Today marks the launch of a new Acadia website that is redesigned and reorganized to better serve visitors to our online presence. The site is the culmination of months of hard work by a small project team from the offices of Communications and Marketing and Technology Services. The team worked to improve the appeal of the website relying on research data and feedback from prospective students and the broad Acadia community.

Key to the new design is the use of an open-source content management system (CMS) that has been adopted  by the majority of campus stakeholders. The CMS provides a quick and easy way for Web trustees to update their content while the university ensures the correct brand elements and site navigation are included in the header and footer areas of their pages. As well, an easy access point for prospective students to apply to Acadia is a featured element on each page.

Acadia's homepage offers photos, videos, and feature articles accessible by clicking large, rotating images, as well as news, events, sports, and AcadiaTV feeds. Visitors can use the portal designed for them (future students, current students, faculty and staff, or alumni and community) for quick navigation to key pages, or simply type their desired information in the search bar. New to homepage, is a scrolling marquee that features popular site destinations like Performing Arts and the International Student Centre.

As the site is launched, Acadia's Technology Services team will migrate existing CMS pages into the new design on a graduated basis. Web trustees will be notified in advance about the changes to their pages to ensure a smooth transition. Any stakeholders wanting to take advantage of the fully-supported CMS design, can contact helpdesk for access and training.

The team thanks everyone who provided input to date, and continues to seek feedback, which can be provided by using the feedback tab on the upper right-hand corner of the Acadia homepage, or by visiting Technology Services' feedback area.

For more information, contact:
Sherri Turner, Communications and Marketing, 585.1362
Greg Deveau, Technology Services, 585.1533