CNAV: A Unique Approach to a Web-Based College Information Navigator at Gettysburg College.

In 1997, Gettysburg College (Pennsylvania) deployed the CNAV (College Navigation) Web tool to allow the students' and the entire college community the ability to better navigate through its college's curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular offerings. CNAV is unique because, rather than treating the Web as a series of static pages, it treats the Web as a series of "puzzle pieces" that can be assembled into different views. CNAV remembers the particular interests (attributes) of every campus member and uses this information to draw the campus member's attention to pieces the individual would find interesting. Approximately 76% of faculty, staff, and students have used CNAV, and approximately 50% of the students and faculty use it frequently. CNAV currently runs on a Sun Sparcserver 3000, using an Oracle database and Netscape Commerce Server. A customized Excite search engine provides keyword searching on courses, people, and groups. The functionality of CNAV includes: course information, course information-editing tools, electronic reserves, communication, online course deficiency tool, privacy, interest tool, interest matching tool, personal information, online transcripts, surveys, campus events, campus-wide bookmarks, financial reports, e-mail aliases on the fly, fast e-mail access to student advisors, keyword and multiple condition search tools, group tools, customizability, appointment tracking tools, access logs, and high level overviews. Admissions, alumni, and advising modules are under