The term portal is relatively recent but application examples have been around for several years.
Content is quite varied.
You partly select the content from a list, you partly get what the portal source wants to give you, and you can add anything else you want. When you sign in, the site knows what you want and gives you that information. Several commercial vendors have been contacting or meeting with various campus representatives to purchase or sign an agreement. Some of these are free, but they also raise privacy and advertising issues. See reverse side for more details on the need for a coordinated campus policy.