The Student Government Committee on University Communication held its first meeting Friday to begin talks on how to use the N.C. State Web site to get students the information they need faster and easier.
Jay Dawkins, student body president and junior in engineering, asked the committee to develop strategies for students to more efficiently receive information from the University, communicate better with their organizations and use the University Web Site.
“There is alot of student content out there that could be on a student homepage,” Dawkins said. “It we could get all these things in one location it would be amazing.”
One goal of the committee, Dawkins said, will be to develop a student homepage through the University’s Web Site to allow students to get all the information they may need.
Dawkins said the homepage could potentially include things such as Webmail, Webassign, a student calendar, registration and enrollment information and even a social networking aspect, all in one space designated for students.
Joe Sevits, a senior in science, technology and society and committee member, said the committee will be trying to get student feedback during the next several weeks to make sure the site fits the needs of as many people as possible.
“All the social needs have to be taken into account,” Sevits said. “It’s just a matter of talking to one another and developing something that can work for all of us.”
Sevits said the technology aspect of the project is feasible.
“It’s definitely going to happen,” he said of the student homepage. “How long it’s going to take is the question. There are no roadblocks other than the time it takes to consolidate the differing views.”
Dawkins said he was glad to see so many people excited about working on this project.
“The great part is that SORC, OIT and Creative Services are all teaming up to make sure students have the best web services possible,” Dawkins said. “Right now, we’re looking at what the dream web space would be and working toward building something students can be proud of.”
Sevits said the potential for an integrated calendar which would allow students to pick and choose what events they see is one of the more intriguing problems the committee must consider.
“If you have only one calendar for the entire campus it would just be huge,” Sevits said. “We want to get it where you can pick and choose what you want to see. We’re making some progress on the technology aspect of that.”
Sevits also said the committee will continue to solicit student feedback between now and the spring semester to make the best recommendations possible.
“There will be an opportunity for students to get involved with this group,” he said. “We want people to be able to sit down and make some progress.”
Sevits said he hopes to set up a forum on the Student Government Web site where students can ask questions and make suggestions.
The committee will meet at least three times before making recommendations to the Office of Information Technology, the Student Organizations Resource Center and Creative Services at the Feb. 11 Student Senate meeting.
“They don’t know what we want unless we tell them,” Dawkins said of OIT, SORC and Creative Services. “We thought it would be a good idea to put some heads together and tell them.”
