases Campus newspaperCampus newspaper Calendar databaseCalendar database Search engineSearch engine Bookstore interfaceBookstore interface Human resourcesHuman resources Alumni informationAlumni information

Organization of the portalOrganization of the portal

All user options will include:All user options will include:– Personalized greetingsPersonalized greetings– Interactive calendarInteractive calendar– University-wide announcements and newsUniversity-wide announcements and news– Weather updatesWeather updates– Links to libraries, colleges, and academic Links to libraries, colleges, and academic

supportsupport

Organization of the portalOrganization of the portal

StudentsStudents– Enrollment management databaseEnrollment management database– Organization AnnouncementsOrganization Announcements– Residence LifeResidence Life

Work orders, RHA, room lotteries, tech supportWork orders, RHA, room lotteries, tech support

– Bookstore (online ordering)Bookstore (online ordering)– Campus food serviceCampus food service– Blackboard/WebCTBlackboard/WebCT– Single login for all functionsSingle login for all functions

Organization of the portalOrganization of the portal

Prospective StudentsProspective Students– Virtual admission counselingVirtual admission counseling– Online applicationsOnline applications– Orientation information and updatesOrientation information and updates– Financial aid applications & FAFSAFinancial aid applications & FAFSA– Housing information and online applicationsHousing information and online applications– Virtual toursVirtual tours– Adult and transfer student resourcesAdult and transfer student resources

Organization of the portalOrganization of the portal

Faculty/StaffFaculty/Staff– Access to grades and class rostersAccess to grades and class rosters– Professional development opportunitiesProfessional development opportunities– Promotion & tenure informationPromotion & tenure information– Research support and databasesResearch support and databases– Academic technology linksAcademic technology links– Budgets, accreditation, and master planningBudgets, accreditation, and master planning– Human resourcesHuman resources

Organization of the portalOrganization of the portal

Parents/AlumniParents/Alumni– Homecoming & CommencementHomecoming & Commencement– Academic/Event calendarsAcademic/Event calendars– Parents AssociationParents Association– Alumni AssociationAlumni Association– Campus safety reports and resourcesCampus safety reports and resources– Fundraising/Giving back Fundraising/Giving back – Parents WeekendParents Weekend– Overview of FERPAOverview of FERPA

With parents of Millennials being increasingly involved With parents of Millennials being increasingly involved in the education of their students, higher education in the education of their students, higher education institutions must involve parents in the aspects of the institutions must involve parents in the aspects of the university experience (Sells, 2002).university experience (Sells, 2002).

Design best practicesDesign best practices

Content edited for accuracyContent edited for accuracy Easy to read fonts and spacingEasy to read fonts and spacing Simple, consistent color themeSimple, consistent color theme Fast-loading graphicsFast-loading graphics Accessible to individuals with disabilitiesAccessible to individuals with disabilities Uniform writing style and terminologyUniform writing style and terminology Technical assistance readily availableTechnical assistance readily available Active links regularly updatedActive links regularly updated

Selected examplesSelected examples

University of California – Los AngelesUniversity of California – Los Angeles Xavier UniversityXavier University Evergreen State CollegeEvergreen State College University of MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota Pennsylvania State UniversityPennsylvania State University

Our portal reflects many key traits of these Our portal reflects many key traits of these institutions’ portals.institutions’ portals.

ReferencesReferences

Strange, C.C. (1996). Strange, C.C. (1996). Student services: A handbook for the Student services: A handbook for the professionprofession. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. . San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Strange, C.C. (2001) Strange, C.C. (2001) Educating by design: Creating Educating by design: Creating campus learning environments that work. campus learning environments that work. San Francisco: San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Jossey-Bass.

Wallace, H. (2000, Fall). Campus ecology theory and Wallace, H. (2000, Fall). Campus ecology theory and websites: One example of applying traditional student websites: One example of applying traditional student affairs theory to technology. Student Affairs.com E-affairs theory to technology. Student Affairs.com E-Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2004, from http:// Journal. Retrieved September 28, 2004, from http:// www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2000/wallace.htm www.studentaffairs.com/ejournal/Fall_2000/wallace.htm