05/20/2004
Partnering with
UMass Amherst's web team, Gravity Switch was the developer of choice to
undertake many aspects of this project, including upfront planning,
testing of the concepts with sample users, contributing to the
interface design concepts, testing the HTML templates, and creating the
content management system that runs the News and Events areas.
Says Nina Sossen, UMass Web Project Manager, "We're
thrilled with the new site & Gravity Switch has been superb to work
with! We are especially pleased with their work on the all-campus
Events calendar & the News section. The response has been
overwhelmingly positive."
Notable features on News and Events engine:
Comprehensive
Events Calendar: This is a comprehensive calendar of all events
happening on campus - including the University's academic calendar.
Users can quickly and easily search for events by day, week, month,
category, venue and even special events such as Commencement and
reunions. There is a link to all Five College events, and to SPIRE
(UMass Amherst's online system for registering for classes, checking
grades, verifying bills and financial aid).
Campus staff,
students, professors, and even the general public can enter events
online. This will streamline the events posting process, and ensure a
large breadth of events will be posted on a timely basis.
News
Categories: There are different News categories controlled by different
areas. For instance, the "In the News" section is placed in an area
specifically visited by people interested in how UMass Amherst is
featured in national media.
Content Management System (CMS)
Gravity
Switch developed a robust content management system that is the
back-end "engine" controlling everything. The CMS allows UMass Amherst
staff to add, edit, delete, and archive all news and events, without
having to know HTML code. There area three levels of users for the CMS,
including webmasters, frequent submitters and general public.
Says Jason Mark, Gravity Switch Founder and President,
"We were thrilled when UMass Amherst asked us to partner with them on
this project! As a graduate and former instructor at the university, I
had a personal interest in the site's success. People have told me how
much they love the new site, and it feels great to know that so many
people will see the fruits of our labor."
About The University of Massachusetts Amherst:
A
leading center for public higher education in the Northeast, the
University of Massachusetts Amherst has gained a reputation for
excellence in a growing number of fields, for its wide and varied
academic offerings, and for its expanding historic roles in education,
research, and public service.
The flagship campus of the
Commonwealth's University system, the University of Massachusetts
Amherst is a major research university enrolling 24,000 students, from
all 50 United States and over 100 countries.
Its 10 schools and
colleges offer 88 undergraduate majors, 68 master's and 50 doctoral
programs. Sponsored research activities total more than $100 million a
year.
About Gravity Switch:
Gravity
Switch is an award-winning interactive media firm that designs custom
technology solutions delivered via the Web and CD-ROM. We work
with national companies like Honda, Polaroid, Sega and The Hartford;
with colleges and universities such as Smith, UMass, & Mount
Holyoke; and with numerous non-profits, local manufacturers and
regional service firms. You can learn more about us from our Web
site or by calling [413] 586-9596.