Cuesta College!Web Report

Pamela Cox-Otto, Ph.D.

Interact Communications

•  Specialist in Two-Year College Communications

•  Engaged to develop needs and wants of key audiences

•  Original National Research in Web and Media Preferences

Multi-Method Approach

1.  Interviews with Leadership & Technical Staff

2.  Focus Groups With Staff and Students

3. Q-Sort with Faculty, Staff, Leadership and High School Students

Core Approach

Project Recap 1. Current Student Web Area

What Students Want and Need to Support Them and Engage Them

2. Faculty Staff and Administration

3. High School Perspectives

Goal was to find a structure and design that accommodates current needs and guides future ones

4. Community Perspectives

Current Students

18 60-minute Interviews

Current Student Issues •  Have to login too many times ("skip access") •  Newer class finder is counterintuitive •  Often no announcements in MyCuesta •  Blackboard underutilized (students aren’t relating to it) •  Class registration should be more prominent •  Hard to find student newspaper from website •  Don't use Cuesta email •  Don't need Cuesta Google mail account

•  Mail access too prominent and waste of space •  Don't use except to find a class •  Do not like Paws •  Designed for students looking for colleges •  Generic page •  Blocky

Current Student Issues

•  Stale/old photos •  Doesn't "feel good" •  Not very flashy •  Don't go for visual appeal or entertainment •  Political - lots of paper work •  Too wordy •  Cluttered •  Too much text •  Employees need different things than students do •  Poor categorization •  Difficult to find content and some information is missing •  Information not missing, just hard to find •  Too many clicks •  Have to search around to find stuff •  Search ends in phone call •  Too many PDFs returned when searching

Current Student Findings

•  The website should be a “gathering place” •  Core Current Information •  Access to MyCuesta (student portal)

•  Want Engagement •  Things that engage them (keep them coming back) •  A sense of things changing every day

•  Want More than just a File Drawer •  Want Engagement before reaching the Portal •  Organized •  Current

Current Student Issues

•  Want the pages to be friendly and not ! overwhelming.

•  Bullet points •  Chunks of information •  Not in Academese

•  Are looking for items organized into flow ! charts or tables

Current Student Structure

Current Student Discards

Current Student Recommendations •  Implement the current student preferences

•  Email is not being used as a main communication tool. Cuesta must ! build in critical and fun information to “train” students to turn to this ! source of information.

•  Look for ways to encourage faculty and student use of blackboard ! as a key coursework communication system.

•  Look for ways to limit or reduce the number of unique required ! sign-ins (security is damaging the student experience).

•  Review the critical content list that came out of this research, and ! develop or expand the content for your next website.

Faculty, Staff & Administration 3 Focus Groups w/18 Individuals 81 Web Satisfaction and Process Inventory

40 Faculty 31 Staff 8 Administration 2 Mystery Employees

Faculty/Staff/Admin Issues •  Outdated; visually dated •  Too stationary •  Too many words •  Too many pictures of cougar statue •  Need to fill viewing page with content •  Site contained in small portion of page •  Too many links to choose from right away •  Site has no identity •  No audience in mind for current design •  Designed for design committee •  Campus events hard to view •  Academic calendar list instead of grid format •  Internal blame for design due to lack of financial resources •  Poor navigation; difficult navigation •  Current navigation somewhat illogical •  Looking for simpler navigation •  Path to desired information doesn't make sense

Faculty/Staff/Admin Issues •  Things aren’t missing - just in wrong place •  Too many clicks to reach information •  Central resource but not doing its job •  Web use results in phone call for desired information •  Search produces frequency - not accuracy •  Pages not titled (too many "untitled" pages returned in search) •  Only exists so college can say they have a website •  Organized for internal audience instead of external •  Don't care for current campus portrayal •  Need to promote college more blatantly •  Doesn't highlight programs and services •  3 separate calendars with 3 separate editors •  Missing virtual tour •  All campus locations not included •  Out of date information; missing current information •  Need instructor information •  Redundant information and old pages don't get taken down •  Dead links since information transferred to portal

Findings •  Information MUST be up-to-date

•  The issue of an effective search engine is critical

•  Clear labels and breadcrumb trails

•  A clear connection between site and portal

•  Minimize academese and acronyms

•  Clean design that is eye catching

•  User style guide so there is continuity

Findings •  A better workflow process

•  A defined process for what gets top billing priority (remove ! politics from process).

•  A gate-keeper with ability + authority to police site and say “no”

•  Establishment of content guidelines (a list of “do” and “don't”).

•  Development of guidelines for frequency of updating material.

•  Redefinition of committee roles.

•  Turn-over on the web committee.

Structure

Discard

WSPI Findings

•  Many staff are unsure of whom to talk to for content creation, updating, and restoration.

•  50% of respondents were not clear on the processes for creating ! or changing the website. •  The same holds true for approval of new or changed content.

•  Approximately 20% are unaware of the length of time it takes for new ! or changed content to appear on the website.

•  More than 50% “agree” or “strongly agree” that they are willing to ! take responsibility for changing and maintaining web content if the ! process were simple.

Recommendations •  Implement the new navigational structure identified in this report, as ! navigation issues are a significant part of current staff dissatisfaction

•  Develop a series of interactive functions for the sites including: Interactive map, RSS feed, social networking links, video snippets

•  Encourage faculty and student use of blackboard as the key classroom! communication system

•  Construct the faculty/staff pages in such a way that the duality of their ! functions (employee/student resource) are not intermingled.

•  Keep the marketing language out of the faculty area

•  Develop a comprehensive plan to update information in the site at least ! weekly, if not daily.

•  Plan the implementation of your update plan using the 10% of web savvy ! internal users

High School Students

24 60-minute Interviews

High School Student Issues

•  Really bright and green •  Boring •  The site is too static •  Needs more flashy images •  Doesn’t have images that look like us •  Need ways to communicate •  No interactivity •  Current site is not memorable •  Some sites linked that do not belong to Cuesta •  Web inquiries end in phone call when information not found •  Easy to find •  Straightforward but nothing to come back to

High School Student Issues •  Need phone numbers for instant contact •  Easy access to login and easy to remember log-ins •  Clear path to portal •  Ability to search the site •  Key word driven •  Suggestions for search content (similar to Google or YouTube) ! Effective search function •  Search suggestions •  Flashy images •  Videos – Cuesta produced content •  Live chat •  Web 2.0 Functions

•  Ways to talk to other students (Facebook, Twitter) •  Discussion forum •  Ways to contact current students •  Ability to contact current student athletes •  Blogs •  News Feed

High School Students Findings

•  Want things customized for them.

•  Would like to see real time information as it relates to Cuesta.

•  Like news about Traffic, Weather, Sports Scores

•  Want flashy images to capture their attention

•  Additionally want, social networking capability to connect with ! current students ranked high on their list.

High School Students Findings •  Student profiles •  Graduate testimonials •  Alumni advice column •  News headlines •  Academic calendar •  Local current weather •  Class schedule •  Course catalog •  Easy course registration •  Athletic schedules and record •  Athletic roster and contact information •  Student activity information •  Bus schedule and traffic information •  College staff contact information

Navigation Structure

Discards

Recommendations

•  Implement the navigation & design structure

•  Move writing style into web-based writing…with interesting ! headings and bullet-points (rather than paragraphs).

•  Develop a series of interactive functions that allow students to ask ! questions, post inquiries and connect with current students ! (moderated or mediated).

•  Look for ways to add video and interactivity to the HS pod.

•  Add social networking functions to the student area (realizing that ! 70% of all HS do some kind of social networking).

•  Develop ways for your student images on your web pages to be ! updated by on-campus students on a daily basis

Community

3 Focus Groups, 30 Individuals

Community Issues •  Website needs help •  Not engaging •  Too plain; No "razzle-dazzle" •  Colors are distracting •  Too much focus on sports and academics •  MyCuesta is too prominent •  9 Morros picture good •  Background and tabs the same is hard to read •  Circular Links - dead ends •  Too many links •  Get lost on the page •  Too much scrolling •  Content missing

Community Members •  Some community members not big on Internet use •  Application is cumbersome •  Registration was confusing •  ID never works •  Cluttered with too much junk •  Don't need 2 websites (ref MyCuesta) •  Site visits end with phone call or in person visits •  Easy to use now •  Usability •  Quick and efficient •  Intuitive •  Label things so we can understand •  Standardized forms •  Offer assistance for community registration (in-house) •  Go public to teach seniors how to use

Community Findings

•  Are “not really looking for things to do” on the website

•  Like Straightforward and ‘not-flashy’ the best

•  Are interested in sites frequently visited by others within the Cuesta ! College. They would like information that is readily available to them.

•  Think graphics should be simple, however they want to see photos.

Community Findings

•  Were especially adamant about the tabs/links visually standing out ! against the background.

•  One person did suggest a multiple frames approach.

•  Still desire a way to get in touch with a person as well as the ability ! to request and complete forms, etc with pen and ink.

•  Many noted that outreach to help them learn about and how to use ! the website may encourage them to become more frequent users.

Navigation Structure

Navigation !Discards

Recommendations •  Create a community website with the multiple college roles in mind

•  Community can be : • Business & Industry • Community Services • Working Adult •  Taxpayers

•  Ensure social and entertainment focus, business training, transfer, ! life-long learning and job training

Recommendations

•  Within the community area allow each audience to have a focus

•  Make the site graphically simple avoiding putting off any age group

•  Create web shortcuts within the mini-site

•  Add phone/print options for all information on the community site

•  Implement the navigational structure identified through this research

Overall

Overall Recommendations

•  Fundamentally your college websites are communication ! tools.

•  It is critical that content, design, and core functionality ! should be driven by communications.

•  Mission and focus of the website must be developed as a ! part of the communication master plan.

Overall Recommendations

•  Create a multi audience approach to your website and ! implement “PODS©”.

•  Implement the navigational schema for all pods.

•  Implement the graphical schema for all pods.

•  Rebuild the entire site from the ground up…cleaning out the ! old pages, bad organization, dated content, and ! essentially… cleaning out the garage.

Current Site •  Have to login too many

•  Newer class finder is not intuitive

•  Want announcements in MyCuesta

•  Blackboard underutilized

•  Class registration more prominent

•  Hard to find student newspaper

•  Don't use Cuesta email

•  Don't need Cuesta Google mail

•  Mail access too prominent

•  Don't use except to find a class

•  Do not like Paws

•  Just click the site to get to MyCuesta

•  Designed for students looking for ! colleges

How To Make The Site More Usable •  Labels/Names for tabs that make sense

•  Pathway to MyCuesta information

•  Make access simple for online students

•  Simple, easy to remember passwords and logins

•  One stop for everything online

•  Forwarding for Cuesta email

•  Email address shows when drafting email from a link

•  Save paper with class note posting capability

•  Save paper with easier class registration

•  Customization

•  Widgets

Navigation & Structure should:

•  Be tab driven

•  Preview information within tabs

•  Link to departments and programs

•  Know where you are

•  Give the ability to get back to home page

•  Minimize scrolling

•  Keep Banner for Financial Aid

•  Customize tabs for personal home page

Interactivity •  Good search engine

•  Flash; Animation

•  Photo gallery

•  Photo submission contest

•  Interactive campus map

•  MyCuesta "how-tos”

•  Video tutorials

•  Program videos

•  Announcements -keep current and changing

•  New posted information obvious – without email notification

Sorting Page Design

Current Student

Current Student Content

Faculty/Staff Pod

Faculty Staff Content

High School

High School Content

Community

Community Content

Cuesta College!Web Report

Pamela Cox-Otto, PhD