Photo courtesy of ramapo.edu
Last week the Office of Marketing and Web Administration introduced a new intranet, an updated interim homepage and a website design refresh. The content of these sites remained the same, although some navigation, colors, fonts and images changed.
The new website is up and running smoothly, and the name of the URL has remained the same: ramapo.edu. No changes have been made to the Luminus, MyRamapo or Moodle websites.
The marketing and web team used results from a college website survey taken in May of this year as a guide for the new design. Over 400 people responded to the survey, both students and faculty. The survey results indicated three areas that needed the most improvement: the college home page, website navigation and the design. The initial designs were tested and revised based on experience sessions in August and September. The new designs were finalized, approved and posted live in November.
Christopher Romano, associate vice president of enrollment management, spoke on behalf of the website when asked why it was implemented.
“The primary goal of the Intranet is to protect critical college resources from outside abuse and fraudulent activities. Moving websites to the Intranet will provide a layer of security to the college. In addition, the navigation and content of Intranet pages will be focused on college internal audiences by providing an easy access to online resources and an overview of what is happening on campus,” Romano stated.
The Ramapo home page and intranet sites were made and built to complement one another for both internal and external audiences. The intranet sites focus on current students and faculty members, while ramapo.edu focuses on external audiences such as prospective students, donors, college alumni, as well as state and federal legislators.
According to Romano, based on initial intranet users' feedback, the most popular features of the new site are the updated phone directory and the new calendar function. The new calendar feature displays events that are happening on campus, including events from athletic game schedules and events from the Center for Student Involvement through the OrgSync system. The Web team is still continuing to work on expanding the calendar by listing other information that pertains to faculty, staff and students. The updated home page on ramapo.edu is intended to focus more on the Ramapo College brand by including student and alumni success stories.
Students at Ramapo have responded with an overwhelmingly positive reception to the new intranet and the new website.
“The website is much more visually appealing; the colors are brighter and less bland,” junior Pablo A. Balmaseda said. “It seems easier to find whatever I’m looking for.”
Noel Gordon Jr., a sophomore, also had a positive opinion to give.
“I’m digging the upgrade! Its more modern structure and the layout makes it both visually pleasing and easier to navigate. I now feel no shame when directing people to my school’s website,” Gordon stated.
Matthew Billy offered his opinion, referencing the website’s recognition of the success of its alumni. “Ramapo really made its website more appealing,” he said. “It seems to run more smoothly and everything you’re looking for is not hard to find. It looks more up to date, and pulls people in with their statistics such as their graduation rates and employment rates.”
lheckelm@ramapo.edu
