USU makes changes to Web site
Some students don’t use Utah State University’s Web page as a resource.
Administrators have made changes they feel will be beneficial to students.
Renee Payne, director of university marketing, said, “The new site is faster. Students have a site that will brand their university better and one that is much easier to navigate. Search engines have been improved, information is better-organized and more readily available.”
The two main additions to the site are links titled “A Day in the Life of Students” and “Things to do in Cache Valley.”
Andrea Davis, a freshman majoring in vocal performance, said she feels pretty aware of resources available on the Web page.
“I’ve never looked at the new additions, though,” she said.
Payne said the changes are significant.
“They have been working on it since February,” she said. “It will help tremendously in the way the site runs and the resources available.”
The school’s Web Advisory Board decided to change the site at the beginning of the year.
Payne said its members “recognized the need to update the site to reflect a cohesive and consistent graphic image and to improve upon the navigational quality of the existing Web site.”
“A Day in the Life of Students” is designed to entice high school students searching for the right college. With photographs of smiling students and positive quotes, it is hard not to see why anyone would want to come to USU, Payne said.
“Things to do in Cache Valley” is precisely what it sounds like. It provides a list of places to go, and activities to do – everything from hiking to theater. For students coming from cities larger than Logan, this link will provide information as to the hot spots in town and where to have a little fun.
Toria Payne, a sophomore majoring in psychology, said she thinks the new links sound interesting and plans to visit them.
“I get on the Web site about twice a week, usually for classes. I wasn’t aware they had made changes,” she said. “I think it’s awesome that they’re giving an open opportunity like this to students. It’s really hard to find cool stuff to do in Logan.”
President Kermit L. Hall hired a university webmaster, Charles Thompson, this year to work on the project of redesigning the site.
Renee Payne said, “His approach was to bring together as many stakeholders as possible into an organization called the University Web Advisory Committee. This committee, plus a graphics committee, identified the best practices, marketing, themes and architectural flow.”
UWAC still meets regularly and discusses Web policy and school feedback, she said.
The advisory committee has worked extremely hard this year and has made extensive changes – all designed to help the students, Payne said.
“The entire navigation system has been changed so that information is organized logically and easier for the end user,” she said. “In fact, the end user was always top-of-the-mind in all the design efforts. The graphic interfaces were changed entirely, as well, with the primary, secondary and tertiary pages of all major sites having a cohesive appearance.
“Other Web sites have followed suit and are working within the same guidelines as the primary sites,” Payne said.
USU’s Web page is located at www.usu.edu. Comments and suggestions can be sent to charles.thompson@pr.usu.edu.
-eliza@cc.usu.edu