(Re) Design Project of UTEP Web CMS Recommendation Report by Steven Varela: Associate Director/Faculty for Academic Technologies

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1 (Re) Design Project of UTEP Web CMS Recommendation Report by Steven Varela: Associate Director/Faculty for Academic Technologies OVERVIEW The UTEP homepage has not been updated/redesigned in as many as 10 years. As a result, the navigation does not follow current practices and standards of web design in higher education, and the design is stale and out of date. One fallout of this neglect has been that individual units on campus have taken it upon themselves to create their own web sites with widely varying degrees of sophistication and quality in both content and design. The navigation is inconsistent throughout, and the university s identity and brand have been diluted, and in some cases, is non- existent. The initial goal was to identify an appropriate content management system (CMS) that is sustainable and flexible, that can be implemented campus- wide, and concurrently, develop a new information architecture (site map); agree upon naming conventions (including the use of subdomains) and develop policies to reflect that; create a new look with up to 3 levels of templates. As with any website, the design and content will need to continue to evolve as the needs of our users change and new technologies expand UTEP Web s possibilities. As a result, we have researched and evaluated both proprietary (Elcom, Terminal Four, and OU Campus) and open- source CMS solutions (Drupal, Joomla!, Wordpress). In addition, Academic Technologies reached out to Stanford, Harvard University, UMass, and UT Austin web teams to learn more about their open- source platforms, web development and management processes. Their feedback was considered in the final decision, as well as the concerns of both University Communications (granular permissions/analytics) and Enterprise Computing (security, installation, support and cost), along with the overall attributes of design, usability, and implementation across campus. We recommended Joomla! as UTEP s content management system for the university website an open- source solution for web development. With agreement from University Communications and Enterprise Computing, this will be the platform used for the UTEP Web. SELECTION PROCESS CMS s can be thought of as the "core" or "framework" of a website, serving as the backbone architecture that glues together a web page s text, images, URL path, links, etc. in a way that lets non- technical people manage the site without touching any code. We have been engaged in a research and evaluation process, which started with the development of criteria and an initial list of platform candidates.

2 A list of requirements for the CMS, includes, but is not limited to: Governance API Global Skin + Skin Lockdown Self Service Approval Workflows Granular Permissions Analytics Friendly URLS Load Balancing Redundancy Disaster Recovery Search Multiple Sites per Install Authentication with UTEP systems (AD, LDAP, SHIB, SAML) Modular and Customization of Modules Page Viewing Restrictions Mobile Adaptability/Responsiveness It has also been recommended the platform possess the following as must- have s: Comply with US Section 508 Must run on xnix or Windows Server Must have professional support from vendor Database must be SQL Server or Oracle database Any selected CMS would need to consider design and usability as well, as there are key attributes that need to be met: Engagement: If we are to win the support of our stakeholders, and increase their participation with the university, we must provide opportunities for engagement. Communication through news, multimedia, and relevant information is vital. By providing a suitable platform for these interactions, the university turns web visitors into advocates. Content management: To increase involvement and interaction with the site, the design team will develop home page and top- level pages (as far as we can go to departments and programs) that are richly, dynamically and freshly populated with content. We need a sophisticated content management system to do so. Adaptability/Responsiveness: Stakeholders access the university web from a growing range of devices. By leveraging principles of universal design, we can present a more

3 targeted experience to users with mobile devices, as well as those using a traditional browser environment. Branding alignment: Consistent and comprehensive identity guide. Permissions can be customized to allow for system admins., but also so that department s can update text (but not modify branding). Analytics: The content management system will need to employ tools and resources to better understand how well we are meeting our key metrics. NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Ten years ago, when the current iteration of the UTEP website was implemented utilizing the DNN platform, it made both managerial and fiscal sense for a proprietary system like DNN to be selected. There was no dedicated web- development or design team in place, so a standardized system was the best option given UTEP s resources and the immediacy needed to meet SACs accreditation standards. Unfortunately, ten years later, this has resulted in: 1. A stagnant, outdated university website in look and feel. Analytics provided by EC show that users of the UTEP homepage primarily do so only to go to the intra- net (My.UTEP). This is highly problematic when prospective students have been identified as a key audience. Feature stories, events, and calendar information are minimally accessed from the homepage as the current display template does not allow for vibrant, dynamic displays or design. 2. No consistent branding or identity guide. Because there was no web development team to provide oversight, design consistency, and functionality upgrades, many in the UTEP community broke away from the DNN platform, purchased their own servers, hired their own webmasters, and in some cases, paid 3 rd party design firms to create, host, update and maintain College and department websites. This has not only affected design, but also functionality, including versions of websites still active on major search engines (despite no longer used or containing correct information). 3. Fragmented or duplicated workflows. A common complaint from users of the current UTEP website is the need for various logins to access the various software needed to complete their processes and work. In other cases, Colleges and departments have spent additional monies to purchase software (despite it being available by others at UTEP) due to a lack of intra- net integration and university licensing agreements. 4. Minimal updates in functionality. The Directory is incorrect and is not current, lacks a system to ensure its validity and updates, and there is no consistent way to find faculty and staff on a college, departmental, and program level.

4 5. Search is not useful and not internally possible. Old webpages still appear on Google, including many previous versions when redesigns were implemented, and there is no way to search the UTEP site on its own. 6. Accessibility is very limited: The current UTEP website is not ADA compliant (US Section 508), nor is it mobile responsive. 7. Lack of comprehensive, usable analytics. The current UTEP website has a fragmented analytics structure, making it difficulty to disaggregate data and even sort through it to improve usability, design, and functionality. Utilizing Joomla! can not only address the needs noted above, but also provide the flexibility, usability, and customization attributes of modern web design, and a sustainable, flexible platform to change as quickly as technology and web communication does. In addition, this is an opportunity for UTEP to update and refine its processes of web development to utilize the current best practices, as well as become an innovator in web design for higher education. These are the main reasons we recommend Joomla!: Flexibility and Customization Perhaps the biggest benefit to using Joomla! is that open- source systems can become exactly what you want them to be. Seldom is massive customization available with a proprietary solution. This includes web application integration, databases, custom permissions, mobile responsiveness, and content management however, most important are the technology advances we haven t seen yet. Technology changes quickly, and we need to be able to evolve just as quickly. With a proprietary system, we change when they are ready, but with a platform like Joomla!, we control our own advancement. There is already a rich ecosystem of enhancements to the core platform- - smart people building some extremely useful extensions, and will continue to do so. If we want to do something trendy, there's a very good chance someone has already done it, or at least something close to it where our expertise can modify it to make it work for us. Many extensions are free, some are paid (although often surprisingly low cost). The paid extensions in particular often come with first- rate support. And if you can't find an extension that's (close to) what you want, you're no worse off than if you had a proprietary CMS. Permissions

5 University Communications is concerned that once custom designed templates are in place, staff in Colleges and departments would have access to change designs, thus foregoing any consistency and adherence to UTEP s identity guide. Joomla! allows for granular permissions, thus preventing any change to the design template. Identified site administrators in Colleges and departments would only have access to change text content, to make updates regarding information/content, and would not be able to alter the design template in any way. Academic Technologies would provide any necessary support, training, and further development to ensure design integrity and oversight. Analytics University Communications would also like comprehensive analytics to assess website usage, viability of design, etc. Currently, one would be hard- pressed to find anything more robust and easy- to- use than Google Analytics. In fact, most universities and the proprietary CMS we evaluated have simply incorporated this into their system. Joomla! has seamless integration of Google Analytics into their platforms. In addition, if Google eventually relinquishes their status as the leading provider, because Joomla! is an open- source systems, it will be able to incorporate any other analytics provider just as seamlessly. Security Enterprise Computing has concerns of open- source platforms being vulnerable to cyber- attacks, thus putting the university website at risk. It is important to remember that Open refers to the source code of the system, not the data you store in the system. If you execute the correct security procedures and/or plugins on your sites, data will be secure (E- Bay, which manages millions of monetary transactions on a daily basis, uses Joomla! for their enterprise solution, and even the White House uses an open- source CMS). Joomla! has plug- in solutions that effectively alleviate that risk. RS Firewall for Joomla! in particular has been used by Academic Technologies with great success as it has enabled tools such as: An on- demand scanner that checks file permissions, file changes and if you have the latest version of Joomla! and RS Firewall. This is an essential tool that will help identify potential security liabilities. A built in system log, so we can easily see if security relevant actions have been performed. As timing is essential when dealing with security issues, we can even set it to send an notification if a potential threat level is reached. Password- protect your administrator folder we can add an additional back- end password. This will be displayed before the usual Joomla! administrator login page. Spam protection for forms

6 Block brute- force attacks: we can utilize a captcha image for the administrator panel after a few unsuccessful attempts. If more drastic measures are required, we can even block individual IPs or entire IP classes. Lockdown the site: a lockdown mode that prevents new installations or the creation of other users with administrator rights. Database check: incorporates a feature that is designed to test each table. If something out- of- place is detected it will attempt to automatically fix them via standard MySQL fix/optimize functions. Alerts: sent whenever new releases for RSFirewall and Joomla! are available. In addition, Joomla! allows for versioning so that back- ups can be accessed immediately and implemented so there is minimal loss of time for restoration of site if needed. And finally, best practices of website development holds that sensitive information should never be housed on the university s website (can t damage anything, if there s nothing to damage). The reality is that no system is 100% secure, however, we are able to secure the platform, and with collaboration with UTEP Security, we could also help advise on a networking and server level as well. Stability Though seemingly counterintuitive, an open- source system is usually more stable than a proprietary system. If the single company managing the proprietary system goes under, what then? An open- source CMS, on the other hand, depends on the community for its stability. We would be in good company along the likes of Stanford, UT Austin, Harvard, and Cornell to name a few. Both Stanford and Harvard, in particular, have also both expressed willingness to collaborate and share due to our reaching out to them during the research phase of our CMS selection. Joomla! provides a familiar, mature development platform. If we ever needed to supplement our staff, we could hire or contract someone familiar with Joomla! immediately. The same cannot be said for any proprietary system (and the cost would be far greater to add additional services to a contract). Support The main marketing technique of proprietary CMS providers shows one major feature: they sell support. Support is a critical factor, but keep in mind that an open- source CMS is not without a support network. In fact, it can be a lot easier to get the help you need through the vast community of open- source developers. For Joomla! and

7 Drupal, we could also work with Open Scholar or Open Frameworks (both vendors currently work with Stanford and Harvard). Cost A commercial CMS can cost tens of thousands each year in licensing fees. Of course, it is not free to implement an open- source system, but it is much less expensive. In the open- source world, instead of relying on capital to fuel your CMS, UTEP would rely on tech- savvy personnel. Yes, such personnel may cost money, but the returns are generally a lot better, and the cost- savings from not paying for a platform perhaps is better invested in people, whose expertise will only grow and evolve as the technology does. A proprietary CMS can quickly become outdated, stagnant/ stuck and costly, as we saw with DNN, and the university would be beholden by contractual obligations. Usability Simplicity and ease- of- use is one of the most critical factors in selecting a CMS. People use open- source solutions (Joomla!), not only because of the ease of training, but also because of the flexibility it allows to consider and implement usable design and content management. In addition, with Joomla!, there are teams of accessibility professionals who are working on the major open source platforms to improve their accessibility, both on the front and back ends, at low to no cost. CONCLUSION: Joomla! will allow more flexibility and robustness of functionality. To develop a great website that will create value for UTEP, more than a plug- and- play, out- of- the- box solution is needed. The process for updating the site should be open and inclusive, bringing together and collecting feedback from university leadership, faculty, staff, students, visitors, and even alumni and donors. By engaging these audiences in the redesign process we will be better able to understand and address their needs, thereby making the site more useful, meaningful and sustainable for the long term. The Creative Studios area in Academic Technologies has expertise in Joomla! and open- source systems, and will oversee the building of templates and web programming on the selected platform, as well as provide any additional software, multimedia needs, or design needs, as well as being capable to provide training to identified staff who would need it.