Web Portal Opens: Join the Information Community
Alma College and the Information Technology department are pleased to announce the opening of the College’s new Web portal. The portal provides the College community with one-stop access to services and data.
Entryway to Services
“The online services and data permit users to manage courses, search library databases, email colleagues, read campus news and events, check the campus calendar, and glance at the current weather conditions,” says Aaron Kerr, Web Services Manager and lead programmer of the portal. “These services are just the beginning. Additional components or modules can be added to the portal to meet the changing needs of the College community. The portal’s goal is to reduce the time and paperwork normally associated with routine administrative tasks.”
Online Community
The portal will also serve as a major communication resource for members of the College. Campus announcements, committee minutes, sports scores and news items will now be accessible in one place for anyone connected to the College. “A virtual information community which can remain connected even though some of its members might be scattered across the continent or globe is now reality for the College,” adds David Reed, Director of Information Technology.
Accessible Usability
Users may access the portal from on or off campus through the College’s Web site. Once logged in to the portal, a user will be presented with a default set of services and information based on the his or her relationship to the College. For example, a student will have access to course registration, add/drop, and course management services. An administrator will have access to email, calendar, campus news and events and other services and data pertinent to the their work and function at the College.
Customizable and Extensible
A user may also choose which services to include and see each time s/he logins in. The range of customization is limited only by the group (faculty, staff, students) to which the user belongs. As the College grows and the needs of its users change, additional services or modules for teaching, learning, and administering will be developed and loaded into Web portal to provide more services and greater customization by users. The possibilities for expansion and growth are virtually endless.
To access the Web portal, go to the front page of the College’s Web site, and click on the “Login to my Alma” link (on the upper right corner of the page).
Posted: Mon, March 6th, 2006 at 4:15PM
