Higher Education Online
The Internet is becoming increasingly important in higher education. Today’s college students routinely go online to accomplish a variety of tasks, including enrollment in classes, communicating with professors, social networking, obtaining course information, distance education, using search engines, blogging, and ecommerce.
Colleges are realizing that quality Web sites are essential for attracting and retaining students and that the costs of supporting these sites are crucial investments.
Open Source Software
The economic downturn has created significant challenges. Many colleges have turned to open source software for affordable Web solutions (it’s free!). Interestingly, open source software offers many features not available in expensive, commercial software packages. With this in mind, the Peralta Community College district is developing Web sites using WordPress open source software. This allows Web site content management and blogging to occur in the same environment. This environment empowers faculty, staff, and administrators to have ownership of their own Web sites. It allows users without a technical background to develop sophisticated Web pages and provides a wide selection of themes and templates to maintain a common look and feel. The open source paradigm makes available a myriad of free plug-ins, add-ons, and other development tools through online communities.
Be an Online Communicator – Build Your Own Web Site
If you are a Laney faculty member, administrator, or program supervisor, you can build your own WordPress web site with interactive features like blogging and online comments. If you are a faculty member and want a WordPress web site, check with your department chair. If you are an administrator or run a special program, email Dr. Mike Orkin, Dean of Business, Mathematics, and Sciences.
See What Laney is Doing
To see how members of the Laney College community are using eLaney Web sites and blogs, visit the Site Index.
