The New KU website CMS built in Drupal

The university's web presence presently comprises more than 500 sites, maintained by more than 50 web developers and administered independently. While most sites are housed on KU's central IT web servers, a significant number are hosted elsewhere. As a result, the university has a fragmented web environment that does not serve users as well as it could — or should.

KU must have a better web environment in order to compete for new students and faculty, to serve the university's daily operational needs, and to be managed effectively and efficiently by web administrators here on campus.

The university has begun the process of making the KU web site not 500 unique sites bound together only by a common domain, but a user-based site with consistent navigation, nomenclature and architecture, and a persistent and polished brand identity. To achieve that goal, the university will:

• Develop a Web content management system (CMS) utilizing Drupal software. A CMS is a web based tool that allows web administrators to edit content, add or delete pages, add images, photos and video and optimize the site for the search engines.
• Design web templates and modules utilizing responsive design so the university can establish a comprehensive mobile web presence without creating a separate mobile site.

The CMS is now in early development stage with plans for templates, training classes and other information to facilitate implementation to be made available later in 2012.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is the new CMS mandatory?
   Eventually. While all units are not required to immediately convert once the templates are available, the next redesign or update to your site must utilize the CMS templates. Plan on converting your site within two years.
2. May I seek an exemption?
   We recognize sites at ku.edu are designed with specific audiences and needs in mind. However, the usability and value of your site will be enhanced by being part of the consistent CMS environment. Deans or directors who want to seek an exemption or conditional postponement may submit a request to the Office of Public Affairs at the appropriate time.
3. Why Drupal?
   After reviewing the top CMS systems geared towards higher education, it was determined that Drupal, due to its popularity and customizability, would be the best product to meet these goals and technical requirements . Drupal is presently in use by 71 out of the top 100 universities in the U.S. Drupal training sessions will be made available.
4. Does the new CMS support mobile?
   Yes. The new CMS, by utilizing responsive design, will eliminate the need for a separate mobile site for your web site presence.
5. Our websites use a third party developer/host. Can we still use them or do we have to move to the CMS?
   You may fulfill your contract. However, your unit should plan to convert to the CMS environment — and utilize KU's central servers — once your contract expires.
6. What does the new template look like?
   The new template is in the design stage. Prototype pages utilizing the new template will be posted on this site as soon as they are available.
7. What content will be provided centrally via the CMS?
   Drupal modules that allow data to be pulled from a central source will be offered. This is similar to widgets presently available at webtools.ku.edu. A list of modules that will be available in the initial phase will be released. A selection of optimized images also will be made available though units may continue to post their own image content.
8. What can I do now to get ready for the CMS?
   We recommend you begin to audit your current site by categorizing existing content and analyzing it. For example, determine what pages are generating no traffic now and do not need to be maintained. Also, look for instances where you are duplicating efforts, such as posting course information instead of drawing that information via a centrally provided widget or module. This is an opportunity to start fresh and cull your site so it is compact and easier to maintain. One functional goal of the CMS will be to track when sites are updated and to alert web administrators when pages are due for content updates or to be deleted. More information and guidance on completing the technical conversion will come later.
9. What is the timeline?
   Our work schedule calls for completing the programming of templates and administrative sites by March. 23. However, the templates will not be available immediately on that date but later in 2012.
10. What will I have to do to put my site on Drupal? Is it automatic?
    No, it will not be automatic. You will have to manually rebuild your site. However, once you do that and utilize modules that feed centrally provided and updated information, it will be far easier for you to maintain your site and keep it current. This also provides you with the opportunity to cull from you site old information or pages that have no longer have utility.
11. How much flexibility will I have in navigation and design?
    A good university web environment does not contain a myriad of varying designs, inconsistent nomenclature and navigation schemes. Rather, our goal is to make the university site seamless — from unit to unit -- from the user perspective. Thus, the new CMS will have some mandated navigation architecture and design standards. However, there will be ample space for each unit to personalize its content to serve its particular needs.
12. Will there be training in Drupal?
    Yes, Information Technology will provide Drupal training sessions.