function goSearch() {

	// get the searchterm by ID
	var searchTerm = document.getElementById('qt').value;
	// catch empty search
	var nonEmpty = /\w+/;
	nonEmpty.test(searchTerm);
	if(!nonEmpty.test(searchTerm)) {
		alert('Please supply a search term.');
		return false;
	}
	var searchurl="http://search.bu.edu/dept/query.html?qp=url:www.bu.edu/webcentral/learning/vista&qt="
	+searchTerm+"&col=main";
	window.location.href = searchurl;
	return false;
}