Help Using This Web Site
This web page will serve as a guide to using the NLU web site so that your experience with us will be the very best it possibly can. Any institution's web site serves as its digital campus, a virtual representation of its culture, setting and offerings. NLU's web site is no different. It is our mission to serve our students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends with the highest level of support when visiting and browsing our web site.
At any point during your visit with us, if you have any questions or encounter any problems while browsing, please feel free to contact us for help.
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Browser Requirements
During your visit, you may be offered content in different formats, such as downloadable documentation and forms in Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat files. These file types do require the appropriate software to view once downloaded, such as the Adobe Acrobat reader or Microsoft Word. The NLU web site is best when viewed with the latest version of the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator web browsers. This web site was developed using the World Wide Web Consortium's Hypertext Transfer Protocol Document Type Definition version 4.1. Older web browsers may not support this HTML DTD, thus the web site and its pages may not be displayed correctly on your computer. Microsoft, Netscape and Apple all offer their latest web browsers free of charge and make updates available on their web sites. To check the version of your web browsing software, please see your web browser's user documentation.
To download the most recent versions of the most popular web browsers, please visit a link below:
The NLU web site is platform independent and will work on any operating system using the latest internet web browsers.
Monitor / Screen Resolution Recommendations
The NLU web site was developed for screens sized at 1024 x 768. The graphical layout, text, images and links comprising the NLU web site are viewed best at this screen size or larger, though it is not required to view the NLU web site. If the layout of a page on this web site causes you to scroll horizontally to see the entire contents of a page as you browse, you may consider changing your screen dimensions to a larger setting, such as 1024 x 768.
The graphical elements and hexadecimal colors used on the NLU web site are best viewed with your computer monitor's color settings configured to display in the millions of colors. Though this is not required, it is recommended for the best possible browsing experience. A lower setting, such as 256 colors, will not alter the way the web site is displayed though it may result in detailed graphics such as photographs to appear distorted.
To change your computer's screen dimensions, color settings and resolution, please see your operating system's user documentation or visit the National-Louis University Virtual Technology Resource Center web site for tutorials on this topic as well as many other personal computing functions.
Internet Connection Recommendations
The NLU web site is designed to load quickly on any type of internet connection. A dial-up internet connection of 56k will work well to load pages, images, links and text, but if you wish to access some of the more interactive features of the web site, such as campus virtual tours, video files, larger documents such as the Student Guidebook and Faculty Guidebook, a broadband internet connection is recommended. A DSL connection of 300k or a cable modem connection of 800k will allow you to access these features much faster and more easily. For example, if you were to access a PDF file that is 5 megabytes, it could take up to three minutes to download to your computer from the NLU web site. If you were to access this same file from a broadband connection such as a DSL or cable modem connection, the download time would decrease significantly. Sometimes, with a dial-up connection, accessing a larger file on our web site may cause your internet connection to time out, resulting in a partial download. Though not required, a broadband connection is recommended as the NLU web site is designed and optimized for all connection types including dial-up internet connections.
Browsing Tips and Hints
The NLU web site is divided into five major audience categories. The content of the web site is optimized and gathered for these five categories. Previous versions of the NLU web site required users to navigate through the hierarchical directory structure of the web site to find the information they were looking for. A prospective student was forced to navigate through the entire web site's content to find the resources they need as were current students, faculty & staff, alumni and visitors. It was very difficult to find useful information in a timely manor. The previous version of the NLU homepage contained 120+ links, making it difficult to find the direct course to pertinent information.
The NLU homepage now contains five main links, Resources for Prospective Students, Resources for Current Students, Resources for Faculty & Staff, Resources for Friends & Visitors and Resources for Alumni & Development. Each of these five links takes the user to a page containing optimized content for the respective audience. For instance, the Prospective Students section contains all of the information a new incoming student will need to get started at NLU. The Faculty & Staff section contains contents NLU faculty & staff will need to be productive with their visits to the web site, including links to banner, academic areas of the site and much more.
When your visit begins, select the audience group that best suits you. From that point on the web site, you will gain access to all of the information and resources available on the NLU web site. This area will serve as your homepage. From here, you will have access to all of the web resources you will need. If at any time during your visit, you have a content suggestion for your respective area of the web site, please feel free to contact the NLU webmaster with your comments and questions.
If you cannot find the information you are seeking during your visit, you may search the NLU web site by using our site search tool. If you are looking for information regarding NLU's degree and program offerings, you may use our Academics area for specific information regarding degrees and programs. Any other questions or comments may be directed to the NLU webmaster.
