Category: SCE

Maintenance Checklists

Posted on by Katrina Frank

In order to provide an excellent user experience we MUST make quality assurance a priority while editing our sites. Check out the suggested steps that should be taken on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

Site Content Editor Checklist

Weekly Checklist

  • Check for broken links (located on the left vertical bar on your WP Dashboard). It identifies broken links and tells you where they are.
  • Fix any broken links and any other errors. Please note that Web Services is here to help you fix any errors you are unfamiliar with.

Monthly Checklist

  • Review your site for responsiveness and to make sure your design is mobile-friendly.
  • Check your website performance (optional): If you’re curious about your most popular pages, would like more data about your users, and possibly identify pain points on your website you can request some analytics for your website by emailing Web Services at WebServices@kzoo.edu.

Quarterly Checklist

  • Test out all of the forms on your website to make sure it is in working order.
  • Review and update contact information for your department (don’t forget to also check your right-sidebar and footer).
  • Back up the content of your site
    • If you would like to preserve your website content you can use print to PDF on a page by page basis to save a PDF version of your page.

Annual Checklist

  • Audit your website content
    • Determine which pages are performing best and what topics your audience most connects with.
    • Determine which information needs to be deleted, updated, etc.
    • Check for accessibility compliance and that you are following proper usability standards.

Deleting Pages, Images, & Documents

Did you know that even though you might not display pages, uploaded images, or documents on your website that doesn’t mean they won’t show up in a Google search?

Be sure to delete pages, uploaded images, documents, and other items in your Media Library that are no longer in use on your website.

Other Best Practices

Keep your team in the loop: Be sure to keep your colleagues informed of what’s happening with the website during department meetings. By doing so not only are you showing the use of the website, but it allows others to provide more content to be added to the website.

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New Blocks Available – Accordions and Post Layout

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Hello WordPress SCEs,

We wanted to share the latest additions to your block library, the Accordion and Post Layout.

Have questions? Please reach out to Web Services so we can support you.

Accordion Block

Block Details

New "accordion block" icon.

The new accordion block provides more settings and variations that include:

  • choosing a heading level
  • margin settings
  • padding
  • borders
  • icon selection

Accessibility and Usability

To remain ADA compliant and provide our users with the best experience, it is imperative that SCEs pay close attention to the the additional settings of this block.

Settings to be mindful of include, but do not limit the following:

  • Assigning the appropriate heading level. Please note that a heading may not be needed for all uses.
  • Make sure there is enough color contrast when choosing colors for headings, the accordion body, borders, and text color.

Accordion Block Examples

Schedule

The following example is from the 2021 Parents and Families Orientation Schedule.

Wednesday, September 8

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

  • Student Move-In (Residence Halls) – Resident Assistants (RAs) and Peer Leaders will be stationed at check-in tables at each residence hall to welcome your student. Students will pick up their orientation folder from the Peer Leaders. Then see the Residential Life staff to get their student ID, room key, check into their room, and get settled. Health verification must be completed before students can check in. Students with incomplete health requirements will be directed to the Health Center to complete any necessary requirements before they are permitted to check in.
  • Health Center Open (Main Floor, Hicks Student Center) – Health Center staff is available for health information verification as well as general consultation with students and families.
  • Book Club Cafe Open (Upjohn Library) – Stop by the first floor of the Upjohn Library and allow one of our baristas to serve you a cup of Kalamazoo Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or a specialty espresso. Choose from fast grab-and-go options including pastries, house-made salads, sandwiches, and sides.

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

  • Information Table (Hicks Student Center) – Stop by for schedules, maps, directions, resource handouts, and answers to your questions.
  • Richardson Room Open (Hicks Student Center) – The Richardson Room offers a variety of options including an extensive deli line with a wide variety of toppings and homemade soup. Also available is a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit, sweet and salty snacks, and beverages
  • Bookstore Open (Hicks Student Center) – Go Hornets! 20% off Kalamazoo College imprinted items.

4:00 – 4:45 p.m.

  • Understanding Billing and Financial Aid (Olmsted Room, Mandelle Hall) – Join Director of Financial Aid, Becca Murphy, and Student Accounts Coordinator, Juan Muniz, for a session to help understand the financial side of sending your student to college. This program will be repeated twice on Thursday.

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

  • Dinner (Dining Center in Hicks Student Center or off campus) – Students and their families are welcome to have dinner together on campus at the Dining Center in the Hicks Student Center, or venture off campus to one of Kalamazoo’s excellent eating establishments (a list of restaurants is available at the information table). New students can use their student ID (which also serves as their meal card) for entrance to the Dining Center. Families may purchase tickets at the Dining Center entrance ($11.15 per person).
  • First-Generation Welcome Dinner (by invitation only) (Hicks Banquet Room) – A welcome for first-generation students and their families. Dinner buffet will be served and important information specifically for first-generation students and their families will be shared.

Evening

  • Relax or Explore the Campus and the City of Kalamazoo – Families are welcome to just relax after a day of moving their students in or explore Kalamazoo. Information about downtown Kalamazoo is available at the information table in the Hicks Student Center. Take your student shopping for last minute items, or explore campus (self-guided walking tour directions are available at the information table in Hicks). Get to know the area your student will call home for the next four years!

Thursday, September 9

1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

  • Student Move-In (Residence Halls) – Resident Assistants (RAs) and Peer Leaders will be stationed at check-in tables at each residence hall to welcome your student. Students will pick up their orientation folder from the Peer Leaders. Then see the Residential Life staff to get their student ID, room key, check into their room, and get settled. Health verification must be completed before students can check in. Students with incomplete health requirements will be directed to the Health Center to complete any necessary requirements before they are permitted to check in.
  • Health Center Open (Main Floor, Hicks Student Center) – Health Center staff is available for health information verification as well as general consultation with students and families.
  • Book Club Cafe Open (Upjohn Library) – Stop by the first floor of the Upjohn Library and allow one of our baristas to serve you a cup of Kalamazoo Coffee, hot chocolate, tea, or a specialty espresso. Choose from fast grab-and-go options including pastries, house-made salads, sandwiches, and sides.

1:00 – 5:00 p.m.

  • Information Table (Hicks Student Center) – Stop by for schedules, maps, directions, resource handouts, and answers to your questions.
  • Richardson Room Open (Hicks Student Center) – The Richardson Room offers a variety of options including an extensive deli line with a wide variety of toppings and homemade soup. Also available is a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, fruit, sweet and salty snacks, and beverages
  • Bookstore Open (Hicks Student Center) – Go Hornets! 20% off Kalamazoo College imprinted items.

4:00 – 4:45 p.m.

  • Understanding Billing and Financial Aid (Olmsted Room, Mandelle Hall) – Join Director of Financial Aid, Becca Murphy, and Student Accounts Coordinator, Juan Muniz, for a session to help understand the financial side of sending your student to college. This program will be repeated twice on Thursday.

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.

  • Dinner (Dining Center in Hicks Student Center or off campus) – Students and their families are welcome to have dinner together on campus at the Dining Center in the Hicks Student Center, or venture off campus to one of Kalamazoo’s excellent eating establishments (a list of restaurants is available at the information table). New students can use their student ID (which also serves as their meal card) for entrance to the Dining Center. Families may purchase tickets at the Dining Center entrance ($11.15 per person).
  • First-Generation Welcome Dinner (by invitation only) (Hicks Banquet Room) – A welcome for first-generation students and their families. Dinner buffet will be served and important information specifically for first-generation students and their families will be shared.

Evening

  • Relax or Explore the Campus and the City of Kalamazoo – Families are welcome to just relax after a day of moving their students in or explore Kalamazoo. Information about downtown Kalamazoo is available at the information table in the Hicks Student Center. Take your student shopping for last minute items, or explore campus (self-guided walking tour directions are available at the information table in Hicks). Get to know the area your student will call home for the next four years!

Services

The following examples were used on the IS website and the Parent and Families website.

Tech & Media Support

Academic Term Hours

See the Academic Term Hours for in-person services.

Computer Help Desk

Email: HelpDesk@kzoo.edu
Phone: 269.337.5800

Media Services

Email: kmedia@kzoo.edu
Phone: 269.337.7138

Popular Parent Resources

Advice and Guidance for Parents

Understanding Supportive Services

Campus Resources for your Student

Sending Mail

Sexual Misconduct Information

Mental Health

Guten Post Layout Block

Block Details

New Guten"Post Layout" block icon.

The new Guten Post Layout block offers a few new ways to display a collection of your posts and pages. settings and variations that include:

  • choosing layout settings
  • display settings
  • heading settings
  • filter settings
  • pagination settings
  • and more

Accessibility and Usability

To remain ADA compliant and provide our users with the best experience, it is imperative that SCEs pay close attention to the the additional settings of this block.

Settings to be mindful of include, but do not limit the following:

  • Choosing whether to display the heading and subheading of this block.
  • Replacing the “read more” text if needed.
  • Adding quality featured images to your posts so they are not pixelated.

Accordion Block Examples

Skin 1

Skin 1 has a very symmetrical look with all posts having a large square feature image and overlay. Users will also experience a slight zoom into the photo when they hover over a post.

Skin 2

Skin 2 offers more of a rectangular shape to the featured image while also providing a bold date with a red background color and white text color. Like skin 1 users will also experience a slight zoom into the photo when they hover over a post.

Skin 3

Skin 3 provides the featured image sitting atop a solid block with the author name, date of post, post title, excerpt and “read more” more. Of the three this skin is a more simplified option; however, is very clear and easy to read. Like with the other skins SCEs can select the content that appears in the lower solid block.

Maintenance Checklists
Katrina Frank

Maintenance Checklists

In order to provide an excellent user experience we MUST make quality assurance a priority while editing our sites. Check out the suggested steps that should be taken on a weekly, monthly, quarterly, and annual basis. Site Content Editor Checklist Weekly Checklist Monthly Checklist Quarterly Checklist Annual Checklist Deleting Pages, Images, & Documents Did you […]

Website Annual Reviews

Posted on by Katrina Frank

Why conduct Annual Reviews?

To provide the best level of support for Site Content Editors (SCEs), Web Services will conduct annual reviews of each Kalamazoo College website.

The purpose of this review is to connect with SCEs on a frequent basis, ensure that ADA compliance is being met, and evaluate usability for the intended audience.

Annual Review Process

  1. SCE completes the WordPress Annual Review Questionnaire to identify the best time of year to meet and share the specific areas you would need help with in the future
  2. Web Services will reach out to schedule your annual review based on your specifications in the questionnaire
  3. About two weeks before your scheduled review, Web Services independently reviews your website(s)
  4. During the annual review, you will be given a document with specifics relating to your website(s) evaluation. We will also:
    1. Answer outstanding questions you may have related to your websites
    2. Create a plan with a timeline for ADA, K Branding and usability related items that need to be addressed on your website(s)
    3. Discuss your future goals and needs of your website(s)
    4. Collect feedback you may have for Web Services and the way in which we support you

How do we evaluate your website(s)?

Web Services will use the evaluation checklist when reviewing all SCE websites.

We will also assign a status to each of these elements that reflect what the SCE can do to get their website(s) in good standing.

Evaluation Checklist

CategoryCriteria
AccessibilityDoes the website meet all A/AA ADA standards specifically when using images, links, columns, tables, choosing colors for text, etc.?
QualityIs the website well organized and easy to navigate through? Is it easily scannable and not confusing to the user?
CopyrightDoes the website credit the creators of content that is not their own if it not under creative commons or is not copyright free? Additionally, does the website follow rules outlined on the K College copyright website? 
K BrandingDoes the website abide by standards outlined in the Kalamazoo College Brand K Manual?
ConsistencyDoes your website look coherent and work harmoniously? Examples include consistent navigation, style of headers, page titles, calls to action, etc.

Status

Exemplary – This is perfect! No changes necessary.

Meets Standards – Meets standards; however, requires some editing in the near future.

Needs Improvement – May violate ADA standards, does not meet usability standards, and/or violates K branding or copyright. Items in this category are in need of editing immediately.

What can you do to prepare for your website(s) annual review?

  1. Fix errors listed on your Siteimprove Quality Assurance (QA) report. Have questions about the QA report? Reach out to Katrina!
  2. Check your website for outdated information – Do you have old hours of business listed on your website? What about an outdated link to the campus map in your footer? Now is a good time to review your content to make sure everything is up-to-date.
  3. Review images – Are you using images like flyers and brochures with words on them? Did you know that images on your website(s) are supposed to be 400KB or less and not over 1400 x 1400 pixels? Do you know when it’s appropriate to use alt text? If these are things you forgot in your initial WordPress 101 training, please review the Being Inclusive on the Web module along with accessibility information related to images on this site.
  4. Evaluate your link text – Make sure that your link text is descriptive enough for users. Additionally, fix plainly pasted URLs and remove those “click here” links.
  5. Prepare to share your questions and your needs – Although we will be providing you with a review, our meeting will also be dedicated to answering your questions and listening to your needs as an SCE. Gather a list of questions that we can go over at the end of the review.