WSU to pursue collaborative approach to departmental website development, maintenance
As a precursor to a web redevelopment project, Wichita State University will restructure its approach to website development, training and maintenance for departments and other internal clients.
In a staged transition, web training and marketing consultation functions related to university department websites will be executed in a collaborative effort that will involve Strategic Communications, Media Resources Center (MRC) and Information Technology Services (ITS). Strategic Communications will maintain primary responsibility for marketing-related issues including content and design; MRC will assume training duties for a new content management system and handle technical support; and ITS will provide hosting and system maintenance functions.
Shelly Coleman-Martins, executive director of marketing, says the new collaboration will play to the strengths of each department and ensure continuity as the university begins a comprehensive web redevelopment process and new content management system deployment during the 2016-17 school year.
“We’re excited to move forward with our partners to improve the design, usability and effectiveness of the WSU website,” Coleman-Martins said. “Working in collaboration with MRC and ITS will allow the Strategic Communications team to focus on messaging, design and new features that will make for a more engaging web presence and present WSU’s exciting future in a brighter light.”
John Jones, director of the Media Resources Center, said the MRC is happy to join with Strategic Communications and ITS to help WSU departments improve their websites.
“The MRC’s mission is to provide technical and instructional service and support to the university community. We have the expertise, skills and training to ensure that campus entities get the most out of their organization websites,” Jones said. “We are excited to work with Strategic Communications and ITS to raise the bar for wichita.edu department web sites.”
In support of the new strategy, Strategic Communications has named Tim Hart director of web and new media and moved Kristi Hahn Regan from the creative services team to assume the role of web and new media designer.
Hart, a 1997 WSU alumnus, will help lead the effort to create a powerful and innovative public-facing website — one that helps drive enrollment while highlighting Wichita State’s emergence as a national leader in applied learning, research and innovation. Hart served for seven years as web and new media content manager before becoming interim director of web and new media in December.