A synopsis of the workshop, "How to Make Your Chapter Website Effective
- and Keep it That Way", presented by Betsy Thal Gephart, former Online Services
Director, Jennifer Dunham Luby and Martha Gasque at the 2000 National Convention
is now available for download
in PDF Format. The synopsis was compiled by Jennifer Dunham Luby, and covers
the creation and management of effective chapter websites. Topics
include advice on page design, finding web space, site maintenance,
along with suggestions for use of SAI's online resources.
Is There a Web Site in Your Future?
by Betsy Thal Gephart, former National Online Services Director
Creating an Internet Home Page for your SAI chapter is a wonderful way
to connect with SAI members around the world, and it's not that difficult
to do! All it takes is a bit of organization, someone who knows how
to create the page, and a server to host your website.
The first step in creating a page is deciding what you'd like to put
on it. Since there are already more than 160 chapter pages on the
Web, I have put together some guidelines
that will help get you started. They include some ideas for a basic
chapter website. When deciding on page content, remember that all materials
should be approved for public consumption. With that restriction, the
possibilities are still enormous! Browse through the other chapter pages
to get ideas. Consider what you would like to find on the Internet.
Could your chapter put it there? A unique music resource might even
be considered for a chapter project.
Once you have some content decisions made, you're ready to put the site
together. For this you'll need a member who knows at least a bit about
HTML, the language used to write web pages. There are guides available
on the Internet, and there is endless software available to write pages
for various user-levels and price ranges. With enough patience and a
little experience, any chapter's computer expert ought to be able to
create a website.
When writing the chapter page, keep the image of SAI - a fraternity
for professional women - in mind. That doesn't mean you can't have fun!
You need only look through our current chapter websites to see a multitude
of classy but exciting graphics.
With your page ready-to-go, the last step is to find a server to host
your site. For college chapters, the first place to check is your college
or university. Many will provide space to campus organizations. Some
chapters use the accounts of individual members, both at universities
and on commercial servers. One drawback of this approach is the prospect
of losing the space if that member leaves town. Other places to look
for hosts are local Internet access providers, non-profit organizations
and other educational institutions. Some city information networks will
provide space to local non-profits. If your content is of interest to
a local server, they may consider helping you out. Perhaps a collective
arts or educational group has some space available. In addition, there
are several servers around the country who will provide free space to
non-profit organizations. In the end, the cost of putting your page
on the Internet should be negligible.
When choosing a server, make sure your updating process is convenient.
Your webmaster should be able to post the pages from her home computer.
And when considering available space, remember that HTML files are very
small. Graphics files take up the most space.
Once your site is up and running, don't forget to send your address
to the National Home Page.
Sai-national.org can also be a great help in constructing your chapter's
site. In our Resources - Internet section, you will find a complete
list of chapter pages, several graphics files, the guidelines for chapter
pages, and lots of other links. And if you can't find what you need,
just ask. The Internet is a powerful tool. Let's make the most of it!
