Mobile Computing

Iowa CC Mobilizes Site with New Content System

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 07/30/15

A community college in Iowa adopted a new platform for its Web site to enable students to access the site on their mobile devices. Northeast Iowa Community College has worked with software from TerminalFour for at least two years, originally to restructure the Web site hierarchy and workflow. A more recent revamp addressed the needs of users on smartphones and tablets. The college had around 7,200 students in the 2013-2014 school year.

According to the vendor, the school has saved $100,000 compared to the cost of other solutions. In the last two fiscal years, the college has spent just under $43,000 with the company.

The TerminalFour content management platform, developed specifically for higher education, offers modules for course structure, search, course catalog, social posting, university events, research highlights, an experts database and e-portfolio.

"Our students are at the heart of everything we do at the college. We take this commitment seriously and we knew we were falling short in terms of Web. The reality is our audience of current students is accessing our online resources predominantly through mobile devices and our previously non-responsive design was frustrating to navigate, to search and to fulfill a desired action," said Rebecca Mueller, Web development coordinator. "We wanted to reach our audience no matter where they are and elevate their online experience to new heights. Whether it's looking for library or events information on their cell phones or trying to access counseling services on their tablet, we needed to make the process meaningful and easy."

In the latest work, the firm provided to Northeast Iowa a "small number" of consulting days and a sample site design that could be tailored and branded by the college.

Among other institutions that have worked with TerminalFour are New York's Columbia University, Texas Woman's University and California's Loyola Marymount University.