All new, all about "U": S-T Kate dot E-D-U!

By Julie Michener
Nov. 4, 2009

The academic breadth, interdisciplinary focus and collaborative spirit of St. Catherine University is showcased in the University’s new website unveiled Wednesday.

The academic breadth, interdisciplinary focus and collaborative spirit of St. Catherine University is showcased in the University’s new website unveiled this morning.

The new website opens a window to the University’s abundant student, faculty and alumnae/i stories that capture the heart of the St. Kate’s experience.

”We’re particularly proud of the way the site highlights what it means to have become a university,” says Marjorie Mathison Hance, vice president for external relations and a 1970 graduate of St. Catherine.

The new design is intended to attract prospective students at all degree levels: associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral.

Comprehensive and rich content
New visitors initially will be struck by the photography, dynamic navigation and feature stories showcasing key components of the St. Kate’s experience: academic excellence, social justice, women, Catholic and the liberal arts.

“Research conducted with a variety of target audiences told us that users loved the slide show,” says Online Communications Manager Becky Petersen, who led the web team from initial goal-setting 18 months ago through today’s launch. “The visuals are larger and more dynamic, and we’ve added captions that focus on key St. Kate’s messages.”

The home page design features larger menus that function as mini-web pages with much richer content.

For instance, the “Admission menu” is inviting to anyone at any degree level who is considering attending St. Kate’s. It provides easy paths to request more information, talk to an admission counselor, attend an information session and, of course, apply.

In addition to a more vibrant homepage, each of the University’s four Schools has its own site. The four Schools serve as homes for St. Catherine’s academic programs.

The three Colleges—Graduate, Applied and Continued Learning and the foundational College for Women—are the doors through which prospective students seek admission.

Each School site—the Henrietta Schmoll School of Health; the School of Business and Leadership; the School of Humanities, Arts and Sciences; and the School of Professional Studies—features a welcome from its Dean and paths to its vision, mission and key initiatives as well as feature stories about that school.

“No matter whether you enter our site from the main homepage, a School homepage or a College homepage, you will find information about academic programs,” says Petersen.

For current users, a consistent header creates a smoother path to the University’s intranet, Kateway, and webmail interface.

An authentic overview
As the University community celebrated the transition from College to University on June 1, 2009, the web team developed specific goals and objectives for the new site, followed by an extensive research phase that included focus groups and usability studies.

A competitive analysis that included an examination of more than 375 college and university sites was also conducted. “Decisions were evidence-based,” says Petersen.

By spring, work began in earnest to create a framework that would anticipate the needs of prospective students and other key audiences as well as ensure that the Colleges and Schools had a solid foundation from which to build their unique identities under the St. Catherine University umbrella.

Structural elements ensure that the website can grow and maintain long-term technological viability.

Collaboration and contributions
The Web Team partnered with Risdall Marketing Group, an award-winning interactive agency in the Twin Cities, on the information architecture, site organization and graphic design for the site.

The five-member web team—including Mike Swanson, Nanette Echols, Andy Ferron, Julian Kittelson-Aldred and Petersen—produced all aspects of the site: from building the technical infrastructure to writing and coding thousands of web pages to working with offices and academic departments throughout the University reviewing and fine-tuning content.

Students also played an important role in producing the new website. Student Photo Bureau photographers Rebecca Zenefski ’10, Catherine Tsen ’10 and Efong Chang ’13 captured much of the imagery for the site.

Laurel Eaton ’09 worked with departments to improve their content, and Rachel Hanley MLIS ’10 conducted usability studies during the design process.

“The collaboration and contributions of students, faculty and staff are what makes this website a rich and authentic window to the St. Kate’s community,” says Petersen. “The site will continue to evolve as the University and each School grows.

“It’s really all about community engagement and dialogue.”

Contact Julie Michener, (651) 690-6521

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