2005-06 Psi Chi Website Award Winners
The Psi Chi Website Awards annually recognize and award three outstanding Psi Chi chapter websites. As part of the award, Psi Chi is pleased to summarize each chapter's website here. This year's 2005-06 Website Award winners are as follows:
Central Michigan University
www.chsbs.cmich.edu/psichi
University of Colorado at Boulder
psych.colorado.edu/~psichi
University of La Verne (CA)
clubs.ulv.edu/~psichi
Central Michigan University
www.chsbs.cmich.edu/psichi
The Central Michigan University Chapter's website is easy to use for learning about Psi Chi, who is involved, and what chapter meetings and events are planned for members. Students interested in Psi Chi can navigate through the site and find relevant information about executive board members, how to contact them, and membership requirements. A picture page was added to capture the life and energy of the chapter's meetings and activities, and to show potential members the attractiveness of being an active Psi Chi member.
The website was made easy to navigate in order to convey the message of what Psi Chi is and what the chapter is currently doing. The site was also designed to look professional but not generic. By using the school's maroon and gold colors as well as a photograph of Sloan Hall, the home of the psychology department, the site retains a similar look as Central Michigan University's site. To visually connect with Psi Chi's colors, the website uses blue coloring (along with maroon and gold) and the Psi Chi key in the background.
All upcoming chapter events are posted on the calendar as well as on the homepage. Plans for the annual Midwestern Psychological Association (MPA) conference are posted on the MPA section of the site. The chapter also encourages participation with other student organizations in addition to volunteering opportunities around campus. The links on the website encourage members to access these opportunities.
University of Colorado at Boulder
psych.colorado.edu/~psichi
The website for the University of Colorado at Boulder was created primarily to communicate with its members, but the site also acts as a resource for anyone curious about the chapter. A listing of current and past events, special activities, and research and volunteer opportunities, along with officer contact information, is always updated on the site. The website aids officers in keeping members informed and involved, and provides members and nonmembers a means to contact officers for asking questions or making suggestions.
The site also seeks to educate its users about the field of psychology and get Psi Chi members involved in the chapter. All chapter events are open to all students. By listing event information on the site, the chapter thus encourages all students to further their education in psychology and explore various aspects of the field without taking a university course and making a semester-long commitment. As volunteer opportunities arise, they are posted on the site so members can participate and give back to the community while bettering themselves as individuals and future mental health professionals.
Part of the website's uniqueness is its layout and programming. The site is visually appealing without relying too heavily on graphics; this helps make it easily accessible to everyone, including those with slower modems. The site is hand-coded in HTML 4.01, CSS 1 and 2, and JavaScript, and employs a table-less design which displays properly in both PC and Mac browsers. Another unique feature is the navigational pods on the right-hand side. The pods not only act as a site menu, but also serve to highlight current announcements and upcoming events while still being consistent with the site's font and color schemes.
University of La Verne (CA)
clubs.ulv.edu/~psichi
University of La Verne (CA) Psi Chi provides its members and those students interested in Psi Chi useful, reliable, and accurate information through its website. Such information includes upcoming events, fundraisers, meetings, social events, and psychology convention meetings. The site also offers easy access to national Psi Chi information pertaining to membership requirements, research grants, chapter awards, and downloadable versions of Psi Chi forms.
The site is unique for several reasons. It maintains a professional look with an academic theme that includes Psi Chi's colors and an innovative page banner introducing the chapter. Navigating through the site is user-friendly, and the navigation bars accurately reflect their content. A brief video clip discussing test-taking strategies for the GRE, which was filmed when the chapter heard a guest speaker, is also posted.
Another unique feature is the "Did you know?" section on every webpage which displays distinct historical information about the field of psychology. Additionally, there is a similar section below on each page with a definition of a psychological term. Other sections from the site feature student research, the chapter's officers, a photo gallery of chapter events, a brief chapter history, and psychology links.
The chapter supports the mission and purpose of Psi Chi of advancing the science of psychology by posting student research on its site. Furthermore, the site provides information regarding grants and awards that allows members to apply for these honors. As part of the national service projects, the chapter updates its members about fundraising and service opportunities on the "Upcoming Events" page.