CN/Anthony Bosque
By Alexa Santana and Kristen Garcia
The improvements to the East Los Angeles College website was mainly its layout and design.
Although the website was in desperate need of a new look, it is difficult to determine exactly what was so different from the older version of the website.
It looks as if most of the information was copied and pasted on a new template.
Old information dating back from years ago was finally eliminated, however; the website has not improved dramatically.
Within the first few days of its release there were reported glitches from Etudes, Moodle and ACE Portal links.
When comparing other Los Angeles Community College District websites, it is clear that our website slightly differs from the rest.
There is a certain format that the other campuses follow that doesn’t make the site seem as hectic.
For example, when hovering over the link for ‘Current Students,’ whichever link is chosen, there is double information in which the sidebar and the body of the page say the same thing.
On the LACCD sites, when looking at the same ‘Current Students’ link, its pages do not seem so overwhelming with information.
It was obvious community colleges in the district had a common difficulty when trying to locate the Student Information System.
When you look at a university’s website, there are almost always links among the top of the page that direct students to the SIS.
Students on our website will find it confusing to locate which link directs to the SIS.
Some of the changes that should be made include a more obvious link to the Student Information System. There should also be more maintenance of the site so in the future it wont have or need such an extreme update.
It was a problem to locate the SIS before the new update. In fact it is difficult to locate it at any other LAACD website.
A new student who read the, ‘Register for Class’ link would not realize that the link leads you to the SIS.
Community colleges such as Pasadena City College and Santa Monica College actually have a direct link to their SIS, similar to the universities.
And of course, there were complaints that certain links, like those directing to Moodle and Etudes, were not working but they eventually worked by the first few days of school.
With the changing of the site, it is expected not to work the way it once did as well as having a few minor technical difficulties.
Something that stood out in particular was the delayed update for events.
The events are right in the middle of the page and should have been updated before the start of the semester.
Despite the website being difficult to maneuver, the update of the website is promising.
Surely there are more changes to be made but there is definitely room for improvement.
Some of those changes should include a more obvious link to our Student Information System as well as better maintenance of the site so in the future it won’t have or need such an extreme update.