Web Strategy and Development Blog

Mobile-friendly academic website conversions: Spring semester progress

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Campus scene with many students on mobile phonesMobile usage is growing exponentially — particularly among our largest demographics of prospective students, Millennials and Gen Z.

Last year, Google experienced two mobile milestones:

  • The mobile tipping point, in which the number of mobile searches in the U.S. surpassed searches on PCs
  • Mobilegeddon, a change to the Google search algorithm that benefits mobile-friendly websites over their non-mobile-friendly counterparts

Academic websites converting to mobile

In response to the growing need to reach our audience on mobile devices, we began the process of converting all academic department websites to a mobile-friendly format in 2015.

The conversion process is not a complete redesign. Instead, it converts each site to the mobile template and reorganizes existing content for consumption on mobile devices.

Like the academic website redesigns, conversions are funded by the provost’s office and processed on a college-by-college rotation according to the deans’ prioritization.

Websites that are converted to the mobile-friendly template will later undergo redesign, during which new content, multimedia elements and design elements will be created. This two-step process allows our office to optimize all academic websites for mobile consumption as quickly as possible.

Progress in the first half of 2016

During the first six months of this year, we published the following mobile-friendly website conversions:

Progress anticipated for the second half of 2016

An additional 14 academic websites are either currently in conversion or scheduled to begin the process before the start of the fall semester. We expect all of these conversions to be published during the first half of the fall semester.

Redesigned biology website: Diverse programs in a mobile-friendly format

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The redesigned biology website recently launched as part of the Academic Website Project. It is the fifth academic website to receive a full redesign for the mobile-friendly template, a process that includes the creation of new content, design and multimedia elements.

Clarifying programs and resources

The biology department is home to a diverse range of programs and research centers. Given the options and opportunities for prospective students, providing clarity became a focus of the redesign.

Each program now has its own sub-section on the website, where information regarding that program is gathered.

The department’s research centers — meaningful recruitment tools — are highlighted in a prominent section of the website’s homepage. The Facilities and Resources page then features expanded descriptions of each center.

The research centers of the biology department, as featured on the homepage

Photo and description of the Gulf Coast Research Lab, as depicted on the facilities and resources page

Using video resources

This redesign included the creation of one new video, which highlights the department’s emphasis on research:

In addition, we were able to leverage videos that were created for other purposes. For example, the following video of a biology alumnus became a valuable addition to the Careers and Outcomes page for the Master of Science in Biology.

Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Lucie Amberg, new media specialist in the office of Web and new media
  • Design: Veronica Adinegara, senior graphic designer in the office of publications
  • Photography: Kevin White, senior photographer in photo services
  • Videography: Sara Silkwood, videographer in photo services
  • Editor: Nicki Donnelson, public relations specialist in University communications
  • Implementation: Brian Heaton, content management programmer in the office of Web and new media, with Lucie Amberg and Sara Clark, director of the office of Web and new media, and student coder Max Orlando

Redesigned MSAS website: Highlights professionalism and flexibility

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The redesigned website for the Master of Science in Administrative Studies recently launched as part of the Academic Website Project.

Flexibility – a complex selling point

Prospective students get excited about the administrative studies curriculum, which allows them to tailor leadership skills to their individual goals and experiences. This flexibility, however, adds complexity. Explaining the curriculum with clarity and concision became a focal point of the redesign.

Comprehensive program requirements

We accomplished this by building a Core Curriculum page, which outlines the curriculum in terms of its goals.

Website sections dedicated to each of the pre-designed option areas round out the program’s offerings:

A section dedicated to the Individualized Studies option outlines how students may design their own curriculum.

The section of the administrative studies website that is dedicated to international studentsOnline and international options

The MSAS program’s appeal to working professionals and international students also became important to the website’s redesign.

Many courses are offered online, which makes the program a great choice for people who want to pursue graduate studies while working. We created a page specifically for the Online Degree Option, which makes it easy for students to access the resources they need to succeed as online students.

Administrative studies is also an appealing option for international students, and because these students have specific needs and requirements we dedicated a section of the website to serving them.

Video assets

Current trends in digital media made video a critical part of the content strategy for the MSAS website. We created the following video specifically for this project.

In addition, we utilized the following videos featuring MSAS students and alumni, which were created for other University projects.

 Site credits

  • Project lead and content: Lucie Amberg, new media specialist in the office of Web and new media
  • Design: Veronica Adinegara, senior graphic designer in the office of publications
  • Editor: Don Hendricks, director of the office of University communications
  • Implementation: Brian Heaton, content management programmer in the office of Web and new media, with Lucie Amberg and Sara Clark, director of the office of Web and new media, and student coders Brandon Fitzlaff and Max Orlando

Free photo opportunity for faculty and staff

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Faculty and staff taking part in Free Portrait DaysIf you are a faculty or staff member, consider getting a new professional headshot on April 7-8. During Free Portrait Days, University photographers will be taking photos on a walk-in basis.

You’ll have the opportunity to select a photo from your session, and your selection will be used as your official photo on University websites. Taking part in Free Portrait Days is the simplest way to ensure that your professional photo is up-to-date.

Key details

  • What: Free Portrait Days
  • When: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., April 7-8
  • Where: Plaster Student Union, Room 312
  • Who: Open to all University faculty and staff

 

20 post ideas to beat the blogging blues

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Blogging can become a natural part of publicizing your department or program—just like posting events to the master calendar. However, it can be hard to know where to start with your blog. Listed below are 20 post ideas to provide you with a jumping-off point for your blog.

Topic ideas

Some tried-and-true topics for your blog should include:

  • Events
  • Student accomplishments
  • Faculty research and accomplishments
  • Application and scholarship deadlines
  • Registration reminders

The topic ideas listed above are a great place to start with your blog, but don’t be afraid to get creative with the types of content you provide with your followers. Showcase the unique talent, experiences and expertise of your department and program by:

  • Explaining what a current event or topic means for your area of study
    What rising food prices means for nutrition. Why environmental science matters for anthropology.
  • Spotlighting faculty and students – special projects, research or a recent trip
  • Introducing new faculty members, graduate assistants and staff members
  • Providing “a day in the life of the department head/center director/advisor” feature
  • Linking to a news release or podcast about your faculty or students, which can be found on the university news site
  • Posting a Flickr slideshow of photos from a recent event
  • Asking for a guest post from a student, alumni or professor
  • Asking for a guest post from a faculty member in a different, yet related subject area
    Discuss the partnership between the areas and recommend courses for students to take to learn more
  • Coordinating your posts with seasons, holidays or University-wide events, such as Homecoming, public affairs, back-to-school, etc.
  • Spotlighting a study abroad or volunteer experience
  • Describing student organizations or clubs
  • Previewing new or special topic courses offered in the coming semester
  • Providing career or internship tips
  • Compiling a list of links to news stories and websites that would be valuable to students
  • Sharing the slides from a professor’s recent presentation or a guest lecturer

Tips for posting

A good blog provides its readers with regular posts on topics of value to its followers. For University units, try to post monthly (preferably more often) on subjects or events that your students, alumni and faculty would find meaningful.

When you provide valuable and interesting information to your readers, they will return again and again to your blog because it becomes a valuable source of “insider” information. Your blog can be a great tool for telling the story of your department or program, staying connected with alumni, recruiting new students and keeping current students informed of department or program happenings.