When thousands of students and faculty members flock back onto campus in August, they might notice a change to MSU's green and white Web site.
The university officially launch its updated Web site on Aug. 18. It totaled $45,000 to research, program and buy software to redesign www.msu.edu.
"There are a lot of news elements," said Richard Wiggins, senior information technologist for the Computer Center. "The goal is to tailor it (for specific users)."
Separate links for students, future students, alumni and donors are features university officials say they hope will aid those people searching for information on the Web site.
The old MSU home page wasn't formatted the way other Web sites are, Wiggins said, so university officials wanted to make sure people found what they were looking for. The MSU Web site has not been revamped since 1999.
"There was some indication people were having problems," said university spokesman JT Forbes. "The search engine will bring up the best bets you are looking for. Before you would just get a lot of links."
The new search engine will now be powered by Google instead of AltaVista.
"(Google) is more popular," Wiggins said, adding the service has been free to universities since 2000.
As users browse through MSU's new Web site, they'll see the pictures on the home page aren't the same as before.
The university chose not to use the seasonal MSU photographs, such as President M. Peter McPherson's home, Cowles House, that was pictured in the spring. Instead, a series of stories with photographs pop up on the Web site. Users can click on the image to read more of the story.
"There will be more availability to showcase staff and student achievements than before," Forbes said.
Occupying the space next to that image also will be the phrase, "Advancing Knowledge. Transforming Lives."
"That's sort of the official slogan for the university now," Wiggins said.
The Web site is a nine-month project by the MSU Web Team, University Relations, MSU Libraries and Computing and Technology.
The team will continue to work on MSU's new online look, potentially adding a calendar and information for users to submit stories for the home page.
To take a peek at MSU's new Web site log on to www.newsite.msu.edu.
