University Web Portal
WHAT IS A PORTAL?
Portal is a term, generally synonymous
with gateway, for a World Wide Web site
that is or proposes to be a major starting
site for users when they get connected to
the Web or that users tend to visit as an
anchor site.
OTHER DEFINITIONS
• “An environment that fits specific needs, or stated
another way, architecting the environment so people
can do what they need to do.”
-The University of Washington
• “An interactive gateway to resources and services.”
-Boston College
• “A user-centric Web page that allows users to easily
locate all the Web content they commonly use a ‘onestop Web page’.”
-Cornell University
WHY USE A PORTAL?
 Encompassing sense of membership
 Central database into University resources
 Increased efficiency
 Publish information campus-wide
 Single log-in
 Connection for University Alumni
 Instantaneous research
 Access for perspective
government officials
students,
parents,
and
Web Portal
THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS OF
THE COMMUNITY WEB PORTAL
PORTALS VS. WEB PRESENCE
PORTALS
WEB PRESENCE
• Single log-in
• Multiple Log-In
• Can be personalized
• Same for all users
• Process optimized for users • Process optimized for department
• Allow for electronic groups • Allow only for specific users
• Easier to use
• Rather complex
With portals, colleges and universities could see “increased
revenue through improved recruitment and retention, reduced
recruitment costs, improved customer service, quicker yield
conversions, [and] improved customer satisfaction.”
BENEFITS
 Considerable amount of decrease in work load for University
 Real time data availability of relevant data to Student, Center
and University
 Reduction in number of queries and Issues from
Students/Centers
 Effective status tracking by University
 Prevention of errors at source
 Substantial cost reduction
 Streamlined processes
 Transparent Student Data
 Easy for University to communicate to Students/Centers
through Message boards and does not require technical
expertise
MODULES
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UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION
PAYROLL PROCESSING
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
ADMISSION
EXAMINATION AND EVALUATION
MATERIAL PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION
STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES
SOFTWARE SECURITY AND DATA MANAGEMENT
PORTAL PREDICATES AT A GLANCE
WHAT A PORTAL DOES:
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Enables universal login
Handles both structured and unstructured data
Facilitates multi-channel consistency
Facilitates messaging and notification
Automated tuning: pervasive content can be tuned
based on personalization, location, browser, etc.
 Integration to other systems
KEY FEATURES OF PORTALS:
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Security
Access different data
Transactions
Search
Publish Content
Personal Content
WHAT ARE THE MAJOR FUNCTIONS
OF PORTALS?
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search and navigation
information integration (content management)
personalization
notification (push technology)
task management and workflow
collaboration and groupware
integration of applications and business
intelligence
 infrastructure functionality
WHAT A PORTAL IS NOT:
 It is not just a Website (which is usually
characterized by static information)
 It is not just a personalized intranet
 It is not just a personalized extranet
 It is not just a personalized front end for business
applications
 It is not just groupware
 It is not just a personalized knowledge
management solution
 It is not just a sophisticated search engine
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
The portals can be differentiated on the basis of their
content and intended users.
 Horizontal Portals target the entire Internet community.
These sites, often referred to as "megaportals", usually
contain search engines and provide the ability for user to
personalize the page by offering various channels (i.e.
access to other information such as regional weather,
stock quotes or news updates).
Yahoo! and Lycos constitute megaportals. These portals
are also gateways to contents and services of other offers.
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
Vertical Portals differ only in their more specific objects
and contents from horizontal portals, the technology
employed remains the same.
The numerous solutions can be divided into 3 major groups
that partially overlap:
Corporate Portals: provide personalized access to
selected information of a specific company.
Commerce Portals: support business-to-business and
business-to-consumer e-commerce.
Pervasive Portals: support access via Pervasive Devices
such as PDAs, Particularly this type of vertical
portal will have a great stake in the future.
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
ENTERPRISE PORTALS
These are portals developed and maintained for use by
members of the intranet or the enterprise network.
The most common implementation of enterprise portals
focus on providing employees with this information on a
regularly updated manner along with document
management system, availability of applications on
demand, online training courses and web casts etc along
with communication in the form of emails, messaging,
web meetings etc.
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
KNOWLEDGE PORTALS
Knowledge portals increase the effectiveness of
knowledge workers by providing easy access to
information that is necessary or helpful to them in one or
more specific roles.
Knowledge portals are not mere intranet portals since
the former are supposed to provide extra functionality
such as collaboration services, sophisticated information
discovery services and a knowledge map.
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
CORPORATE PORTALS
An corporate portal provides personalized access to an appropriate range of
information about a particular company.
Corporate portals have become one of the hottest new technologies of the
Internet. Initially called intranet portals - corporate portals existing for the benefit
of the company’s own employees, this set of technologies has developed to assist
and provide access to a company’s business partners (suppliers, customers) as well.
As opposed to public web portals, corporate portals aim at providing a virtual
workplace for each individual using them - executives, employees, suppliers,
customers, third-party service providers. Rather than offering access to consumer
goods, services, and information, corporate portals are designed to give each
individual using them access to all of the information, business applications, and
services needed to perform their jobs.
A company’s public Website itself is not automatically a corporate portal. It can
become one if the Website provides personalization and navigation functionality, as
many are beginning to do.
TYPES OF THE PORTALS (CLASSIFICATION)
MARKET SPACE PORTALS
Market space portals exist to support the
business-to-business and business-to-customer ecommerce, software support for e-commerce
transactions and ability to find and access rich
information about the products on sale also, ability
to participate in discussion groups with other
vendors and/or buyers.
EXEMPLARY PORTAL SITES
MSN
GOOGLE
AOL
YAHOO
AMAZON
SAMPLE
UNIVERSITY
WEB
PORTAL
SAMPLE 2
UNIVERSITY
WEB
PORTAL
PORTAL ORGANIZATION
• Specific for each audience
• Perspective Students, Current Students, Faculty,
Staff, Alumni, Parents, Supporters of Athletic
Programs, Visitors
• Side Directory
• Side bar of important links geared towards the
above audience
• Tech Support
• Online access to trouble shooting guide and FAQs
• Personalization
• Allow users to personalize their portal to include
particular links for their specific needs
COMMUNICATION TOOLS
• Communication tools allow users to interact with each other,
sharing information in a safe environment.
• Examples:
• E-mail
• Portal based e-mail systems allow users to communicate
within specific groups (e.g. residence halls, class,
administrative offices, or clubs)
• Chat rooms
• Portal based chat rooms enhance student learning
experiences in safe and monitored environments
• Announcements
• Portal based systems can reduce supply costs by
providing an electronic way to advertise
PLANNING TEAM
The following offices or groups will be represented:
 Academic Departments
 Faculty Senate
 Admissions/Orientation
 Health Center
 Alumni Affairs
 Residence Life
 Athletics
 Research/Assessment
 Bookstore
 Registrar
 Board of Trustees
 Student Government
 Bursar
 Student Union
 Communications
 Technology
 Library
TRANSLOCATION SERVICES
• Translocation services allow for “paper-free” services, faster and more
complete customer service, and easier access for users.
• Examples:
• Admissions/Orientation
• On-line applications and Financial aid applications
• Academic
• Online registration, grade reports, and transcripts
• Financial
• Pay bills, apply for student loans, financial aid application, and
debit system for student ID
• Extra-Curricular
• Sign up for clubs, committees, and organizations; online housing
selection; online applications for job opportunities
HOW TO GET STARTED
• Focus Groups
• Utilize focus groups of students, faculty, staff and
alumni to see what their Web based needs are.
• Research Peer Institutions
• Look at other institutions of similar size in the
region and see what they are doing on their
websites.
• Review Literature
• General resources are available for more
information on this topic.
GOOD “PRACTICE SITES”
• University of Washington
• http://myuw.washington.edu
• University of California Los Angeles
• http://my.ucla.edu
• Boston College
• http://www.ja~sig.org
• Louisiana State University
• http://paws.lsu/edu
• University of Minnesota
• http://onestop.umn.edu