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New D&E website gives students, parents feeling of being on campus

ELKINS — Davis & Elkins College (D&E) today announced the launch of its new website, a connection college officials said would make readers feel like they are on the grounds of the 116-year-old, 180-acre campus in rural, central West Virginia. (https://www.dewv.edu/)

The website redesign improvements feature mobile optimization, easier navigation, and a reflection of the college in its natural surroundings. The project was made possible through a generous donation from longtime friends Doug and Gay Lane. The Lane gift allowed D&E to partner with Caylor Solutions – an industry leader serving similar institutions. By focusing on feature improvements from a user perspective, said Rosemary Thomas, D&E Vice President for Enrollment Management and Institutional Advancement, website visitors will now get a much more accurate look at the small, private, Presbyterian-based college.

“We were adamant that we would paint an accurate picture of what academics and campus life are like. D&E has worked hard to establish its brand, which has been forged for generations by the best ambassadors we could ask for, our graduates,” said Thomas. “The new website reflects this institution’s unique personality and its commitment to students. In short, we wanted a website that really told our story, and we believe this site does precisely that.”

Thomas said some of the improvements made to the website needed to be made, ranging from mobile optimization due to the number of site visitors using mobile devices to providing a digital gateway to the institution that will help with the college process — easy navigation to schedule a visit, apply to D&E, and enroll as a student.

The project team and overall effort was managed by Director of Enrollment Technology Matt Shiflett, who led the charge to ensure stakeholders were considered every step of the way. Students and their families, along with alumni, donors, faculty, staff, and friends of the college, were among primary audiences to which the new D&E website would appeal.

“The college website should serve as an accurate lens through which visitors can see D&E and the truly unique educational experience we offer,” Thomas said. “Our primary goals were to provide visually appealing information to prompt potential students and their families to visit campus, and to present information that resonates with prospective students that they can fairly evaluate in their college search and actually picture themselves on our campus. We have always felt that if we can get future students to visit campus, the atmosphere and environment of D&E would speak loudly for itself.”

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