When the new Ball State University Web site starts running Oct. 1 students can expect to see more pictures, graphics and other more flexible applications than the current site has.
University Web Coordinator Nancy Prater said the new Web site is visually more modern and reflects where Ball State is heading in the future. Prater said the new Web site has been re-organized to be more navigational, functional and user-friendly.
Prater said University Computing Services started forming the idea of re-launching the Web site about 18 months ago with the help of students, alumni and staff. It has been six months since the Web site has actually been in the process of organization, she said.
Among those involved in the creation and organization of the Web site include: mStoner Communications, a consulting firm in architectural Web design, University Marketing and Communications and UCS.
Prater said a Content Management System runs the current Web site, but the new site has an upgraded Content Management System called Sitecore, which provides more consistency and organization to the site.
The current Web site has 2.5 million visitors to the home page and 11 million total visitors monthly, Prater said. The main goal of creating a new site was to reflect Ball State's image, create a more user-friendly site and improve student recruitment, she said.
Prater said she sent three surveys to students, parents, faculty and alumni in the spring and a usability test in the fall, where users look up information and try to find problems with the Web site.
"We have received great feedback from faculty, students and alumni, and all of the response as been greatly appreciated," she said.
A few students who tested the Web site gave differing opinions about the structure and image the Web site portrays.
Sophomore Vanessa Prichard said she disliked the new Web design and said the format was too basic with too many words and not enough pictures.
Senior Matt DeGeeter disagreed with Prichard.
"The new Web site has vast improvements in navigation, showcasing the better parts of the university in a more professional way," he said.
DeGeeter said he really liked the pictures that were implemented on the home page, but he did not really like the current students section, which has too big of a list that made it harder to find what a student is looking for. He said the Big Three: WebMail, Gradebook and Blackboard are also harder to find in the new Web site.
"However, overall I like the new Web site better than the current web site," DeGeeter said.
Freshman Hanna Murphy said she liked the menu and the pictures.
"The Web site shows more diversity in the university than the current Web site does," she said.
Additional InformationThe Web site contains a new home page and four new sections that include: About, Academics, Campus Life and Admissions. It also will have improved sections for Scholarships and Financial Aid, Telecommunications and Audience Gateway, which are pages for faculty/staff, current students, parents and economic partners.
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