Page Architecture Evolution
The very first version of the website in 1997, while visually simple, provided a comprehensive range of content about Polytechnic Institution. This included introductions to the institution itself, information on financial aid, academic details such as class schedules and degree programs, and announcements and news relevant to alumni. One very interesting feature of this initial website version was a search page that allowed visitors to search for names of faculty, staff, and students within the school.
For the next few years, it seems like there were no new noticable pages or features added to the website until the end of 1999, when a significant update occurred. This update introduced several new elements to the website. One notable addition was the online course feedback survey, which allowed students to provide feedback directly on the website. The survey is very comprehensive and covered various aspects such as course procedures and policies, instructor performance, graded assignments, and exams. So we can see that the feature is providing students with an more efficient and convenient way to share their thoughts and opinions about their educational experiences. Additionally, alongside the course feedback survey, there was another survey available for students to provide feedback specifically to the Polytechnic School itself. Such dual survey system likely allowed students to address both academic and institutional matters with ease using school's online system.
This version of the website introduced several other new features like pages dedicated for providing information about workshops and seminars, which provides students with opportunities to further their education outside the classroom. This development marked a significant step for the website to become a one-stop destination for students to access all school-related information.
Additionally, in 2002, the website introduced a main page for the library, offering a comprehensive suite of online services. These services included detailed library schedules and search features to access the library's database, so that student can have a easy access to academic resources and research materials.
Moreover, the introduction of the registrar page around this time further expanded the website's functionality. This page allowed students to manage their academic records, including features such as transcript requests, checking class schedules and room assignments, and accessing academic calendars. These additions transformed the website from a mere informational platform to an interactive tool that facilitated various aspects of students' academic lives.
This update is a significant evolution of the website, mainly because it integrated a wide range of useful features that made it an indispensable part of students' daily lives. This version of the website officially marked the website's transition from being a digital signboard to a dynamic platform responsible for handling essential school business.
In the midst of 2004, together with the major updates celebrating Polytechnic's 150th Anniversary, several new pages were added to the website, including a dedicated page focused on cybersecurity. This page served as a very comprehensive resource center for all information security-related matters.
One of the key feature of the cybersecurity page was to provide alerts for any detected threats, and keep the Polytechnic community informed and vigilant against these potential cyber attacks. Besides, the webpage could also offer a lot of useful resources for visitors to learn about the past security threats and attacks.
Why did Polytechnic add this webpage? Maybe we can find out from the contexts at that time. During the early 2000s, there was a surge in cybercrime due to the proliferation of new web services coupled with a lack of solid cybersecurity awareness ("A Brief History of Cybercrime," n.d.). This environment provided attackers with ample opportunities to exploit vulnerabilities and carry out cybercrimes. Therefore, as an engineering school, Polytechnic recognized the importance of cybersecurity in protecting the digital assets and community members and began to prioritize cybersecurity initiatives.
Besides, a webpage providing access to personal home pages for students, faculty, and staff was introduced. This webpage integrated PeopleSoft, a human resource management system, allowing school members to access their personal information and perform various administrative tasks.
While the exact timing of the addition of this webpage is not entirely clear since the Wayback Machine has some failed access history of the webpage dating back to 2002, and the first successful access occurred after the updates were implemented. However, evidence suggests that it may have been added during this update exists. From an old website architecture diagram from 2002 provided by Polytechnic ("Series IV: Polytechnic, Subseries B: Center for Technology in Merchandising (CTM), Website, 2001 July - 2002 July; Administrative Papers of Chancellor George Bugliarello; RG.007; Box 43; folder 22; Poly Archives at Bern Dibner Library of Science and Technology, New York University"), there is no trace of this webpage, indicating that it was likely added during this update.
One year after the previous update, another significant change occurred on the website with the introduction of a new subpage: the Career Center. This dedicated page served as a comprehensive resource hub for students seeking employment opportunities and career development support.
The Career Center page featured a range of valuable resources aimed at helping students succeed in their job search endeavors. Among these resources was a list of career-related news, informing students with the latest job opportunities and industry updates. Additionally, the page offered assistance with resume writing, covering various tips and strategies for crafting effective resumes and cover letters. Sample resumes and cover letters were also provided to offer students practical examples to guide their own document creation. Besides, the Career Center page also included a portal for employers to post new job listings.
The addition of the Career Center page on the website reflects Polytechnic's commitment to supporting students beyond their academic studies and preparing them for successful careers after graduation.
The major components of Polytechnic's website had been introduced by this point. However, subsequent updates included the addition of temporary pages to accommodate new programs and initiatives were still frequently occurred.
For instance, in 2012, a new page was added to the website for the "NYU-ePoly" program, providing detailed information about online learning opportunities. This page likely included resources such as course descriptions, enrollment procedures, and technical support for students participating in the program.