Suffolk University has launched a full-scale revamp of its online presence with a new, user-friendly website designed to better tell the stories of the University and its students.

The University unveiled the new home page and top-level web pages on Nov. 28, in the initial phase of the launch.

The web initiative, led by the Office of Marketing and Communications in close partnership with Information Technology Services, will encompass the University’s entire web presence, including the College of Arts and Sciences, Sawyer Business School and Law School, slated for launch in the coming year.

”Our new website provides a window into the Suffolk world and a place where we can share our unique experiences and the compelling stories of our students and faculty,” said Greg Gatlin, vice president of Marketing and Communications. “The site also has been designed to make it easier for users to quickly and intuitively find the information they are looking for with a minimum of clicks.”

The new website marks the first full redesign of Suffolk’s online presence since 2006, but the changes go far deeper than just looks. This launch marks the beginning of an ongoing process to more effectively manage website content, functionality and organization.

The website also reflects the priorities found in the University’s strategic plan, recently introduced by President James McCarthy. Content, stories and social media will reflect the University’s student-centric mission and focus. The website also will support the presentation of Suffolk as one university, united by shared themes and priorities as well as visual branding.

Features on the new-and-improved Suffolk.edu include:

 

• A new section called Explore Suffolk that defines the University’s character and priorities
• A renewed focus on telling the stories of the University—exemplified by a new homepage feature carousel and the profile stories featuring real people and real Suffolk experiences that will soon begin populating the top-level pages of the website
• A matrix called “What Can I Study?” that allows students to explore the breadth of the University’s academic offerings across our various schools, colleges and programs
• A robust A-Z directory of Suffolk programs, offices and services
• A handy bar of “Quick Links” at the top of every webpage that gives users quick access to the most popular pages on the site
• A greater integration throughout the website of social media content that can be tailored to a user’s interests 
• An enhanced, intelligent search function designed to produce more relevant, targeted search results from a breadth of content sources
• Integration of the new University-wide events calendar, exposing users to campus events they may not otherwise have seen

 

Behind the scenes, the website is supported by improved processes and protocols to ensure a consistent, high-quality, up-to-date web experience.

The site was developed in partnership with two local firms—branding and strategy by Sametz Blackstone in Boston and technological development by Viridian Spark in Cambridge.

Suffolk students also were critical to the launch’s success. Work-study students logged hundreds of hours migrating content from the old website to the new—a mammoth task they tackled with enthusiasm and skill.

The launch is not the end of the project—in fact, it just marks the beginning—and the University is counting on the community to help ensure the website’s success. If you encounter any problems, whether it’s a typo or a broken link, please let the web team know [http://www.suffolk.edu/explore/4303.php] so they can fix it as soon as possible.