Schedule for Wednesday, April 9, 2025, Check back for conference speaker updates. , Welcome / Opening Remarks , 8:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. , Introduction with Ron Agrella, digital solutions and Marketing Cloud manager; Colin Murphy, chief communications officer, and Rob Baker, director of CRM and Digital Experience., What would Scooby do? Uncovering the real mysteries about your audiences to improve experience… and it starts with you , 9 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., Speaker: Tracy Playle, CEO and Chief Content Strategist at Pickle Jar Communications Summary: Some of us go to great lengths to understand and truly get to know our audiences. Through community management and regular engagement, to audience research and user testing. There are many ways that we can — and already do — seek to know them better and empathize with them through our content. But what…, BREAKING: University news site redesign puts accessibility above the fold!, 9:45 a.m. to 10:30 a.m., Speakers: Aaron Baker, Janell Sims and Molly Miles, Harvard University Summary: Harvard University’s news site recently underwent a major relaunch, featuring a fresh new design and an improved user experience with enhanced accessibility. In this session, you’ll learn how accessibility was prioritized at every stage of the project, from selecting vendors and planning development sprints to…, Break, 10:30 a.m. to 10:40 a.m., Enhancing university websites through data-driven insights: Case studies from our recent work , 10:40 a.m. to 11:25 a.m., Speakers: Cassie Gold and Dan Moore, Simpson Scarborough Summary: In today’s digital world, the visibility and usability of university websites play a critical role in attracting prospective students, supporting current students, and maintaining alumni engagement. This insightful session explores recent website redesign projects led by SimpsonScarborough, emphasizing the value of a data-driven…, UX Research and testing on that ever-minimal EDU Budget , 11:25 a.m. to 12:10 p.m., By Melanie Lindahl, The University of Texas at Austin Summary: With limited school budgets, investing in essential UX strategies often feels out of reach. While we understand that user research and feedback are key to creating successful products, getting started—and proving the long-term value of UX from the outset—can be challenging. Over the years, Melanie has developed a simple, effective,…, Lunch Break On Your Own, 12:10 p.m. to 12:40 p.m., Unlocking higher ed web development team capabilities with AI , 12:40 p.m. to 1:25 p.m., Speaker: Mike Miles, Director of Web Development at MIT Sloan Summary: In this session, Mike will explore how AI can be harnessed to boost developers' creativity, simplify the coding process, and open new opportunities. He will discuss AI’s role in analyzing code structures, suggesting solutions, and encouraging innovative thinking among developers. Additionally, he will address the ethical…, Visual Content Strategy , 1:25 p.m. - 2:10 p.m., Speaker: Mike Powers, OHO Interactive Summary: Many content strategists come from writing backgrounds, but today’s websites rely just as much—if not more—on visual content like photos and videos. So how can you ensure that your visual assets effectively support your brand and messaging, just as well as your written content? And where do you source all the images and videos you need? This session…, Break, 2:10 p.m. to 2:20 p.m., Teaching Web Teams to Speak Enrollment , 2:20 p.m. to 3:05 p.m., Speakers: Robyn Lofton and David Poteet, NewCity Summary: You know that prospective students are the primary audience for your website, but many marketing and web teams aren’t fluent in the language of enrollment. They may recognize the terminology but haven’t experienced it firsthand. When enrollment leaders talk about increasing applications, what are they really asking for? How can the…, Fostering lifelong learning: Building a thriving online alumni community, 3:05 p.m. to 3:50 p.m., Speakers: Haley Belenis and Alicia Sullivan, University of California-Davis Summary: Lisa and Haley will tackle a growing challenge in higher education: keeping alumni engaged through digital platforms that offer ongoing professional development opportunities. As digital technology continues to shape how we connect and learn, institutions are exploring new ways to strengthen alumni relationships…, Conference Conclusion, 3:50 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
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