As eCampus now has a permanent location in the footer, I removed it from the marketing box (I would like to start using it again for MARKETING) ... anyhow, it has caused a tremendous uproar at my college even though we explained it before-hand, and even after the change was made.

I realize people want 'their' programs and everything-but-the-kitchen-sink on the homepage, but I do not see the logic of having two places where eCampus is located. I have relented and added it to myQuicklinks, but that seems to have drawn even more blood.

What are your experiences with this? Should I hold firm and leave it out of the marketing box? Should I relent and place it back there?

Thoughts?

My feeling, Bruce, is that a presence in Quicklinks and a presence in the footer is two spots on the Home Page and that is plenty, more than other very important entities.

Tomball has always rotated our boxes, so no one got used to our permanent presence in a marketing box. But i imagine, after the initial stink, folks will get used to your change, get used to accessing eCampus in a different way, and the storm will die down.

Obviously, the decision is yours and Andres. Perhaps i'm wrong and your users would rather have that easy access to eCampus than news on upcoming events. Perhaps they would be better served with the eCampus box there.

But i wouldn't relent until they complain for a certain length of time and it is evident that that is what would best suit your users. My guess is that they won't break you.

Yes, I think people get accustomed to things being 'like it was' without realizing that we are making progress witih the site and its navigation.

Would I have done eCampus navigation differently from a design perspective? Maybe? But I think that would have to take into account other services that are just as important that need homepage visibility also (i.e. MyRecords ... also taking up a marketing box).

When I had it rotating that caused even more of an outcry. They would see it, then not see it ... and wonder why. Not realizing, I suppose, that those boxes rotate.

I will monitor the responses and until Andre tells me to change it back, I think I am gonna just wait it out.

Thanks for your insights.

We have been asked by our Vice President of Instruction to put eCampus on the home page as a permanent fixture. Funny thing is, it was gone all summer. We communicated about removing it in the spring, got a little feedback, then moved past it. Now it has resurfaced. For the time being we're putting it up again. You may find it interesting that at MC:

eCampus is in the QuickLinks on the home page and in the footer of every page in the district.

The link is also 2 clicks from the home page by using any of the following paths:

Students/Help with Classes
Student Support/Help with Classes
QuickLinks/Distance Learning
Classes/eCampus (Distance Learning)
Student Support/Computing
Employees/Teaching
Help (in the footer)/Distance Learning


Distance Learning also appears as the top search result when the user searches the following keywords from www.montgomery-college.com:

eCampus
Distance Learning
WebCT

---

Elisa Burleigh
Web Coordinator
Montgomery College

So it sounds more like people just being used to something making enough fuss about it to get it changed back. I have a feeling we will change our back at some point because I know the solutions we instituted (having it in MyQuicklinks, and the footer, etc.) are not going to satisfy people who expect it to be where it always was.

Hey, why didn't your comments send out?

I have requested an agenda item for discussion at tomorrow's Web Admin meeting that should eventually eliminate the problem.

Agenda Item:
Discuss project plan for home page template update

From:
Montgomery College

Date:
August 29, 2006

Description:
Redesign of the college home page templates has been discussed at previous Web Administrator meetings and previous PIC meetings. As per previous discussions, redesign specs would include adding permanent navigation structures to promote My Records and eCampus.

Justification:
As previously discussed, these revisions would free the advertising boxes for local promotional content.

---

Elisa Burleigh
Web Coordinator
Montgomery College

I think that would be a wonderful idea.

I've always thought the overlay on the photos would be a nice place to add those two services. It gives prominence to two must-have services without changing much.

I've wondered why we have Employees and Job Seekers on that overlay as they are already located in the header?

I agree. I think the overlay shouldn't contain redundant links that are already in the header. The home page real estate is simply too valuable. So, for example, the overlay links could be:

Prospective Students
eCampus (Distance Learning)
My Records

There is a precedent fo changing the links on the overlay. eCampus has a different overlay than everyone else.

Which brings up a good question, if eCampus can customize their links (on the photo) to their location needs, then shouldn't other locations also have that flexibility?

I think opening that area up to the colleges with agreement that we'd have the three consistent links would be a very good solution.

---

Elisa Burleigh
Web Coordinator
Montgomery College

Andre also pointed out to me (I had not really noticed before) that NHMCCD has a completely different overlay as well that already includes eCampus (or was this recently added?).

That being the case, a precendent exists for inclusion of eCampus on the overlay, and I don't think it would be too difficult to lobby for MyRecords to be included on it as well.

That is, of course, if everyone agrees...


Edited by rooneal on Aug 30, 2006 at 07:52 AM

sorry ... just now weighing in. I rotated our box at one point last year and that got immediate attention from certain dl faculty on campus. We currently have a permanent ecampus marketing box. However, with the launch of the new ecampus and the gumdrop link at the bottom of the page, I was planning to begin rotating after the first week of class. I like the redesign idea. Seems to me that would (or should) solve the problem.

---

KC Webdebb

After talking to Steve, I think we're going to recommend the following for the photo overlay:

Prospective Students
Current Students
Employees
Community
Job Seekers
eCampus
My Records

---

Elisa Burleigh
MC Web Coordinator

Would it be that order or would you mind if eCampus and MyRecords are the top two links?
Edited by rooneal on Aug 30, 2006 at 09:31 AM

Elisa, I think that is perfect! As you've said, it frees up out marketing boxes to finally be marketing boxes! Although Diane is not available at the moment, I am sure she will concur.

---

KC Webdebb

Andre likes that list too ... he suggests, as I have, that we have the most prominent placement for eCampus and MyRecords.

In response to Bruce's question about the order. I think it's going to be one area that requires some gathering of feedback from stakeholders. Steve proposed the order. He didn't like my idea of removing the redundant links. So we may have to engage in a little healthy debate to understand all of the implications.

---

Elisa Burleigh
MC Web Coordinator

Gotcha.

Yeah, I saw the redundant links (I would vote to remove them too, but I am just one voice), but could live with them if those other two were more prominently placed. But yes, agreed ... this whole matter will need to be discussed with other stakeholders.

By the way, do you have any idea how long this particular process might take?

Technically, a week or two if you include testing, communication and roll-out. But it's always the politics that take the time...

BTW, Steve and I like the eCampus and My Records links at the bottom of the list. Here's the thinking (somewhat randomly and obviously in my words not Steve's)

We think prospective students is top priority. Also eCampus and My Records are internal support tools/applications. Mixing them in with the "audience" navigation doesn't seem to make a logical grouping.

---

Elisa Burleigh
MC Web Coordinator

Makes sense I suppose.

I like MC's list as well. However, I'm also going to have to find a spot for Fairbanks Center and for the Harris County Public Library.

---

Cynthia Shade
Cy-Fair College Web Coordinator
281.290.3984
[email protected]

We havent been able to talk about this with DSTC Web Team. Anyone got any ideas?