myUNB – The UNB Web Renovations Continue

Wayne Hansen discusses the latest changes to the UNB website with IT Publications and Communications Coordinator Melissa Hannah

The UNB website has undergone major reconstruction over the past while. Many of you may have noticed a new look and feel to the UNB website while hopefully becoming acquainted with a temporary myUNB at the same time. On Monday, February 1^st, the official myUNB website launched (http://my.unb.ca) with a distinct new look. I thought this would be a great time to investigate the recent developments with UNB’s Web presence, discuss what myUNB is now and what the plans are for the future, and to talk about what this all means for students on both the UNB Saint John and Fredericton Campus.

To answer all these questions and more I recently sat down with Melissa Hannah, Publications and Communications Coordinator for Integrated Technology Services (ITS) at UNB Fredericton. Melissa has taken time out of her normal schedule to work on the communications, focus groups and surveys associated with the myUNB project. The goal is to design the website with wants and needs of the UNB community as central priorities.

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Wayne: Well I guess we should begin with the basics. What exactly is myUNB?

Melissa: myUNB is multi-phase project, executed by Integrated Technology Services and Communications and Marketing, for the internal UNB community. It is starting as a web page that will provide easy access to UNB services, faculties, departments and service units on both campuses. During this phase of the project we also worked on providing a new design and new features to improve usability. We feel that this represents significant improvement for all users of UNB web services.

Wayne: Is the myUNB page, going to be much different than the UNB home page that I currently use?

Melissa: Yes. It will be very different. The previous iteration of myUNB was simply meant to be a temporary page to house all the links the internal UNB community would need and want. It was a short-term solution to use while we concentrated on the UNB.ca web pages that were focused for our external audience. Now, we have turned our attention to our students, faculty, and staff with the myUNB project. One of the next items we will be working on is a portal that will provide single sign on, this means you will simply have to log in ONCE to access your WebMail, Blackboard, financial information, etc.

Wayne: So the main difference is that UNB.ca has a focus on clients external to UNB while myUNB is focused on those who already have an established relationship with the University?

Melissa: Exactly. UNB.ca has an external focus — potential students, donors, etc. However, myUNB has an internal focus on anyone that has a current affiliation with UNB.

Wayne: Can you tell me more about the myUNB portal?

Melissa: The myUNB portal will replace eServices and more. It will be a space that you can customize to fit your needs. For example there may be an area where you can choose the top UNB links you use, such as viewing your course timetable or buying print credits – these are all items within eServices but the new portal won’t only contain items within eServices.

Wayne: This project seems to have a significant impact on all users of the UNB website. Have faculty, staff and students have input on the design?

Melissa: This project will have an impact on everyone at UNB and we have made sure to approach this project from their perspective, i.e. what they would find useful and what they would want. That is why we have been diligent with surveys and focus groups – to make sure we get their input and provide feedback from the beginning.

Wayne: If there are people that are interested in contributing still – is it too late?

Melissa: No, it is not too late at all to be involved. Firstly, everyone is welcome to visit my.unb.ca/redesign to stay informed of the progress and to get involved. We would love to hear what students, faculty and staff think of the new myUNB as well as their ideas for future developments. If you have an idea, email myunb@unb.ca

Wayne: Thanks for taking the time to discuss myUNB with us today.

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If you have not yet had a chance to check out the myUNB page yet you should really take some time to do so. Either link to it from the UNB home page or point your browser directly to my.unb.ca. As discussed with Melissa, this new page is only the first step in the development of a customizable portal that will deliver all the functionality of eServices and more through a single sign on system. When completed, this project will fundamentally alter the way we all access UNB web services and will offer a significant improvement over the current edition.

Wayne Hansen is UNBSJ’s Student Technology Centre Manager.