Interview: Brian Phelps, The University of Pacific’s Web Manager

Web Manager at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA, Brian Phelps worked as a technical writer before switching to the Web. He works for the Director of Marketing and University Relations who reports to the Office of the President. The 12,000-page website serves a student population of a bit more than 6,000. Brian maintains 700 HTML pages and relies on content authors to update the rest of the University’s web presence. He is in the middle of a big CMS and redesign project due to go live on April 17, 2006.

What’s your background? What did you do before becoming a higher ed web pro?

I became a technical writer when documents were produced using SCRIPT/DCF and the Generalized Markup Language (GML) on a IBM mainframe. Fortunately or unfortunately, when the Internet arrived in 1994, I already knew HTML, a variation of GML, and created a web site for my employer at the time. Since then I’ve worked as a technical writer and a web designer and developer, depending on where the money is, for direct employers and for a large number of clients. I’ve built web sites from scratch and successfully completed search engine optimization campaigns. I was an independent contractor before moving to higher ed.

What’s your biggest achievement as a higher ed web pro?

Building relationships with key individuals across the university. While I have direct responsibility for about 700 pages, everything else I accomplish is by asking. We are on course to deploy a CMS with about 60% of the university’s website converted to CMS and included in the redesign and relaunch.

What’s the most difficult part of your job?

I am fortunate that my background as a technical writer enables me to speak geek with the IT staff and English to the rest of the university. I spend a lot of my time translating technical benefits of the technologies we are adopting to non-technical staff and faculty. It is a challenge to take the time to figure out and explain the benefits of the changes I am requesting to the end user whose help I need to accomplish my goals.

In your opinion, what’s the biggest challenge we face as web pros in our industry?

Technology is often an opportunity for organizational change. Being in the non-profit sector, we have to do more with less. For example, by deploying a content management system, we will change how people work and interact. Some individuals are not ready to enable any staff member to directly edit their web content. It takes thought and time to communicate the benefits to people and build a collaborative, inclusive process that lessens people’s resistance to change.

Any good advice to share with your fellow higher ed web pros?

Take a long-term view and be patient. Be conversant in a variety of web technologies and figure out how to explain in plain English the benefits of these disciplines to your constituent audiences. Keep communication open and your processes and decision-making transparent. Take the time to build relationships. They will save you when you screw up.

What about a couple of good links?

• Usability First
• W3 Schools