UG Degree Finder – Introducing GatherContent
We recently announced a big change to how we will approach updating the Undergraduate Degree Finder. We’re piloting a tool called GatherContent which will significantly streamline our dialogue with colleagues in schools and colleges. We see this as a first step towards a more fundamental overhaul of how this process is managed.
On 12 November, Niall Bradley sent an email to the Undergraduate Degree Finder content management community to introduce the new approach. This blog is derived from Niall’s email.
The way we collect UG Degree Finder content is changing
I’m sure you have all been waiting for further information on the 2021 Undergraduate Degree Finder content collection process – apologies for the wait and thank you for your patience. As mentioned in an earlier communication from Nick Barnes, the Degree Finder process is changing this year, as we’ve separated it from the print process. This means you haven’t missed any important communications, but only that we haven’t started the subject and programme content collection process for 2021 yet.
As most of you will know, Communications and Marketing colleague, Laurie Cameron-Back, has been involved in the Degree Finder process for several years working very closely with Nick. Laurie has now joined the new Prospective Student Web Content team and is providing continuity on the project as the new team takes the opportunity to redesign the process from the inside out. The separation from the print process means that the Degree Finder process will now be more streamlined, removing the need for multiple review stages. We aim to make things much easier for colleagues, meaning the whole Degree Finder process should become less time consuming for everyone.
To this end, the way we are collecting Degree Finder content is changing. Where previously you would receive Word documents to capture changes to existing UG content, we will now be using an online platform called GatherContent to collect subject and programme content. GatherContent is very intuitive to use and has been designed to make content collation easier, faster, and less time consuming. The system also allows you to have oversight of, and keep track of, all content progress in one place. We will provide full support for users of the system.
In case you were wondering about the redevelopment of the Undergraduate Guide – the Guide will have a new 40-page format for 2021 entry and has been rewritten from scratch to make it more of a shop window for the University and the city. It will now be very heavily image-led with minimal text that focuses on promoting the benefits of studying here in broad strokes. It is being designed to raise the readers’ aspirations about the possibility of studying here, before directing them online for detailed, programme-specific information.
Thank you again for your patience this year. I’m confident that our new processes will streamline the UG Degree Finder content collection process, making the process easier and more manageable for everyone.
In the meantime if you have any questions surrounding this, please feel free to reach out to the Prospective Student Web Content team on ugpreturns@ed.ac.uk
Need help or have a question?
If you need any help with the GatherContent system or the degree finder process then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at ugpreturns@ed.ac.uk or by phone on 651 6315.
You can also use the live chat option on GatherContent (the blue chat symbol appears on most pages). Or you can get in touch with our GatherContent representative Chris Charlick at chris@gathercontent.com
Thank you again for your support during this new process, we’re looking forward to working in a new, more intuitive way with you all.
