Western Idaho College: Student Life Web Site Assessment

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Western Idaho College Student Life Web Site
Assessment

• Presented by
• Iowa State University
• Heidie Grove
• Jamie Lebo
• Shannon Miner
• Sarah Phillips

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Values Guiding the Philosophy Statement

• Educating site visitors about all components of
  the Department of Student Life
• Accessible reference for all constituents
• Provide a comprehensive guide for campus
  relations
• Consistency with the standards and goals of the
  College

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Statement of Philosophy

• The web site for the Department of Student Life
  at Western Idaho College strives to create a
  window into student life, emphasizing that
  education goes beyond the classroom. Our web
  site is an on-line resource that readily educates
  and accommodates the needs of our constituents,
  by contributing to the access in the pursuit of
  scholarship.

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The Importance of a Student Life Web Site

• Personalizes the college, giving an inside view
  of what goes on outside the classroom
• Serves as a recruitment tool, providing a
  snapshot of the campus culture to prospective
  students
• Educates the user about information related to
  the offices housed in the Student Life Department
• Provides easy navigation for visitors

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The Importance of a Student Life Web Site Cont.

• Is a resource for campus information, events,
  and happenings
• Supplies an identity to the Department of Student
  Life and offices housed within it
• Remains up-to-date with todays technology-driven
  society to keep competitive with other
  institutions

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The Division Seeks to Accomplish

• A positive representation of the standards,
  objectives and morals of Western Idaho College
• Inform and create an awareness for all audiences
  about the aspects of student life
• Welcome new students and promote interest in
  campus life
• Meet the needs of students at their convenience
• Capture and display the unique attributes of the
  college
• Enhance campus culture by offering continuous
  access to policies, activities, guidelines, and
  other pertinent information

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The Target Audiences

• Current students
• Perspective students
• Faculty staff
• Alumni
• Visitors Families

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Web Site Benefits forCurrent Students

• Allows constant access into departmental offices
• Lists activities, involvement opportunities and
  athletic calendars
• Displays the latest updates and news on campus
• Assists in the development of the whole student

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Web Site Benefits forPerspective Students

• Welcomes and introduces students to college life
  outside the classroom
• Visualizes the environment and student-life on
  the campus
• Defines the priorities and mission of the college
• Introduces perspective students to the Department
  of Student Life

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Web Site Benefits forFaculty Staff

• Merges offices into one location for efficient
  access
• Combines goals and objectives of the department
  to maintain cohesivenes
• Identifies campus resources

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Web Site Benefits forAlumni

• Maintains connection to campus life and college
• Updates on latest news and happenings
• Resource for contact information

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Web Site Benefits for Visitors Families

• Welcomes and introduces visitors families to
  life at Western Idaho College
• Resource for campus services
• Visualizes the environment and student culture on
  the campus

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Desired Web Site Features

• According to literature and experiences Web
  sites of similar institutions the following
  section of slides will cover specific features
  that many users expect to find on a Student Life
  web site.

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Desired Web Site Features

• Easy navigation
• Web site reliability
• Consistent themes within pages
• Clear and concise information
• Updated content
• Eye-catching presentation
• Relevant information
• Non-discriminatory terminology
• Provide links for additional searches
• Contact information

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Student Life Web Site Features What Students
Want to See

• Contact lists of clubs and organizations
• Leadership opportunities
• Student activities events
• Residence life opportunities
• Counseling and career services resources

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What Students Want to SeeContact List of Clubs
Organizations

• Easy access for information on student
  involvement
• A variety of opportunities for all students to
  become involved
• Social and personal outlets
• Leadership opportunities

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What Students WantUpcoming Activities and Events

• Daily on-campus and local happenings
• Cultural experiences
• Diversity exploration
• Social events
• Educational experiences outside the classroom

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What Students Want Residence Life

• Housing features
• Dining features
• Leadership opportunities
• Social functions
• Maintaining a welcoming and hospitable
  environment
• On-site resources

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What Students WantCounseling and Career
Resources

• Career exploration resources
• Advisory resources
• Personal counseling resources
• Legal advisory resources
• Professional development resources
• Resume enhancement
• Skill development
• Social networking

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Student Life Web Site FeaturesWhat Families Want

• Safety features
• Student handbook
• Student activities
• Student development
• Support service

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What Families WantSafety Features

• Crime statistics
• Public safety services
• Discrimination policies
• Campus security
• Emergency response
• Crisis management
• Health services

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What Families WantStudent Handbook

• College rules and regulations
• Academic standards and policies
• Offered services listed
• Academic guidelines
• Academic calendar
• Family support services
• Dedication to quality education and over all
  college experience

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What Families WantStudent Activities/Student
Development

• Abundance of clubs and organizations
• Awareness of out-of-classroom experiences
• Leadership and career development
• Opportunities contributing to students
  well-being
• Cultivating student independence
• Educating financial responsibility
• Tools for success in life

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What Families WantSupport Services

• Health center services
• Counseling services
• Academic assistance services
• Financial services
• Career exploration services
• Transportation services
• Residence services

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References

• Central College (2003). Retrieved February 19,
  2003, from www.central.edu
• Luther College (2003). Retrieved February 19,
  2003, from www.luther.edu
• Pacific University (2003). Retrieved February
  19, 2003, from www.pacificu.edu
• Simpson College (2003). Retrieved February 19,
  2003, from www.simpson.edu
• Santa Clara University (2003). Retrieved
  February 19, 2003, from www.scu.edu
• Abdullah, M. H. (1998). Guidelines for
  Evaluating Web Sites. ERIC Digest.
• Kittle, B., Ciba, D. (2001). Using College Web
  Sites for Student Recruitment A Relationship
  Marketing Strategy. Journal of Marketing for
  Higher Education. 11(n3), p. 17-37.

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Web Site Critique and RecommendationsEasy
Navigation

• Ensure all links are active and operational
• Keep information on site updated
• Include a link to the main site for Western Idaho
  College on each page within the departments Web
  site

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Web Site Critiques RecommendationsSteps for
Creating a Welcoming Site

• Have the site Bobby Approved to ensure visitors
  using assistive technology can access the site
• Provide an e-mail address for the web-master
• Add a local news box with the national news box
  on the main page

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Web site Critique RecommendationsWelcoming
cont.

• Phone numbers listed in the site should include
  the area code and prefix
• Office mailing addressed and office hours should
  be apparent
• Familiarize visitors with the mascot, symbols,
  and traditions with photos, graphics and text
  throughout the site

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Web Site Critique RecommendationsWelcoming
cont.

• Place pictures of students, staff, and areas of
  campus in relevant parts of the site

• Place pictures of students, staff, and areas of
  campus in relevant parts of the site

Example Photos
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Web Site Critique RecommendationsGeneral
Suggestions

• Athletics page should highlight and provide
  information for all teams on campus
• The wording of the mission statement should be
  revisited and congruent with the mission of the
  institution.
• Schedules and objectives for Orientation should
  be included in that page

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Web Site Critique RecommendationsGeneral
Suggestions cont.

• Check for and correct any spelling and
  grammatical errors
• Utilize professional, positive, and descriptive
  language
• Display the positive aspects of the department

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Summary

• If the Department of Student Life adopts the
  suggestions made in this presentation, the web
  site will uphold the philosophy statement. It
  will also provide an accurate representation of
  the Western Idaho College environment including
  improved access and information for visitors to
  the site.