Web Strategies: Presentation to
Web2001 Conference
June 26, 2001
Are we web-ready?
• 50% of US households have computers: 25% are
connected to the Internet.
• 50 million websites; over 1 billion public web pages
• Over half of Internet users are purchasers of products
and services online; By 2003, it is estimated that over
$108 billion will be spent in online transactions
• 66% of higher education institutions have a strategic
IT plan, but only 7% have a plan for e-commerce
• 29% of institutions have a plan for online learning
• 60 % of all college courses use email; 43% have
a class website
Are our faculty web-ready?
•98% of full-time faculty and TA’s use a computer, and 90%
also have home Internet access
•75% spend 1-5 hours per week answering course-related
email, and 67% manage their grade books with a computer
•54% provide a course web page
• 45% use presentation software to display their lecture notes,
and 48% make their course materials available on the web
•Source: FACAC Faculty and Teaching Assistants Survey 2000
Are our students web-ready?
•Almost half of University Park undergraduates have
activated their 50 Mb Web space accounts
•25% of those have edited the default page
•15% of those include course materials
•Source: Penn State e-Education Institute
•In January 2001, over 56,000 different students used
eLion, conducting over 1.2 million eLion transactions
•On May 8, 2001 alone, eLion served up almost 79,000
grade requests
Are our services web-ready?
•15 Penn State E-commerce applications have been
implemented as of April 2001, including student
bursar accounts, SMEAL executive programs, and
the World Campus. A total of over 51,000
transactions were processed between December
1999 and April 2001, totaling over $4.5 million.
•Source: Penn State OAS E-Commerce Monthly
Status Report, April 30, 2001
The Vision of Many
University Web Strategies and Directions
Final Report – Summer 2000
Strategic Imperatives:
 Electronic Teaching and Learning
 Improved Administration and Business Processes
 Relationship and Community Building
 E-Commerce: New Opportunities for Income Generation
The Challenge
“Without a University-wide systematic strategy for a
coherent Web presence and for the future development
of web-based services, the University will lose an
extraordinary opportunity to shape its future …while
Web usage [at Penn State] is widespread and pervasive,
its application and impact are underdeveloped.”
-- University Web Task Force (2000)
The Vision
“The Web will be embraced as a fully integrated and
dynamic tool by all academic and administrative units to
promote access and service. The University Web
presence will provide the foundations for creating and
sustaining a virtual community that serves and engages
all University constituents.”
-- University Web Task Force (2000)
Charge to the Implementation Team
 Recommend strategies to increase University-wide awareness and skills
regarding the methods, models, tools and training in the use of the web
for our academic, administrative and business functions.
 Identify best practices and leading edge applications at educational
and other institutions.
 Use external consultants to augment deliberations and
recommendations.
 Make recommendations concerning University web projects which are
most critical to pursue immediately and those which can be best
structured for longer term implementation.
 Develop a roadmap for implementation, priorities and change.
Web Strategies: Key Guiding Principles
 Penn State’s Web site should be seen as a first line of
communication with key constituents. It should provide
useful information, encourage interaction among
diverse groups, create loyalty, and generate enthusiasm
for the University’s educational programs, services, and
resources.
Web Strategies: Key Guiding Principles
 The Web should be used as a means to develop relationships
with each and every Penn State constituent—prospective and
current students, potential and current faculty, alumni,
corporations, government, foundations, legislators, and
friends of the University. It should evolve into a portal for
customizing Web-based information and services—a place
where individual constituents can personalize their access,
import functionality, and aggregate content from multiple
sources—ultimately assisting in the creation of a lifetime
relationship between the user and all Penn State University
Resources.
Web Strategies: Key Guiding Principles
 Every academic and administrative unit should have an
up-to-date Web site highlighting its programs, faculty,
and services. Unit Web sites should reflect the interests
of diverse constituents: current and potential students,
faculty, potential funders or research/education/service
partners, etc. Web sites should be high quality,
aesthetically pleasing, quick to access, easy to navigate,
and offer multiple functions.
Web Strategies: Key Guiding Principles
 The University should increase E-Commerce activities.
Where appropriate, Web sites should provide a common
system for E-Commerce transactions to serve clients
and customers. University E-Commerce activities must
provide high-quality customer service and adhere to all
University security and privacy standards and policies.
Web Strategies: Key Guiding Principles
 Given the dynamic and rapidly changing nature of the
Web environment, the University must appoint a
University-wide standing committee representing
students, faculty, and staff to provide oversight
coordinate inter-unit collaboration, and seek
opportunities for Web development and application.
Developing Web Strategies
Customer Focus
 Leadership
 Guiding Principles
 Goals – Teaching, Research and Service
Vision
Strategy
 Institutional   IT Strategy Alignment
 Awareness/Marketing
 Process Change/Cost Savings
 Web Architecture/Management
 Sharing Web Innovations
 Organization
Implementation
 Design and Content Management
 Training and Development
E-Higher Education Roadmap
Key Processes
Functions to Examine for Web Development
Teaching/Learning
Knowledge
Management
Curriculum
Development
Course Delivery
Student-Knowledge
Discovery
Learning
Communities
Research
Virtual
Research
Communities
Planning/Proposal
Research
Management
Reporting and
Fiscal Accounting
Dissemination
to Public
Outreach/Service
Market
Research/
Analysis
Recruitment/
Marketing/PR
Prospect
Management
Client/Donor
Development
Alumni
Programs
Academic/Student
Services
Learning
Portals
Registration/
Fees/Grades
Calendar
Management
Advising/
Placement
Campus
Communities
Human Resource
Management
Recruitment
Selection
Development/
Training
Benefits
Administration
Internal
Communication
Planning/Budgeting
Decision
Support
Plan/Budget
Formulation
Financial
Accounting
Managerial Accounting
Revenue
Management
Business Support
Procurement
Facilities/Space
Travel
Inventory
Cash
Management
Strategy Roadmap
Enhancing Awareness, Coordination
and Implementation
Engaging Transformation and
Change Management
Building and Enhancing
Relationships and
Learning Communities
1.1 Communication and Awareness
(create awareness, develop communication
plan, maintain website, create a
brand, design courses)
2.1 Improve efficiencies and
customer service
3.1 e-Portfolio Initiative
(develop online portfolio template
for student projects)
1.2 Virtual Research Communities
2.2 Web enhancement and
review committee
(search engines, usability)
3.2 Use web as tool to enhance
focus on students and
external constituencies
1.3 Web-based Sponsorships/Partnerships
*
2.3 Support e-Lion implementation
1.4 Departmental websites with
public service information
* 2.4 Develop e-business strategy
for Penn State business functions
* 1.5 Develop a university-wide
career ladder and training program
* 2.5 Ensure coordination and
Collaboration in web deployment
*Implementation Team will monitor
Developing Web Infrastructure
Standards and Tools
4.1 Assess and recommend
technology platforms, systems
and tools to enhance learning,
research, service and administration
*
3.3 Develop web scorecard
and metrics for success
* 3.4 Develop a customizable
Penn State web portal
*
3.5 Gift Management
4.2 Redesign of psu.edu
(unifying visual template for
all PSU web pages)
* 4.3 Encourage effective pedagogical
use of the web, participation in online
teaching and learning
*
4.4 Learning Management
Systems / Faculty Support
* 4.5 e-Commerce infrastructure,
platform and authentication issues
Known Organizational e-Initiatives
at Penn State
E-Business
Strategy
(Business
and
Outreach
Web
E-Commerce
Task Force
(Controller)
Strategies
E-Education
Council
Implementation
Information
College/Unit
Communications
Initiatives
and Technology
Finance)
Task Force
Learning
Management
Systems
Subcommittee
IST, EMS,
Smeal,
Commonwealth
College, EMA,
University
Relations,
Student Affairs,
etc.
Overcoming Barriers to Change
Barrier
Percentage of respondents agreeing
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
The unit does not have staff with adequate technical
or Web-specific skills.
Customers and key markets do not want to change
their behavior.
There are more important projects that require
existing resources and time.
Technology and tools are inadequate, unavailable,
or unreliable.
It is hard to find the right partners to work with.
Suppliers are not cooperative or not ready for
electronic business.
Employees are not comfortable with change.
all organizations
(785)
organizations
over 20 years old
(390)
organizations
under 20 years
old (395)
Source: Evolve! Succeeding in the Digital Culture of
Tomorrow, by Rosabeth Moss Kanter (Harvard Business
School Press, 2001)
50%
The New
Web Strategy Center
www.web.psu.edu
The Online Home of the
Web Strategies Implementation Team
http://www.web.psu.edu
Web Strategy Center Features:
- Web Readiness Assessments
- Innovations
Includes:
- News
- Spotlights
- Tools
- Research
- The Team
www.web.psu.edu
Email: kencox@psu.edu
http://www.web.psu.edu
Your Ideas
 Your role in making this happen
 In an ideal world, what would make your life easier as
a web professional?
 In your view, what are the most critical tasks for the
implementation team?