How To Cultivate Your Own Campus Web Community

Many of us work in a mixed environment that includes both the very tech savvy and those that have been tasked with building and maintaining websites with little or no technical experience. Many of us also might work on a de-centralized campus, with little to no communication or collaboration between the numerous web departments.

This session will bring together representatives from two campus web communities, WebTide at The University of Alabama and Web Guides at The University of Louisville, and show how these two groups bring these varied populations together and allow them to learn from each other outside of the silo structures of our universities. Our view is that all of us are responsible for the University’s web presence, so why not help each other out.

Learning Objectives

• No matter how much we know (or don't know) we all can all enrich ourselves by sharing our experiences.
• By networking, within and without our institutions, we can collectively achieve more.
• By working together outside of our traditional departmental structure we can find solutions that we would never be able to find on our own.

Speakers

Rachel Carden

Web Developer, The University of Alabama

@bamadesigner

Rachel Carden is a web communications specialist for The University of Alabama with over 10 years experience in digital design, back and front-end web development, content strategy, and social media management. She has spent the last 8 years working in higher education. When she’s not helping build the world of higher ed web, Rachel encourages openness, collaboration and professional development as a public speaker and organizer of several web professional communities. Rachel is also a fitness junkie who loves to tweet, travel and binge-watch old TV shows on Netflix.

David Horrar

Student Affairs IT Analyst, The University of Louisville

@dphorr01

David Horrar is an IT Analyst that works out of the office of the Vice President of Student Affairs at the University of Louisville where he has been employed for 25 years. His fascination with computers began in the 1970’s and has never ceased. When not working David enjoys reading, old movies, playing with his dogs and spending time with his wife.