Over the past years, the University of Malta (UoM) website has become an important communication channel for prospective and current students, staff and external audiences seeking information about the University.
The previous University website, hosting in excess of 20,000 web pages, was launched in 1998. This website required a 'fresh look' along with improved organisation of online information. To this end in 2005, a Web Advisory Committee (WAC), chaired by Prof. Josef Lauri and with representatives from various academic, administrative and support departments, was set up to review the existing website and make recommendations on its redevelopment.
A number of meetings were held to discuss web policies, the requirements of the revamped website, the web publishing software to be implemented etc. The WAC has established two key objectives for the UoM Web Redevelopment Project:
- To adopt a web design that represents the University's identity, clearly, consistently, and with distinction. A consistent user interface improves navigation making it easier for users to access online information on the University website. To achieve this aim, all departmental websites are required to adhere to the design adopted by the University. The design allows flexibility for each department to customise its content.
- To implement a technical solution that facilitates the maintenance of online content without requiring technical programming background. The new website is built using a Web Content Management System (CMS). Use of the Web CMS enables departments to easily maintain their own websites with accurate and up-to-date information within the University design template. The Web CMS also serves as a central content repository that will facilitate sharing of content between different departments.
The Web Redevelopment Project is being implemented in stages under the coordination of IT Services in collaboration with the Communications & Alumni Office. The work on the designs for the new University website was contracted to a web design company. The new University homepage and faculty template designs were approved by WAC. Following an evaluation study that was carried out by IT Services on possible Web CMS solutions, WAC also approved the use of an open source Web CMS known as MySource Matrix for the University website.
The newly designed University homepage and the top level web pages have been online since the beginning of academic year 2007/8. Since then all academic, administrative and support departments are being assisted to migrate their websites to the Web CMS. IT Services offers training and support to assist departments with the use of the Web CMS. It is envisaged that all departmental websites would have been migrated to the Web CMS by the start of academic year 2008/9.
Departments will of course need to continue to maintain their websites in the current manner until the migration to the Web CMS is completed.
Read the FAQs section for more information about the process of migration of websites to the Web CMS.
Queries about the project should be directed here.
