MONROE, Mich. – Monroe County Community College welcomed the new academic year with the launch of newly designed website. The website address remains the same, www.monroeccc.edu, but the look, feel and functionality of the website are very different, with a focus on a clean design and easy navigation.
“It is a fairly common practice for organizations to update their website every five years or so, but our update went far beyond just changing the look,” said Joe Verkennes, director of marketing and communications for MCCC. “This website has been rebuilt from the ground up with a whole new content management system and a different perspective.”
The website architecture and all content were produced by the college’s Office of Marketing and Communications. Concentrek Group, a digital marketing agency from Toledo, Ohio, designed and developed the site. The new website features a total page count of over 1,000, and is the result of a collaborative process the two teams underwent to capture the large volume of information required to best serve all MCCC stakeholders – including students, community and employees.
Designed with prospective students and their parents and the community as the primary focus, easier navigation was a priority. As a result, content is much more clear and concise.
“College websites designed six, seven or more years ago often were created to be an information clearinghouse – the ‘be all, end all’ repository for all information about the college, and through the years ours became overloaded,” Verkennes said. “With new technologies and resources for communicating with enrolled students, for example, website content can be more targeted and refined to provide the primary audiences with the information they need in only a click or swipe or two.”
Another major change is “responsiveness” to devices being used to access the website.
“We paid a great deal of attention to how people use websites now, especially on smaller devices,” Verkennes said. “The new www.monroeccc.edu is fully responsive to devices of every size -- something most users have come to expect from websites without even realizing it.”
Whether a user is viewing the site on a desktop, smartphone, tablet or laptop, their experience is the same.
“A major emphasis of the development new website was for audiences to be able to find information they need quickly and easily – no matter what device they use," Verkennes said.
The website was also developed to be in full compliance with Content Accessibility Guidelines, Level AA, technical standards as identified by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), which provides strategies, standards and supporting resources to make the Web accessible to people with disabilities.
“MCCC is committed to making its online content accessible to students, prospective students, employees, guests and visitors with disabilities, particularly those with visual, hearing and manual impairments or who otherwise require the use of assistive technology to access information,” said Verkennes.
“One of the things we are really excited about is the ability to make frequent, timely updates that the new content management system allows,” added Verkennes. “We make every effort to make sure dates, times, schedules and important information are up-to-date, of course. But the new system gives us more flexibility and makes it easier for us to share more photos and updates highlighting even more of the activities and events that happen every day on campus for students and the community.”
“We are so excited to share the new website with the community. We look forward to feedback from the community, as we are always looking for opportunities to continue to improve our Web presence.”
About Monroe County Community College
Founded in 1964, Monroe County Community College is a public, two-year institution supported by tax monies from Monroe County, educational funds from the State of Michigan and student tuition. The college’s mission is to enrich lives in our community by providing opportunity through student-focused, affordable, quality higher education and other learning experiences. The Main Campus is located at 1555 South Raisinville Road, Monroe, Mich., 48161, with easy access to Toledo and Detroit. The Whitman Center is located in Temperance, Mich., 48182, near the Ohio-Michigan Border. Detailed information about MCCC is available at www.monroeccc.edu.