And they may also be useful in communicating an institutional image too. The more practical and more frequently asked information should be accessed in one page lists. Then people don't have to spend time on surfing unnecessary long linked pages for seek their simple information. Otherwise, a longer list is better, and often without graphics is much faster than numerous pages. Linked pages and lists should have easy, visually attractive return options and connections to other headings.
Many items reasonably fit in several categories.
For the size of a Web page, my opinion is most clearly seen by looking at the Math. Dept.pages, since I did most of those. A bad example in that direction is the Academic Calendar. Graphically rich pages are important only when they have information that is not accessible otherwise. Otherwise, while I appreciate them, they are a luxury that need not be imposed as an obstacle to obtain information.