The task was challenging: how best to create a portal to the nearly 24,000 Web pages in the MHC site without leaving visitors confused or frustrated. More than 1,000 members of the College community provided guidance through user surveys. Those who had a hand in the design were also guided by a number of working groups within the College administration, the best practices of other Web sites (both educational and commercial), and the College’s articulation of its strengths and assets.

"It reveals more of the College, so that the richness and opportunities are evident and not buried," says Sujeong Shin, creative director in the College’s Office of Communications. "It looks spare, but it’s packed with information."

New approaches are reflected in the new home page. Gone is the bar across the top of the page that contained eighteen links, and in its place are six links, atop the College’s new logo superimposed on a photo of the campus. Tucked under the photo is a box where users can search the site for keywords with a single click. In place of the links to news and events, running down the left side of the page are links to nine general areas of interest, such as academics, athletics, and the library. In the center of the page is a black-and-white photo illustrating an aspect of College life; that photo will be rotated. To the right of the photo are several links to specific subjects, such as campus improvements and The Plan for Mount Holyoke 2003, while below the photo, news and upcoming events will be listed. To give the entire site a more cohesive feeling, Web pages through the first three levels, at least, will bear a strong resemblance to the home page.

Of course, not everyone who visits the Web site will be looking for the same thing. Alumnae, for example, might be more interested in information about the next reunion or access to the Alumnae Association, while prospective students might be seeking admission information or a virtual tour of the campus. Recognizing this fact, designers created MyMHC, a new tool that lets users create Web pages tailored to their own needs and interests.

MyMHC provides templates, or "views," for seven groups of users: alumnae, current students, faculty, parents, prospective students, staff, and visitors. Each of those views can be fine-tuned by the user. Crazy about crew? Want to know what’s for lunch today? Don’t care about the weather forecast? MyMHC allows users to see just what they want to see. "When it came to a decision to do MyMHC," says Dan Wilga, a Web technology specialist with the College, "we looked at a number of portal systems, but didn’t find anything solid enough to do what we wanted." So Wilga wrote the code himself.

How important is the Web site? Consider that the College logs 1.5 million "hits" of Web pages each month, and that, for most prospective students, online information has replaced printed materials as the primary source of information about a college.

"Electronic media are a part of young peoples’ psyches," says VandenBerg. "The Web is a companion, a friend, a way to connect with the world, and certainly a primary way to get information."

Beginning November 3, that connection gets better.