FastInfo, the UNM online information knowledge database, is splitting in two on Sunday.
The current FastInfo will remain online but will offer information relevant only to staff, faculty and retirees. A Web site called StudentInfo, at StudentInfo.unm.edu, will contain information specifically for students.
Vanessa Baca, spokeswoman for Information Technology Services, said that by separating the information, students and faculty can quickly find the information they need.
The FastInfo site is a Web service linked to UNM's main page that helps students and employees find information when they need it.
Danny Lee, a UNM technical support analyst, is leading the project to separate the sites.
Lee said ITS received feedback from users asking to separate information for students from information for faculty and staff. He said ITS has been reorganizing the FastInfo system for about three months.
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"We wanted to give a better service, particularly to the students," he said.
Lee said that by serving staff and students, the Web site was suffering from the "Google effect," in which students have to sift through too much information to find what they need.
Patricia Madrid, a UNM junior, said she is glad student questions will be given their own site.
"I have had problems getting a response to my FastInfo requests," she said.
Lee said that at any university, good service can be limited when there are not enough people to handle an influx of questions. He said Web sites can often fill that gap.
"We wanted to provide an information service on a 24/7 basis," he said. "So a student that wants information at three in the morning doesn't have to wait until the next day. They can look it up right away."
FastInfo is intended to be a searchable Web site that contains small chunks of information that apply to specific questions that students and employees have, Lee said.
Connie Kee, a UNM senior, said FastInfo has proved to be convenient when she needs information about her financial aid.
"I usually just go on there first and see if I can get my questions answered instead of going to the office," she said.
Lupe Atencio, a UNM staff member, said she often uses FastInfo when she has questions for Human Resources or ITS.
"I like to use the department index so I don't have to scroll through so much information," Atencio said.
Lee said the transition from one Web site to two should allow FastInfo and StudentInfo to expand and offer answers to more questions.
Baca said the change will make students' lives easier.
"There may be some initial confusion about where to go in the beginning, but eventually, as people start to understand how to use StudentInfo, we will be able make the new site their one-stop," she said.
