Web Planning Committee

Tuesday, April 6, 2004

For the attention of the Dr. Norman C. Francis:

In October of 2003 we submitted a request to form a Web Development Committee. As we have received no official reply, we are submitting a new request with clarifications.

Background: We have been meeting for approximately two years as a Web Planning Group, an ad-hoc subcommittee of Strategic Planning. We were charged with the task of advising the University's Web Developer in implementing a new website design, implementing portal and content-management systems, and helping to recommend policies related to these efforts.

The process of Web development is an ongoing one which has no terminal point. We have found our regular meetings to be a useful venue for exchanging information and solving problems related to Web development here at Xavier University.

Major accomplishments of the group have included authoring of a Content Management Policy and Web Standards and Guidelines, as well as completion of the XULA site redesign. Minor accomplishments are too numerous to list.

Attendance at our meetings has included staff and faculty from the Library, CAT, ITC, Art, English, Pharmacy, Education, Admissions, Upward Bound, MIE, MORE, Facilities Planning and Management, Student Services and Institutional Advancement as well students from Student Government and Campus Activities.

Request: Our work is currently hampered by a lack of clarity regarding our structure and standing. We believe that the University's website is a resource too important to be left to chance or to ad-hoc decisions. Therefore we request clarification of our status. Should we continue to meet? Does the work we are doing have value to the Xavier community? (We think so, of course.) To whom do we report? Who should attend meetings of this group?

One idea we've discussed is the notion that a Web Development Committee be established as a standing committee (meetings open to all faculty, students and staff) with the following purposes:

In every instance, we believe the appropriate focus of such a committee to be the University's official Web presence, as distinct from unofficial personal pages and course pages. We believe one of the most important tasks for such a committee would be the creation of a Comprehensive Internet Development Strategy (as recommended in an April 2001 report to the Strategic Planning Committee – attached).

We wish to make it clear that we are not proposing a set membership or structure for this committee. Indeed, we are not altogether certain that a standing committee is necessary or desirable. We are simply seeking formal clarification of our status.

We would welcome an opportunity to discuss these ideas further at your convenience.

Note: This letter is being signed by participants at the core of the Web Planning Group. Copies will be distributed to everyone who has participated in the past or expressed an interest in the work of the group.