Web Page Design

Meeting Minutes
February 4, 2008

 

Present:  Ann Miller, Steve Whiteman, Shirley Moore, Iden Smith and Jane Salisbury-CQI Process Leader.

Absent: Sandy Brubaker

Team charge: Review and make recommendations on the college web site to make it more of a recruitment/retention tool.

Team leader: Ann Miller

Dr. Salisbury explained that this team was being formed as a result of information in the report done by Dr. Robert A. Sevier of Stamats Inc.  A handout was distributed with Dr. Sevier’s recommendations for changes to the current Edison web site. 

“Establish your Web Site as the Center of Gravity

The Edison Community College Web site needs to be the centerpiece of its overall communication strategy.  Increasingly, the purpose of other media (print, DM, advertising) will be to drive traffic to your Web.  Additionally, it needs to be fully understood that the primary job of your site is to recruit students.  It is not an intranet. It is not for faculty.  It is not for librarians. It is to help the college recruit students.”

Ann Miller suggested that the college take a look at establishing a dot com address to use for student recruitment.  For example: ChooseEdison.com  This was suggested during the daylong seminar spent with Dr. Sevier on the Edison campus.  Ann said this is something that would need to be discussed with the Marketing committee but would be a quicker response to shaping a new web site to serve potential students.  The current web site contains approximately 200 sub webs that would need to be converted and incorporated into a new format. That will also need to be accomplished, but will require a longer time line to accomplish.

Quite a bit of discussion was held between team members about responsibility of keeping the web master informed of changes in programs, syllabi and information around campus.  Perhaps in the future a process of information should be established to help facilitate information being updated on the web.

Iden Smith said that the web site needs to maintain a balance between information and marketing.

Dr. Salisbury asked if it would be feasible to come up with a proposal for web site changes by the April 4 CQI Steering Committee meeting.  The committee members felt this timeline was possible.

Team members are to review the information provided by Dr. Sevier and be ready to provide input on what needs to be include on this student marketing web site.  Ann Miller will also ask that these questions also be placed on the Marketing meeting agenda for feedback from that committee.

Next meeting date:  9-10:30 a.m., February 15, 2008-boardroom.