There are a host of exciting ways that you can use the web to promote your seminar, communicate with folks back home, and publish student work. Here are some ways that program websites can be used:

1. Pre-departure
   • Checklists
   • Readings
   • Application forms
   • Pre-departure meeting information
2. During the seminar
   • Day-by-day reports
   • Photo albums
   • Student perspectives
   • Syllabi
   • Student papers, research, or artwork
3. After the seminar
   • Futher readings
   • Reunion info
   • Reflections on the experience
4. All of the time
   • Promote the program to current students
   • Attract prospective students to Carleton
   • Reconnect alumni with the college by offering a glimpse of rich current-day student experiences

Managing Program Websites

Reason is Carleton's content management system for the web. It offers offices and departments an easy, powerful way to add and edit information online. Its features include:

1. Can be managed from any platform, any browser, anywhere in the world
2. Easy to learn
3. Assists in building navigational links on pages
4. Transferring responsibility to the next person who runs the program, your administrative assistant, a student worker, or OCS is simple.
5. You can set security on individual pages (for controlling info distribution)
6. Easy & secure form creation (ie: application, feedback, references..)
7. There's a template which can be customized. See: CA program
8. You can view page history, identify changes, and revert to previous versions
9. Built-in newsletter tools
10. Powerful image management
11. Blended site management responsibilities -- if you want to manage one part of the site, but have OCS or your student worker manage another part, that is doable.

We can set you up with a site in just a few days, and with a short round of training you will be ready to go.

Considerations

When you publish information on the web, usually anyone in the world can see it. This raises some privacy and security concerns for OCS program directors who are publishing information online.

1. Due to FERPA regulations, we must obey a student's request for privacy. In the past, faculty had no easy way to tell if one of the students on their program had formally requested privacy from the college. However, starting this Winter, OCS will note on your final class roster which students have requested privacy. This way, you will have the information you need to avoid inadvertently publishing information about these students on your website. Of the student body, there are currently only two students who have formally requested privacy, so this will probably not be a significant issue in the near future!
2. In addition, it is generally a good idea to informally ask students before the program if they are OK with you posting their images on the web. This way you can avoid offending any students who don't want that sort of exposure.
3. Finally, if you publish an itinerary online, it is best to remove any information that will allow site visitors to pinpoint your group's specific location at a particular time. For example, if you name the specific locations you are visiting, it's probably a good idea to leave out which days you will do what.

For more information

Generally, your first point of contact should be your computing coordinator. If you want to use Reason to build and manage your site, they may put you in touch with the Web Services group, who will help set up the access and training needed.