New GPAS training and website content

New training and website content have been developed for the Graduate Planning and Audit System (GPAS). The improved GPAS System Training provides users with a comprehensive understanding of the system as a whole. The new GPAS webpage features system access information, contact information, and eight new user guides. ​​The previous GPAS website, training, and help guides are being retired. Please make sure to update any bookmarks you have. 

On November 18, all current GPCs, DGSs, and College Coordinators were enrolled in the training, and all new GPCs, DGSs, and College Coordinators will be required to complete it before gaining access to GPAS. Faculty advisors and anyone else who uses GPAS would benefit from taking the new training and are encouraged to complete it and review the user guides.

One Stop soft-launch for staff

From July 1 to 18, links to the unpublished One Stop websites will be available on the One Stop website upgrade project page. These soft-launch links will allow university staff and faculty access to explore the unpublished redesigned One Stop websites for each campus. The soft-launch links will be available until the redesigned sites are “live” and published in place of the existing One Stop website on July 18, 2022.

As a reminder, the primary purpose of the soft-launch is to allow for staff exploration and self-directed learning before the sites are made public to students. Self-directed exploration of the site allows for:

• Self-paced learning
• Individual depth of knowledge needs
• Varied use cases

All project and soft-launch details can be found on the One Stop website upgrade project page.

Join us for the One Stop website redesign demo

All university staff and faculty are invited to join a virtual event about the upcoming launch of the redesigned One Stop website. Join us for a demo of the site and learn how a user experience focus influenced the site’s redesign.

We will also provide details on how staff can participate in the upcoming soft-launch to familiarize themselves with the new website before it’s made public to students.

Register now

This event will be recorded and posted on the One Stop website upgrade project page so that anyone unable to attend will still have an opportunity to review all of the information.

Gap year resources

For students considering a gap year, a new website with resources is now available. Compiled by career services staff across the University of Minnesota, Gap Year Resources covers the different benefits, considerations, and options of taking a gap year between college and graduation education or career.

This site is meant to be a resource that will be updated consistently, so it can stay current with new opportunities and ensure that guidance provided is in line with best practices.

One Stop website upgrade update

The One Stop website upgrade is scheduled to go live in July, 2022. This upgrade from the Drupal 7 to Drupal 9 content management system will include a few key updates, including a transition to the central University Relations created Folwell design theme as well as some select feature updates based on student-centered usability testing findings. Early this summer, student services staff will have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the new site before it goes live for students.

ASR website update

The ASR website has migrated from Drupal Lite 7 to Drupal Lite 9. You may notice some differences with the look and feel because of switching to the Folwell design theme, but the content has stayed the same. The Folwell design is used by many University websites and helps ensure accessibility, consistency, and usability. If you have any comments or issues with the website, please feel free to submit a website feedback form. Thank you!

One Stop Website Upgrade Project: User experience research overview

The One Stop Website Upgrade project, which will move the website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9, recently completed its user experience (UX) research. The research helped the project team better understand the website’s audience and their needs. They discovered the following insights:

• Students want to have control and quickly find support.
• Students and staff expect timely and accurate information.
• Students and staff identified issues with the navigation on the site.

The project team concluded there should be a focus on experience design of content for users and their decisions should be supported in the editorial strategy. The research also led to the expansion of the existing site audience, including a primary audience of students, a secondary audience of parents and guardians, and an indirect audience of student-support staff. This new audience will ensure that staff users will be involved in testing and reviewing changes. For more information about the project, visit the One Stop Website Upgrade project page.

One Stop website upgrade

Sara Cokl has been hired as the new project & change manager for the One Stop Website Upgrade project, which will move the website from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9. Currently, ASR’s UX and Content Strategy team is collaborating with the One Stop Web Steering Committee to conduct user research and update the current website’s content strategy to better reflect how technology and students’ needs have evolved since the last upgrade five years ago.

Once this user research and an updated content strategy has been completed, the existing One Stop content for all campuses will be moved onto the upgraded content management system. Due to the preparation and heavy lifting required for the website upgrade, the current projected completion date is summer 2022.

A communication strategy will be developed to ensure staff have an opportunity to provide feedback and are updated on the progress of the website. If you have any questions or insights regarding the One Stop website upgrade, please reach out to Sara Cokl (saracokl@umn.edu) or Jabra Kawas (kawa0003@umn.edu), the Twin Cities One Stop Web Steering Committee representative.