A new and improved California State University, Northridge website is launching Aug. 2. It’s the result of a nearly two-year process to refresh the university’s web presence.

The website was last updated more than a decade ago, using the practices and principles that were popular at that time. These days, with so many using phones for web browsing, developers of the new website placed greater emphasis on photos and rich multimedia, to ensure a meaningful experience for those using small screens.

Photo by Steve Babuljak.

Ron Philip, vice president for information technology and chief information officer, said the team creating the new website had multiple goals.

“Our aim is to have a website that effectively conveys the compelling CSUN story, showcase its academic programs, and its unswerving commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion,” he said. “It’s a website that is rich in visual presentation, highly accessible, mobile-native and responsive — one that allows our students, faculty, staff and visitors to get the information they need intuitively and quickly.”

Along with the site’s more modern design, a new feature is “The Program Finder,” a “mini search-engine” within the website, that will give prospective and current students quick and easy access to information about majors and courses of study.

Nichole Ipach, vice president of university relations and advancement, congratulated the web team on its years-long effort. “First impressions mean everything, and the website is often the first glimpse of all the wonderful things CSUN has to offer,” Ipach said. “We are modernizing our digital presence, improving functions and creating a new way for prospective students to discover their future courses of study. It’s the result of hard work and is a worthwhile endeavor.”

The new website will launch in phases. Users will first see the new homepage, academic program pages and admissions-related pages.

The process to create a new website began in January 2021, when surveys were sent to prospective and current students, high school counselors, families, faculty, staff and alumni. More than 1,700 people participated, weighing in on numerous categories, ranging from ease of navigation to the website’s appearance.

In addition to the new website, a new online portal also will be released this summer. Formerly known as “myNorthridgePortal,” the new online resource will be known as “CSUN Portal.”

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