December 7, 2007 - Rider University Launches New Website
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It is with great pleasure that I announce the launch of the new Rider University web site, www.rider.edu.
The Office of Enrollment Management began a discovery process in early 2007 to address a new overall design for the web site. Focus groups were held on campus for current students, faculty, and staff members to discuss the web site, its strengths and weaknesses and the future development objectives. We spoke with over 400 students on both campuses, student Senates, and the Student Government Associations. We have also worked closely with faculty and staff members throughout the discovery. Additionally, we reached out to prospective students through surveys and online focus groups, gathering feedback from more than 125 prospective students.
After three initial design options were presented, over 900 students, community members, and website visitors voted for their favorite design. Although there was a clear winner, we revisited the option throughout the summer and fall months to make refinements based on the feedback we received.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have participated in this project – students, administrators, faculty, and staff. A very special thanks to Joseph Woodhull, Coordinator of Internet Projects, whose knowledge, talent, and dedication made this project possible.
I would also like to recognize the work of the University’s Web Site Steering Committee:
Lauren Adams, Drew Aromando, Ada Badgley, Christopher Blanos, James Castagnera, William F. Chickering, Susan Christian, Marybeth Consiglio, Michael Curran, Stacy Fischler, Jan Friedman-Krupnick, Alexander Grushow, Larry Johnson, Igor Jonjic, Nancy Kennedy, Marjory Klein, Carol Kondrach, Bette McErlean, Jonathan Meer, Cynthia Newman, Sean Piotrowski, Drew Procaccino, Anne Sears, Jia Shen, Karin Torchia, Boris Vilic, and Xia-Yun. This group has been instrumental in the development of the website.
As we have been working on this project for several months, many of you may have seen some functional changes along the way such as:
• The new Rider University events calendar at www.rider.edu/calendar
• Changes to the Rider University Campus Directory, which now also includes faculty office hour information
• Better search functionality through Rider’s own Google service
• Prominent and accessible Campus Safety information, which is available from the top of every page
Based on your feedback, the new website:
• Incorporates the new Rider University logo
• Centers the website on your computer monitor
• Improves navigation
• Makes increasingly more use of candid photography
• Uses our cranberry color with subtle complementary hues
• Introduces a dynamic home page for the Westminster College of the Arts as well as new navigation on the college pages
• Offers redesigned Current Students and Faculty & Staff service areas
The Office of One Stop Services now offers students the opportunity to find campus employment online using MonsterTrak.
The beauty of a web site is its ability to change and grow with the institution. Our development of the web site does not end here and we continue to build new pages and dynamic elements on the site. In the coming year, we will introduce an online video virtual tour and online video vignettes. Westminster College of the Arts will continue to bring you more Pod casts. The new Athletics site will be launching in the coming months as well as Net Community, an online service for alumni for networking and keeping in touch with classmates.
I look forward to these future developments and working with all of you as we continue to enhance the Rider University virtual presence. If you encounter any issues, or just have some comments to share, please email them to me at jcafiero@rider.edu or you can reach us at webmaster@rider.edu.
Thank you all again for your participation and support of this project. I look forward to our continued work together.
Jennifer Cafiero-Therien
Director of Enrollment Planning, Reporting, and Internet Projects
