From the Nominator

The current higher education landscape places increased demand on units like the Division of Student Affairs to demonstrate the value of an in-person undergraduate education. A priority of this redesign was to show how the division delivers a transformative residential student experience. This project incorporated two communication goals in one site: articulating how we prepare our students for lifelong success while also delivering necessary day-to-day communications—in essence, both marketing a service and delivering that service in one website. By designing 22 micro-sites within a custom WordPress theme, we created an innovative ecosystem that appears as one unified site to visitors although each department's section is managed independently. The departments speak with one voice now, elevating the visibility of the division’s anchors for student success and serving as proof points of our best-in-class student experience. Yet, each department has a navigation tailored to their specific offerings and can make their own timely updates, thus improving the student and staff experience. Post-launch interviews with Student Affairs leadership reveal the following qualitative results: the new site is effective at showcasing the division with external audiences, departments have the flexibility to manage their internal communications effectively, and students more easily connect with the correct department within the division. In addition, site update requests have decreased significantly, improving operations. Interviews with students and staff report that 100% of participants feel that the new site system is more helpful than the previous version. Traffic reports also yield more useful data than on the previous site.

From the Judges

This was an ambitious and thoughtful entry with a strong focus on user experience. The cohesive look and smart use of color created a polished, unified feel. We appreciated the research-driven strategy, clear navigation, and helpful content structure. The site stands out as a practical, student-centered resource with dual functionality. Overall, it’s a well-executed, user-friendly solution.