Bellevue College is redesigning its website for the first time since 2013 to improve accessibility, usability, and consistency for all. A core team, formed of Institutional Advancement and IT Services members, is leading the effort alongside a digital marketing agency specializing in higher education. The redesign focuses on creating a user-friendly experience while implementing Guided Pathways to help students navigate their academic journey more effectively.
The Bellevue College website has been operating within its current structure since 2013, undergoing only minor changes in that time. The regular addition of sub-sites, contributors, and content since then has only increased the complexity of the site as a whole, resulting in an inconsistent user experience.
In late 2019, student, staff, faculty, and visitor feedback catalyzed the creation of a cross-campus Website Redesign Task Force. Building on the campus feedback and the task force’s work, a redesign core team, consisting of members of Institutional Advancement and Information Technology Services, to was convened to continue moving toward a structural redesign.
While the core team set out to improve the site’s overall look and feel, this is not a project purely about aesthetics. Our main goals are to:
increase accessibility and usability measures to ensure the website serves all visitors;
provide a simple, consistent experience for prospective and current students across core areas of the student journey;
and provide functionality that will help students better identify academic objectives
We’ve partnered with a digital marketing agency specializing in higher education websites, content management and strategy, an alliance which seeks to introduce a complete makeover to the website by the end of 2021. The majority of work to this point has been conducted at the research and planning level, so discernable updates may not be evident until the end of the project.
A second, equally important endeavor is the web implementation of Guided Pathways, which will streamline a student’s journey through college by providing structured choice, revamped support, and clear learning outcomes—ultimately helping more students achieve their academic goals. By helping students make more informed choices about what courses to take, Guided Pathways will help close our equity gaps, create a more intentional experience for students, and give them the support they need to achieve their academic and career goals.
For many, the BC website will be their first introduction to Guided Pathways. Our purpose is to provide users with plain language guidance in the preparation for and registration of classes. As it is being developed internally, Guided Pathways content will be released in the coming months, prior to completion of the full website redesign.
The team would be remiss if we didn’t acknowledge the research and work provided by our advisory groups and stakeholders; most notably our faculty constituents Maggie Harada, Allison Kang, Kurt Friedrich, Jennie Mayer and Lisa Harris, who spent endless hours mulling through emails, conference calls and spreadsheets to inform our Pathways module. Special thanks also go to our project co-sponsors: Provost Dr. Kristen Jones, interim Vice President of Institutional Advancement Rebecca Chawgo, and Vice President of Information Technology and Services Rodger Harrison, who’ve provided a wealth of the strategy and guidance to shape this project.
