This document summarizes a school's efforts to build an internal website, or "intranet", to improve internal communications. It describes challenges with their existing system, goals for the new site, evaluating platforms, selecting and customizing an open-source content management system, overcoming skepticism, and rollout. Usage increased 88% in the first semester and 133% in the first year. While some goals like reducing email were only partially achieved, the intranet was largely successful in centralizing content and improving search and access to information for the school community. The presentation outlines continued plans to gather feedback and refine the system.

1. Don’t Call It An
INTRANET
HighEdWeb 2018

2. Introductions
Michael Kasiborski
Director of Brand Management
and Internal Communications
Beth Miller
Director of Marketing
and Creative
Patty Bradley
Web Administrator

3. Introductions
Who are you?
PHOTOBYMAGDAEHLERSONPEXELS

4. The Results (so far...)
88% increase in
1 semester
133% increase
in 1 year

5. The Journey
How did we get
there?
Why did we
build this?
&

6. About the School of Public Health
Countries
where faculty
are working
80+Research
Centers
34Student
Organizations
30+Students
(Bachelor’s,
Master’s and PhD)
1200Staff
360Faculty
170

7. Our Challenges
Existing Intranet
• No student access
• Difficult to navigate
• Low usage

8. Our Challenges (continued...)
• Email Overuse
• Paper Flyers
• External Website
PHOTOBYCHUTTERSNAPONUNSPLASH

9. Our Goals
• External Site for
External Audiences
• Reduce Email
• Improve Internal
Communications
• Build an Intentional
School Community Culture
PHOTOBYNEONBRANDONUNSPLASH

10. Platform Evaluation
• Evaluated Packaged
Intranet Solutions
• Met with Campus
Partners
• Determined Functional
Requirements
PHOTO BY DILLON MANGUM ON UNSPLASH

11. Platform Selection
Decided to build it ourselves
using our existing CMS, OU Campus
PHOTO BY DILLON MANGUM ON UNSPLASH
JUST
RIGHT

12. Making the Case
• Articulate the Benefits
• Develop a Design
• Build a Prototype
PHOTOBYJESHOOTS.COMONPEXELS

13. Project Planning
• Scope: Needs vs.Wants
• Content Audit
• IA Development

14. Building the Site
Single
Sign-on
System
Content
Management
System
MySQL
Database
PHP Code

15. Overcoming Perceptions
“Intranet?
Oh, I hate
those.”
“No one will
use it.”
Laughter.
“Did you say
INTERnet?”
“Good luck.”
“We
have
one?” “I think
I went to it
once.”

16. The Heights
It needed a name.

17. Before and After

18. Rolling It Out
• Find the champions
• Give users what they need
• Align with other efforts
PHOTOBYCAYLA1ONUNSPLASH

19. Did it work?
23,342 Pageviews
FALL SEMESTER 2017 (SEPT-DEC)
43,993 Pageviews
WINTER SEMESTER 2018 (JAN-APR)
88% increase in
1 semester
8,120 Pageviews
SEPTEMBER 2017
18,901 Pageviews
SEPTEMBER 2018
133% increase
in 1 year

20. Report Card
Goal Grade
External Site for External Audiences A
Reduce Email B
Improve Internal Communications A
Build an Intentional School Community Culture B

21. Other Outcomes
• Changed search behavior
• Enabled paperless forms
• Retired and consolidated Google sites
• Funded design updates that could be used globally
• Created a means to foster continuity and sustainability for the school

22. Pitfalls
TECHNICAL: Search, User Access
BEHAVIORAL: Department content
migration, discussion boards

23. The Future’s So Bright
• Intentional communication and
new processes
• Additional content and revised
architecture
• Gather feedback, review, refine,
repeat

24. Questions?
Michael Kasiborski
mkasibor@umich.edu
@MKasiborski
Beth Miller
ealm@umich.edu
@eamiller
Patty Bradley
pattyb@umich.edu
@patty_bradley