In today’s web-savvy world the importance of a clean, attractive, and informative website cannot be understated; it is an invaluable tool to both represent your organization to the public and provide information to your members. The dental students at the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry know this, and despite all the pressures of projects, classes, exams, patients, and volunteer activities the committed group at UK ASDA chapter have created a fantastic chapter website. The clutter-free interface is graphically pleasing and efficient with upcoming events listed on the homepage and an easily navigable header that leads you to the chapter’s advocacy, outreach, and a host of other UKCD resources. I had the privilege to speak with Shehab Helal and Samuel Swainhart to get the scoop on how they pulled it off.
How did you design the website?
We designed the site using WordPress. One of the important aspects of our site is the ability for various officers to log in and update or add content regularly. We can update our events calendar, Twitter and Flickr accounts, and even incorporated an RSVP system for our events and lunch-and-learns.
How do you stay current with all of the content and events?
Teamwork. I (Shehab Helal) do most of the updates myself, but everyone works on the content. We get a lot of students in various ASDA positions that send in blog posts, pictures, reports, etc. From there I try to update the content about once every two weeks.
What are your future plans for the website?
We want to continue spreading the “word” about ASDA and continue to make the website more useful to our students. We are working on further integrating social media as well as organizing class calendars.
What makes your chapter website unique? Tell us in the comments below!
- Russ Villier ’14 Louisville
