Please listen carefully, as our menu options have changed . . .
In a few weeks, you’ll notice some big changes to your myOleMiss interface. Since rolling out the original portal design in 2008, all of our first-hand experience and collected feedback have provided us with clear directions for improving it. On September 20, we’ll be rolling out those improvements to everyone. Here are some highlights.
Make It Easier to Find Things
There are hundreds of applications in myOleMiss, and no single approach to organizing them works for everyone. It’s the same content you’ve always had; it’s just arranged more intuitively now. We’ve given you four ways to find your applications, so you can choose the method that works best for you:
Bookmarks – Add your frequently used applications to the new home page by selecting the “plus” icon next to the name of the application. Once a bookmark is in that list, you can remove it with the “minus” icon.
Search – Instead of a non-searchable Site Index of all the applications you have access to, we’ve created a searchable list. If you know the application name, you may type in as much of the name as is necessary to see the full list reduced to show only those that match what you’ve typed. Those which you have bookmarked will appear at the top.
Applications by Role – A person’s role (student, advisor, etc.) will determine the applications available to them. Once you’ve selected the tab for that role, you’ll find similar tasks grouped together in folders.
Recent Activity – Just because you used something once doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll use it again. But just in case, we thought it would be helpful to show you the applications you most recently used.
This information is also available from the Settings option at the top right of the screen.
Make it Mobile
Back in 2008 when we first launched the portal, 2% of our website visitors used a mobile device. Today it’s 25%. One of the most important improvements we’ve implemented is the mobile-friendly responsive design, enabling the portal to respond to the size of the browser and device a person is viewing it with. Fewer calls to the server for graphics also reduces the bandwidth for devices that are using cellular data connections.
Another feature of the new design is the ability to collapse the header. This is especially helpful when you’re working on a smaller screen, like a tablet or a phone. Choose the “Options” selector below the header on the right, and collapse or expand the header, depending on how much screen space you need. Be sure you make this selection before you begin your work, however, as choosing a different configuration resets the forms in the application.
Make it Accessible
Along with the rest of the university’s website, we wanted to be sure myOleMiss was as accessible as possible to everyone, including those who use assistive technology. We submit our work to automated accessibility tests prior to inviting people who commonly use assistive technology (ie., screen readers, keyboard navigation, etc.) to test it. We then use their feedback to further improve the site’s accessibility.
Make it Look Nice
You’ll notice the new portal design builds on the university’s latest website design. The streamlined navigation and more consistent application layout should help make the time you spend in myOleMiss more efficient. The footer contains links to commonly used non-portal services (academic calendar, catalog, Blackboard, etc.), but is collapsed by default to save space in the browser window.
For a more detailed explanation of the new portal design, see the “Help” section in myOleMiss when the new portal is launched.
Make it Work Well
IT recommends using the latest browser versions for increased security and optimal performance. Here are the browsers and versions we currently support:
- Mac – Firefox v. 31.0
- Mac – Safari v. 7.0
- Mac – Chrome v. 36.0
- Windows – Firefox v. 31.0
- Windows – Safari – not supported
- Windows – Chrome v. 36.0
- Windows – Internet Explorer v. 11
- Mobile – All browsers should be current
If you haven’t updated your browser lately, this is a good opportunity to do so. If you are in charge of a computer lab, please make sure those browsers and other software are up to date.
We will be offering new portal demonstrations as part of Technology Enhancement Week. Register to attend one at the IT Training website.
Launch Date
In preparation for the official re-launch on Saturday, September 20, myOleMiss will be unavailable after 5:00 p.m. Friday, September 19, for approximately 2 hours. Please plan accordingly. When the new portal is available, take a few moments to look around and get comfortable with it. If you encounter problems, use one of the ‘Report a Problem’ links to notify the IT Helpdesk staff about it.
If you have additional questions, please contact the IT Helpdesk at 662-915-5222 or helpdesk@olemiss.edu, Monday through Friday, 8 AM CDT – 5 PM CDT.