For investigative prospective students, NIU is no further away than a click of a mouse.

NIU’s virtual tour has a new and improved look and will be handed over to the Office of Public Affairs after May 1. Dan Turner, assistant director of orientation and technology coordinator, developed the virtual tour in 1999.

Turner redeveloped the tour as part of his position’s responsibilities. Turner also recruits, selects and trains NIU’s orientation staff.

The tour was revamped because of needed changes in campus information and accessibility, Turner said.

It has a new look and feel, which matches the look and feel of the NIU home page, and is easier to navigate, Turner said.

The campus portion of the tour includes 42 different sites, which are accessed through an interactive campus map where users click on various buildings throughout the NIU campus and are linked to more information about the buildings and their departments, Turner said.

The other part includes information about NIU traditions. This portion discusses campus legends, stories and important landmarks, Turner said.

It is now the norm for students to use the Internet as their primary tool for researching schools. Without Internet access, it is harder for prospective students to find information about a school’s services, he said.

Sophomore accountancy major Amanda Born said she mostly searched online when she was looking for schools.

“Me and my friends would always go online and check out the different sites,” Born said. “It’s more beneficial than seeing it from a pamphlet.”

But the virtual tour’s services are not just for prospective students, as they provide interesting information for current students as well.

“There’s a lot of history at Northern and many students don’t know about it,” Turner said. “This may help to develop some pride in Northern.”

Turner shaped the new tour with the help of his wife, Rachel, as well as graduate assistants and undergraduate students such as sophomore communication major Jason Brokaw.

Brokaw learned a lot about NIU while updating the tour. The information could help students make a connection to the university’s programs, history and stories, he said.

To view the virtual tour, visit www.niu.edu/virtualtour.