My Site available on CMU Portal but not publicized

My Site is a collaboration tool that students, staff and faculty may access.

But some still do not know about it. The application can be found on the Central Michigan University Portal.

“It’s just not something we spend a lot of time marketing,” said Duane Kleinhardt, manager of IT Communications.

Many students are unaware of the lingering link on their CMU Portal.

“It’s a Web site everyone can configure to keep track of documents, links and other info that they can share with others for collaborative purposes,” Kleinhardt said.

My Site has been functioning since 2006, when the platform, Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services, was purchased.

Sarah Bendele, coordinator and project manager Of the Office of Information and Technology, said any person with a global ID at CMU automatically has one.

There is more than 20,000 users with My Sites, said Eric Bellmore, lead web developer and programmer of OIT.

The intent is to give all CMU students, faculty and staff a place to store their information online and be able to access it from anywhere, he said.

“I’ve never clicked on the link,” said Brighton sophomore Mike Ayaub.

Personalization

Bellmore said OIT will address promotion issues in the near future.

My Site has yet to be personalized by the OIT, but a CMU theme will be added eventually.

“If I had known about My Site and it was as publicized as Blackboard, I definitely would have checked it out,” Ayaub said.

There is still a lot of marketing to do before students, staff and faculty understand the value in the My Site concept, Bellmore said.

“Faculty doesn’t make it known that there are other applications on the portal that are functional and helpful,” Ayaub said.

My Site has several features that can be utilized. Such features include blogging, Wikis, document libraries, photo albums, calendars and custom lists. There are privacy options as well.

Users have the ability to make certain parts of My Site public, Bendele said.

Administrative staff and faculty may use My Site to store large files or documents, while students can process class projects with their group members.

“It’s a way to share information with other people,” Kleinhardt said.