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1
INDIAN STUDENT ORGANIZATIONSUNY- ALBANY

• A Gateway to Albany from India
• Richa S. Tiwary
• RISP523- Fall02

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Thesis

• This is an opportunity to use my skills and
  knowledge from this course to create a website
  for the newly formed Graduate Indian Student
  Organization.
• This site is an informational as well as
  interactive space on the web, with the purpose to
  create databases of resources on and off campus,
  and above all portray an organized picture of
  SUNY-Albany Indian students and their activities.
• Also, as suggested by Prof. Mackey, I am
  trying to go into the history of Indian students
  in the united states- which so far has led me to
  passport and visa information only as probably
  there was no database created in this regard.
• I have also been researching the numerous
  Indian student websites world over and trying to
  create a structure which will be best suitable
  for us.
• As the ISO, this website is also in its
  conception stage and will grow along with the
  organization.

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Website Goals

• The goals of the website can be defined as
  follows
• To provide information about Albany and its
  surroundings to students planning to apply to
  SUNY-Albany.
• To help create interaction between the
  prospective students and the current students so
  that they can exchange information about housing,
  transportation, cost of living,etc.
• To create a FAQ for the new students specially
  on what to and what not to bring from India due
  to the climate difference.
• To provide information about the events on
  campus, a photo gallery of events, news flash
  about important activities, GSEU, UHC, etc.
• To create a job resource On Campus for the
  International students by coordinating
  information from department representatives.
• To create a database of Indian resources like
  Indian groceries, restaurants, community events
  on and off campus, etc.
• To help all students develop professionally by
  coordinating the Career Development Center
  activities.

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Target Audience

• Prospective Indian Students on way to
  SUNY-Albany.
• Current students of SUNY.
• Indian Alumni Students- to help them keep in
  touch.
• International students looking for jobs On
  Campus.
• Any person interested in Indian cultural
  activities as well as getting information about
  the local Indian resources etc.
• Any one interested in the History of the India,
  traveling India, Indian Festivals, etc.

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Usability Objectives and Design Constraints

• As the target audience are the prospective
  students from India- my main aim is to make the
  page easy to download due to the accessibility
  problems from India.
• To avoid any flash or animation on the main page
  so that the site can be accessed even by users in
  remote places of India or anywhere irrespective
  of the browser or modem.
• To keep the main page informative and not
  cluttered.
• To maintain the standards set by the W3C about
  the usability issues.
• To keep the site easily navigable and
  professional
• Time is the main constraint- though it may seem
  easy to create a website for an organization- but
  it is not if you want to keep everything current,
  detailed and updated.
• To use Software like Dream Weaver, HTML Kit and
  Adobe Photoshop primarily.

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Schedules and Milestones

• Schedule
• 9/23 Initial conception of Idea
• 9/28 First draft of landing page
• submitted as Web Page1
• 10/15 Get the e-mail ID for ISO
• 10/25 Use the space on the SUNY
• server to create ISO website
• 11/2 Research for the ISO
• 11/4 Research and preparation
• 11/ 11 Presentation
• 11/16 Should complete theoretical
• info on the site
• 11/22 Get views of Indian Profs.
• 11/25 Incorporate forms
• 11/28 Complete site and Validate
• 12/3 Re-Validate and Final edit
• 12/9 Submission

• Milestones
• 10/25 Got the e-mail ID and server
• space for ISO
• 10/25 Collected all information
• about the Missions and
• Goals etc. to be put on the
• site
• 11/8 Completed the initial
• research on available and
• best sites for information to
• be put on the Web

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Mind Map of Project
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Organization Chart
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My Demo Landing Page
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Competitive Analysis I - One of the Best
siteUniversity At Houston

• PROS
• Very well organized
• Nice graphics on landing page
• Good use of Indian Tricolor
• CONS
• The background color
• Need to scroll

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Competitive Analysis II The Worst Case
Scenario!!Worchester Polytechnic Institute

• PROS
• Informative
• Less clicking
• Good colors
• CONS
• Waste of space
• Too small letters
• Cluttering of everything in one place

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Research Methodology

• Research on the available Indian Student websites
  world over
• Louisiana State University RPI
• University of Connecticut Purdue
  University
• University of Kansas University At
  Albany
• and many many more..
• Statement from the President of ISO.
• Viewpoint of couple of current and new students
• Statement of International Student Services
  Advisor
• Viewpoint of Indian Professors on
  Campus(hopefully)
• etc.

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Review of Resources

• Primary Resources
• Interviews
• Statements
• Missions, Statements and Goals of the ISO

• Secondary Resources
• Websites- too many to list !! Some other Indian
  Resource sites besides the regular ISO sites are
  
• Global Indians
• India's Official Site
• etc.
• Information in Government Document about the
  issue of Passports and Visa to Students from
  India