Student Focus Group 12/4/2008

Lynn intro

• What do students want the website to look like?
• Current website is acting as a "brochure"
• How can we make it more useful?

What do you like about the MIIS website?

• Looks professional, colorful, clear images, easy to navigate
• Like new Flash opening page = very modern & appealing
• Lots of sites use too much Flash, the MIIS website has a good balance
• Image & branding at the top of the page

What do you use the website for?

• Use faculty-related items such as timesheets, checking program highlights, events (also use FirstClass for events)
• While applying, admissions and financial aid sections before applying, professor bios, course descriptions, schedules
• Library stuff, looking up a professor's email, BannerWeb

Website items that influenced application decision

• MPA description
• DPMI
• Site gave enough information to then call professors and ask additional questions

What don't you like?

• BannerWeb link at the bottom
• Search engine -- always search through Google because it is more efficient
• 5 sitemaps ("There are other websites?")

Blogs?

• Student services, library, etc. all have blogs
• "Who reads them?" "I've never read them"
• Maybe one giant RSS feed on the main page that can be divided into separate categories and used how each reader sees fit

Items to consider in redesign

• More focus on where alumni end up, PERSONAL STORIES presented in a creative way
• Career Development section
  • Other universities like Columbia and Johns Hopkins have much better career development programs
• Outside rankings, articles, press backing up the reputability of the Institute
  • Two types of students: those who focus on the rankings and those who focus on program content
• Make sure look & feel of website is consistent department to department
• Common event calendar that does not reside in FirstClass
• More complete and interactive -- showcase iTunes U presence, etc.
• Need to create a centralized system rather than sending people to Moodle for certain items, First Class for others, etc.
• Student portal, alumni portal. maybe make it so students HAVE to visit the portal and will then be exposed to other cool things (like blogs)
• Library website -- JSTOR is separate from other research databases, navigation is confusing
• Disconnect: after one year, student email is gone

Audience

• Lots of schools have different portions of the site for prospective students vs. current students
• Student portal would be nice, place that combines papercut account link/Moodle/library
• Cater to prospective students
• Each school could have a different face

Navigation

• Like consistent navigation, use of breadcrumbs to indicate where you are within a site

Websites we like

• vassar.edu
• beloit.edu
• insidecolby.com
• iGoogle