Nathaniel Villegas

 
My last blog post was about FYE Department websites and some criteria I thought these sites should meet. From a list of 50 of the best FYE programs in the nation, I decided to visit each page and came up with a Top 5 of my favorite ones that seem to have a great balance of look and feel, social media usage, and resourcefulness. This post provides a brief look into each of the Top 5 websites.

Indiana University, Bloomington
IU has the total package. On their home page are three clear resources for newly admitted students, first year students, and for parents. Complete with videos, common questions, and an account to track their involvement, IU has truly made an effort to cover every area that a first year steps on. Their social media buttons located clearly, but not in the way of some of the important content. They even encourage students to upload their own photos onto the department’s Flickr account! I also like the student blog that gives admitted students a preview of IU’s student life. Moreover, there are tons info to read up about from events specialized for first years different interest to more broad events like orientation and Welcome Week.

Ohio State University
OSU’s FYE website is simple yet chalk full of resources that first years and faculty/staff members might need. It is a very clean and easy-to-read site that is anything but cluttered. I really like that the navigation bar does not have too many options to choose from. Instead, after clicking a button, it provides links of resources each with a short sentence description and a “Read More” link. What is more cool is their amount of Event Programs that first years can get involved with.

Texas A&M University
In contrast to the other four schools, TAMU’s FYE website is the most simple. Although it is merely text-based, it is not at all boring or plain. For what visuals it lacks, it makes up for with the amount of information and questions answered. The site looks to have every aspect of college covered from transition seminars, to academic assistance, to on-campus housing. What it does lack, though, is a way for students to participate in discussion with the school or with each other. The same goes with Ohio State University’s website. There aren’t any advertised Social Media buttons or forums for students to express questions they might have.

University of Texas, Austin
UT Austin’s website is my top favorite FYE resource. The entire site has its own search engine so you can find almost anything you need. What I love is that the site also solicits student involvement in a dozen ways. UT Austin’s site doesn’t just push information that they expect their students to read. Instead, students are encouraged to ask real question, to follow the school on Twitter, and even to talk to a counselor. The website is very well put together and very impressive–just navigating through the features makes me want to learn more about what they have to offer. Successfully grabbing students’ attention and giving them a chance to dig deeper into the site should be a goal for every FYE site.

University of Wisconsin, Madison
UW Madison has almost every basic feature that the rest of the four other websites have. But what stands out the most is their presence and use of social media tools conveniently located at the bottom of the side navigation bar and not in the way of the important content. Another thing I liked was that they have separate social media accounts for the school and for the department. This website just goes to show that including these buttons doesn’t have to be a design nuisance or a distraction. Instead, it shows how versatile the school is in its new technology presence and that the school is willing to reach beyond their own website to keep in contact with their students.

If you are part of your school’s FYE Department, please feel free to take a look at these websites and see some of the features that I might not have gotten into to detail. Also, share what you like about these websites by leaving a comment.

See the original post on Inigral's blog.

 


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