Online Communications: March 2006 Archives
Because of our attendance at Sungard Summit -- a conference for products including the Luminis Content Management System, Luminis Portal, and Banner -- both Dan and I will be out of the office around March 29 - April 5. While I would ask that anything non-critical be held until we return, I will be monitoring my e-mail from Summit in case you need to reach us.
At Summit, we'll be attending sessions covering best practices for managing content management systems and portals as well as the development roadmap for those products. Hopefully we'll be able to share more about where the LCMS product is going and how it will impact Taylor.
Since we moved to the Luminis Content Management System (LCMS), the University has not had a good way of easily creating and maintaining forms. Either I have had to hand-code a form for departments or else some individuals used a product called Form Artist. Though Form Artist met the need in the interim, it just couldn't do forms and surveys the way the University needed them to be done.
Enter nTreePoint. A powerful and fairly easy to use Web based program, this new tool purchased by the University will enable departments to more easily create and maintain forms and surveys. Some of the forms we've already created and used include:
We are in the process of finalizing implementation of this tool and creation of training materials. We hope to be able to open it up for departments to create and maintain their own forms and surveys in the near future.
Until then, if you have any forms or survey needs, please contact Dan Reeves (dan.reeves@taylor.edu; x84858) or myself. Please note that we will need to prioritize the forms/surveys we create due to the LCMS v3 Implementation Initiative.
With the start of "real" work on the LCMS v3 Implementation Initiative, any new subsite not critical to the success of the University or continuing function of the public Web site will need to be put on hold.
I understand the inconvenience this will cause and want to offer a short explanation:
- With the effort required of our team on the initiative, we will unfortunately not have the time or resources to commit to setting up new subsites on the public Web site. Our efforts and focus need to be fully devoted to implementing LCMS v3, an initiative of the same scope as the Web site redesign two years ago. In the end, this should result in a quicker migration to the new content management system and, as a result, a quicker path to getting new content on the public Web site.
- Any new content that we implement now will extend the duration of our implementation initiative. Because of our desparate need to move to the LCMS v3 product, we are doing everything possible to keep the duration of this initiative as short as possible.
It is important to note that we will consider implementing critical needs, and all current content can and should continue to be maintained. Additionally, we encourage you to submit content plans/requests. Doing so will ensure that you will be ready to go when new development is resumed; we will still be reviewing such submissions.
I appreciate your patience and understanding during this time. Please contact me if you have any concerns.
A frustration for many departments over the past two years (since the public site redesign) has been the inability to develop or maintain their own sites.
The reasons for this are many. (If you ever want the full story, please arrange a lunch meeting with me, and I'll be happy to explain.) But the short answer is that because of the state of our current software for managing the Web site and portal -- Luminis Content Management System v2 -- and the need to upgrade that software "soon", I and others involved with online communications felt it best to limit the number of people that could contribute content into LCMS.
After two years, this limitation is nearing the end. I am very happy to announce that Online Communications and Information Technology have started the "LCMS v3 Implementation Initiative." While planning has been happening in earnest since last fall, actual technical implementation of the new system has started with actual migration of content from the old system to the new system set to begin in just a few weeks.
What does this mean to you?
Do you want to start a subsite on Taylor's public Web site, or do you want to make significant changes to your existing content? Have you thought about starting a blog? Do you need to share information with current faculty, staff and students?
Fill out our content planning and request form.
Completing this form will start the process of getting your content online, helping you think through your needs and objectives while giving my team an idea of how we can best assist you in meeting your goals. After we review your request, we'll get back to you about if and how you can get started.
And now the unpleasent part: Yes, this is required if you want a new site or significantly reworked content. But we hope that, while the process may take some time, it will be a valuable planning tool that will lead to more professional and effective content after all is said and done.
Of course, if you have any questions or concerns about the planning process or anything related, feel free to e-mail us or leave a comment.
It is my pleasure to introduce two new members of Taylor's Online Communications team:
- Dan Reeves, Assistant Director of Online Communications (TUU emphasis): Dan comes to Taylor with experience as an Internet Project Manager with Casio, Inc. and a broad background in multimedia and new media production. His responsibilities as Assistant Director will include content development and oversight, project management, training and support for online communications. Additionally, he will back-up the Director of Online Communications when necessary. Dan started on March 13.
- Phil Macomber, Online Communications Technical Administrator: Phil transitions from the Information Technology department where he has been working in support of the current content management system. Phil will be responsible for development, maintenance and administration of presentation templates, scripting and middleware that support the University's online communications efforts. This position will officially start on June 1 though Phil's involvement in current efforts to move to a new version of the content management system has already closely aligned him with our department.
Additionally, within the past year, Tricia Halferty has been named Assistant Director of Online Communications (TUFW emphasis).
I welcome all three and hope you will too.
Online Communications. What's that? At Taylor, online communications includes the content and design of various Web and Internet-based media, including:
- public Web sites
- the myTaylor portal
- forms and surveys
- streaming media
- e-mail newsletters
- blogs
- forums
- others
All of these tools provide University departments and programs a variety of ways to communicate with, provide information to and serve our various audiences online. While each medium can be used effectively on its own, we group them together as "online communications" since they are most effective when leveraged together as part of a comprehensive and cohesive strategy.
Helping you develop and execute such a strategy is why the University's Online Communications personnel, and this blog, exist. For us, we're using this blog to reach out to you: to keep you better informed, to provide one place to go for information and resources, and to answer any questions or comments that you might have.
Stay tuned. There's lots more to come...
