Of Others

As the overseer of so many web properties, it would be a fool’s errand to think I could take all web tasks on myself. I learned early on I would need to focus on providing department-based content managers with the tools, guidance and resources to empower them to succeed. Here is a sampling of what I provide in the educational/support realm:

• Weekly office hours for one-on-one support
• Full wiki documentation with web policies, plugin documentation, procedures, forms, timelines, expectations and a vast array of resources on accessibility, image optimization and everything else web-related imaginable
• Onboarding for new content managers that includes a weekly meeting for 4-6 weeks to introduce basic web concepts, go over the site they are managing and complete a web project together
• An annual site report for content managers that walks them through important content updates, compliance matters and other tasks that need to be completed and managed annually
• Quarterly one-on-one check-ins with each site manager to go over their sites’ quality assurance and accessibility reports and to help with any other issues they are having
• Workshops throughout the semester on specific topics (e.g., a ‘site slimdown’ workshop is one where we work together for an hour getting rid of old content from our sites)
• Listserv for content managers where I send regular tips and resources and where they can ask questions of the group
• A web-based site guide for each content manager with how-tos, page-specific instructions and resources for managing their site

Of Self

It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by all the things you don’t know when it comes to being a web professional, simply because it is a field one can never fully master. As such, I, like other web colleagues, rely on quality resources such as MDN, W3C and countless other sites and applications to inform web work daily. And since there is so much out there to learn (all of which, by the way, changes constantly as the web evolves), I have found it takes discipline, accountability and patience to plan and pursue the learning that will be most impactful for my work.

Accountability

Speaking of accountability, I’m big on it and it’s because I know I need it when it comes to learning. It’s always tempting to push professional development to the backburner when there are deadlines and other encroaching priorities. To ensure I keep learning and development as top priorities, I:

• Asked that my supervisor designate a portion of my job description to learning endeavors so that I am evaluated yearly on their completion
• Founded and currently lead a web learning accountability group that meets weekly made up of other web colleagues from around the university

Specific Endeavors

• My organization sponsors an annual membership for me with Codecademy, which I use for coding practice to make sure my CSS and Javascript skills, in particular, remain sharp.
• I attend the yearly HighEdWeb conference, an essential offering for web professionals in higher education in particular.
• I am a member of the College Communicators Association of Virginia and D.C. and attend 1-2 of their conferences per year, another way to keep abreast of trends in higher education web matters and collaborate with colleagues from other Virginia universities.
• Though he recently left my organization, I sought out and worked with a web mentor for the last four years. His perspective and generous sharing has been critical to my success in managing such a large portfolio of web properties in an atmosphere of low resources.
• I provide mentorship and sharing to other community members at my organization, as well. I am contacted often and I love to share what I know with others!
• I participate as an active member of my organization’s Communications Career Community, an internal community of practice of communications professionals. I regularly attend offerings such as workshops and contribute to their newsletter.