Less than a month ago, ASMSU's Web site had half finished pages, broken links and missing information, but with some quick fixes and an outsourced webmaster, the Web site was revamped in time for Welcome Week.
"We put as much information on the Web site for students, to show not only what exactly we offer, but what we're giving back to students," said Association Director Jason Bucholz. "We're taking (students') money, but it's important to show we're giving back."
The ASMSU Funding Board and Programming Board will be posting their budgets to show students where their money is being spent, Bucholz said.
He also plans to post bills and proceedings from meetings on the site so students can see if their college representatives are portraying students' opinions accurately.
"For example, if a college of business representative isn't representing the feelings of their constituents, (students) can look on the Web site and e-mail them," Bucholz said.
The site also offers details on the different services ASMSU provides, applications for organization funding and tailgating registration. It also has a calendar of events and meetings and a listing of job opportunities within the undergraduate student government.
The site, which has been around since at least 1998, went through changes last school year, said Joe Obringer, former director of ASMSU's digital media and graphic marketing.
"When I came in about a year ago, the Web site was basically nonfunctional," he said. "There was no information on there."
Obringer said he redesigned the Web site and added a calendar and member directory, but members said there were still problems with the site after Obringer worked on it.
After Obringer graduated in May and left the position, ASMSU hired another webmaster who was later fired for not fulfilling his job position, Bucholz said.
ASMSU decided the site should be updated in time for Welcome Week and hired computer science and engineering senior Patrick Collora on an independent contract. Before he did ASMSU's site, Collora was the webmaster of the Alliance of Les-Bi-Gay-Transgender and Straight Students' Web site. "It's been kind of under construction a lot and they haven't really had a complete Web site," he said.
"(The ASMSU Web site's) important to keep it updated, because if people go to the Web site and don't see updated information, they don't come back."
Collora's contract expired after two weeks, but he agreed to continue updating the page until ASMSU decides whether to reopen the position or renew his contract, Bucholz said, adding ASMSU should make the decision this week.
The group is considering making it easier for members to update the site themselves as well as having a message board for people to discuss issues such as tailgating, Collora said.
For more information, visit asmsu.msu.edu.
