31 responses so far ↓

• 1 Novena // Oct 13, 2010 at 10:09 am

  “Home Sweet Home at UofL”

  The real new home page features what UofL is all about: PR. It stresses PROMOTION, AUDIENCE TARGETS, and pleas for DONATION. Forgotten is academic substance and the marks of a real university.

• 2 Paul Jason Puckett // Oct 13, 2010 at 10:14 am

  Take a look at Harvard’s…it’s not much different.

• 3 Anne // Oct 13, 2010 at 11:33 am

  @Novena – Not that I’m a designer either, but I’m curious what you expect from a site. The non-joke video talks about how the redesign came from measuring what people were already using the site for, and redesigning towards that.

• 4 Novena // Oct 13, 2010 at 1:49 pm

  “Dare to Be Good”

  Anne, I know few college web sites that speak so much to promote themselves and just get money. There are other ways to DARE TO BE GREAT. Indeed, first “dare to be good.”
  P.S. The above slogan is years outdated–sorry for the PR “back to the future.”

• 5 Paul Jason Puckett // Oct 13, 2010 at 3:02 pm

  Hmmm…if a college’s or university’s website didn’t “promote themselves,” then what would be the purpose?

  Again, U of L’s isn’t much different than any others, including, say, UNC-CH, Wisconsin, Indiana, Georgia, UCLA, Texas, or better yet, Harvard and Yale.

• 6 The Highlander // Oct 13, 2010 at 3:16 pm

  Obviously a spoof — befitting an ‘athletic club’ that masquerades as a ‘university’ — a spoof, itself.

• 7 Novena // Oct 13, 2010 at 4:19 pm

  “Random Thoughts on UofL”

  Paul Jason,
  The illustrious universities you mention have far less need to “promote themselves” than does UofL.
  Highlander,
  UofL, as an “athletic club,” would advertise as “Gym for Gold” (at least looking for it all the time).

• 8 CBailey // Oct 13, 2010 at 4:43 pm

  @Novena, Would you kindly share with us what specific changes you would recommend? Meaningful feedback is important to the University’s success and is a welcomed voice.

  Note the prominent right nav bar of popular links is almost entirely academic based and the audience targeting is meant to provide a much needed recourse to the groups that use the site, i.e. students, faculty, alums.

  The success of public institutions is entirely dependent upon the support of the community, therefore contributions are an important part of the much needed service they provide to our city.

• 9 jake // Oct 13, 2010 at 4:46 pm

  I think the re-design is pretty great.

• 10 Novena // Oct 13, 2010 at 5:38 pm

  “My Semi-Mea Culpa”

  CBailey, I respectfully submit that a number of your points are well taken (except for the “entirely academic part”). In this instance, I have over-generalized and admit the error. Unlike Jake, I would call the re-design “fairly decent,” especially by UofL standards. Now, DARE TO BE GOOD–”All hail to thee our UofL.”

• 11 Will // Oct 13, 2010 at 9:34 pm

  Novena, have you ever seen a university’s homepage? I’ve never come across one that functioned as a student portal–they’re strictly for recruiting and press releases. I’ve attended two “real universities” and I’d challenge you to find anything of “academic substance” on their index pages without extensive investigation/frustration/frozen java scripts.

  I like the UL redesign. It does what it’s designed to do.

• 12 The Highlander // Oct 13, 2010 at 10:10 pm

  Will: I have significant doubt that a ‘real student’ chooses any university from their webpage. A ‘real university’ doesn’t have to solicit students by the use of a webpage OR a television ad. The product of their graduates speak far louder. I can’t imagine that Harvard or any of the other Top 50 American Universities can cite more than a couple % of their enrolees who enrolled due to the ‘website.’ When you rank 179th in the nation in your academic program — you need a website AND a football team.

• 13 Paul Jason Puckett // Oct 13, 2010 at 10:31 pm

  Hate to tell you Highlander, but this isn’t 1987 anymore…it’s about who has a nice website rather who has the prettiest mailer/brochure.

  And yes, REAL university’s besides U of L (which is a real university BTW; still looking for this “athletic club” of which you speak) DO have to solicit students through their online presence.

  Also, Novena, maybe those schools do have less need, but that obviously hasn’t stopped them from doing exactly what U of L is doing. Seriously, look at U of L’s website and then those mentioned, and there really isn’t much of a difference in the highlighted content, other than UNC-CH’s is Carolina blue.

• 14 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 4:32 am

  “Mama Mia, Gents!”

  Gosh, give me a break. I already pleaded semi-mea culpa several comments back. My God, Felner was treated better by the UofL brass for never admitting his monstrous, endless misdeeds.
  Now, you have me never wanting to look at the Card website ever again.

• 15 The Highlander // Oct 14, 2010 at 7:04 am

  Mr. Puckett deserves a medal from Ramsey for his public relations activities. It takes quite a lot of talent to put that much lipstick on a pig.

• 16 jake // Oct 14, 2010 at 7:42 am

  While UofL is 90% athletics these days, Puckett is right. The flashy website matters when students are picking a school. Maybe not for the academic types. But have you met half the people graduating from public school these days?

• 17 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 8:45 am

  “Academic vs. Jock Times”

  Jake, if UofL does not attract “academic types,” its scholastic reputation will remain rather low. I wonder whether “flashy” websites really attract that kind of student.
  P.S. UofL does have a quite good honors program (though that is a small part of the student body). It is programs like that one that will go a long way toward enriching the Card image–and not so much a glitzy website. UofL has enough glitz already, but a far lesser amount of substance.

• 18 jake // Oct 14, 2010 at 8:52 am

  You’re bitter. I get it. But writing a poem three or four times a day and complaining about UofL – no matter what happens – isn’t going to bring you the satisfaction you seek.

  But you need to wake up to a reality: UofL is not Ivy League and never will be. It’s a regional school. And it’s the only school thousands have access to.

  Many students do select their college based on flashy websites. Just as folks in your generation may have relied on fancy booklets and brochures. But not all of them do.

  People can like and support the University of Louisville without pushing and endorsing the athletic program 24/7. It’s possible. Quit acting like it’s not.

• 19 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:00 am

  “Bitter & Sweet Thoughts on UofL”

  Yes, Jake, I remain rather bitter at some of the most horrendous, uncaring admin. leadership ever experienced anywhere in U. S. higher education.
  Check out what notoriety UofL usually garners: athletics, PR, med. school, and scandals.
  But, thanks Jake, for pointing out how important the campus is for equity and access (though students should generally be a more prominent focus). That is indeed critical, especially in a poor state like KY.

• 20 jake // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:03 am

  I’m a cheerleader when it comes to criticizing UofL, for sure. But we can’t deny that tens of thousands of people get solid educations from the University.

  And it’s certainly not the only school with a hyper-focus on athletics.

• 21 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:04 am

  “What Is Your Problem with Poetry?”

  Going back to the Felner saga days, Jake, you seemed to have a major problem with poetry and dialogue lines. That is part of humanistic writing and often allows one to be both satiric and to the point in a creative way. I shall try to tone down that style and make things more linear if that is the party line. Indeed, it is also a therapeutic measure in a crazy environment.

• 22 The Highlander // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:12 am

  Jake: I accept your observations about UofL, particularly the one that follows: “But have you met half the people graduating from public school these days?” It’s my understanding that nearly 40% of UofL’s entering students are JCPS products and that nearly 60% of them require remedial reading and math. To that I would observe — THAT SOMEBODY has to wake up the JCPS — and since it’s produce ‘rather obviously’ is damaging the academic credentials of UofL — it ought to be UofL — with more discussion about ‘education’ than its athletic programs. That’s all folks.

• 23 jake // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:20 am

  I have no problem with poetry.

  Commenting solely in the form of poetry is a bit silly, though.

  Whatever the reason(s) may be, a lot of folks are unable to comprehend poetry. So if you’re commenting in the form of poetry, dumb it down.

  (No, that’s not to slight readership. I’m talking about highly educated individuals who immediately dismiss poetry.)

• 24 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 11:03 am

  “Reality & Imagination vs. Fancy Websites”

  My response, in Salman Rushdie’s words, to those too lazy to see the importance of poems:
  “A poet’s work is to name the unnameable, to point at frauds, to take sides, start arguments, shape the world, and stop it going to sleep.”
  There has indeed been a lot of amnesia, frauds, and unnameable acts in the past several years at the UofL (that no fancy website can ultimately cover up).

• 25 UofL Online // Oct 14, 2010 at 11:20 am

  Everyone, thank you for the wonderful comments and feedback (good and bad). Novena, we love you too!

  We didn’t expect the new design to please everyone but we did do something different. Predominantly, try to address our audience and how they use the site, based on actual usage.

  You can read more about the objectives here: http://uoflblog.com/news/new-uofl-homepage/

  The new design actually provides more room and recognition for academic achievement and accomplishment, one of our goals.

  VilleVoice, you folks rock! Way to post this the day before I was going to post on Facebook…I LOVE IT!

• 26 Novena // Oct 14, 2010 at 12:48 pm

  “UofL Can Rock, Too”

  UofL Online,
  Many thanks for posting such a welcoming note. I especially appreciate the emphasis on “academic achievement and accomplishment”–and your blog entry shows that there are indeed an honorable. committed group of citizens at Belknap. And thanks for putting up with my ciritiques (I’m also trying to make a better university).

• 27 Steve // Oct 14, 2010 at 5:42 pm

  I think the site is great. Good job.

• 28 The Highlander // Oct 14, 2010 at 9:35 pm

  It was announced today that Pitino has invited a player to make an official visit to the local athletic club this weekend. He was kicked out of Wake Forest because he plead guilty to beating up his girl friend (the mother of his child) and fracturing her back. Now tell me that this place isn’t an ‘athletic club’ as opposed to an institution of higher learning. Worse than that, Ramsey has turned this place into a joke. Also tell me, just where Pitino parked his morals.

• 29 Paul Jason Puckett // Oct 15, 2010 at 12:51 am

  It’s not an athletic club :)

• 30 The Highlander // Oct 15, 2010 at 8:00 am

  PJP: Answer the other questions, too!!! Those answers will definitively ascertain whether you’re a flack or just removed from reality.

• 31 Novena // Oct 15, 2010 at 8:17 am

  “A Matter of Morals in Card Land”

  Darn, just as I was getting peppy and dreamy on UofL, Highlander brings news of Pee’s latest gambit. In the 19th century, college presidents often taught senior seminars on moral philosophy. Today the one at UofL mainly thinks about money, PR, and athletics.

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