August 2, 2006
Where Did That Link on myUMBC Go?
We moved a few things when we redesigned myUMBC. For the most part, everything is located under the same tab as it was in the last version. It looks different, though, and you might have to look around the page a bit to find it the first time you need it.
If you're looking for something and can't find it, here is a list of the links we moved:
Continue reading "Where Did That Link on myUMBC Go?"
Posted by jward at 2:24 PM
UMBC's New Homepage & Portal
On August 3, UMBC is launching a new home page on the Web (www.umbc.edu) and myUMBC portal (http://my.umbc.edu). The strategy for the August 2006 launch and future phases is to refocus the UMBC homepage on the needs of external users, while making myUMBC more useful to internal users through richer content and self-service options.
Continue reading "UMBC's New Homepage & Portal"
Posted by elewis at 10:11 AM
July 12, 2006
Preview Our New Internet Sites
In August, UMBC will launch a new home page on our Web site and a new myUMBC portal. Please take a look at both and let us know what you think. (Note: These are mock-ups and not all features work.)
Posted by jward at 1:16 PM | Comments (1)
June 6, 2006
Brown Bag on Redesign June 14
Join OIT's Portal and Web architects for a preview of the redesigned myUMBC portal and Web sites to be launched this summer. Give us your feedback, make suggestions and see where we're headed. We'll also answer your questions about Web design and support.
Be sure to sign up if you plan to attend.
Posted by jward at 8:39 PM
June 2, 2006
Labels for Redesigned Home Page
UMBC's redesigned Home Page, set to launch in August, will feature a new navigation structure.
The new structure is a result of surveys and studies of how people use our Web site, and benchmarking similar sites to see what kind of labeling structures have become standard for such audiences as prospective students who might be looking at many university sites.
Continue reading "Labels for Redesigned Home Page"
Posted by jward at 2:09 PM
May 22, 2006
Fall 06 Design: Moved Log Out Link
Based on some user feedback (and internet convention), we swapped the myUMBC app links (myUMBC, Blackboard, WebMail) and the user info/log out link on the black toolbar at the top of the new portal design. We also added small icon to the log out link to make it stand out a bit more.
This change adheres to two internet conventions:
1) A link to "home" in the upper left corner
2) A log out link in the upper right corner
I don't know what we were thinking with the original placement.
Old: http://userpages.umbc.edu/~bcjones/portal/2006-05-20/
Current: http://userpages.umbc.edu/~bcjones/portal/current/
Posted by bcjones at 12:18 PM | Comments (1)
May 17, 2006
Web/Portal Redesign Update
The offices of Information Technology and Institutional Advancement are collaborating to create a major redesign of UMBC's online presence beginning late this summer.
Continue reading "Web/Portal Redesign Update"
Posted by jward at 2:44 PM | Comments (6)
May 5, 2006
Note to Campus Web Developers
Hello Web Developers and Designers. I'd like to help us all do a better job of supporting each other. It might feel like you're out there alone on an island, trying to make your web sites work, but you're not.
Continue reading "Note to Campus Web Developers"
Posted by jward at 8:31 AM
April 10, 2006
Collier Jones Joins OIT as Portal Architect
Collier Jones is UMBC's new Campus Portal Architect. He has been tasked with helping to make myUMBC a more engaging way to interact with the university by improving its functionality and usability. In addition to leading UMBC's portal redesign efforts, Collier is helping to lead UMBC's awareness and adoption of Web standards, as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium.
Continue reading "Collier Jones Joins OIT as Portal Architect"
Posted by jward at 1:46 PM
January 9, 2006
myUMBC Issues and Feedback
OIT is aware of login problems to myUMBC, which are caused by issues associated with our Oracle database server. OIT staff members are working to address this and other issues as quickly as possible.
Please continue to let us know what problems you are experiencing. You can leave your comments here, or if you prefer for them not to be public, you can use the feedback form.
In the interim, you can log in directly to the following resources:
Old myUMBC
https://your.umbc.edu
PeopleSoft
Blackboard
http://blackboard.umbc.edu
Webmail
https://webmail.umbc.edu
myUMBC Accounts
http://accounts.umbc.edu
Thank you for your patience,
OIT
Posted by jward at 4:29 PM | Comments (13)
December 20, 2005
myUMBC will change on January 6
When you log into my.umbc.edu on January 6, it will look a bit different from what you’re used to seeing. The new myUMBC is built on a different, more scalable platform that will ultimately provide more services to faculty, staff and students.
Continue reading "myUMBC will change on January 6"
Posted by jward at 4:47 PM | Comments (9)
November 16, 2005
Web Redesign Idea Incorporates myUMBC
With the launch of myUMBC-beta, UMBC has taken the first step in the process of rethinking and redesigning the university’s Web presence.
Beginning in Spring ’05, the web development group will begin to examine the best way to redesign www.umbc.edu. In addition to a new look and feel for the site, we’re also exploring the best ways to present information to internal (faculty, staff and students) and external (potential students, media, everyone else) audiences.
Continue reading "Web Redesign Idea Incorporates myUMBC"
Posted by jward at 8:56 AM | Comments (5)
September 30, 2005
OIT Portal Group Releases myUMBC "Beta"
Following the "sneak peek" of a new portal announced Aug. 30, OIT's portal development team has released the myUMBC "beta" for general use and feedback. To login, visit http://mybeta.umbc.edu.
Continue reading "OIT Portal Group Releases myUMBC "Beta""
Posted by fritz at 2:41 PM | Comments (8)
September 8, 2005
Stepping Back and Looking Forward
Okay, we heard you, and here are ways you said the new UMBC homepage and website could be improved:
* Launch both together;
* Improve design to reflect UMBC's energy and quality;
* Use more campus photos, similar to the new About UMBC;
* Make myUMBC a more prominent homepage link;
* Consider vertical scrolling layout;
* Study peers and competitors;
* Tighten programming to adhere to contemporary web standards.
So, we’re stepping back and will launch a new UMBC web presence in Summer 2006—homepage and all. We’ve turned off comments to the original "sneak peak" post, but if you’d like to learn what we plan to do (and offer new comments) use the form below. Future updates will appear on this blog and be linked to “About This Site” on the current homepage.
Continue reading "Stepping Back and Looking Forward"
Posted by fritz at 7:40 PM | Comments (2)
August 30, 2005
UMBC Launches "Sneak Peek" of New Homepage
Today, UMBC is providing a "sneak peek" of its new homepage, which begins the process of redesigning UMBC's entire web presence by summer 2006. If you'd like to comment on the new homepage or the process for developing the site to follow, use the comment form below.
Posted by fritz at 11:33 AM | Comments (27)
OIT Portal Group Working on New myUMBC
When it launched in 1999, myUMBC was one of the first university portals and (at the time) it was cutting edge technology. But over the years it has been showing its age.
For the past few months, OIT’s New Media and SysCore groups have been focused on creating a new "myUMBC" environment, working with an open-source portal called "uPortal" (http://www.uportal.org), which has been developing over the past few years as a mature portal platform. Targeted specifically at higher education, institutions like Princeton, Duke, University of Delaware and Virginia Tech have chosen uPortal; many of which have similar technologies in-place, such as Blackboard and PeopleSoft.
Continue reading "OIT Portal Group Working on New myUMBC"
Posted by fritz at 10:39 AM | Comments (4)