Based on some recent discussion, it seems as though students have a lot of opinions about how the MSU website can be improved for the better.

When you are posting your suggestions, PLEASE also give methods of how these suggestions can be put in place; it's much more constructive. It also allows full time staff and PTM's to understand the students point of view and perhaps gain perspective of something they didn't know before.

For example, all PTMs should know how to complete basic website edits as part of their job description. To do this they would need a manual that explains how to update the website.

I plan on compiling suggestions into a document and forwarding them off to Mike Wooder (Student Life Coordinator) and John McGowan (MSU General Manager) by the end of the first week of March.

Let students/the general public know who is responsible for updating the MSU website, and what parts. At present it seems as though there is a lot of confusion: is it the services and/or PTMs, is it the Webmaster, is it the Network Admin or some combination of the three.

Provide this information using either small print at the end of the webpage (i.e. this is updated by the Shortstop Manager), or have a page as part of the system map that outlines who is responsible for updating which webpages so they can be contacted in order to report an error, request information be provided in a more timely manner etc.

The layout and everything seems fine to me...personally, I prefer more of a 'minimalist' style, but that's just me .

My one complaint is pretty much in line with what everyone else has been saying, and that's a generally better Elections Service page. All the information is jumbled up...the First Year Council results look different then the By-Election results, etc. Plus, the site doesn't get updated very frequently (which is why I posted the question asking who won the By-Election).

So what I would recommend would be more frequent results updates, and a more consistent style for the Elections page...everything else is great!

A style where updates can be made several times a week and are all noticeable and readable would be best, so that recent news can be recognized.

I honestly would just like to see the full audited financial statements with notes published on the MSU website each fiscal year; ensuring that people talk with some sound back-up when making claims about the financial health of the MSU. It would also allow for people to do their own analysis and come up with suggestions for improvements to the MSU to help move it forward.

If confidentiallity is an issue, put it in the section of the site where you have to log-in as a msu member.

I don't necessarily think that allowing students to "do their own analysis" is necessarily the smartest decision, only because people have a tendency to see a number, not understand its meaning, and then go on rants about how high or low this number may be. Instead, I think that fiscal reports should be presented by the current VP finance, in their entirety, such that the numbers can be explained properly.

As for the MSU website, several services have outdated descriptions, a lack of updates, and are buried too deep under subheadings to ever find. Perhaps there should be a search function that leads you directly to the information you are seeking (aka keywords like by-election and february).

I also suggest a short, interactive campaign to bring students onto the website such as a mass email to everyone's Mac email informing them that information is available at the link provided.

Thanks for far! Please keep the feedback coming. And also if possible please let other people know of this thread if they don't check MacInsiders via Facebook, email etc.

A few suggestions:

Have someone go through and either fix or delete all the dead links.

There has been much discussion in some strands about the need for greater transparency and accountability. So to that end ...post minutes of the SRA, the Executive Board, and standing committees within a week of when they are approved. In many cases, posting takes months or never happens at all.

Similarly, post minutes of the meetings of Full Members of the McMaster Students Union Incorporated (the SRA sitting in corporate session). This is where MSU budgets and major expenditures are approved --- and it is extraordinary that nobody has thought putting the decisions of how students' money is spent is worthy of being on-line. The meetings are open session, so there is no reason not to.

The recent financial update was a great start, but it in the interest in transparency and accountability, post the full MSU Operating and Capital Budget, not just a one line net cost summary per department. MSU Audited Financial Statements too ...after all, they are published in The Silhouette, so why not make them readily available on the web site?

Assuming that department heads (part-time managers and full-time staff) are trained on how to update the web pages for their area, make keeping those pages part of their job description --- and hold them accountable for it. Content on some of the pages is months, in some cases several years, out of date.

Originally Posted by Dave.Moore

A few suggestions:

Have someone go through and either fix or delete all the dead links.

There has been much discussion in some strands about the need for greater transparency and accountability. So to that end ...post minutes of the SRA, the Executive Board, and standing committees within a week of when they are approved. In many cases, posting takes months or never happens at all.

Similarly, post minutes of the meetings of Full Members of the McMaster Students Union Incorporated (the SRA sitting in corporate session). This is where MSU budgets and major expenditures are approved --- and it is extraordinary that nobody has thought putting the decisions of how students' money is spent is worthy of being on-line. The meetings are open session, so there is no reason not to.

The recent financial update was a great start, but it in the interest in transparency and accountability, post the full MSU Operating and Capital Budget, not just a one line net cost summary per department. MSU Audited Financial Statements too ...after all, they are published in The Silhouette, so why not make them readily available on the web site?

Assuming that department heads (part-time managers and full-time staff) are trained on how to update the web pages for their area, make keeping those pages part of their job description --- and hold them accountable for it. Content on some of the pages is months, in some cases several years, out of date.

I haven't agreed with a post on macinsiders more than this.

*bump*