Minutes (April 2, 2008) Web Advisory Committee

Present: Dr. Nedal Arar, Dr. Keith Krolick, Roseanne Hurst, Katie Prentice, Debbie Valle, Tim Presley, Ray Hoese, Alan Miller, Dr. Doris Lee, Rene Torres, Kat Myers, Anna Maloy, Ida Garcia, Elizabeth Toth, Heather Cura, Jim Barrett and Mary Yanes.

Dr. Nedal Arar, the chair, called the meeting to order. Committee members approved the March 6 minutes.

Dr. Arar asked the visiting guests to introduce themselves. The guests were Ray Hoese, newly appointed director of marketing and communications for the School of Medicine, and Dr. Doris Lee, assistant vice president for student services.

Jim Barrett presented the webmaster's report. He said:

• The newly prepared Faculty Profiles web site will be published for internal review April 15, and a decision to make the site public would be made about one month later. The site is http://profiles.uthscsa.edu. He said departments will be able to obtain .xml feeds from the site to publish rosters of their faculty members.
• Action is expected in Austin by May to amend Texas Administrative Code sections 206 and 213, which set standards for web accessibility and accessibility to technology devices. Mr. Barrett said he had read the proposals and forwarded a copy to Vikki Ross, director of purchasing. He said the changes would require the university to expand its published web accessibility policy in several areas when the changes take effect in 2009.

In old business, the committee heard an update on the ongoing web-site rebranding. Rene Torres said the style guide for publishers is complete, and he would post it to a web site in the near future. Mr. Torres said the Atkins Group, contractor for the project, is verifying the rights to publish photographs selected for the redesigned homepage. He said the Office of External Affairs hoped to roll out the homepage and the site for the president at the same time.

In new business, Mr. Barrett requested the committee's comments and participation in a survey of the needs and plans of web publishers at the university. The survey, he said, is part of the fact-gathering for an Academic Technology Services strategic plan on enhancing services to web publishers. Members made suggestions, and Mr. Barrett said he would make the changes and send the survey out to web developers.

There was no other business, and the meeting was adjourned.

-- Minutes prepared by Mary Yanes and Jim Barrett

-- Approved May 1, 2008