The current University Web site has been in use for the past five years, but this August http://www.memphis.edu is subject to a change in both its homepage and interior pages.
Linda Bonnin, associate vice president for marketing and communications, said the technology is outdated and The U of M is moving into a content management system.
Communications coordinator Alison Masilak said the new technologies introduced recently could not be used on the current site.
"Technology has changed so much," Bonnin said.
Members of The University campus community have been working on a redesign of The University Web site since the beginning of the fall semester and presented the final draft in a demonstration yesterday afternoon at 1:30.
The community also formed a committee to look at The University's Web site and compare it to the other universities' sites to develop a new Web page.
The final draft has already been shown to the presidents and provost council, but yesterday's demonstration was the first in a series of three to be open to faculty, staff and students.
The number one goal in the new site was to improve navigation, Masilak said.
"The main page is very static," Masilak said.
Masilak said the outward design has changed and some of those changes included an A through Z list, a research link and a news and features section.
"It's a great way to promote ourselves," Masilak said.
The A through Z list allows people to look up events, other faculty members or students and any other items they may be looking for, Masilak said.
The research link gets rid of the long alphabetical links and breaks it down even more, Masilak said.
For example, it would help someone looking for intramurals to not have to go to the same spot as "Academics."
The news and features section basically shows additional features, which include more announcements, like homecoming events, Masilak said.Other changes involve the new usage of the menu on the left side of the home page, and a search box located at the top right side of the new home page.
The menu, which includes links such as "Academics" and "Admissions," will be on the left side of the home page as well as the rest of the interior pages.
The menu used to be only on the homepage and forced students and faculty members to go back to the home page to get to their link.Masilak also pointed out that the search box would be located on the top right side of any main U of M Web page.
"These are things that will help make the site more dynamic," Masilak said.
The University purchased the software, called "Luminis," from SunGuard SCT, The University's software vendor. The committee called the portal "Spectrum," said University Web site manager Joe Matesich.
"The main University Web site will be up in August and the portal will roll through the summer," Matesich said.
Masilak said the committee would like to have the site running a couple of weeks before the new semester starts.
Some students, though, have expressed a lack of support in changing The U of M Web site.
"It should stay the same," said James Atwood, a junior photography major. "It's kind of hard to navigate the old one, but it's been like that for so long there is no point in changing it."
The next two demonstrations will be today in Room 225 of the McWherter Library from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. and tomorrow in The University Center Room 310 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
