2008 Woodie Awards
Students adjust to improved www.APSU.edu
Our Take
Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Perspectives
The APSU Web site has undergone an extreme makeover. The All State sees both sides of the change. On one hand, adjusting to the new layout as the semester begins to intensify can be inconvenient. Links to important pages such as APMail and D2L have been moved to new locations and may be hard to find for students used to the old layout. On the other hand, we believe the site is much more aesthetically pleasing than before, more information is included on the homepage and additional search bars simplify navigation. It will take time to adjust, but this is a good change.
TAS acknowledges problems with the new www.APSU.edu are to be expected. New Web sites often launch with links that do not function properly or even entire pages that are inaccessible. With this in mind, TAS believe APSU.edu is functioning smoothly to be so young, and only minor problems still need to be addressed. The new site features a series of rotating links to APSU student and alumni success stories. When the Web site launched Friday, Sept. 26, none of these links worked. Fortunately the links, which take up more space than any other item on the home page, have since been fixed. The "Today @ APSU" info box on the homepage, that initially displayed only an error message, now contains useful links to information about APSU events. Clearly, the bugs are being worked out, but some links to the new APSU sports page still do not function properly.
TAS believes the biggest problem with the new Web site is simply that it is new. The change is dramatic and it comes in the middle of a semester when many students don't have time to adjust. We miss the familiarity and simplicity of the old site, but we are willing to sacrifice our precious seconds to become acquainted with the new one. After all, who wants to spend anymore time trying to understand the symbolism behind those familiar faces leaping for joy? The blue sky is out and a sleek new website is in its place.
Now we have a homepage to be proud of. TAS applauds new features such as the home page search bar, A-Z Index search bar and the expanded list of Quick Links, we also understand the need for our university to remodel and expand its online facilities. APSU is the fastest growing university in the state, in part, because it countinues to offer an ever-expanding list of online classes. TAS expects to see more positive online improvements.
TAS acknowledges problems with the new www.APSU.edu are to be expected. New Web sites often launch with links that do not function properly or even entire pages that are inaccessible. With this in mind, TAS believe APSU.edu is functioning smoothly to be so young, and only minor problems still need to be addressed. The new site features a series of rotating links to APSU student and alumni success stories. When the Web site launched Friday, Sept. 26, none of these links worked. Fortunately the links, which take up more space than any other item on the home page, have since been fixed. The "Today @ APSU" info box on the homepage, that initially displayed only an error message, now contains useful links to information about APSU events. Clearly, the bugs are being worked out, but some links to the new APSU sports page still do not function properly.
TAS believes the biggest problem with the new Web site is simply that it is new. The change is dramatic and it comes in the middle of a semester when many students don't have time to adjust. We miss the familiarity and simplicity of the old site, but we are willing to sacrifice our precious seconds to become acquainted with the new one. After all, who wants to spend anymore time trying to understand the symbolism behind those familiar faces leaping for joy? The blue sky is out and a sleek new website is in its place.
Now we have a homepage to be proud of. TAS applauds new features such as the home page search bar, A-Z Index search bar and the expanded list of Quick Links, we also understand the need for our university to remodel and expand its online facilities. APSU is the fastest growing university in the state, in part, because it countinues to offer an ever-expanding list of online classes. TAS expects to see more positive online improvements.
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