Clarkson 'Defies Convention' with New Website
Aaron Fetterman
Issue date: 10/17/05 Section: News
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The website seems much more focused towards prospective students. The list of main categories is all about the opportunities Clarkson offers to students - "Programs of Study," "Research & Innovation," and "Professional Connections," as well as things that most prospective students wonder about - "Getting Into Clarkson," "Life at Clarkson," and "The Clarkson Experience." There is a large "Apply Now" button on the side of every page. There are also new options like virtual tours - videos of campus and talks with Tony Collins.
The entire site has not been completely changed over; sections like "Support Clarkson" and the OIT website are still in the old design, and every now and then there will be a problem with the site - pages not being there, or sidebar images not loading. The website team has been doing very well finding problems and fixing them.
Most distressingly for students, iNotes and PeopleSoft are no longer easily accessible from every page, prompting cries of "Where is my email?" To get there, you have to go back to the main page by clicking on the Clarkson logo, then click the blue Clarkson Community square, and then go to the email link.
In terms of general web-accessibility, the new website is a step forward for the school. On the main page instead of a flash plugin to cycle through images, there is just a randomly selected picture highlighting a club or organization. Instead of using an outdated table-based design, the new website is a flexible design based on Cascading Style Sheets. The hierarchical breadcrumbs navigation clearly shows the navigation so users can easily see where they are and where they can go.
CUSA has also updated their site - though to a different design than the rest of the Clarkson website. It seems like it will be easier to maintain and keep updated.