Not sure at what exact time it went live; you’ll forgive me if I had busier things to do, like sleep, than to stay up and keep a vigil, but, true to their word, the pages have been launched and we have a new look to our college website.
Share your thoughts on the new look. (IMHO, I’d like to see that 10,000 small business stuff removed from the Features section since we are first and foremost AN ACADEMIC INSTITUTION, NOT A BUSINESS! At the very least, make it the fourth feature story. The second feature should be first since that really speaks to the majority of our students.)
So who won, Bob? I just saw it at 8:20am today. Could have gone live at midnight, but again, I was doing better things.
The Harold Lounge 
10.000 Small Businesses is an academic program – taught by CCC faculty.
Can you elaborate, Anonymous? Just because a program has CCC faculty as teachers, it doesn’t make it academic.
Perhaps, I have been misinformed, or perhaps I have not been informed enough. I’m willing to learn if you can provide the information.
Thanks!
BTW, the link to the feature ain’t workin’.
Both, CCC and HW, sites are far better than the old ones but still are “heavy on the eyes” and, in my perception, they still have that chaotic, disorganized look as before. I think the section “District News” is confusing for people who are not familiar with CCC structure and “the District” role is not explained in the “About us section.”
I received an e-mail at 7:16am today stating that the site launched, so I suppose it couldn’t be any later than that.
According to this new site, one cannot take credit ESL classes. At least I couldn’t find the link,which means others won’t either. Granted, I’m tired, but if one of you can find the link, I’ll buy you a beer.
In the interests of giving the winner his or her due, I can vouch for the fact that the new site launched at approximately 1 am this morning.
To “Iwantmyesl!”, I appreciate the feedback about the potential for confusion between between Credit ESL and free ESL classes offered through Adult Education. I’ll make sure we address this issue in short order.
I’m subscribed to this post so if there is other feedback, please let me know.
Thanks!
Audrey Berns
Executive Director-Web Services
Thank you Audrey Berns for 1) providing us with an official start time and 2) taking note of our concerns.
I will only speak for myself and say that initially the sites look good and clean. However, as I have done in the past, I will offer my concerns and critiques in order to improve our web presence. Looks should not be deceiving.
Has our district considered placing a ‘Feedback’ link on the top of the page to accept comments from users of the site to know what is and isn’t working?
Alrighty peeps, we have a voice from District that’s willing to hear what’s good, bad, and ugly about the site. BTW, Audrey, bad can mean something nice or not-so nice; it’s Harold Lounge colloquialism that’s all.
Hi Realist,
Thanks for your reply. We did discuss adding a “feedback” link to the pages, but it never made it onto the list of things to do by launch. We will be making tweaks as we see how the site is used and figure out what we missed the first go round. I’ll make sure to add the feedback link to our “futures” list.
Thanks,
Audrey
If there is one thing I like the most about blogging is that we have an opportunity to immediately communicate about CCC matters – both good (as you see here) and sometimes not-so-good (such is the nature of a large institution). Thanks for your quick replies. You give district a good name.
As Hellokitty states, thanks for planning and implementing these changes. It will be a step in the right direction as long as you continue to listen to faculty, staff, and students.
Have a great Christmas break and a Happy New Year!
Thanks Realist. I too appreciate being able to communicate directly with you and others via this blog. And yes, I will continue to listen! 🙂
Audrey,
Yes it will be quite misleading for non native speakers that;
1) Free ESL classes are an option on the HWC website when in fact we are the only CCC institution that does not offer the AE/ESL program. many times by the time we find that a student is seeking FREE ESL AE, he or she has already completed 90% of the admissions and placement process.
2) The ESL Page should be connected to the International student page via a link. Currently there is none. This is essential for our international listings and marketing.
3) The pre credit ESL information for residents doesn’t appear to be present at all. We do not offer free ESL but we do host a Foundational Studies ESL which is tuition based.
However, overall, I commend the website. It is generally quite user friendly and elegant. Congratulations to all on the much improved visual presentation and easy to use tabs. I know this was a significant amount of logistical planning.
Hellokitty,
Thanks for the suggestions, which I’ve shared with the people who worked on the Adult Education pages. We will revise the content to direct people, especially at HW, to the credit ESL program.
The reason HW has a Learn English, Tuition Free ESL, etc page in their nav is that all colleges share the same code for the drop-down menus. So if a link is deemed important enough to appear in the nav, it has to appear for each college, even if we don’t offer the program. In those cases we do our best to direct people to other options, either within the college or at one of the other colleges.
Updating and revising the site will be an ongoing process. One of the things we can focus on now is adding links to relevant pages (such as your very good suggestion to link to the credit ESL page from the International Student page at HW). Please let me know if you have any other suggestions.
Thanks!
Audrey
Thanks Audrey!
I understand the conundrum of standardizing the links when each college has its own specialties. Again, I think the site is a great outcome for the complexities of uniting all CCC sites!
Thanks Hellokitty. Check out the Learn English page now and let me know what you think:
http://www.ccc.edu/colleges/washington/departments/Pages/Tuition-Free-ESL.aspx
-AB
Audrey,
We will communicate with Mr. Tully as you requested in your email.
It would be helpful to email the Co-Chair of the HWC WL/ELL Department directly on this so we don’t waste others’ time. Michal Eskayo meskayo@ccc.edu
and for you peeps out there who think you have the pseudonyms figured out…….M.E. is NOT hellokitty! Keep guessing…. 🙂
Happy holidays!
Just an FYI: the academic calendar page on the site has the incorrect ending date for spring break: http://www.ccc.edu/colleges/washington/events/Pages/default.aspx
Thanks. We’ll check into this.
-Audrey
Hey, Fairbanks from The Herald newspaper. I noticed that the journalism program at HWC is not readily available on any of the HWC pages, (I do not speak for the other colleges) and I searched but didn’t really find anything…
Going into it’s 23rd year, it is older than a lot of the students on campus…if you need more information about us, please email theherald.editors@gmail.com.
I know how nuanced the design of websites can be and do appreciate your time.
http://www.TheHeraldHWC.com
Hi Fairbanks,
Thanks for the post. We are working on this now. It’s a bit tricky, because we can’t technically say that we offer a journalism program, as a program has to end in some kind of degree like an AAS, or a basic or advanced certificate. But we know that students pursing an AA, AS, or other transfer degree like to know what electives are available, and like to concentrate in a particular subject area, such as journalism, biology, Spanish, etc.I know this is a gap in our current site, and we are working with the colleges now to provide more detail about the types of coursework a student can focus on while pursing a transfer degree from a City College of Chicago. Please let me know if you would like additional information. Thanks!
AB
But maybe y’all could link to the Student Newspaper, right?
(Fairbanks is the editor of the school paper, just in case you missed that part at the end).
Thanks, Audrey–you’re doing great work on a giant job.
PhiloDave,
We absolutely could link to the newspaper. I know there was discussion of doing just that but it must have fallen through the cracks. I’ll send a follow-up to Fairbanks and the HW Marketing contact to get this done.
Thanks. I really appreciate your support!
AB
That’s great! Thanks!
And for everyone else, The Realist and I talked about throwing a post like this up once a month or so, so if you haven’t thought hard about the Web site, try to get on there in the next few weeks.
And I’m sure Audrey will love to hear about what’s working well, too!
Thanks AB, I appreciate your diligence and effort…a link would be great, actually, any sort of recognition is appreciated. I understand what you mean about the term “program” and I see if you replace it with concentration, it makes more sense for the degrees and transferring.
Honestly, either way, it is a calling or a credit hour, depending on the student.
Dave, thanks for the suggestion. And this wonderful blog.
Always great to have you in the room, Heirapparent. Hope to see you in the hallways soon.
And I’m eager to see the student paper take on the College to Careers thing.
And the “green roof” comment had my vote for “Comment of the Month” if we had such a thing.
Dave,
I was hoping you wouldn’t give me a segway into C2C but you did, and I am going to resist getting in too deep.
However…I do know of a few people who worked for The Herald in recent years and went on to work in the “News Industry”.
And of course, since it is Friday and nice out and I like to sit indoors and read faded newspapers, I found an article from Feb-Mar 1972 (The Herald was The Loop-Whole back then) in our archives that spotlighted three former reporters who had gone on to work in the “Industry”. So I guess we have been getting people jobs for over 40 years now.
And then, I found an article from the same year citing a Carnegie Commission on Higher Ed. study of American College and University Students and guess what? Most of them were gearing their studies towards “vocational goals.” In fields like pre-law, pre-medicine, nursing, and even journalism. People were shying away from engineering, education and physics, according to the report. That made me wonder what the word “vocation” means to different people.
Finally; there were a few other articles about the City College Board of Trustees making Malcolm X a “center” for skill training, the board establishing it’s “Master Plan for Low Cost Education”, Higher Enrollment, teacher’s fired, union protests, etc, etc, etc…
And what’s changed? Just the names, Dave. Just the names.
Oh…you have to publish that story. And make sure you talk to the Friends of Harold Washington for it. I know that most of them will tell you the same thing you told me.
There is truly nothing new under the sun…