Graduate Program Web Design and Recruitment

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Graduate Program Web Design and Recruitment

• Ken Wilkins
• Peter Wivagg
• Baylor University Graduate School

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Attracting Students To Your Program

• Reputations of faculty and program
• Traditional approach
• Print, fairs, mailings, etc.
• More Recently
• Electronic media, especially websites

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Issues Regarding Websites

• Availability of expertise and time
• Components, contents, functionality
• After constructionmaintenance
• How prospects find your website

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What makes a great graduate program website? 5
areas

• Content
• User Experience
• Communications
• Technology
• Administration

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Content

• What makes good content?
• Current Information
• Useful Information
• User-centric information
• Brings them back

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Content

• What information do you put on a Graduate Program
  Site?

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Content
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Content
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Content

• What information do you put on a Graduate Program
  Site?
• What students are looking for

• Location
• Reputation
• Faculty
• Cost

• Research
• Degrees/Fields of Study
• Admissions
• Contact Information

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Content

• What happens if information isnt there?
• They leave!!
• ALL information should be online
• Students should be enticed to contact program,
  not forced

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User Experience

• What makes for a good user experience?
• Navigation
• Key points at the top level
• Graduate program branding
• Visually appealing
• Professional
• Easy to find information
• Logical, user-oriented arrangement

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User Experience

• What makes for a good user experience? (cont.)
• Additive Graphics
• Simple, professional
• Not lots of photos
• Clean, easy to see
• Succinct information per page
• Consistency
• Same look throughout
• Keep them in site

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Communications

• Has a significant purpose
• Each page has a definable purpose
• Example The purpose of this page is to inform
  students about admissions requirements
• Serves its purpose
• Complete functional information
• Think from user standpoint
• Builds connections, relationships
• First contact for student
• Contact information

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Technology

• Speed of site
• Graphics and photos optimized for quick download
• Modems
• Doesnt require latest and greatest

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Administration

• Broken links
• Regular updates
• Effectiveness of site
• Counters
• Web statistics software

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What makes a good graduate school website?

• Take care of things not done by program
• Admissions
• General financial information
• Processes
• Contact Information
• Portal into graduate studies
• Thought process of student

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Discussion
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