We have some exciting news. The first phase of our project to update the OSU Extension family of websites is close to realization!

We are planning to launch the site the week of May 29, and “go live” by Thursday. What may seem like “flipping a switch” to make the new site public is actually a sequence of behind-the-scenes steps and collaboration with OSU’s central web services team.

If you have questions at any time, please contact the project team.

What to expect

If we run into any unforseen delays or issues, we’ll post updates here on this blog and email affected groups as needed.

Please keep in mind design modifications and content entry continue this week and will remain an iterative process even after the launch. Expect the look and feel to evolve, the functionality to be fine-tuned, and content to be expanded in the coming weeks. We are making changes in stages, and the Phase 1 launch will be a minimum viable product. Not a perfectly polished site with all the bells and whistles and all content fully in place.

How to prepare

• County page managers should be entering events and announcements for June on the new website, and county-specific content on county pages. Linn county and Hood River County have been working on their pages during the last week, so can serve as examples.
• Content and program teams are responsible for coordinating statewide to take stock of existing content, evaluate it, organize it, and enter it into the new website. Many sub-topic pages are filling in such as Dairy, Health Outreach, and Forest Health & Management. Check them out!
• Want to see what else is already there? Take a preview look at the new website!

Reminders about existing content

• Existing content on the extension.oregonstate.edu URL (which includes county and combined experiment station sites) will go offline and not be automatically moved to the new site. Individual content creators should be working with the appropriate content team to make decisions about this content.
• Program sites that are currently housed elsewhere (not on the extension.oregonstate.edu site) will remain live until relevant content has been integrated to the new website. Content teams, program leaders, and the project team are developing transition plans on a case-by-case basis.

How to learn more

On this OSU Extension Web Upgrade Project blog you can also find information about the strategy for the new website, frequently asked questions, and content teams. Under the “Learn” menu the Training and Support page details how to enter content.

Thanks and shout outs

It’s taken a lot of people, conversations, and collaboration to get successfully to this point. It hasn’t always been easy, but by working together we are well on the way to a more effective and engaging online presence. Thank you.

This week, we give special thanks and a shout out to Wendy Hein from Clackamas County, who helped recruit several usability testing participants. Being “user-focused” is one of the guiding principles for this project, and these initial user tests have been crucial in making improvements leading up to the phase 1 launch.

Thanks again, and please contact the team with any questions.