News

The University College of the Cayman Islands has undergone a digital facelift.

Months in the making, UCCI launched a renovated and newly tooled website last week. Cleaner, more comprehensive and easier to navigate, the upgraded site will better serve faculty, staff and students, as well as the public.

The web address of www.ucci.edu.ky remains the same.

“On the old, it’s often very difficult to find information,” said Marketing, Public Relations and Alumni Director Marian Jarquin, who oversaw production of the new site. “The goal was to make this very user friendly.”

It is also designed to promote the strengths of UCCI’s offerings.

“We’re putting our unique programmes at the forefront of the website,” Jarquin said. “One of the first things you’ll see is ‘Search for a Programme.’ This will make it easy for potential students to identify and explore the offerings at UCCI.”

President and CEO Stacy McAfee compared the difference between the old and new sites to that of night and day.

“It has a contemporary look that shows the university as an equally appealing option that should be considered along with other universities around the world,” McAfee said.

First impressions are always important, and the impression made by a website can make or break the interest of a potential student.

“Websites are the primary tool that universities use to appeal to students,” she said. “Within the first few minutes, users make a decision to either explore further or move on. This new website more effectively represents what the university is doing and presents it in a positive and visually appealing manner.

“It’s also important that donors and nonprofits be able to easily access information,” McAfee added, “which they have said has been difficult. This will simplify accessing that information.”

The new website also brings all of UCCI’s elements under one digital roof. Until now, programmes such as the Professional Development Centre, the STEM Carib Conference and others had independent websites. Everything connected with UCCI will be on the same site and can be accessed through the main home page.

Archival material will also be more accessible.

“Faculty and staff would complain about trying to find material from the past and not being able to locate it,” Jarquin said. “Now that process should be much easier.”

McAfee emphasized that this is only the initial version of an ongoing process.

“It needs to constantly be refreshed with new stories and new images of students, staff and faculty that tell the UCCI story,” she said. “It will continue to evolve and become even better.”