Exciting updates to the student website

A message from the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Students, Learning & Teaching) Professor Anne Cummins:

Dear Colleagues

The Students, Learning & Teaching portfolio, in conjunction with Marketing & External Relations and Information Technology, is currently engaged in some exciting updates to the student website. These updates will greatly improve the digital experience for our students and how the whole of the University communicates with them.

Extensive research and collaborative work has taken place for the last seven months, directed by Pauline Murphy and project managed by Matthew Jeppesen. The work has drawn upon the expertise and efforts of staff from a number of the essential and interrelated organisational units and systems owners and reflects a successful collaborative project model.

Key updates and service improvements to the student website include:

• Moving the ‘current student’ content onto Sitecore (from Squiz Matrix), ACU’s new dynamic content management system (CMS) which allows us the flexibility to deliver more personalised and relevant content to our students.
• Updating the look and feel of the portal, so it’s more modern and appealing.
• The aim is that students will progressively have an integrated personalised view and single sign-on, meaning they only need to login once to access key systems like Student Connect/Banner, LEO, Tutorial Direct, OrgSync and student email (O365).
• We will surface key information from those systems to improve the student experience and mean they won’t have to access systems directly as often.
• Increasing options for communicating with students. While students will still receive some important information via their ACU email accounts, they will also have a feed for less formal communications, that the student can personalise, and notifications for important information we want to highlight.
• The content pages that are currently available on the student website will be transitioned onto the new CMS and continue to be available as an important resource. These content pages will be personalised by campus and study level (undergraduate or postgraduate). This means fewer pages to navigate for the student, while still allowing access to information from other campuses.
• The Orientation process will be incorporated into the Student Portal, meaning students will be able to start their ACU experience with the same system they will use throughout their studies. The Orientation Day online planner system from 2016 will also be part of the process.

We look forward to launching the new and improved digital experience for our students in early December.

With every good wish

Professor Anne Cummins
(Students, Learning & Teaching)