Unit Project Planning

The size of the OTC website has increased from less than a few hundred pages in 2008 to over 200 websites, thousands of pages, and hundreds of thousands of elements. 

As the size and scope of the website have changed, so has the planning process. Understanding where your unit request for a website design fits within the current system project planning and system project timing will help you maximize the benefits of new and improved features offered during system-wide upgrades. Web Services can complete standard websites for small college units in less than ten business days.

Please note that project schedules are fluid and can change based on the priorities of the College. The Office of Web Services sets the project timeline and not the unit. 

Once you submit your project via STEP 2, a project kickoff or discovery meeting will be scheduled via zoom. During the initial meeting, your unit will be assigned a project manager and then a project delivery schedule can be outlined. Please get in touch with web@otc.edu if you have questions. 

System Project Planning

The Office of Web Services reviews and implements global changes on all OTC System websites on a three-year rolling basis to align with the college’s strategic plan. 

  1. Year-One: Plan and review existing content, themes, layouts, and programming for its effectiveness. This includes focus groups, surveys, and ongoing feedback. Identify SWOT.
  2. Year-Two: Building and staging new themes, layouts, programming, and testing with focus groups and stakeholder surveys. 
  3. Year Three: Implementation is divided into four groups, and a project schedule is created within each group based on the college’s priorities as dictated by the strategic plan, college policy, and web services. These groups are as follows: 
    1. System (Includes Campus & Centers, Foundation, About, etc.)
    2. Academics (Includes faculty, program pages, departments, etc.)
    3. Students (All student affairs, resources, registrar, etc.)
    4. College Services (Finance, IT, admin services, hr, etc.)

Each group is assigned a web services staff member to manage their implementation, following the Project Kickoff. Please get in touch with web@otc.edu if you have questions. 

System Project Timing

Typically the project timing has followed the College’s fiscal year up until 2020 with the interruption of COVID and currently follows the calendar year. 

Below is the progression of past, current, and future iterations. 

  • 2009-2012(CMS RedDot chosen, a design created, static content converted)
  • 2012-2015 (Continued with RedDot and updated theme) 
  • 2015-2018 (1st Iteration OTCPress implemented with the base theme)
  • 2018-2022 (2nd Iteration of OTCPress new theme, content review, program pages. Extra year added for Covid) 
  • 2023-2025  (3rd & current iteration with New Website (Home Page) and refresh of all websites)
  • 2026-2028
  • 2029-2031

Last Updated: 02/10/2023