University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April In November 2008 WSG approved the plan to move the current professional services information over to the corporate design, to create an audience based, rather than office based corporate website…

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –research was carried out to identify common procedures in dealing with professional services on the corporate websites of 21 UK universities (7 from the Russell Group, 7 from the 1994 Group and 7 post-1992)

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –Sites assessed were: Birmingham; LSE; Sheffield; Warwick; Manchester; Southampton; Bristol. UEA; Exeter; Lancaster; Queen Mary; York; Bath; Reading. Abertay; Brighton; Oxford Brookes; Anglia Ruskin; Nottingham Trent; East London; Bath Spa.

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –Sites were assessed on the following criteria: is the website audience based, or office specific? do the pages follow a corporate design? is there one particular starting point for professional service information? are there any unusual links/information on the site? are there any exceptions?

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –is the website audience based, or office specific? 7 out of 21 sites are audience based 9 out of 21 sites are office based 5 out of 21 sites are mixed, with either a mix of audience and office based information, or a really strong audience based starting point, leading on to office based sites

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –do the pages follow a corporate design? most of the audience based sites follow the corporate design, although there were a few variations most of the office based sites don’t

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –is there one particular starting point for professional service information? varying terminology for starting point: –Student Centre –Student Services Centre –Student Life –Student Services Information Desk –Support Services –Services for students/staff –myXxxxx portal (log on not necessary)

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –are there any unusual links/information on the site? VIP Portal (for prospective students) new arrivals area new arrivals checklist and free printable bus pass ‘What do you need help with’ fun, snappy area quick reference guide to opening hours of lots of facilities

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Research at other Institutions –are there any exceptions? usually, even on audience based sites, the Library and IT areas are separate

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April WaLT proposal … –use the planned ‘Student Centre’ as an umbrella for an online studentCentre, and create a staffCentre with similar information –use same terminology/channels as myEssex, adding additional ones where necessary

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April myEssex v student/staffCentre –the channels in the Student/Staff Centre will contain general information and provide links to all the services previously available through each of the professional service websites, plus information already on the corporate site –myEssex will still contain targeted/tailored information which a student (and potentially staff member) has to log on to view

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April services and administration –91 websites –16 quick wins, including: Academic Partnerships, Alumni, Court, Council, Admissions, Recruitment, International Office –12 already done as part of site rebuild –6 not Essex, including: Day Nursery, SU, Health Centre, AUA, Wivenhoe House

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April services and administration –57 remaining… –one or two might not be changed if there is a strong current brand, or external focus

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Planning –once we have excluded the sites that do not need to be transferred, WaLT will work with sections to plan a schedule of when each of the sites will be started –schedule will need to take into account when staff in relevant office will be around to assist

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Other considerations –review and improve current information, rather than copying over anything out of date or that currently doesn’t work so well needs resources from each office –make content multi campus where appropriate –all forms to be rewritten with new code link in to current student systems more so we can add the facility to check which campus a student is on and send form results to relevant campus. Also improve on form instructions in line with new accessibility guidelines

University of Essex: Professional Services 29 April Time frame and resources –18 month project 6 months planning, scheduling and dealing with quick wins. The end part of this will require involvement of sections to work out staff availability and times to avoid 12 months to transfer remaining sites timing depends on resources available. WaLT will require additional resources for the length of the project to assist in planning and transferring content in order to maintain service provision and complete currently scheduled work