How the USI Website Organizes Information by Audience Type

The University of Southern Indiana (USI) website uses an audience-first navigation model: the homepage asks "What brings you to USI today?" and routes you into one of five audience paths — prospective student, current student, employee, alum/community member, or parent/family member. Choosing the right path is the fastest way to reach relevant content, because each path surfaces a different set of links (admission steps, program search, tuition and aid, student resources, and so on) rather than one generic menu for everyone.

The five top-level audience paths

The homepage's "Select Your Audience Type" prompt lists these options:

If you are unsure, start with the path that matches your relationship to the university today; the prospective-student path is the one most visitors need.

How the prospective-student path splits further

Selecting "I'm thinking about USI" opens a second question — "Which path fits you best?" — with five options:

• Undergraduate — first-time and general bachelor's-seeking students
• Graduate — master's and doctoral applicants
• Transfer — students bringing credits from another institution
• Adult Learning & Online — adult and online learners
• International — international applicants

This second split matters because admission requirements, deadlines, and support services differ by student type. Picking the wrong one can send you to instructions that don't apply to your situation.

What each path is designed to surface

The homepage and its link groups point to several recurring destinations. The audience you choose determines which of these are emphasized:

• Explore Programs — the academic program search ("Find your program"), where you type a subject to locate degree offerings
• Admission Process — application steps for your student type
• Scholarships & Aid and Tuition & Fees — cost and funding information
• Student Life and Living Here — housing options and campus involvement
• Academic Support — tutoring, academic coaching, and study strategies
• Career Readiness — career preparation resources

Current students and employees see a different emphasis: links such as IT Support, Human Resources, USI Forms, the tutoring schedule, and library resources appear in their navigation rather than admission content.

A practical way to use the site

1. On the homepage, answer the audience prompt with your current status.
2. If you chose the prospective-student path, pick the student type that matches your situation (for example, Transfer if you already have college credit).
3. Use "Find your program" to search for your intended major, then follow the admission and tuition links for that program and student type.
4. If you are a parent, use the family path to reach the same admission and cost information without sorting through employee or alumni links.

The main pitfall is skipping the audience prompt and landing on content meant for a different group — for example, following freshman admission steps as a transfer or international applicant. If a page seems to describe requirements that don't fit you, return to the audience selector and choose a different path.