News & Announcements

Dear Monarch:

Old Dominion University's website (www.odu.edu) is the digital entryway and home for official University information and resources for students, faculty and staff.

The current website was first launched in 2010 and refreshed in 2016. As one of the University's primary assets, our goal is to continually improve the experience of website visitors. Analytics and feedback show there is an opportunity for us to improve how students find information and resources, as well as their experience navigating our site, to achieve desired destinations as quickly and seamlessly as possible.

In an effort to improve user satisfaction, navigation and search, refresh the design, and update the technology, Strategic Communication & Marketing and Information Technology Services have partnered with a web agency called KWALL to design and build the new website, which is expected to launch in 2022.

As part of this project, we would like to hear your input. Your feedback will help us gain a more holistic understanding of student needs and expectations on the current site. To participate in the brief survey, visit https://odu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_1LdEHsw1dRS9PoO Please complete the survey by Monday, April 26.

Your input and feedback are essential as we move forward with the website redesign project and help us ensure the final product meets the needs of ODU students. Thank you in advance for your participation in this important project!

For more information about the ODU website redesign project, visit: odu.edu/website-redesign

Sincerely,

Giovanna, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communication and Marketing

Dear Monarch:

Old Dominion University's website (www.odu.edu) is the digital entryway and home for official University information and resources for students, faculty and staff. Because it also serves as the first impression and interaction many prospective students and their families have with ODU, it is a fundamental component of the University's communication strategy.

The current website was first launched in 2010 and refreshed in 2016. As one of the University's primary assets, our goal is to continually improve the experience of website visitors. Analytics and feedback show there is an opportunity for us to improve not only how visitors find information and resources but also their experience navigating our site.

In an effort to improve user satisfaction, navigation and search, refresh the design, and update the technology, Strategic Communication & Marketing and Information Technology Services have partnered with a web agency called KWALL to design and build the new site, which is expected to launch in 2022.

As part of this project we would like to hear your input on the current site. Your feedback will help us gain a more holistic understanding of visitor needs and expectations. To participate in the brief survey,visith`ps://odu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51g4bCOLRhnK2P4.Please complete the survey by Monday, April 26.

Your input and feedback are essential as we move forward with the website redesign project and help us ensure the final product meets the needs of all audiences we serve. Thank you in advance for your participation!

For more information about the ODU website redesign project, visit:odu.edu/website-redesign

Sincerely,

Giovanna Genard, Assistant Vice President for Strategic Communication and Marketing

Monarchs,

In the fall of 2020, the University launched the Website Redesign Project (WRP) to develop a new University website that would provide a better experience for all site visitors and users. Last Spring, we requested your feedback on our current website to gain a more holistic understanding of visitor needs and expectations.

Since then, the WRP team has worked to implement your feedback and to create a website that is modern, accessible, and offers a cohesive user experience that will allow us to better tell the Monarch story to the world.

Over the past 12 months, the WRP team has completed the Research & Discovery Phase and the Design Phase. We are excited to announce that we are nearing the end of the Development Phase, with the initial launch set for mid-July. In the coming months, you will receive regular communications keeping you up-to-date on the status of this project as we quickly move toward the exciting go-live of our Wave 1 pages.

Here's what you can do to prepare for the launch:

• Review the phases and timeline, migration/wave plan, and FAQ page on the WRP website.
• If you are a department head, confirm designated Content Managers in your area have signed up for the Content Manager Training Information Session. (A link was sent to all Content Managers by email on May 3.)

To learn more about the timeline, project phases, and launch waves and view our FAQ page, please visit the Website Redesign Project's website. To reach the WRP team, email webredesign@odu.edu.

Caitlin Chandler, Assistant Vice President for Marketing

Rusty Waterfield, Associate Vice President for Information Technology Services & Chief Information Officer

Monarchs,

This email is part of a series of regular updates on the progress of the Website Redesign Project (WRP).

This past month, the WRP team completed the Development Phase of the project. The project has now moved into the Delivery Phase, where we have already begun quality assurance (QA) and will continue with multiple rounds of QA and testing before the site goes live. During this phase, we will also begin content migration (for Wave 1).

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Due to the size and functionality of ODU's website, our vendor needs additional time to complete the site delivery. In consultation with the WRP stakeholders, the WRP team has decided to delay the launch of Wave 1 until after the start of the fall semester.

Moving the launch date will allow us to make sure that all web components are ready with our Wave 1 pages, so we can deliver your new site with all the features our Drupal content management system has to offer. More details and a new launch date will be shared as soon as we have them.

In the meantime, the current website remains fully operational. The WRP team will continue to work with content managers and Wave 1 units across campus to prepare their sites for launch. For project phases and timelines, migration/wave planning, prior communications, and FAQs please visit our Website Redesign Project Website or email webredesign@odu.edu with questions.

Caitlin Chandler, Assistant Vice President for Marketing

Rusty Waterfield, Associate Vice President for University Services & Chief Information Officer