http://umb.edu/index.php/web/rss/ The University of Massachusetts Boston has embarked on a major campus-wide project: the redesign and rebuilding of the university's website. en webmaster@umb.edu Copyright 2009 2009-11-04T15:19:12+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_website_redesign_project/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_website_redesign_project/#When:15:55:31Z UMass Boston’s existing website architecture and design is outdated and does not well serve the university’s needs. This major web project is aimed at creating an entirely new site that will present an enhanced internet presence for the university, provide greater efficiencies and controls for keeping it updated and relevant, create a more interactive and engaging user and visitor experience, and, ultimately, bolster the university’s efforts to engage the many audiences who come to the site. Featured, News 2009-10-21T15:55:31+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/big_bad_on_campus/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/big_bad_on_campus/#When:15:19:12Z Featured, News 2009-11-04T15:19:12+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/campus_immersion_sessions/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/campus_immersion_sessions/#When:14:22:56Z BigBad will kick off the website redesign project by meeting with Chancellor J. Keith Motley and Provost Winston Langley, followed by two days of immersion meetings with groups of faculty, staff, and students and a tour of the campus. Following is a complete list of the immersion sessions. Featured, News, Schedule 2009-10-26T14:22:56+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_cloud_has_left_the_building/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_cloud_has_left_the_building/#When:15:01:56Z “The Cloud” has busted out of all attempts to fence it in, and gotten loose on the Interwebs where anyone can use it to describe a datadisaster. links 2009-10-29T15:01:56+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/integrating_social_media-_a_middle_up_down_approach/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/integrating_social_media-_a_middle_up_down_approach/#When:13:45:13Z Essentially, it’s this: someone in the middle tier of the organization comes to us and asks about a project, maybe something like content marketing or community management. We talk with them, discuss their goals, make sure there’s some kind of alignment, determine if we both see eye to eye on the loot it’ll take to get the job done, and then we initiate a project. Here’s what we see happen more often than not. links 2009-10-28T13:45:13+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/5_lessons_from_the_edustyle_awards/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/5_lessons_from_the_edustyle_awards/#When:17:49:22Z With some determination and the right team, you can overcome history and politics to build an amazing site. Schools can rocket from abysmal to amazing in a single redesign. We’ve seen it with a few of the sites and I’m sure we’ll see more examples in the future. When it comes to the web, it’s true that the only thing that matters is what you are doing today. links 2009-10-27T17:49:22+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/facebook_the_band-aid_for_your_website/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/facebook_the_band-aid_for_your_website/#When:17:15:03Z Whether theres no date in site for a much needed redesign or your current functionality has been outpaced by reality, creating a place to put content in Facebook has made it the great new world. Here’s five quick reasons why: links 2009-10-27T17:15:03+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/how_to_market_an_offline_event_online/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/how_to_market_an_offline_event_online/#When:16:52:32Z One note of caution: go gently when promoting. In the new world, that line between “hey, good to know” and “man, you’re annoying” is pretty thin and easy to step over. links 2009-10-27T16:52:32+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/does_your_social_media_experience_extend/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/does_your_social_media_experience_extend/#When:16:49:28Z We were talking about the fact that Paula Berg from Southwest Airlines is a great brand advocate for her company, and that Morgan Johnston from JetBlue is a great advocate for his company, but that in neither case do we feel the experience extends to, say, the ticket counter, or the gate agent. links 2009-10-27T16:49:28+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/building_your_own_listening_post/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/building_your_own_listening_post/#When:18:36:54Z Universities are much like other big brands, people talk about us in alot of places, in a lot of ways, both good and bad.  It is importantthat we pay attention to these conversations, not necessarily to jumpin, moderate, or control them (don’t kid yourself, you couldn’t if youwanted to anyway), but rather so that we can get an idea of ourreputation and see where we might need to make improvements.  You can’tbe everywhere, so you want to be able to go where your audience is, andyou learn that by listening.  links 2009-10-26T18:36:54+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_social_media_maze/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/the_social_media_maze/#When:16:49:29Z As prospective students, current students, and alumni increasingly make Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube their portals to the world, many colleges that once balked at engaging their populations in the social media realm are now seeking to leverage these sites to attract applicants and boost fundraising efforts. links 2009-10-26T16:49:29+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/colleges_learn_to_live_with_social_media/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/colleges_learn_to_live_with_social_media/#When:16:33:51Z The newly admitted Johns Hopkins freshman discovered that he was the only member of this year’s class from Arkansas. So he joined the university’s Facebook site for recently enrolled students, where he mentioned often that he loves sweet tea. By the time he reached campus in late August, he had a first-night sipping date with three fellow tea lovers. links 2009-10-26T16:33:51+00:00 http://www.umb.edu/web/view/what_15_freshmen_taught_me_about_social_media1/ http://www.umb.edu/web/view/what_15_freshmen_taught_me_about_social_media1/#When:13:23:39Z On Thursday, I had the opportunity to visit the GST 120: Leadership inAction class, which consists of 15 of our more engaged freshman. Itseemed a decent place to learn more about the social media and Webhabits of our students. It’s a small sample size, but the students werebright, articulate and painfully honest … and the findings interesting.(View original Google document.) links 2009-10-26T13:23:39+00:00