Purdue's new calendar system has several new features
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Purdue University's new online calendar aims to better meet the needs and expectations of website visitors and the campus community.
The calendar, which debuted today (March 21) at www.purdue.edu/calendar, is social network-friendly and provides users with options to add university events to their personal calendar, to share them with friends and to subscribe to calendar categories for automatic notification by e-mail and text.
For the campus community, groups wanting to promote their events can have their calendar item featured on the site and include an eye-catching photo to the entry, according to Mary King, communications director for Marketing and Media. King said contributors to the calendar also can include website links and downloadable documents, such as brochures and registration forms, to their event entry.
Results and recaps of athletic events, in addition to schedules, also will be accessible through the calendar, she said.
King and Mark Pagano, dean of Continuing Education and Conferences, led a committee composed of representatives around campus to examine the entire calendar process and calendar system vendors.
Pagano said that the overall charge for the committee was to select a calendar with ease of use for internal contributors as well as better functionality for visitors outside campus.
"The nearly decade-old calendar system had become antiquated with the rapid changes in online technology and increased expectations among Internet users," King said. "Through web analytics, we also found the main audience for the calendar system was primarily on campus and mostly just accessing the academic calendar.
"Submitting items was difficult, too. With the old system, the campus community would contact a calendar representative by e-mail if they wanted their event included on the university calendar and enter the same event on their area calendar. They now can enter the content once and see it appear both on the university calendar and their area calendar."
Pagano said that help for new users of the calendar is available on the site by clicking on the question mark icon or by visiting the FAQs link at the bottom of web page. Those with questions about the new calendar should contact the Calendar office at 765-494-7229.
Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu
Sources: Mary King, 765-496-1074, king36@purdue.edu
Mark Pagano, 765-496-2321, mapagano@purdue.edu