WSG Minutes - Trinity Term 2008

1. Staff Gateway update
   The project, approved by GPC, aims to improve the information architecture of the links under the Staff section of the Oxweb site. It will spend 3 months on user research and consultation, then design the IA, implement, user test and aim to launch by Michaelmas 2008. There are no academics involved in the Consultation Group, but they will be part of the Contesting Group. It was noted that there would be some overlap with the Groupware Project.
   
   
2. Web Review update
   The scoping report has been accepted by GPC but the review needs to be done at a strategic level. It was reported that proposals were in hand to deal with this issue. It was also noted that although ownership was important, it must also be resourced.  The WSG should contribute, but not at this point in time.
   
   
3. Central Admin Web CMS Project update
   Contract negotiations with the preferred supplier, Terminal 4, are nearing completion. Funding for the full roll out of the CMS is being sought. The enterprise license will enable sites out-with the project’s original scope to use the system without further charge for the software, other than heavily discounted per-processor fees for any implementations on separate infrastructure. The WSG reiterated its support for this project. The system will not handle document management.
   
   
4. Homepage revision and branding update
   The revised homepage will be launched on Tuesday 6th May. Outcomes from usability and disability testing had been acted upon and feedback from the WSG members, Web Managers Discuss and ITSS discussion lists had not uncovered any problems. The general opinion is that the revision is an improvement. The updated branding guidelines for the web have been published and the Web Managers informed.
   
   
5. WSG Remit and communications
   In response to agreement in the previous WSG meeting, the minutes of these meetings are now published on the Oxweb site and the weblink is sent to the PRAC ICT Sub-Committee.
   
   
6. Web Archiving
   A meeting is arranged with representatives from OULS, SERS, University Archives Office, OUCS and the OII for 6th June, 2008.

1. Review of University websites
   There was a discussion about whether the WSG should take a proactive role in surveying and reviewing the sites that cumulatively make up the University’s web presence with a view to suggesting improvements. Areas to assess would be accessibility, content, usability, design and use of new brand. Questions were asked about how accessibility would be measured, what support would then be offered and if this should only apply to “main” sites, i.e. not project websites and those that involve collaborative projects. The consensus was not to do this.
   
   
2. Facebook and Social Networking websites
   There are numerous social networking sites and virtual environments, Facebook and Second Life for example, that the University has a presence on/in. Should there be a group responsible for these representations of the University? Ultimately no, but it is expected that anyone reserving a presence on behalf of the University will notify the WSG and therefore PAD because they are the office contacted to respond to queries about such matters.

PAD plan to launch a new online debate feature on the website in Week 4.

A University Picture Library Project, organised by the Publications and Web Office in PAD, has commenced.

The Michaelmas Term 2008 WSG meeting will be held on Thursday 23 October 2008. Proposed papers/items should be sent to christopher.eddie@admin.ox.ac.uk for consideration no later than Thursday 16 October.