Web Site Maintenance

St. Norbert College has a number of web sites, including several web applications that are used only by the SNC community. This is a partial list:

The I.T. Department maintains the servers that host all of the above sites. We perform software and hardware upgrades, run data backups, generate traffic usage reports, maintain SSL certificates, write limited custom programs, troubleshoot technical issues and research new technologies (among other things).

Web Content Maintenance

We do not maintain the content on our web sites. While many companies employ a web team through which all web page requests flow, we do not. Instead, we've always put the maintenance of the content in the hands of the people who own the content. This means that if you're a professor and you need to change a paragraph on your discipline web page, you can do it right now without sending your request to someone else and without waiting in line behind other such requests. If you're a student and you need to get out a quick update about your organization's meeting tomorrow, you can do it.

To facilitate this maintenance model, we use a content maintenance system called Cascade. Content owners can login to Cascade from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, and update their web site.

If you need some help writing your message or structuring your web content, the Office of Communications can help you. If you have a technical question related to the use of Cascade, contact the Help Desk in Technical Support Services. You can also submit the service request form to report a technical problem or question.

Training

Along with Technical Support Services and the Office of Communications, we offer a number of workshops to train our community on the proper procedures for web content maintenance. Our 2-hour Introduction to Cascade workshop is offered eight times per year: six times during the day (during the odd numbered months) and twice in the evening in February and October (making it easier for students to attend). We also offer a one-hour Cascade Open Lab monthly, 12 times per year. The open lab offers the opportunity to sit with us and have your specific maintenance questions answered in person. We'll discuss your content and walk you through any necessary updates. You'll leave the open lab not only having learned something, but having actually made the updates to your content.

Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to attend these workshops as often as needed at no cost. St. Norbert College offers more workshops on the topic of web content maintenance than on any other topic.

Content Owners

Most of our content areas fall into one of these categories: academic disciplines, student organizations and campus departments. If you are the owner of one of these content area on our site, you must appoint someone to maintain your content. You can have multiple people do it. You can share a Cascade-trained person with another department. You can hire a student. You can do it yourself. However you choose to handle your site, it's important to know that if you own the content, you must maintain it.

Be sure to also account for the times when your web person is not available. Many of our students on campus are trained in Cascade, so they are a great resource. But keep in mind that there are some months where most students are not here. This should be a topic of conversation when discussing your staffing levels and setting budgets. You don't have to have a web site, but if you do, you must also maintain it.

If you're just getting started maintaining content, please register for an upcoming workshop.