As my institutional connections draw to a close, I want to reflect briefly on a project that I have been in charge of since the Fall 2007: the English Department Website with a little timeline:

  • 2007-2009: The English Department Website was a static HTML page that relied on programmers to make changes and update it. I redesigned the website and created a WordPress blog for the English Department, integrating both through links and embedded pages.
  • 2010-2014: Seeking to integrate elements of a static page with a blog and multi-user editing capabilities, I migrated both the Web site and blog to Drupal. Unfortunately, CTI discontinued support for Drupal after 1 semester, and the administration discontinued support for Web development, so the Website was abandoned for 4 years.
  • 2014-2019: In the Summer of 2014, I taught INGL 3268: Writing for the Media, with a special assignment: the class to collectively created a prototype of the English Department Website, migrating and updating all the information from the Drupal site to a new WordPress installation hosted by a server in the College of Engineering. From that point on, my Digital Humanities Internship students developed the English Department Website, serving as Web developers and digital journalists for its blog and social media accounts.

It has been a privilege to serve the English Department with this blog and Website. Working with my students on this project over has been a wonderful teaching and learning experience and one I will always treasure. I have depicted my last team of interns in the featured image above, in lieu of all the great teams I have had the pleasure of working with. Thank you all for your wonderful work, energy, and creativity!

I hope you all take good care of this vibrant little corner the Web, as well as of its Facebook page, Twitter account, and Instagram account.