New HSPH Web Site Launched with Tool to Create and Maintain School Sites, Apr 13, 2007, Harvard Public Health NOW

After a nearly two-year process of campus-wide collaborative work, Information Technology has launched a new HSPH web site that offers more features, enhanced searchability, and an intuitive system that allows authorized users to create and maintain School web pages.

The new web site has more features.

IT announced the innovations on April 2. A complete description of the changes is available at the HSPH redesign homepage. This is the School's fourth and most complete redesign.

The new site features:

A design with consistent navigation that strives to meet web standards and accessibility requirements on a site-wide basis
Improved search features utilizing Google technology
New and redundant server infrastructure for growth and development
Improved site-wide cross-referencing and topical searching
Integration with other Harvard resources

One of major new features of the site is a full-featured content management system (CMS) that allows more than 1,000 publishers to immediately participate in HSPH web site development. The CMS is web-based and so is accessible from any Internet connection. The information saves all data to a central database. By using the system, publishers may add and delete text, photos, data files, and links to other sites. Faculty, researchers, and departmental/office representatives may log into CMS. Training on CMS is being offered. See box below for details.

Authorized users are now able to use a content management system to create and maintain School web sites.

"We are confident that the new site is an excellent starting point for future web site development at HSPH," said Deane Eastwood, manager for instructional computing and application development, in an email announcement to the School. "As the web becomes more collaborative, more integrated, and more multimedia-oriented, HSPH is well-positioned for future growth."

The redesign project resulted from work that included the following groups: HSPH Web Committtee; Office of Communications; Office of the Dean; faculty members and students; Faculty Council; representatives from academic departments; representatives from administrative offices; Office for Admissions; Registrar's Office; Student Services Office; Office for Resource Development; Office for Alumni Affairs; and IT.

Questions may be directed to Christopher Ternan, HSPH Webmaster, at 617_432_4159, cternan@hsph.harvard.edu. Updates will also be posted to the redesign website.

Training on How to Use Content Management System

The HSPH web team will be hosting training sessions open to faculty, staff, and researchers beginning April 17. The sessions will examine the new HSPH web site and provide training on using the content management system (CMS), otherwise known as the "HSPH Publisher."

These sessions will be held in Kresge LL-6 and will offer a mixture of demonstration and hands–on instruction.

Training dates and times are as follows:

Tuesday, April 17 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 18 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, April 19 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 24 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, April 25 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Thursday, April 26 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Tuesday, May 1 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Wednesday, May 2 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Thursday, May 3 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.

Sessions will be approximately 20 to 30 minutes of demonstration followed by an open session with the HSPH web team to answer any web site development questions.