Many see the Web as a way to serve the interests of young alumni and to keep older, technically oriented slums happy because their campus is on the cutting edge. Editor Rachel Morton redesigned the magazine for the Web, rewriting stories that appear in the print version so they are more appropriate to the screen and adding hyperlinks. In addition to text, the site allows alumni to sign up for an alumni listserv and to e-mail the editors. Not surprisingly, institutions struggle with issues of how to develop and manage Web resources for external audiences, maintain their integrity, and keep up with the demand for currency on the Web. These are not simple challenges in an era of diminishing resources.
Many institutions rely on student workers.
At Cornell, for example, undergraduates assist in developing assets for the Web. A Middlebury undergraduate helps put that institution's magazine online, while University at Buffalo students work with University Relations to write Javascripts and other programs that make Web pages more interactive. The use of student workers benefits many other institutions, too. Ultimately, however, campus leadership will have to make a decision about the role of the Web in external relations activities. Eventually, they'll have to backup their plan with budgets that allow robust Web development and maintenance by professionals.