Ingeniux Selected as New Content Management System
I’m pleased to announce that we have selected Ingeniux as our new content management system (CMS). The selection comes after nearly eight weeks of work and with considerable assistance and input from our Web vendor, BarkleyREI, and the CMS Selection Group, which included staff, faculty, and student representation.
The CMS finalists were Ingeniux (based in Seattle) and Hannon Hill (based in Atlanta). Both CMSs have a strong foothold in the higher education space with hundreds of college implementations between the two companies. Both CMS companies spent a full day on campus in April where they met with the Web staff, key staff from Information Technology, and provided two-hour demos of their CMSs in front of our selection group.
We started the CMS selection process with a clear understanding of our CMS functional requirements and objectives. These were communicated early on in the Web redesign project in the original RFP and then again during the CMS selection process. Both vendors submitted full proposals, which covered in detail how they matched up against our functional requirements. Their on-site demos also addressed how each product addressed our requirements. Both Hannon Hill and Ingeniux met most of these requirements, but in the end, Ingeniux came out on top. Read more
Schedule Set for On-Site CMS Demonstrations
All faculty and staff are invited to attend two upcoming content management system (CMS) on-site demonstrations. The dates for these sessions are included below. If you wish to attend any of the sessions, RSVP with Tricia Halliday at 656-7240 or thalliday@anselm.edu so we can provide a head count to Dining Services for refreshments and have enough seats set up to accommodate everyone who wishes to participate.
As was announced previously in this blog, a campus group is assisting College Communications and Marketing will CMS selection. The CMS is the software used by the college to manage Web site content.
INGENIUX - http://www.ingeniux.com
Date/Time: Wed., April 15 - 9:30a.m.-11:30 a.m
Location: NHIOP Auditorium
Ingeniux has more than 100 college implementations of their CMS, including Stonehill, Franklin and Marshall, Bates, Roanoke, Swarthmore, University of the Pacific, University of Puget Sound, and University of Pittsburg, to name a few.
HANNON HILL CASCADE SERVER - http://www.hannonhill.com
Date/Time: Wed., April 22 - 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
Location: NHIOP Auditorium
Hannon Hill has more than 100 college implementations of their Cascade Server CMS, including North Carolina State University, William & Mary, Bowdoin, Brandeis, Duke, Emory, Hofstra, and Northwestern, among others.
Campus Group to Assist With CMS Selection
As part of the redesign project, the college will be selecting and implementing a new content management system (CMS). The CMS is the software used by the college to manage Web site content.
The following faculty, staff, and students are assisting College Communications and Marketing with reviewing three-to-four content management systems. The CMS Selection Group will review content management system proposals, participate in on-site demos for each system, and provide feedback and recommendations to College Communications and Marketing regarding CMS selection.
CMS Selection Group Members
Doug Minor, Communications and Marketing (chair)
Adam Albina, Information Technology
Katherine Bentz, Fine Arts
Lauren Chooljian, Student, History
Lorie Cochran, NHIOP
John Dillon, Geisel Library
Fr. Mathias Durette, O.S.B., Student Affairs
Lisa Gowern, Events Management
Nancy Griffin, Admission
Keith Hrasky, Admission
Rui Li, Information Technology
Anne Lord, Alumni Relations
Br. Issac Murphy, O.S.B., Monastery
Jessica Pappathan, Chapel Art Center
Michelle Rocheleau, Academic Affairs
Laura Rossi, Communications and Marketing
Bob Shea, Dana Center
Cory True, student, politics
College Communications and Marketing is very appreciative of this group’s assistance during this phase of the redesign project during what is a very busy time of year for everyone.
Web Redesign Update: Strategy, Staffing/Web Management Assessment, and CMS Recommendations
Since BarkleyREI’s three days of on-site discovery meetings in late January we’ve been busy. We reviewed pages and pages of discovery notes and other information compiled during their time on campus. We’ve provided BarkleyREI with additional college research, Web analytics data, findings from campus listening sessions and Web redesign survey, and finalized a project schedule.
The BarkleyREI team has been a joy to work with. They have a very talented team and we are very pleased with the progress made so far.
Last week BarkleyREI presented their initial Web redesign strategy via conference call and Web presentation. We’re currently reviewing the document with internal stakeholders and will include an overview of the site strategy in this blog in the next couple of weeks.
BarkleyREI began their strategy presentation by saying the following:
“Arriving on campus we had certain perceptions about a small, Catholic, liberal arts college, but after hearing the many stories and experiences of faculty, staff, and students, you blew us away. Saint Anselm College is truly a special place. I want my kids to go there.”
So What’s Next?
As part of BarkleyREI’s work, we’ve asked them to review our current Web staffing level, how the site is currently managed and supported, adequacy of training provided to faculty and staff, and current Web budget. The goal of this exercise is to better understand the resources required to maintain and support an interactive, engaging Web site that incorporates multimedia technologies and content. BarkleyREI will present their recommendations to us later this week.
We’ve also asked BarkleyREI to recommend three content management systems (CMS), based on what they’ve learned during the discovery and strategy phases. In the coming weeks, we will seek the assistance of a core group of faculty, staff, and students to help us with CMS review and selection. The review and demonstration of each CMS product will be done through an open process. Once the CMS demonstrations are scheduled, campus-wide e-mails will be sent to faculty and staff inviting people to participate in each session. We’re also hopeful people will use the commenting features of this blog to provide feedback during the CMS selection process.
BarkleyREI On-Site Discovery Schedule for Jan. 26-29
The firm selected to redesign the Saint Anselm College Web site this calendar year, BarkleyREI, will be on campus Jan. 26-29 as part of their on-site discovery research. They will be meeting with multiple constituent groups during their time on campus.
Despite scheduling more than three days of meetings, we are not able to fit in everyone we’d like this time around. Rest assured that we will schedule additional conference calls with groups on campus in the weeks to come. We will begin to schedule these during the week of Feb. 2.
A big thanks to everyone who assisted College Communications and Marketing with organizing these sessions. Your participation is critical for a successful project outcome.
* Please note that each of these sessions are by invitation only.
College Selects BarkleyREI to Redesign Web Site
College Communications and Marketing (CCM) is pleased to announce that BarkleyREI of Pittsburgh, PA has been chosen to redesign the Saint Anselm College Web site. BarkleyREI was one of three finalists for the project and was chosen by a campus advisory group assisting CCM with the selection process.
BarkleyREI is a full service interactive marketing agency that specializes in building higher education, travel and tourism, and nonprofit Web sites. They have built a reputation for developing comprehensive Web strategies for many university clients, including Carnegie Mellon, Cornell, North Carolina State, Notre Dame, and Vanderbilt, among others.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the on-site vendor presentations, took time to complete the Web redesign survey, or attended Web Redesign listening sessions in November. Your participation and willingness to provide us with valuable input and feedback makes our work all that much easier.
Next Steps
Work on the redesign project will begin in late January when BarkleyREI visits campus for three days to meet with constituent groups across the college. We’ll post an updated project schedule as soon as it becomes available.
Share Your Thoughts at an Upcoming Web Redesign Listening Session
As College Communications and Marketing (CCM) continues to plan for the redesign of the Saint Anselm College Web site, we have scheduled several upcoming listening sessions in an effort to gather further input on the college’s current Web presence and campus needs.
Listening sessions will feature 60-75 minutes of discussion moderated by CCM staff. We’ll be available to go beyond 75 minutes if extra time is required.
Dates and Times (all sessions held in North Lounge, Cushing Center)
- Wed., November 12 - 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. (faculty and staff only)
- Wed., November 19 - 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. (faculty and staff only)
- Wed., November 19 - 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (student-only evening session)
- Thurs., November 20 - 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. (faculty, staff, and students)
- Fri., November 21 - 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (faculty-only session)
Please make plans now to attend an upcoming listen session and tell CCM what’s on you mind. If you have questions, please feel free to use the comments feature of this blog or contact Doug Minor, managing editor/director of Web publishing, at 656-6184.
Complete the Web Redesign Survey by Oct. 24
We want your feedback!
All members of the campus community are invited to complete the Web redesign survey, which was circulated today by campus-wide e-mail to all faculty, staff, and students. The survey deadline is Friday, October 24.
As we plan for the redesign, we want to hear from you. We are interested in understanding how you use the current Web site and any likes or dislikes you have regarding the college’s current Web presence. We’re also interested in gaining insight into your overall usage of non-college Web sites.
Please be as specific and detailed as possible in your responses and include information on what you feel the college is doing well, not doing well, and anything you think is missing from the current Web site, including design elements, content, features, and functionality.
There will be additional opportunities to provide input on the college’s current Web presence through upcoming campus listening sessions and during the discovery process once the redesign project is fully underway.
You’re also welcome to leave comments through this blog.
And Then There Were Three Finalists
Last week, three Web firms were selected by the Vendor Proposal Review Advisory Group to come to campus on October 10 and 17 and on November 10 to present their Web redesign proposals in person. The presentations will be made to the advisory group as well as members of the college’s Administrative Leadership Group (directors from across the college).
We can’t express enough our gratitude to the advisory group for all their hard work in reviewing the seven vendor proposals submitted in response to the Web redesign RFP. Advisory group members had to be very familiar with the 21 page RFP and had to read through and score vendor proposals ranging in length from 50-60 plus pages. No small task to say the least given the technical nature of the RFP and submitted proposals.
The college was very fortunate to have such a competitive pool of redesign proposals to review. Putting together a proposal in response to an RFP is no small task for any company since it usually involves multiple staff and many hours of work to produce. So we are very appreciative of all the time and effort extended by each Web firm!
So not to delay any further, here are the three finalists who will be on campus in October and November for on-site presentations.
BigBad (Boston, Mass.)
www.bigbad.com
October 10
mStoner (Chicago & Woodstock, Vt.)
www.mstoner.com
October 17
BarkleyREI (Pittsburgh, PA)
www.barkleyrei.com
November 10 (tentative)
The on-site presentations will be open by invitation only. With that said, once a finalist is chosen for the redesign project, there will be plenty of opportunity for the campus to offer feedback and input. During the redesign’s discovery phase, the vendor chosen for the project will be on campus for several days meeting with faculty and staff from across the college.
We also invite you to use this blog’s commenting capability to leave your thoughts and feedback on items of particular interest to you relating to the redesign.
Redesigning anselm.edu
The Web Team has spent much of the late spring pulling together a draft Web redesign request for proposal (RFP). The RFP outlines many of the college’s current needs and challenges relating to its public Web presence. It also articulates some of our vision for the college Web site looking into the future.
An advisory group has been formed representing offices from across campus. The group will review and offer feedback on the proposal before its mailed to interested Web firms on July 1.
In the coming months, we will use this blog to provide updates to the campus community on the progress of the redesign project. We also invite you to use this site to supply us with feedback and what’s on your mind.