Proposal to upgrade the

Bloomsburg University Website

Bloomsburg University of PA
Bloomsburg, PA 17815
March 4, 2016

Project Manager- Jessica Shiptoski

Audience and Usability Manager- Kara Hartman
Content Manager- Megan Van Doren
Technical and Training Manager- Leah Sanson

Table of Contents
Introduction..3
Problem/Statement of Need.................3
Solutions.....3
Workflow........................................................................................4
Bloomsburg University Website:.............................................................4
DAWN
Office Of New Student Orientation Webpage
Meet the Owls Webpage
Student FAQ and Parent FAQ
Pinterest Board for OWLs/ Admission Tour Guides
Timeline.....5
Cost .5
Qualifications..5
Conclusion.....7
Appendices7
Gantt Chart

Page 2

Introduction
Bloomsburg University is a growing institution that is expanding in both its student base
as well as the programs it offers. Due to the ever changing nature of this university, it is
very difficult to keep pace. Hence, the Marketing and Communications Department at
Bloomsburg University could benefit greatly from updates made to the universitys
website. The opportunity we have to submit a proposal in order to upgrade the
Bloomsburg University website is very appreciated. We are confident that we have the
skills and knowledge needed in order to create effective additions and precise revisions
to the Bloomsburg University website. With your support, we will create and revise
certain aspects of the website based on the needs of the Marketing and
Communications Department. Based on our preliminary discussion, we identified the
specific needs for the website, and we will address the potential solutions through our
involvement in this project. As a result of our efforts, the website will best serve the
needs of the Bloomsburg University community.

Agency Needs
The Bloomsburg University website is in need of an updated orientation webpage in
order to get prospecting students and parents excited as well as informed about the
upcoming summer/fall semester. The website is also in need of an expanded digital
presence. An updated website is vital requirement for any system of higher education
while various social media platforms are also needed in order to provide Bloomsburg
Universitys community with a means of connecting, communicating, and sharing
experiences.

Our Solutions
In this digital age, a suite of websites and social media profiles are necessary for
educational advertising and communicational purposes. Efficient website materials will
provide both students and parents the accurate resources they need for educational
purposes as well as a way for students to connect and communicate with the
Bloomsburg University community.
The orientation webpage will be the primary web presence for the agency and will
directly connect to all of the Bloomsburg University pages. It will serve as a
comprehensive informative resource that includes multimedia content in order to keep
users engaged.

Workflow
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The goal of a web suite is to help create a digital identity for the university in order to
efficiently interact with their targeted audience. Also, this will help Bloomsburg
University stay updated with the current needs of students and assist in providing the
best experience for everyone within the community.

Bloomsburg University Website

Our process for editing the Bloomsburg University website will be through Microsoft
Word documents. The artifact will be transformed into code, edited, and then properly
placed back in its original area. We will be using this method for all of the required
projects.
DAWN Office Webpage- We will revamp the content and appearance in order to make
the webpage more appealing and accessible to students.
Office of New Student Orientation Webpage- We will analyze the current information
and layout displayed on the webpage. Next, we will determine if the addition of extra
tabs or relevant information could make this page more user friendly. Then, we will
include various media to the page wherever we see fit. While doing these tasks, we will
use our previous experiences of when we were new students in order to remember our
audience. That way, we can develop the best possible layout for the university.
Meet the OWLS- We will gather the executive boards information in order to help them
create their very own webpage. In doing this, their audience will feel more connected to
the OWLS and will be able to know them on a personal level.
Student and Parent FAQ- We will update this webpage by including hyperlinks and
more informative answers to the questions that students and parents may have. This
will give students and parents the access to find specific information and essentially
increase their knowledge about the university.
Pinterest Board for OWLS and Admission Tour Guides- We will create a Pinterest board
for the OWLS that will showcase their roles as students and as tour guides. This will
help Bloomsburg University expand to reach their targeted audience. Also, this will
provide the universitys community with background information about their unique
campus roles and help promote the approachability of our campus.

Timeline

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If Bloomsburg Universitys Marketing and Communications Department would like to go

forward with our proposed web suite, the following are our dates for completion:
Our team organized the information provided, and we prepared to start the first task
during the week of March 13th. We will continue to develop and maintain web-based
materials for the next two months. A Beta copy of all materials will be ready for usability
testing by April 1, 2016 and will be completed by April 15, 2016. Activation of the new
web suite is currently scheduled for April 26, 2016 upon approval by our course
supervisor and client.

Cost
Since our team members are current Bloomsburg University students, we have the
obstacle of balancing this project with other academic requirements. Our project
deadline, April 26, 2016, is also a limitation. Despite the challenges we face, we are
prepared to meet all deadlines agreed upon with enthusiasm. However, this will require
administrators to meet with us in order to approve our documents or inform us about
necessary changes. Accepting this proposal will only cost the Bloomsburg University
Communications and Marketing Department time in exchange for a modernized and
user-friendly website.

Qualifications
Jessica Shiptoski, the Project Manager, is currently a senior accounting major with a
minor in professional writing and a concentration in fraud examination. She is an
Orientation Workshop Leader (OWL), the Vice President of Administrations for the
Student Association of Fraud Examination (SAFE), and the Treasurer, for the past two
years, of the Equestrian Team (BUET). In Winter 2015, she interned with the
Bloomsburg University Marketing and Communications Department. There she
practiced rhetorical strategies from an internet platform and gained valuable knowledge
of the implications involved in writing for the internet. For this project, she offers her
Orientation objective background, practical experiences in writing for a web page, timemanagement and communication skills, and loyalty to the client and her team. Jessicas
diverse skillset and experiences qualify her as an ethical and reputable Project
Manager.
Leah Sanson, the Technical and Training Manager, is currently a senior English major
with a minor in professional writing. She has taken various courses that has led to the
in-depth knowledge of rhetoric, structures of the English language, and the analyses of
many different works of literature. She currently works at the Bloomsburg University

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Writing Center as a writing consultant and is the member of its Human Resources
Committee. This requires both peer editing, working efficiently, and collaborating with
others. Throughout her experiences, she has also learned about the importance of
technology and how to effectively write in todays digital world. Her other hobbies
include being the President of the National Honors English Society, Sigma Tau Delta.
This title provides her with critical experiences as a leader and includes coordinating
specific projects and events. Leahs knowledge of technical writing and rhetoric qualify
her as an effective and proficient Technical and Training Manager.
Megan Van Doren, the Digital Content Manager, is currently a senior psychology major
with a minor in professional writing. She has taken various courses that has led her to a
deep understanding of rhetorical devices, diverse audiences, technical writing styles,
citation formats (i.e. APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.), researching methods, cognitive
processes, and other psychological aspects that can benefit her in professional decision
making. She is also technologically savvy with knowledge of various computer
programmings and social media. She was a Bloomsburg University Writing Consultant
for two years. As a result, she is a veteran at global level (content) and sentence level
(e.g. grammatical, punctuation) revising. She was also the Content Manager for the
Galtn Travel Agency, and she helped her client establish his business platform. During
her spare time, she is involved in Psi Chi (the National Honors Psychology Society)
along with many other clubs and charity associations. From her experiences, she is able
to work efficiently in pressured situations, work well with others, and establish
leadership when needed. Megans previous professional experiences and diverse
knowledge of writing styles qualify her as an adept and reliable Digital Content
Manager.
Kara Nicole Hartman, the Audience and Usability Manager, is currently a senior
environmental science and geoscience major with a minor in professional writing. She
took a wide variety of courses that helped her gain knowledge and expertise in the
scientific field, as well as, a firm grasp on technical/professional writing. As a member of
the Maps, Plans, Environment, and Rocks Society (MaPERs), Kara acquired the social
interaction and interpersonal communication skills that are strongly needed for this
project. She is knowledgeable in research methods and decision making, and she
developed analytical skills. Karas outgoing and approachable personality qualify her as
a skillful and fitting Audience and Usability Manager.

Conclusion
The Bloomsburg University website needs an upgrade that will provide students, faculty,
and community members with more relevant and easy-to-find information. As
technology has become essential in todays culture, it is important that our university

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website reflect the true nature of this unique system of higher education. Our well
educated and accomplished group of undergraduate students will provide affordable
labor in order to create updated webpages for the Bloomsburg University Marketing and
Communications Department. When the project is finished, the department will have
both an efficient website and an interactive Pinterest platform that their targeted
audience will enjoy.

Appendices
Gantt Chart
Tasks
Start

Finish

Project Manager: Jessica Shiptoski

Digital Audience and Usability Manager: Kara Hartman
Digital Content Manager: Megan Van Doren
Digital Technical and Training Manager: Leah Sanson
Initial Interview with Client: Jess

2/9/2016

2/9/2016

Collect and Organize Interview Data: Jess

2/10/2016 2/22/2016

Group Meeting: ALL

2/23/2016 2/29/2016

Project Proposal/Gantt Chart: ALL

3/1/2016

3/4/2016

DAWN Office Webpage: Megan

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Office of New Student Orientation: Kara

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Meet the OWLS Webpage: Jess

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Orientation Office Web Appearance: Leah

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Student FAQ/Parent FAQ: Megan

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Pinterest Board for OWLs/Admission Tour Guides: Leah

3/15/2016 3/29/2016

Progress Report: Jess

3/29/2016 3/29/2016

Website/Pinterest Beta Usability Testing and Documentation:

Kara

4/1/2016 4/15/2016

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Second Editing: Jess

4/16/2016 4/19/2016

Second Editing: Kara

4/16/2016 4/19/2016

Second Editing: Megan

4/16/2016 4/19/2016

Second Editing: Leah

4/16/2016 4/19/2016

Group Meeting: ALL

4/19/2016 4/19/2016

Final Editing: ALL

4/19/2016 4/26/2016

Create Final Presentation: ALL

4/19/2016 4/26/2016

Final Client Presentation

4/26/2016 4/26/2016

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Final Pages that have been updated:

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http://bloomu.edu/orientation
http://bloomu.edu/accepted
http://bloomu.edu/orientation/welcome
http://bloomu.edu/owls
http://bloomu.edu/narali
http://bloomu.edu/max
http://bloomu.edu/troy
http://bloomu.edu/maggie
http://bloomu.edu/olivia
http://bloomu.edu/naiya
http://bloomu.edu/nadined
http://bloomu.edu/kendra
http://bloomu.edu/bryson
http://bloomu.edu/orientation-first-assignment
http://bloomu.edu/orientation/questions_students
http://bloomu.edu/orientation/questions_parents
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/paws
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/programs
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/whatarethepawsupto
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/volunteers
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/support_groups
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn-drug-free
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn/drugandalcoholeducation
https://www.bloomu.edu/dawn-hazing
https://www.pinterest.com/bloomsburgu/
https://www.pinterest.com/bloomsburgu/meet-the-owls/
https://www.pinterest.com/bloomsburgu/meet-the-bu-tour-guides/
https://www.bloomu.edu/first-generation/

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1

BloomsburgOWLPinterestBoardandOfficeofNewStudent
OrientationWebPageTest

LeahSanson,MeganVanDoren,KaraHartman,JessicaShiptoski

April12,2016

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1

TableofContents

Introduction

ExecutiveSummary

Methodology

Results

Errors

OverallMetric

Recommendations

Conclusion

Appendices

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1

Introduction
TheBloomsburgUniversityOWLPinterestBoardandOfficeofNewStudent
Orientationwebpagehashadsignificantchangesdonetobetterassistcurrentandfuture
studentsintheirnavigationonthesewebpages.Thewebpageeditedandpinterestboard
createdthroughourWritingintheProfessionsclassthissemesterincludededitsand
suggestions.

Todeterminetheeffectivenessandgaininsightonthereadabilityofthesewebpages,we
createdausabilitytesttogetanswers.Usersareaskedtocompleteaseriesofroutine
tasks.Sessionswererecordedandanalyzedtoidentifypotentialareasforimprovementto
boththeBloomsburgOWLPinterestboardandOfficeofNewStudentOrientationweb
page.

Ourteammember,KaraHartman,conductedthetestforthesedocuments.For
completionofthistest,sheusedanonlinesurveymonkey.Shewasalsoabletotakenote
offacialexpressionsandanypointsinwhichtheparticipantwasconfused.

ExecutiveSummary
KaraHartmanconductedthisusabilitytestataneutralmeetingspotinBloomsburg,Pa.
IttookplacebetweenApril4,2016andApril8,2016.Thepurposeofthistestwasto
determinetheusabilityofthedesign,information,accessibility,andfiguresofboththe
OfficeofNewStudentOrientationwebpageandtheconceptoftheBloomsburgOWL
PinterestboardpreparedfortheMarketingandCommunicationsDepartmentof
BloomsburgUniversity.

Fourpeopleparticipatedinthisusabilitytest.Allfourpeopleparticipatedintheusability
testfortheBloomsburgOWLPinterestboardandtheusabilitytestfortheOfficeofNew
StudentOrientationwebpage.Typically,therewouldbealargernumberofparticipants
todetermineamoreaccuratedepictionoftheusabilityofthesedocuments.Eachsession
lastedabouttwentyminutes.

Ingeneral,allparticipantsthoughtthattheconceptofaBloomsburgOWLPinterest
boardandtheOfficeofNewStudentOrientationwebpagewereaestheticallypleasing,
clear,accessibleandstraightforward.Fiftypercentoftheparticipantsthoughtthatthe
BloomsburgOWLPinterestboardwouldbehelpfultofuturestudents.However,there
wasanevensplitinresponseswithparticipantsthinkingthePinterestboarddisplaying
studentleadersinformationwouldmakethemmoreapproachable,50%thoughtitwould
and50%wereindifferent.SeventyfivepercentoftheparticipantsthoughtthattheOffice
ofNewStudentOrientationpageiseasilyaccessible.Unfortunately,75%ofthe
participantsthoughtthattheOfficeofNewStudentOrientationpagewasnot
aestheticallypleasing,statingthattheimagesandvideosusedwereoutdated,andnot
editedverywell.

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1

Thetestidentifiedonlyafewminorproblemsincluding:
Outdatedpicturesandvideos
Certainpictureschosennotappropriateforthetopic
Toomuchinformation,links,optionsonthemainwebpage

WefoundthatsomeoftheinformationontheOfficeofNewStudentOrientationmain
webpagewasalittletoomuchwithtoomanyentrancepointsandlinksandtheimages
chosendidnotpertaintothetext.Wealsogainedinsighttotheopinionsofcurrent
students,aswellasacurrentBloomsburgemployeeonthedifferentlayouts,language
andimagesofthewebpageandPinterestboard.Thisallowedustomakenecessary
changesandourdocumentsimprovedbecauseofthis.Copiesofthequestionnairesare
includedintheattachmentssection.

Methodology
Sessions
Thetestadministratorcontactedandchoseparticipantsbasedoncurrentclassyearanda
varietyofmajorstoacquireabroadrangeofperceptionandinterests.Inaddition,our
client,JamieNorth,alsoparticipated.Thetestadministratortriedtochooseparticipants
thatwerelocatedaroundtheBloomsburgarea.Thetestadministratorpersonallyasked
eachparticipanttotakethesurveyandexplainedthescenario.Participantsresponded
withtheiravailabilityandthenthemeetingswerescheduledbasedoffofthat.Duringthe
session,thetestadministratorexplainedthetestsessionandthedifferentcomponentsto
thistest.Participantsreadthetaskscenarios,completedtheapprovalfordocumentation,
pretestquestionnaireandtheninvestigatedandobservedtheOfficeofNewStudent
OrientationwebpageandconceptoftheBloomsburgOWLPinterestboardto
constructivelycritique.Attheendofthesession,participantscompletedaposttest
questionnaire.

Afterthecompletionofallofthetasks,theadministratoraskedtheparticipantsto
describetheirexperienceandprovideanyfeedbackthatwouldbehelpfultotheproject.

Inaddition,thetestadministratoraskedtheparticipantsthefollowingoverallwebsite
questions:

Whattheparticipantlikedmost.

Whattheparticipantlikedleast.

Recommendationsforimprovement.

Participants
AllparticipantseitherareacurrentBloomsburgstudentsorcurrentemployeesof
BloomsburgUniversity.Fourparticipantswerescheduledoverafivedayperiodandall

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1
fourparticipantscompletedthetestsuccessfully.Therewasanaverageofoneparticipant
perday.Ofthefourparticipants,threewerefemaleandonewasmale.

Results
TaskCompletionSuccessRate
KaraHartmanrecordedthesessiontimes,whicheachlastedabout20minutes,alongwith
anycommentsorproblemsthattheparticipantshadaftercompletingtheusabilitytest.

AllparticipantssuccessfullycompletedinthenavigationoftheOfficeofNewStudent
OrientationwebpageandappreciatedtheconceptoftheBloomsburgOWLPinterest
board.Eachparticipantsuccessfullyprovidedinsightonhowtobetterimproveboththe
webpageandtheconceptuallyideaoftheOWLPinterestboard.

Errors
Therewerenoerrorsbyanyoftheparticipantsduringthistesting.

OverallMetrics
Likes,Dislikes,ParticipantRecommendations
Uponcompletionofthetasks,participantsprovidedfeedbackforwhattheylikedmost
andleastaboutthewebsite,andrecommendationsforimprovingthewebsite.

LikedMost
Thefollowingcommentscapturewhattheparticipantslikedmost:
Descriptionoftextandlanguageusedonthewebpage
Easyaccessibilityofthewebpage

LikedLeast
Thefollowingcommentscapturewhattheparticipantslikedtheleast:
Imagesandvideosusedonthewebpagewereoutdated
Thesubjectsofthephotosweren'tinanappropriatesetting

RecommendationsforImprovement
Chooseupdatedimagesandvideosforthewebpage
Lessinformation,links,optionsonthemainwebpage
ProvidemoreinformationoneachOWLleaderunderMeettheOWLs

Recommendations

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1
Therecommendationssectionprovidesrecommendedchangesandjustificationsdriven
bytheparticipantsuccessrate,behaviors,andcomments.Thefollowing
recommendationswillimprovetheoveralleaseofuseandaddresstheareaswhere
participantsexperiencedproblemsorfoundthetaskconfusing.Whenobservingthe
OfficeofNewStudentOrientationwebpageeachparticipantwouldcontinuouslyclick
onthemainOrientationpageandmakecommentsaboutthevideobeingawkwardon
themainpage.Eachparticipantconsideredmostoftheimagesusedthroughouttheweb
pagetobeinappropriateandinneedofupdating.Inaddition,participantsthoughtthere
wastoomuchgoingonthroughoutthemainpageandsuggestionsweremadeforless
linksandlessentrancepoints.Lastly,undertheMeettheOWLstab,everyparticipant
suggestedanoverallOWLgrouppictureinsteadofthecurrentselfieandmore
informationatthebottomofthepageoneachOWLleader.

Conclusion

MostoftheparticipantsfoundtheOfficeofNewStudentOrientationwebpageandthe
conceptoftheOWLPinterestboardcreatedfortheMarketingandCommunications
DepartmentofBloomsburgUniversitytobewellconstructed,veryuseful,and
aestheticallypleasing.HavingboththewebpageandPinterestboardorganized,
accessible,andhelpfulisveryimportantandcompletingausabilitytestgivesusjustthe
rightinformationonhowpotentialandcurrentstudentswillviewtheseresources.
Implementingtherecommendationsandcontinuingtoworkwithusersisveryimportant
tothesuccessfulimplementationofboththeBloomsburgOWLPinterestboardand
OfficeofNewStudentOrientationwebpageandwillensureacontinuedusercentered
webpageandpinterestboard.

BloomsburgUniversityWebsiteUsabilityReport1
Attachments