Three Ramapo College Website Formats
Site Heirarchy
Visitors have always relied upon a mental model when they reach a Website. Within seconds they look for navigation links in numerical, alphabetical, role/need or chronological order and bring with them preconceived notions of just what should be on your site. Site visitors scan content from top left to bottom right. They seek a quick capture of information, easily recognized links and sub-links from the Home Page to second and third-level pages. Consistent with Web conventions, the Ramapo Home Page links to 11 second-level sites in alphabetical/role order:
- Undergraduate Admissions
- Graduate Admissions
- About/Information
- Academics
- Administration
- Alumni/Giving/Foundation
- Berrie Center for the Arts
- Faculty/Staff/Students
- News/Events
- Parents
- Student Life
Official Ramapo College Websites(www.ramapo.edu)
The College’s Internet Web server hosts sites for Ramapo College schools, units and services. The design, content, navigation and graphics viewed by the audience should always create and reinforce a positive image of Ramapo College. It is essential for our site to be user-friendly presenting accurate, timely, meaningful and accessible content. These Web pages must:
- Include the College’s top-level navigation bar that contains the College’s logo, and links to the Home Page, the second-level pages, the site map, search and “quicklinks.”
- Include a set of text navigation links at the bottom of every page, that mirror the top navigation bar, that includes links to directions, telephone directory, faculty and staff search, statements of policy and the College’s address and telephone number.
- Include Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) standard navigation, print and screen attributes that provide visitors with a fixed 1000 pixel wide page, and produces a printer-friendly version of the page when requested by the user.
- Meet basic accessibility standards and provide information in an alternative format as needed. Documents designed to be downloaded should be provided in both a text-only and portable document format (PDF) when possible.
- Provide* a text-only transcript of slide shows that contain academic or instructional text and visual elements.
- Provide* captioning or include a text-only transcript for videos that contain academic or instructional audio elements.
- Limit online form fields to twelve questions.
- Make the Website function in common Web browsers and platforms.
- Provide timely and accurate content.
- Abide by existing College policies including the Responsible Use of Electronic Communications and copyright policies.
* Multimedia presentations that convey “emotional” appeal may not require alternative descriptions.
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Community Websites: Schools/Faculty/Convening Groups (ww2.ramapo.edu)
Websites for Schools, faculty and convening groups are hosted on the College’s content management Web server. Faculty sites should be attached to their existing content- managed School Websites where each faculty member has an existing Web page and the ability to add unlimited pages and content. Convening group sites can also be attached to each School’s content-managed Website. These Web pages should:
- Include the College’s top-level navigation bar that contains the College’s logo, and links to the Home Page, the second-level pages, the site map, search and “quicklinks.”
- Include a set of text navigation links at the bottom of every page, that mirror the top navigation bar, that includes links to directions, telephone directory, faculty and staff search, statements of policy and the College’s address and telephone number.
- Include Cascading Style Sheet (CSS) standard navigation, print and screen attributes that provide visitors with a fixed 1000 pixel wide page, and produces a printer-friendly version of the page when requested by the user.
- Meet basic accessibility standards and provide information in an alternative format as needed. Documents designed to be downloaded should be provided in both a text-only and portable document format (PDF) when possible.
- Provide* a text-only transcript of slide shows that contain academic or instructional text and visual elements.
- Provide* captioning or include a text-only transcript for videos that contain academic or instructional audio elements.
- Limit online form fields to twelve questions.
- Make the Website function in common Web browsers and platforms.
- Provide timely and accurate content.
- Abide by existing College policies including the Responsible Use of Electronic Communications.
- Include links to Ramapo Live Chat, Campus Visit micro-site and VIP PURL lead generation site.
- Include social media links to Ramapo College’s Facebook Fan page.
* Multimedia presentations that convey “emotional” appeal may not require alternative descriptions.
Structure of faculty Web sites:
- School Website.
- Faculty Member Profile page.
- Convening Group Website.
- Faculty Website
Overview/ Office Hours
Courses
Syllabus
Research
Publications/Articles
Links/Resources
iTunes Media (public and class-restricted)
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Personal Website: Students and Staff (free Web hosting)
There is limited availability of personal Web space for students and staff affiliated with the College on College Web servers. Free Web hosting is available from many sources including Google, Yahoo and Homestead. For more sophisticated sites, relatively inexpensive Web hosting is available to those interested in developing their sites.
There is no specific College standards for personal Websites beyond some of the best practices offered below. The site should contain:
- The name of the owner of the Website.
- Contact information including: telephone number; fax number and clickable contact e-mail.
- Meet basic accessibility standards and provide information in an alternative format as needed.
- Make a good faith effort to make the Website functional in common Web browsers.
- Provide timely and accurate content.
- Abide by existing copyright standards.
- Any use of the College logo must comply with the Design Standards.
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Portal: My Ramapo (Luminis)(http://my.ramapo.edu/cp/home/loginf)
The College portal was launched in 2002 and was originally designed around the concept of a “digital campus.” It was launched before the proliferation of online chat, social networking sites and other rapid personal communication channels. Today, portals are effective password-protected links to personal information, basic class-centered academic resources, personal group Web space and links to thousands of pages of resources on the public Website (www.ramapo.edu). The Office of Online Communications / Web Administration is responsible for the content of the portal and continues to work with campus constituents on effective communication strategies for all official College Websites.
