On February 28, the renewed KAIST Portal System began its service. The new portal system was developed to improve its predecessor by reflecting more the needs of KAIST members. Last year, several surveys were conducted for feedback on how the university’s portal system could be ameliorated. Opinions collected included the addition of KAIST shuttle bus timetables, campus map, and menus of the university’s cafeterias, as well as the change in the organization of the webpage to allow easier access to information about KAIST.
One notable difference in the new portal system is its main page, which provides customized information to users. Users can easily select and change the layout of the information they wish to view, through the My Setup tab. The tabs Staff Notebook and People Finderenable KAIST students and faculties to quickly find contact information by name, department, or telephone number. The Inquiry/Request tab helps students register any complaints, suggestions, or opinions regarding KAIST. The staff in charge of the specific inquiry will then review and handle the problem, and leave a reply to notify the student. Any member of the KAIST community including students, faculty, and staff can view the posts made by others. The Academic Calendar was upgraded to allow sharing of the calendar within groups set by users. Members of the group can now not only view each other’s schedules but also add and modify the calendar.
The integrated portal search engine searches all posts from linked systems including the Portal System itself, KAIST Homepage, IT Guide, Archives, Newsletter, and Information and Communication Technology website. Moreover, the status of the user – whether student or faculty, or in Daejeon campus or in Seoul campus – determines the contents shown in the search results. With the new integrated environment, people can easily search, preview, and instantly find the contents of the information they are interested in.
To further facilitate access to the same information on-the-go, the mobile application for the KAIST Portal System was also launched. In addition, the mobile application allows the users to receive push alarms, which notify the user when replies are made to their inquiries. The renewed portal system, together with the mobile application, is expected to facilitate communication within the KAIST community and easier access to information about KAIST. For more information regarding the KAIST Portal System, students may refer to the portal guide, which is available on the main page (http://portal.kaist.ac.kr).
Sang Eun Jee
eunicejee@hotmail.com