The new Web template will be rolled out during spring semester to the UMM websites that received the most number of hits over the preceding 12-month period. These include the UMM home page, all unit home pages, and their secondary pages. Resources will be made available to ensure a successful migration to the new design. The new template will not apply to personal, individual faculty, or student organization Web pages unless these page owners choose to use it.

The need for a new, common Web template is supported by the increase in visits to our websites by students, legislators, donors, faculty, staff, and many of our other key external and internal constituents. For example, in October 2004 alone, our websites received 125,888 visitors compared to October 2001 when we received 76,883 visitors, an increase of 41.3%. Listed below are five additional reasons for moving forward with this important project.

1. Promote a unified, cohesive online identity.
The new Web template has been designed for two primary reasons. The first is to ensure that visitors to sites featuring UMM programs, initiatives, departments, people, and achievements know they are visiting a UMM site. The second is to improve the overall consistency among certain aspects of UMM websites. The template is not intended to make all sites within UMM look the same.
2. Help Web visitors find what they are looking for.
When sites within UMM's Web structure use different navigational conventions, visitors are forced to learn a multitude of ways to find the information they seek. By adopting the template, campus communicators and Web developers provide a standard method of navigation that allows users to navigate more easily between and within UMM web sites.
3. Help Web visitors who seek global information.
One of the most frequent complaints Web visitors have is regarding their inability to find general information. This often includes centralized contact information, access to general search features (for both people and departments), as well as access back to the home page. At UMM, too often visitors navigate to areas within the UMM Web structure then struggle to find their way back to the broader campus resources.
4. Help units develop pages more easily and at less cost.
The new template provides UMM communicators and Web developers with a convenient structure to be used for their specific needs. Computing Services and the Web Advisory Group will offer consultation services and will remain in contact with developers and communicators as policies are updated or changes to the template are made.
5. Help communicators and developers "rethink" one of their most crucial communications tools.
The template provides a catalyst for change and an opportunity for communicators and Web developers to review their online presence.

Please lend your support to the subcommittee as it moves into the implementation stage of this project. The subcommittee will provide additional information about the template implementation process, training resources, and samples of the template.