Creating a Web Page for a Department or Discipline

The current UMM Web site contains some very basic information about each of UMM's divisions and departments, but in most cases, these public materials could be greatly improved, updated, or made more appropriate to the interactive multimedia environment of the World-Wide Web. Because it is impossible for a central UMM administrative organization to determine how best to portray UMM's diverse units, and because the underlying philosophy of UMM's Web site is that it should be developed in the most decentralized way possible, UMM's unit pages belong to the departments and disciplines of UMM. Maintaining and revising them is primarily the unit's responsibility. We encourage you to take advantage of all the creativity and knowledge in your department when expanding and updating your Web pages.

In beginning to work with Web information for your department, start with the pages that already exist on the UMM Web site. Browse the materials that are provided beyond the UMM home page (http://www.morris.umn.edu/index.html). Familiarize yourself with the UMM format -- identifying banner on the top of each departmental/discipline home page and standard information and navigational aids. There may be links to materials that have already been put online for your department. You are not required to leave these pages intact, if there is a better way to provide the information.

Departmental Web pages should be developed on UMM's Web Development server (templates.morris.umn.edu), when completed these pages should be migrated to UMM's Live Web Server (www.morris.umn.edu). The pages can easily be linked to the UMM Web site. Computing Services now allows departments, disciplines, and organizations to apply for organizational accounts on a variety of web servers. For example, an account set up for a discipline, which will be permanently maintained by the discipline faculty members. To request an account, contact Computing Services (589-6391).

In order to provide design guidelines and keep content within University of Minnesota policies, the committee has developed the Policy and Guidelines for UMM's World-Wide Web Site. You should also know about the all-campus University of Minnesota Policy on Publishing Information on the World-Wide Web and UMM's Web Template guidelines.

If you choose to develop your pages yourself, you still have resources here on campus to help you. Computing Services will be offering open classes in web page creation in Dreamweaver; call Pam Gades at extension 6391 to sign up. Media Services can provide assistance with graphics, including digital photography and customized UMM departmental banners. Contact Media Services at extension 6150 for information.

Although an HTML tutorial is beyond the scope of this document, here are some tips if you decide to work on your own Web pages (it's simpler than you think!):

• Borrow HTML code from other Web pages that are like the one you want to create. To see the HTML code for any Web page, use the "View Source" option on your Web browser. (In Netscape, go to the View menu and select Source).
• A good basic listing of available HTML commands is available at the Bare Bones Guide to HTML.
• Take a look at the companion document to this one, "Creating a Personal World-Wide Web Page at UMM."
• The University of Minnesota Digital Media Center (a unit of the Office of Information Technology) has created the Learn On Line project to help faculty put course materials online. The project includes a template page which you are encouraged to borrow and use.
• Recommended reading: Teach Yourself Web Publishing with HTML In A Week, by Laura Lemay (Sams Publishing).

For more information, call UMM Computing Services at 589-6391.

UMM World-Wide Web Page Setup: Unit Request for Free Assistance