The BEACON

1. The BEACON Bringing the Ellingsburg Academic Community Online Networking Teri Atkinson Travis Smith Kevin Vicker Robin Zazove

2. What is a portal? Ellingsburg College “A single entry point to a range of relation resources and information links: A figurative gateway that you pass through on your way to somewhere else” (Keel, p.44). Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

3. Purpose of the Portal Ellingsburg College • To provide students convenient access to a variety of information and services pertaining to their education and college experience. • Gives students the opportunity to interact with one another. • To allow students to share information for classes and activities. • To open the lines of communication between students, faculty, and administrators. • To provide resources for faculty development, instruction, and involvement. Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

4. Purpose of the Portal Ellingsburg College Recent literature shows that portals can provide comprehensive access to a variety of information. Student portals are being used by colleges and universities across the world in this age of expanding technology. “There appears to be a strong positive relationship between using information technology for educational purposes and involvement in effective educational practices such as active and collaborative learning and student-faculty interaction” (Nelson & Kuh, p. 211). The ideal portal contains a broad range of information, but can be tailored to fit the needs of the individual user (Ipri & Sell, 2005). A 2004 study found that 37.1% of institutions provided a web portal, which was an increase of nearly 9% from 2003 (Carnevale, 2004). The Beacon Portal can help bring Ellingsburg College in to the future of technology. Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

5. Enrollment Status & Registration Downloadable Forms WebCT / Blackboard Transcripts & Records Email Student Account Information Financial Aid Library Records Sign Ups Online Classes Hall Councils Campus Traditions page Message Boards Searchable Directory Campus Activities Career Services Community Info/Events Classified/Marketplace Calendar Student-Faculty Database Campus Banking The Beacon Portal Can Provide: Ellingsburg College Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

6. Planning of the Portal Ellingsburg College The Planning Committee will need to include representatives from: Purpose Vice President of Student Affairs Vice President of Academic Affairs Office of Student Accounts Faculty Senate Student Senate Office of Financial Aid Office of Student Life Office of Registrar Office of Residential Life Webmaster Student Portal Director Planning Benchmarking Student Portal Director Tips Implementation and Maintenance Layout References In order for the Portal to be complete, these representatives will need to assist in the planning so that the information is complete.

7. Benchmarking: Quality Student Portals Currently in Use Ellingsburg College University of Kansas- Kyou Portal http://students.ku.edu Eastern Illinois University- Student Panther Information Network http://spin.eiu.edu University of Maryland- Testudo http://www.testudo.umd.edu/ University of Florida- UF Bridges http://www.bridges.ufl.edu/ Purpose Planning Benchmarking Student Portal Director Tips Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

8. Student Portal Director- Ellingsburg College Ellingsburg College Date Posted: 2/13/05 Salary: Based on experience Applications must be received by 2/25/05 To apply, please send cover letter and resume to humanresources@ellingsburg.edu The position of Student Portal Director will be responsible for the planning, design, implementation, and maintenance of the Beacon Portal. The qualified candidate will have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, web development, or a related field, and 4 years of experience in website development or web portal development/maintenance. The candidate must also have experience with managing large budget, handling substantial amounts of information, possess the ability to handle multiple projects at once, and meet deadlines. Must have the ability to communicate well with a variety of stakeholders, including students, faculty, staff, and administration. Purpose Planning Benchmarking Student Portal Director Tips Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

9. Keys for Starting a Successful Portal Ellingsburg College Taken from Ipri & Sell, 2005 • Don't Get Shut Out: If your institution is just beginning the process of getting a portal make sure the library is represented and make sure those in charge recognize the potential impact of library services. • Don't Fear the Keeper: Create opportunities to collaborate with the person running the portal and express interest early and often, even if you are not sure how you want your patrons to experience your presence. • Don't Let the Hinges Get Rusty: Nothing keeps a portal swinging like new content. Purpose Planning Benchmarking Student Portal Director Tips Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

10. Implementation & Maintenance Ellingsburg College • The school will need to hire a staff member or more to be completely in charge of managing the student portal- Student Portal Director. This person will need to be able to manage databases and know about networking. • The Webmaster and IT Support Staff will assist with implementation. • TRUSTe Company can be hired for data privacy certification. • Possible companies to contact for assistance/software in setting up a portal are Epicentric or Plumtree (Olsen, 2002). Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

11. Implementation & Maintenance Ellingsburg College • To support the financial costs of the portal, the university can increase student technology fees. • If the school raised the fee $1.50/credit hour, at 15 credits for every student, the university would raise $67,500 each semester. • This fee would be enough to hire two employees to maintain the portal on a daily basis. This fee would also support the portal, unlike at the University of Michigan, which had to discontinue their portal because of the high costs (Olsen, 2002). Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References

12. Portal Layout Ellingsburg College The portal will be organized by the following categories: Through the scrolling headline that remains on each page as the students navigate the Beacon Portal, students will be able to view urgent announcements about campus events, computer viruses, and emergency notices. Purpose My Beacon E-mail Academics Planning Implementation and Maintenance Library Services Campus Life Finances Layout References Faculty

13. Weather bug Sports Scores Local Entertainment School News Password Protection and Identification Personalized Calendar Local and National News School e-mail Academics Link to Library Account Link to Student Accounts My Beacon Ellingsburg College “My Beacon” is the first page after the student logs in, and can be personally customized with the following: Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances Students will also have the option to select any of the other services available on Beacon to remain on the page. References

14. Beacon E-mail Ellingsburg College • The Beacon E-mail account will provide the following features in addition to a standard e-mail account. • Automatic forwarding from other e-mail accounts • Spam protection • Firewall protection • Pop-up protection Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances References

15. Download Forms Graduation Application Change of major Proficiency forms Credit transfer for course acceptance from other institutions Student transfer to other institutions Academics Ellingsburg College On this page, students will be able to: • View Grades • View Transcripts • Use BeaconCT – Interactive class web pages adjusted by instructor (Based on WebCT or Blackboard Protocol) • Graduation Audit Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances References

16. View and Pay Tuition and Fees* Download Financial Aid Forms Use Online Student Banking Pay Parking Tickets* Apply for Campus Employment & Work Study Pay Health Center Fees* View Financial Aid Statements Online Scholarship Search and Application Obtain Health Insurance Information View and Pay Fines to Release Student Holds* Pay Student Activity Fees* Finances Ellingsburg College Under this tab, students will be able to: Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances * When making payments, a second login will be required for security purposes. References

17. Obtain General Library Information Hours Map of Stacks Phone Numbers View Items Checked Out View Items Requested View Course Reserves Email a Librarian Search Library Holdings Check Status of Library Holdings View Library Fines Will Include Link to Finance Page to Pay Fines Library Services Ellingsburg College On this page, students will be able to: Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances References

18. Online Student Newspaper Schedules for Student Radio and TV Stations Athletic Schedules and Results Intramural Information Link to Computer Labs and Technology Support Weekly Campus Calendar Registered Student Organization Contact Information Student Government Minutes Profiles of Student Leaders Career Services Information Upcoming Events Campus Life Ellingsburg College On this page, students will be able to find: Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances References

19. Campus Events Faculty Announcements Online Development Workshops Teaching Resources Online Database Access Faculty Senate Minutes Manage Course Content on BeaconCT Faculty Ellingsburg College On this page, faculty will be able to find: Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout My Beacon Library Email Campus Life Academics Faculty Finances References

20. References Ellingsburg College • Carnevale, J. (2004). Fewer colleges cut information- technology budgets this year, survey finds. Chronicle of Higher Education, 51(10), A34. • Ipri, T. & Sell, J. (2005). Opening the portal to better relationships. Computers in Libraries, 25(2), 6-11. • Nelson Laird, T. & Kuh, G. (2005). Student experiences with information technology and their relationship to other aspects of student engagement. Research in Higher Education,46(2), 211-234. • Olsen, F. (2002). The power of portals. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(48), A32-33. • Olsen, F. (2002). University of Michigan cancels portal project. Chronicle of Higher Education, 48(33), A38. Purpose Planning Implementation and Maintenance Layout References