By Craig Leroux, Senior Communications Officer

A popular program offered by ITServices to help academic and support units improve their website or create a new one is returning this year. The Summer Student Web Resource Program (SSWRP), launched in 2009, hires Queen’s students to undertake website projects over the course of the summer.

“Summer presents a great opportunity for departments to update and improve their web presence,” says Natasha Redknap, coordinator of this year’s SSWRP and a member of the Web Services team within ITServices. “The program offers an affordable way to undertake website projects by having students assist with a range of tasks, including content updates or transitioning to the current version of WebPublish. In past years, students provided valuable input on improving website accessibility and this year’s students will be trained to use the new Web-Accessibility Compliance Auditing tool.”

Colette Steer, Manager of Recruitment & Events in the School of Graduate Studies, says the program has been a success for the school every year it has participated.

“We’ve hired full-time students through the program each summer, and the investment paid off every time,” says Ms. Steer. “The students were instrumental for expanding and enhancing our web presence, which is vital for attracting future graduate students to Queen’s.”

SSWRP students use WebPublish, the Queen’s-supported content management system. A new version of WebPublish was rolled out last year that offers a significant increase in flexibility and functionality, and supports the new visual identity for Queen’s websites.

Under the program, ITServices hires and trains the students and provides them with equipment and support. The cost for departments or faculties to hire a SSWRP student is $21/hour, which covers the student’s hourly wage, vacation and statutory holiday pay, training and supervision, and a portion of the costs associated with project coordination.

If you are interested in participating in this year’s SSWRP, email Natasha Redknap by Friday, March 7, with details regarding the type and scope of work involved. ITServices will follow up to confirm the project requirements and to provide a work estimate.