Minutes of the Communication Committee
Ocean Avenue Campus, Room ArtsX 170 – February 19, 2008
Members Present: Tom Blair, Joe Jah, , Andrea Niosi, Francine Podenski
Members Absent: Atilla Gabor Donald Lind, Athena Steff, Beverlyn Jackson Denise Dunne, Mamie How, Martha
Lucey
Resource Persons Present: Beth Cataldo,
Resources Persons Absent: Bill Beaver, Tom Hetherington
Guests: Adam Clay, A. Smiley Curtis
AGENDA
1.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Agenda was approved.
2.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Minutes were approved and seconded with the stipulation that the typos be corrected.
3.
OLD BUSINESS
A. WEB ADVISORY SUBCOMMITTE REPORT
Cataldo reported on EMG’s current activity. The sixteen focus groups conducted with more than 100
people on two campuses were successful. Feedback was collected from staff, administrators, faculty, and
students. The results of the focus group helped formulate the questions for the online survey that is
currently posted on the college’s homepage. The online survey will remain open until February 22nd. The
current survey response includes: 308 credit students; 8/36 international students; 138 faculty; 37
prospective students; 67 staff members; 11 administrators; 6 non-credit; 3 community members; 8 other;
and 4 alumni. The subcommittee would still like to solicit feedback from the trustees. Podenski will try to
set up a meeting.
EMG would like to use Google Analytics to measure how users move through the CCSF web site.
Tracking user behaviors will help identify where users get lost in the site. Google Analytics uses firstparty cookies to track users. They expire when the session ends. A discuss broke out about the privacy
issues and the CCSF privacy policy. No personal information is stored; however the data is stored on
external/non-CCSF servers. Cataldo suggested a temporary addition to the privacy policy to inform users
that City College is currently undergoing a website redesign and Google Analytics will track how visitors
navigate the site. IP addresses are not identified. The fact that no personal information and no IP
addresses are gathered suggests that the use of Google Analytics does not violate the college’s privacy
policy. The committee agrees that there is significant value in collecting the information for a period of
one year.
EMG will soon move into Phase 2 of the project which involves the design prototype. The deadline for the
three prototypes is April 1st.The College will have a month to choose a final look and feel. In May, a
recommendation on technology and design will be made to the Board of Trustees.
The subcommittee will meet on March 13th for a presentation and update from EMG. The presentation
will focus on their site audit and recommendations.
4.
NEW BUSINESS
A. PROPOSAL FOR WEBSITE FRONT PAGE BULLETIN BOARD
Kristen Charles from Institutional Advancement would like to have a permanent button on the current
front page soliciting support for the college. This item was tabled until the next meeting.