Return to The CPFA Forum Opening PageThanks for your interest in the California Part-time Faculty Association.
Running an effective organization takes time. CPFA invites you to join us in this project. If you would like to help us improve the web site, read on. Whether or not you are technically adept in web page authoring, there is something that you can do.
Non Technical Help
The most important consideration in maintaining our site is to keep it current and accurate. That can be a challenge when dealing with volatile issues like AB 420. You can perform an invaluable service by volunteering to collect CPFA press releases, resolutions, official announcements by the Executive Council, timely e-mail from listservs as well as interesting articles culled from other sources. You need not be able to write the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML) necessary to display this material on line. Just gather the material and let another volunteer do the HTML coding.
You may have a great idea for a feature for the web site. Develop your proposal and send it to rsutter@cuesta.edu. Again, don't worry about HTML.
In designing a web site, accessibility is of the utmost importance. The site may be current and accurate, but these points are moot if no one can find the information. I encourage you to come up with layout suggestions that make The CPFA Forum easier to navigate and improve its look.
Internet? Ugh!!
If working with web sites doesn't appeal to you but you would like to help CPFA in other ways, please contact rsutter@cuesta.edu and share your ideas with us.
Technical Help
If you want to help write the HTML code, I welcome you. However, for the integrity of the web site, you need to have certain skills in authoring HTML. While there are numerous WYSIWYG HTML editors available to simplify the task of web authoring, many of them do not create valid code. Front Page and Microsoft Word's save as html option come to mind. For that reason, it's essential that you not rely exclusively on an HTML editor to create your code.
Before you upload your work to the server, check it with an HTML validator in addition to the internal "validator" that may be built in to your web editor of choice. I use WDG HTML Validator at www.htmlhelp.com/tools/validator
For the sake of consistency, the CPFA Forum pages follow certain conventions. Among them are the following:
Please look at the source code of this page and use it as a template. You will note that this page and many others use Cascading Style Sheets to suggest layout. While you don't have to use CSS, please don't remove it from an existing document without consulting me first since doing so may negatively affect layout.
In order to upload files to the web site, you must be able to use an FTP program . You will note that the main directory has separate sub directories for images, style sheets, articles on technology and so forth. Please maintain these conventions when you create or modify files. You will be given the FTP address, account name and password necessary to transfer files to the CPFA Forum once that you have been briefed and have demonstrated your understanding of the processes. This precaution is necessary to maintain the integrity of the web site.
When you update the web site, it's important that you always work with the most recent version of each file. To edit a file, always download it from the site; don't just open the copy of that file from your local computer on the assumption that no one else has modified the file since you saved it. If anyone has modified the file since you saved it, you will wipe out these modifications with your upload.
Final Thoughts
If any aspect of maintaining the CPFA Forum appeals to you, please contact me. I'll be glad to help you find a way for you to contribute to the development of our web site. As always, I solicit your comments and suggestions.
Ralph Sutter
CPFA Webmaster
