UCR has a new look on the Web with a focus on telling the campus’ story to the external world, including alumni, prospective students, parents, donors, government officials, and prospective faculty and staff.

“This is a major step forward for the campus,” said Susan Harlow, interim vice chancellor for advancement. “The Office of Strategic Communications has been working hard on this new Web site with an eye toward highlighting the impact of our faculty and the excellence of our students. It is UCR’s virtual front door.”

The new design, at www.ucr.edu, offers an enhanced Google search engine feature on every page that will quickly find campus resources on the site, and a “Happenings” section that increases the options for getting the word out about campus performances, exhibitions, lectures and sports throughout the year.

“The new site is a key component of our campuswide integrated marketing program and evolved from best practices on the Web and an analysis of our competitor universities,” said Marcia McQuern, associate vice chancellor, external relations. “We want to be able to compete with them for students, faculty and support.”

The site has been designed by the digital communications team to look good no matter what Web browser is in use, and to print out effectively. Partners included departments across campus, outside consultants, student interns, colleagues in marketing and media relations, and early on in the process, a campuswide Web Advisory Team.

Comments should be sent to webteam@ucr.edu. The team will revise content as time and resources allow, based on a Google Analytics tool purchased by the office. That tool will provide data about how users are navigating the Web.

To raise awareness of UCR research, the site features profiles of UCR faculty and alumni whose research illustrates the many ways that UCR is “Inventing Your Future” a phrase that describes how UCR impacts the world in such key areas as health, education, environment, technology, arts and culture, and the economy.

“From what I’ve seen so far, the site is based on industry-wide best practices and it will raise UCR’s profile among its competitor institutions,” said David Stewart, dean of the A. Gary Anderson Graduate School of Management.

“In marketing, the key is to showcase UCR’s most distinctive institutional assets,” he said.

While the campus site is focused on an external audience, new solutions are in the works to meet the internal communication needs for campus users. Beginning in the new academic year, internal campus audiences, such as faculty, staff and current students, will have access to portals that contain information customized for their interests and needs.

“We are working on portals that will allow a person to designate which information they want to pull in on a daily basis,” said Charles Rowley, associate vice chancellor of computing and communications. “They will also be able to receive very specific messages that will be of great interest to only the people with one particular campus job title. Right now we really don’t have a way to target messages so specifically.”

To coincide with the launch of the new Web site and to strengthen UCR’s ability to compete with other universities, the Office of Strategic Communications has implemented a six-month regional awareness campaign that builds off the “Inventing Your Future” theme.

“We have created magazine and newspaper print ads, billboards and announcements on KVCR and KPCC public radio, during key drive-time programs such as ‘All Things Considered’ and ‘Marketplace,’ ” said McQuern. “We are working to help everyday citizens realize the impact UCR research has on their quality of life.”

She said UCR faculty, alumni, students and staff who have great stories to share about how UCR is “Inventing the Future” should send them to Margene Mastin-Schepps, director of marketing at margene.mastin@ucr.edu.

A sample of the new print advertisement is included within this issue of Inside UCR. Find out more at www.ucr.edu.