New Online Training Course
In November 2006, AAVC released a new self-paced online training course for Web Content Managers to teach them how to edit and update their class website pages. It includes a downloadable reference document.
How to Maintain and Update Your Class Website
As of April 2006, every class now has a basic class website consisting of six "tabs" or "pages" in a new template design contained within AAVC's new website, which expand vertically to accommodate added content (see example below). These class websites are behind authentication; that is, only registered members of AAVC's Online Community can access the websites and their content, by logging in.
The following describes the basic content added by AAVC to each page of a class website, and what your class web content manager(s) can edit/update:
- Home: Class demographics, updated once a year by AAVC staff, links to other areas of the AAVC website, and messages generated by AAVC are in the top part of this page. The rest of the Home page may be filled with any other content/images desired by your class (the template will expand vertically to accommodate the content).
- Reunions: This page may contain some initial content posted by AAVC, but it can be deleted, modified or added to as desired by the class. AAVC suggests using this page to post information/photos about an upcoming or recent Reunion or mini-reunion, including links to photo galleries from a recent Reunion or mini-reunion.
- Class eNotes : This page contains "copies" of any class eNotes posted by your classmates using our new online Class eNotes feature (in the Connecting with Alumnae/i section of the AAVC website).The contents of this page cannot be edited by the web content manager.
- Discussion Group: Discussion groups are electronic mailing lists to which your classmates may subscribe to discuss matters of common interest. This page is pre-filled by AAVC with relevant discussion group information, but your group can change it, if desired.
- In Memoriam/Lost: This page will contain lists of your deceased and/or lost classmates posted by AAVC and updated by AAVC staff periodically. You may change the format of the lists, and add to them in any way you wish (photos, remembrance notes, etc.).
- Contact Us: A list of your class officers and other class volunteers is on this page, initially without contact information. Class web content managers are urged to edit/update this information to include the preferred contact information for your class officers and volunteers.
What You Need To Do To Maintain/Update Your Class Website:
- Select a class officer or another classmate to be your web content manager, responsible for editing/updating your class website pages. Your web content manager does NOT need to know HTML, but merely needs to have internet access and a browser, with the ability to use a Word-like interface for adding and updating content. (If you do not have anyone to be your class web content manager, AAVC can update your content for you.)
- Have your web content manager(s) take AAVC's new self-paced, online training course.
- Prepare content (text and/or photos) for your Home, Reunions, and Contact Us pages, and provide it to your web content manager(s).
- Any questions, contact AAVC's Associate Director of Alumnae/i Web Services, Susan Brkich, at subrkich@vassar.edu.