University of North Alabama · Information Technology
A case for Web Services as a distinct technical division within IT — demonstrating infrastructure ownership, enrollment impact, compliance stewardship, and the cost value of in-house capability.
Overview
The Web Services team is not a marketing support function — it is technical infrastructure. The team owns and operates una.edu, builds and maintains custom applications that integrate core enterprise systems, ensures federal accessibility compliance, and provides the digital entry point for the majority of prospective and current students who engage with the institution.
The web is where UNA's institutional identity begins. Every prospective student, every faculty recruit, every donor — they arrive here first. The team managing that experience is infrastructure, not overhead.
Web Services · Value ThesisEnrollment Funnel
The website is the primary digital touchpoint in the enrollment funnel. Web Services directly influences the conversion path from prospect to applicant through performance, content architecture, and integrations with Slate CRM — making it inseparable from enrollment outcomes.
| Metric | Value | Source / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Web-originated inquiries | [X] per month | Slate attribution · form submissions from una.edu |
| Web-originated applications | [X] per cycle | GA4 → Slate conversion tracking |
| Apply page conversion rate | [X]% | Sessions to application start |
| Core Web Vitals score | [Good / Needs Improvement] | Google Search Console · affects SEO ranking |
| Organic search sessions | [X]% of total traffic | GA4 channel breakdown · no paid cost |
Web-to-CRM data pipelines feed prospective student records directly from una.edu into Slate, eliminating manual entry and accelerating recruiter follow-up.
Program and campaign landing pages built and maintained by Web Services directly affect paid media ROI. Conversion rate improvements compound across every ad dollar spent.
Technical SEO — site architecture, page speed, schema markup, structured data — is managed entirely in-house. This organic traffic carries no per-click cost.
Over half of una.edu traffic arrives on mobile. Responsive design, performance optimization, and mobile-first UX are owned entirely by the Web Services team.
Financial Value
The in-house capability of Web Services generates significant cost avoidance by building institutional tools rather than purchasing third-party subscriptions. Below is a representative comparison of select capabilities.
| Capability | Est. Vendor Cost | In-House Cost | Annual Savings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scalable software development | $[X] / project | Staff time | $[X] |
| Accessibility remediation (vendor) | $[X]–$[X]K | In-house sprint | $[X] |
| SSO / Entra integration consulting | $[X]K | In-house | $[X] |
| Hosting / server management | $[X]K/yr | In-house + infra cost | $[X] |
| CMS vendor support / development | $[X]/hr agency rate | In-house rate | $[X] |
Web Services currently administers grant funding for Internal Web Applications — institutional infrastructure that would otherwise require external procurement or remain unbuilt.
Grant Funding · Internal Web Applications ProgramRisk Management
Web Services actively manages institutional risk across accessibility law, cybersecurity posture, and system reliability. These are not discretionary — failures carry legal, reputational, and financial exposure.
| Risk Area | Status | Exposure if Unmanaged |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG 2.0 AA Compliance | In Progress | Federal ADA Title II liability; OCR complaints; legal costs |
| SSO / Identity Integration (Entra) | Active | Credential sprawl; unauthorized access; audit failure |
| Server Migration | Complete | Legacy infrastructure risk eliminated; improved reliability and security |
| System Uptime / Availability | Actively Monitored | Enrollment portal downtime during peak application periods |
Technical Scope
Web Services operates at the intersection of front-end user experience, back-end application development, and enterprise systems integration. The scope is broader than website maintenance.
Web Services owns and enforces institutional digital standards across una.edu — governing accessibility, design consistency, performance benchmarks, and content governance. These standards protect brand integrity, ensure compliance, and set a consistent experience for every user across every department.
150,000+ unique visitors per month across 9,300+ managed pages in 230+ top-level directories. Managed, maintained, and rebuilt entirely in-house.
Active integrations with Banner (ERP), Slate (CRM), and Microsoft Entra SSO. The team writes and maintains integration code, data mappings, and API connections that keep these systems synchronized.
Internal web applications built and maintained by the team. Each application addresses an institutional need that would otherwise require external procurement. Grant-funded development extends this capacity.
In-progress migration from Cascade CMS to WordPress — a platform decision with long-term cost, flexibility, and staff training implications across the entire university web ecosystem.
Modern Docker-based deployment architecture for development and production environments. Enables rapid iteration, consistent environments, and reduced deployment risk.
Active WCAG 2.0 AA remediation with April 2026 target. Systematic auditing, prioritized remediation, and training for content contributors across the university.
Team Capacity
Web Services delivers institution-scale impact with a small, highly capable team — making per-person output and cost efficiency among the most compelling arguments for investment in this department.
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Team size | 3 FTE | Developer + Director-level functions |
| Major Projects completed this past year | 5 | Server migration · Campus directory · Event calendar · Program page templates · Program finder |
| Tickets resolved / month | 77 avg. | Nearly 3× increase in demand with no additional headcount |
| Avg. ticket response time | [X] hours | Time from submission to first response |
| Peer institution avg. team size | [X]–[X] FTE | CUPA / EDUCAUSE benchmarks for comparable institutions |