Several improvements have been made to the web interface, thanks to constructive feedback from academic units.
I have been very encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive reaction to and support for the new website from our alumni, the public, Binghamton colleagues and our higher education peers and competitors. I have worked very hard to produce leading edge results of which you all may be proud. I am also grateful for your support.
Not all feedback has been positive though, which is to be expected. Constructive criticism is especially valuable as it is the pathway to improvement. The good news is that the Web is a dynamic medium, amenable to adjustment over time in contrast to other media like print for example.
I want you to know that in response to constructive criticism from the faculty regarding academic department sites I have directed efforts to:
o Remove or make syndicated content department-specific
o Program the departments’ names next to our logo at the top of all pages to link to their home pages
o Make the lowest-level text links (in the bread crumb navigation) go to the department instead of the University home page
o Create a page template guide to be a reference for faculty and staff
o Conduct usability testing with a graduate education focus to help guide future improvements to department sites
o Work with the Graduate School to optimize the presentation of information most prospective graduate students look for on our site
o Complete design options for departmental websites (ongoing)