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> Office of Communications and Public Affairs
About Web Communications
MSU Web Communications is the
operational unit of Communications and Public Affairs responsible for managing
communications and branding of the university's Web site. The unit's mission
is to support MSU's strategic objectives by ensuring that the university presents
a user-friendly Web site that is attractive, visually consistent, and that effectively
reinforces MSU's brand identity and messages across all audiences. This will
be accomplished by managing prominent Web site components to ensure consistency
with brand design and message standards. The ultimate objective is the transformation
of the university's Web presence from an uncoordinated collection of identities
and messages into a coordinated package that effectively supports our goals.
Jacob Dolan is the assistant director of MSU Web Communications and he may be contacted
with any questions regarding Web standards, projects or support. His phone
number is 994-5036 and his e-mail is jake@montana.edu. Jake also chairs the
university's Web Advisory Committee.
The Web Communications unit is located on the 4th floor of Culbertson Hall.
The staff works very closely with MSU Publications
and Graphics and the MSU
News Service for graphical and editorial support.
Strategies and Actions
Several strategies and actions to support this mission are underway. These
include:
- Work with campus stakeholders to build consensus and support for the shift
to brand management of the Web site.
- Integrate Web priorities with strategies and opportunities of the market positioning,
integrated marketing plan, and creative development.
- Hire qualified programmers for technical services to support brand-driven Web
development.
- Conduct research of Web design practices for branding to guide MSU's Web development
and evaluation process.
- Provide creative design executions of branding and communications standards
for use across MSU's Web presence.
- Coordinate branding standards for the conversion and development of Web site
content.
- Coordinate integration of the branding program with the new MSU portal development.
- Develop new Web communications features to support MSU's branding and strategic
goals.
Web Development Priorities
The redevelopment of the MSU Web site according to the brand architecture
is the top priority. The components necessary to accomplish this will include
standard Web templates for use throughout the site, a new MSU home page, and
new Web pages for content closely associated with the home page. These include
target audience pages, the public Web calendar, visitor information and other
navigational, informational or organizational pages. In some cases technical
approaches will be essential to supporting communications tactics and the unit
will develop appropriate technical tools and training to support these.
Once the branded Web site templates are in general use and the new branded
home/destination pages are complete, MSU Web Communications will shift its
focus from site conversion to development of content and messaging features.
In addition to existing online resources that need to be redeveloped for enhanced
presentation, there are a wide range of creative new features that can support
communications objectives -- particularly as related to recruitment and public
relations. There are virtually an unlimited number of opportunities where creative
Web communications can be developed to enhance MSU's Web presence.
Finally, all Web sites must continually evolve in order to stay competitive
and culturally tuned. MSU's Web site will never be "done." It is
a perpetual work-in-progress that will always benefit from effective content
management and communications tactics. MSU Web Communications will meet these
needs by continuing to provide forward-thinking communications enhancements
of the Web site.
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