MyLU Insider

Mackenzie Huber

Author: Mackenzie Huber

Thank you, Janice Staedt!

Janice Staedt, otherwise known as the rock, the glue, organized, efficient, detailed, collaborative, amazing to the core. Well, after 12 glorious years, she is about to add another one to the list – RETIRED!  She will log out of Banner for the final time on Friday, January 10. While it might be difficult to imagine a Lawrence without Janice, it is not at all difficult to celebrate the impact she has made.  She has touched nearly every corner of campus through her work in alumni and donor engagement.  Suffice it to say, she has earned a more relaxed approach to life, enjoying bike rides with her husband, more time in Arizona and bottomless cactus juice cocktails.

To celebrate all things Janice, we will be hosting a Janice Jubilee on Thursday, January 9 from 4-6 p.m. in the Viking Room. Bon Appetit will provide some treats and a cash bar will be available.  Join us for the fun!

Staff Connections Ugly Sweater Happy Hour

Join us on Thursday, December 19 from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm for this year’s Ugly Sweater Happy Hour at Jim’s Place!

There will be some food, a cash bar, and prizes for Ugliest Sweater, Best Accessories, and a participation raffle announced at 5:30 pm. You must be present to win!

Stay updated on the event logistics by joining the Facebook event.  

*Event hosted by Staff Connections.

Web Redesign Update

Dear LU Community, 

In October, the Communications and Web Development teams announced a redesign of the Lawrence University website. Since this announcement, our teams have been hard at work on the initial stages of this important and comprehensive project. Below is a quick refresher on the scope and goals of the project, an update on our work to date, a list of important upcoming deadlines (please at least read this section), and ways you can help us with the project. 

Project Overview 

We are currently undertaking a full redesign of the main Lawrence University website, including overall navigation and information architecture, to compete digitally with other schools, better represent the on-campus educational experience, and meet the needs of the internal community. We have allotted roughly a year to this project and plan to launch our new site in fall 2020. The goals of the redesign are to:

  • Encourage prospective students to apply and enroll. 
  • Encourage alumni, parents, and friends to support Lawrence.  
  • Make daily operations for faculty, staff and current students easier.  
  • Inform the community about operations and events. 
  • Inform and delight prospective employees.

To meet these goals, we will:

  • Reorganize content for improved discoverability, navigation, and user experience.
  • Review all content to ensure it is current, necessary, and compelling.
  • Optimize website architecture, technology, and content for improved visibility in search results (e.g., Google).
  • Focus the website experience on external constituents (prospective students/families, alumni/donors, campus visitors, prospective employees, news/media).
  • Provide a separate, dedicated web experience for Lawrentians (students, faculty, staff).
  • Improve data and insights to better inform future spends of time and money.
  • Plan for ongoing website maintenance, including potential investments in software and personnel. 

Work to Date

The Communications and Web Development teams have spent our first few months on the project focused on back-end content and development work. This work is not easily visible to those outside of the project but is highly important and time-intensive—it provides the foundation for our new website and its success. This work includes content review and organization, including discussions of site navigation, and foundational work on the website’s structure, design, and maintenance. We have established regular meetings of the Web Stakeholders Group (see list of names below), which is charged with representing the interests of primary university offices, departments, and constituent groups during the redesign process. We have also begun meeting with various university offices and departments to discuss content needs. The Stakeholders Group will continue to meet monthly until the redesign is complete, and members of the Communications team will reach out to other offices and departments regarding content in the coming weeks. 

Upcoming Deadlines & Items of Note 

Because content on our current website will need to be manually migrated to the new website, we are making plans now to ensure a smooth transition. This includes establishing a number of deadlines on content creation and maintenance that will allow us to fully account for all site content during the redesign process. Please note the following deadlines: 

  • December 21, 2019: web editors will no longer have permissions to create new pages; the process to update pages will continue as usual. Contact Communications if new pages are necessary to conduct university business.
  • May 01, 2020: only critical updates to existing pages; updates must be communicated to Communications.
  • August 01: no updates to existing content unless there’s an urgent reason; contact Communications to make changes or additions.

 We know and appreciate that the work of the university will continue through the redesign process and will work to ensure that these deadlines do not impede our work. We are also working closely with members of the Web Stakeholders Group to understand and account for how content needs intersect with these deadlines. Please contact us (communications@lawrence.edu) if you have any questions about the deadlines or need assistance on the website.  

How You Can Help

Even if you aren’t directly involved with the website, there are still ways that you can contribute to this important project! 

  • Help us understand how you use the current website and what resources you use most by taking this quick survey.
  • Volunteer for usability testing. We’re looking for users of all ages, interests, abilities, and levels of experience with technology to help us test ideas for the new site. If you’d be willing to spend 30-40 minutes trying our new concepts and giving us your thoughts, please email communications@lawrence.edu with the subject line “Usability Testing Volunteer.”
  • Stay tuned to the LU Insider and your inbox, as well as notifications from members of the Stakeholders Group. 

 Thank you in advance for your patience and assistance throughout this process. As always, please reach out to communications@lawrence.edu if you have any questions. 

Best,

Megan Scott

Associate Vice President of Communication

Web Stakeholders Group

Jaclyn Charais, ACE
Jay Dansand, IT 
Chris Fohlin, Consultant 
Jody Fraleigh, Student Life  
Jaime Gonzalez, Admissions & PCDA
Alison Gunther-Pal, Faculty 
Mackenzie Huber, Communications 
Kelly Landis, Communications 
Katie C. Mills-Erickson, Admissions 
Morgen Moraine, Conservatory 
Amber Nelson, Development 
Matt Schmeltzer, Communications
Claudena Skran, Faculty 
Megan Scott, Communications
James Sweetack, IT 

Introduction to Pickleball

Have you ever dreamt about playing PIckleball?

Well if you have (or have not), Staff Connections has the answers for you!

WHAT: Introduction to Pickleball

WHEN:  Friday, December 6, 2019 & Friday, December 13,2019

WHERE:  Wellness Center

TIME: 11:30AM – 1PM

Bring your enthusiasm, questions, etc.  

You may also win a prize, just for your participation!

Inform the new website by taking this survey

The Lawrence community is currently working on a shiny new website and looking to make it more user-friendly for students, faculty, and staff. Help us understand how you use the current website and what resources you use most by taking this quick survey.

Take the survey

Want to be even more involved in the process?

Volunteer for new website usability testing

As we build the new site, we’ll be testing new ideas along the way with short, 1-on-1, task-based testing sessions one morning each month.

We’re looking for users of all ages, interests, abilities, and levels of experience with technology.

If you’d be willing to spend 20-30 minutes trying our new concepts and giving us your thoughts, please email communications@lawrence.edu with the subject line “Usability Testing Volunteer” and we will work to schedule a time.

Thanks for your help as we build a new site!

Support the United Way Campaign

Dear Staff and Faculty,

Thank you to the 320 of you who supported Lawrence students on Giving Day last month! We are incredibly grateful for your contributions.

We now turn our attention to our annual United Way campaign. Check out the 2019 Campaign Video. It is sure to leave you feeling great about the impact we can make off-campus in the Fox Cities!

I invite you to join me in supporting United Way. If you didn’t give last year and give $52 this year ($2/per paycheck) you will be entered into a drawing for a Chevy Trax and kayak! Donors who did give last year only need to increase their total gift by $1 to qualify. 

Please email me with the amount you’d like to donate per payroll by Nov. 26. New pledges will begin Dec. 13 and run for 26 payrolls. You may also campus mail a check made out to United Way to me in Wilson House by Nov. 26.

Thank you for considering this giving opportunity as a way to support our community!

Stacy Mara – United Way Campaign Coordinator

Wilson House

832-6557

stacy.j.mara@lawrence.edu

Course Redesign Panel

A panel of past recipients of the Inclusive Pedagogy Course Redesign Grant will talk briefly about their projects with time reserved for discussion and questions about the process. A great opportunity to be rejuvenated with ideas AND to consider your own proposal!

Thursday, 11/21 at 4:30  

MEMO 002. 

Panelists:  Rosa Tapia, Nancy Lin, Gustavo Fares, and a potential mystery guest (schedule allowing).

Brought to you by the Inclusive Pedagogy Committee.  Questions?  Contact Kathy Privatt.

Health-based research program to conduct genetic testing at Lawrence

The National Institute of Health’s All of Us Research Program will be gathering genetic and health data from participants from 1–6 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, and 8 a.m. to noon Thursday, Nov. 14, in Lawrence University’s Warch Campus Center. Those who decide to take part will be paid $25 for their time and information.

The All of Us Research Program aims to provide insight into the reasons people get sick or stay healthy and to advance healthcare that is based on each individual. In order to achieve this, participants will be asked about their health, family, home, work and the area in which they live. They may also be asked to give a blood (or saliva) and urine sample. All of Us hopes to gather data from at least one million people altogether.

Participants will be asked to complete five steps to be involved in the program. The first four are relatively simple steps that can be completed online before the event if desired: create an account, give consent, decide whether to share electronic health record, and answer three general health surveys. The final step must be completed in person as participants will submit a blood/saliva sample and a urine sample, and physical measurements will be taken.

Following the event, participants may be asked to complete follow-up surveys and will have access to any studies or test results using their contributions.