Technology Advisory Group

Update: This explanation has been superseded by “Faculty Websites: Know Your Options,” posted on 10/24/11.

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There’s been a lot of confusion and concern about faculty websites lately.  With a generous tip of the hat to TAG’s friends in Public Relations and the CTLE, here’s what faculty need to know about creating personal websites (note: this post does not apply to departmental websites).

Faculty are NOT required to use the CMS for their personal websites.  There are actually three different options for faculty members.

1. Use the CMS.

• You can CHOOSE to use the CMS for your personal website.
• Using the CMS, you’ll have two templates to work from.  There’s the “Basic” template, which is simple and (let’s be honest!) pretty ugly, and there’s the “Advanced” which is prettier and more customizable.  Note that neither template is branded with  University of Scranton colors or logos.
• PR has promised to send along more information on how faculty can request space on the CMS server for a personal website.  I’ll update this post when I hear back from them.
• Should you choose to use the CMS, YOU are in control of your content.  PR doesn’t have any control over what you post.  All that is expected is that you follow the University’s Code of Responsible Computing.

2. Use the academic server.

• If  you want to put your personal website on the academic server, stop by the CTLE  (either make an appointment or walk in during lab hours) and check in with one of the TechCons.
• A TechCon will set up space for you on the academic server.
• Once you coordinate your log in with the TechCons, you have the freedom to upload any HTML files you like. So if you want, you can design your own website with a WSIWYG editor (like Dreamweaver or Expression, etc) and have it look however you like.
• If you want help building your website, you can choose to have the TechCons help you.  They have several templates that they work off of (see a few examples here).  They’ll do a prototype to get you started, and you can maintain it from there.
• If you want a LOT of help on your website, the TechCons can also help you update the content when you need to.
• You may hear about changes happening on the academic server.  The academic server is in an environment that’s no longer supported, so it is going to be replaced sometime in Spring 2011.  This won’t have any noticeable effect on your website – your files will just be migrated to the new server.  At some point, IR and/or PR will probably encourage everyone with files on the academic server to review their content and delete any outdated files.  This is just a request and a chance to get rid of old web pages- anything you do not choose to delete will be migrated over.

3. Go “rogue.”

• You can always feel free to use a third party service to create your own, externally hosted website.  Some popular, free, and relatively easy-to-use web hosting tools include Google Sites and WordPress.  I’m a fan of Sharon Meagher’s Philosophy and the City website, which she built and hosted with Network Solutions, a service that charges a small monthly fee.

Hopefully this will help resolve some questions about faculty websites.  If you have other concerns about either faculty websites or the CMS, be sure to attend the Provost’s Brown Bag on November 11th at 11:45am. The whole session will be dedicated to discussing CMS issues and will be co-hosted by TAG’s very own fearless leader, Jeremy Sepinsky.