General Goals

In developing a framework for building and hosting humanities department websites, we aim to enrich the UW experience for students, scholars, the local community, and our national and international audiences.  The new websites will:

  1. Increase usability and streamline operations.
    Use clean design, intuitive navigation, and helpful tools to direct students, faculty, staff, and other site visitors to the information they need.   Enable staff to make changes quickly and simplify backend deployment and maintenance.
  2. Elevate the value and importance of the Humanities.
    Show how our programs create thoughtful global citizens, inspire discovery and innovation, and improve the human condition.  Our scholars are engaged in dynamic, cutting-edge research and innovative teaching.  No one should question the relevance of a degree in the humanities.
  3. Humanize the departments.
    It’s the people who make learning and working in our departments so great, and who bring specialized knowledge and talents to the community.  Tell stories about students and faculty, use images to associate faces with names, and enable interaction between individuals. 
  4. Connect the departments to each other and to the university.
    The University of Washington is a top West Coast university where students and researchers exchange transformational ideas every day.  Emphasize interdisciplinary work, collegiality and collaboration, and the familial relation to the College of Arts & Sciences.
  5. Reach out to alumni, donors, and community members.
    Students, faculty, and staff are the most visible members of academic departments.  But our programs depend on the participation and support of a broader community.  Connect current and past students, showcase public events and initiatives, and demonstrate the impact of financial gifts on individual researchers and students.