Penn State Needs Coherent Web Presence, Says Task Force
23 August 2000
University Park, Pa. — The World Wide Web is everywhere at Penn State and Web usage is widespread and pervasive. But to meet the Web’s full potential, says a new task force report, Penn State needs a University-wide, systematic strategy for a coherent Web presence and for the future development of Web-based initiatives.

"Given the overall pervasiveness of the Internet," says task force chair James H. Ryan, "the task force believes that Penn State urgently needs to create a high-quality, coherent institutional presence on the Web and improve its use of the Web for key functions in all departments and units."

Ryan, vice president for outreach and cooperative extension at Penn State, led the 16-member task force on University Web strategies and directions. The task force worked more than a year on assessing University Web use and preparing its report.

In order to meet the Web’s full potential, the task force says Penn State must act at two levels:

-- First, the University must develop a unified strategy for the Web, based on institution-wide standards, principles, and planning.

-- Second, each academic and administrative unit must integrate specific Web strategies into its own strategic plan and actions, consistent with the University-wide mission.

The report’s many recommendations include integrating all the University’s core functions into the Web and setting up a senior-level University-wide standing committee that would advise the administration on how to respond to the rapid pace of change in the Web environment. To help achieve its objectives, the task force report offers the University community guiding principles, strategic recommendations, and implementation guidelines.

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The report can be found on the Web at http://www.psu.edu/ur/webstyleguide/wtf/wtf_report.pdf

The report’s appendices are at http://www.psu.edu/ur/webstyleguide/wtf/wtf_appendices.pdf.