In this episode of Edtech Connect, host Jeff Dillon sits down with Jill Whitaker, Director of Web Services at Southern Utah University, to explore the evolving landscape of higher ed website management.

With 25 years of experience, Jill shares candid insights on balancing short-term fixes with long-term strategy (inspired by her half-marathon coaching!), wrangling 100+ content editors, and championing accessibility through empathy-driven tactics.

Discover how SUU’s centralized approach keeps their site student-focused, why "Don’t Make Me Think" remains a timeless mantra, and what AI’s rise means for the future of university web teams.

Key Takeaways

1. The Marathon Mindset: Website governance mirrors distance running—balance immediate tasks with long-term vision to avoid burnout or shortsighted decisions.
2. Student-Centric Design: SUU’s homepage prioritizes recruitment/retention, with internal content redirected to portals—a battle-tested strategy.
3. Accessibility as Empathy: Tools like Siteimprove help, but real change comes from humanizing compliance (e.g., revealing colleagues who rely on screen readers).
4. Federated Governance: A Google Group for 100+ CMS users replaces formal committees, fostering peer support and accountability.
5. AI’s Double-Edged Sword: Excited for code debugging but wary of zero-click searches scraping outdated content.
6. Future-Proof Teams: Web teams of 2027 will blend marketing savvy with technical literacy—no more "coders in the dark."

Chapter Headings with Time Stamps

(00:00) - Introduction: Meet Jill Whitaker, SUU’s Web Director

(02:20) - Running & Websites: Short-Term vs. Long-Term Balance

(024:25) - SUU’s Student-Focused Homepage: Centralization & Stakeholder Buy-In

(06:25) - From HTML to Higher Ed: Jill’s 1995 Web Origins

(07:46) - A Day in the Life: From Ad Campaigns to All-Gender Bathrooms

(08:53) - Taming 100+ Editors: Siteimprove, Smiley Faces, and Peer Support

(11:00) - Accessibility Wins: Beyond Compliance to Human Connection

(13:33) - Siteimprove Realities: Managing 10K+ Pages Without Overwhelm

(15:15) - Cascade CMS Hacks: Alt Text Tricks & AI Hopes

(17:07) - SEO & Analytics: Translating Bounce Rates into Decisions

(18:59) - AI’s Promise & Peril: Debugging Joy vs. Zero-Click Fears

(20:26) - The Future of Search: Long-Tail Queries & Non-Traditional Students

(22:38) - Must-Read: Don’t Make Me Think by Steve Krug

(23:55) - 2027 Web Teams: Marketing + Tech Convergence

(26:15) - Fighting Rogue Microsites: Procurement Office Allies

(27:58) - Advice to New Directors: Delegate Trust, Not Just Tasks

Listen now for a masterclass in keeping university websites human-centered—no matter how tech evolves.

Find Jill Whitaker here:

LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillow/

SSU

https://suu.edu/

Recommended Reading:

Don’t Make Me think – Steve Krug

https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Make-Me-Think-Usability/dp/0321344758

And find EdTech Connect here:

Web: https://edtechconnect.com/