coe-staff: Communications/Website Updates

[Jessica Roberts]

 Dear Faculty and Staff,

Happy Fall and Welcome Back. Thank you for your well-wishes while I was away on parental leave. My bundle of joy is now 6 months old and I am finally getting my work legs back under me!

I wanted to provide you with a few brief updates on our communications work as we head into the New Academic Year especially because I have been receiving a lot of questions and a lot of feedback about the website. So far I have heard your concerns about incorrect content, uninteresting photos, missing stories of interest, and the amount of time it takes before issues are addressed. While we continue to look into resource solutions to address pace, I wanted to provide you with some updates in general. I plan to provide you with more consistent updates as we work through these things throughout the Term:

As you know, the new COE website has been live and functional (in a minimalist form) since February of this year before I left on parental leave but I still have a lot of work ahead:

Phase 1: Launch: The website launched in two parts:

  *   Launch (Part A): Stand up website: The first part of the website launch was to stand up a new website using the University of Oregon’s website template.
     *   All programs provided me with information which was reviewed, in some cases re-written internally, and launched for the February launch date. This phase is complete.


  *   Launch (Part B): Refine posted content: The second part of the website launch is to refine the content we uploaded in February and make any individualized adjustments as necessary in consultation with programs.
     *   These refinement activities are currently underway.  In most cases, these refinements will emphasize the unique nature of a given program – the parts that don’t quite fit the University’s template.  I have been working individually with Program Directors and Student Service Coordinators when appropriate to make these refinements. In many cases we are finding the need to correct the information from the original launch. At our current pace these refinements will likely continue through the end of the year.

Phase 2: Enhance and improve our brand and presence:

  *   Enhance and improve: Phase 2 is to add what I refer to as the “spice” of each program and of our college.
     *   This is the interesting content, liveliness, color, and motion that makes students want to come to each program, and the interesting work that makes prospective students want to be in our college. It will also highlight the benefits of the University of Oregon, including our location in Eugene. This phase will see the addition of student testimonials, dynamic photos and videos of current and past students engaged in our programming. While the planning of this content is complete, the writing and development of the pages and content has not begun.  We plan to accelerate this phase by early January.


Phase ‘3’: Ongoing work: Faculty profiles, ongoing maintenance, and additional resources are ongoing:

  *   Faculty profiles: We would like to ensure that our faculty profiles are impeccable.
     *   One of the things that draws our students to our college is you. Our world-class faculty are the reasons our students, especially our graduate students choose their careers, their course of study, and ultimately, their program. As Randy mentioned, we want our excellent faculty to be first and foremost in the minds of our students and in the minds of our peers.
     *   Recently, Randy asked for your help with submitting your profiles and photographs. While we will in fact be setting up a new photo-shoot in November, I acknowledge that some of the slowdowns related to the faculty profiles have occurred after you sent us your material. We are currently working with our student interns and others as necessary to get your profiles updated as quickly as possible. However, to get ahead of bottle-necks, and to ensure that faculty have the ability to make important profile updates even when our communications team is focused on our other communication responsibilities, next week I will be sending a very simple, step by step set of instructional materials that will give faculty access to upload their own profile content. This is something that was requested some time ago, and I am glad to be able to provide it as an option.


  *   Ongoing maintenance: This is the ongoing clean-up and work associated with any website even the most mature and refined.
     *   As with any website, there will be issues both technical and content-based that stakeholders identify along the way that require attention simply because time has passed. New materials will need to be updated based on changes to programs and courses or even based on new understanding of the way the website is being used. We will hold an annual audit where we send an all-call asking for checks to deadlines, forms, and program plans. In between audits, we will continue to  collect and respond to your requests for changes.

  *   I understand the Qualtrics has not worked as smoothly or as quickly as we hoped.  We are working to address these concerns including adding in features that ensure each request gets a message when submitted, and then a second message either confirming the change was made, or if not, what recommended alternate solutions are possible. Changes may take some weeks to implement – with our current staffing (even with the addition of one other person) - pace will remain a challenge. However, if something is incorrect and presenting a logistical obstacle with the  application process,  or endangering our current accreditations, please also follow up the Qualtrics request with an email to me directly, and I will expedite these particular changes.


  *   Digital Marketing Specialist: As Randy mentioned on Friday, we are in the process of hiring for this position. Once hired, I will be working closely with this person who will help us to expedite this planned work while also optimizing our digital presence. This person will be able to remain focused solely on our digital presence allowing me to more efficiently address our college’s wider communications issues, strategies, and materials. This dedicated digital focus will be central to our success in recruiting prospective students and to our improved online reputation.



 Best,
Jessica

Jessica Roberts
Director of Communications
College of Education
541.346.8979
M: 502.523.6025


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