Facts and Questions

What is a CMS?

CMS stands for Content Management System. This is software that will give those who create or manage Web content the tools they need to create and maintain their content information in one place.

For example, currently if a course description changes, several people must make the change on multiple places, which becomes a time-consuming and error-prone process. The CMS will allow a content creator to make one change is a single place, which will automatically appear wherever that information is needed. So content will be consistent and accurate throughout the Web site. (see diagram)

What are “Templates” within the CMS?

Templates organize the official parts of a page, including logo usage, headers and footers so that they comply with University policy. They also provide consistent navigation to and from your pages. Templates also provide “layouts”, which will enable the Drake sites to have a consistent, professional branding, within which each school, department or organization Web managers can maintain individuality to reflect the needs and expectations of the area’s constituency. (see diagram)

What is a portal?

A portal brings together all the online services a Web user needs into a single place. The portal system knows what information to provide based on the user’s sign-on.

There can be as many different portals as we care to create for different classes of users: prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, schools and colleges, etc. For example, a student portal will have access (among other things) to MyDUSIS, to the Cowles Library site, and their Drake e-mail, without having to log in multiple times as they do now. Users will be able to make some individual choices about the things they are interested in seeing. (see diagram)

Why does Drake need a CMS and portals?

This project is a key to the long-term health and vitality of the university. It is imperative to strengthen our web presence so that we continue to attract the most-qualified new students, while at the same time providing state-of-the-art customized services and information to current students and their parents.

Internally, the project will reduce time spent on maintenance of web pages, while improving the quality and accuracy of information provided to all audiences. Academic and administrative units will have more local control of content and the manner in which it is published to the web. It is easy to integrate Banner data into the portals.

Can both Mac and PC users use the CMS?

Eventually, yes. Due to a software issue, currently only PC users are able to convert to the new system. However, Macs will be supported by the software soon and should continue to make preparations to switch over – including taking part in content management discussions.

What is the timetable?

There are two parts to the project: the Content Management System (CMS) and the Portal System.

The CMS implementation is underway. The first pages will be converted to the new system during the winter 2006, with more pages going switching over thereafter. The first pages will come from PC users, with Mac users following in the summer

Given the thousands of pages on the Drake sites, the speed of changeover will depend on the academic and administrative units themselves. The long-term goal is to convert all “official” pages (those containing information for which the university is responsible). The many “unofficial” pages (personal pages, student organizations, etc.) are not within the scope of the project.

What is the impact on me?

For users, the CMS ensures that the information on the Web site is easy to find, current and accurate. The portal allows you to take full advantage of all Drake’s online services from one location and eliminates the need to login several times to reach different services during a single session.

For Web content creators and managers, it creates an environment that allows you to create, maintain and manage your content more easily, while complying with University policies.

Should I stop working on my current web site?

No. You should continue to keep your content up to date and fresh as always, although this is not the time to start a redesign – that can be done more easily within the CMS.

In preparation for the CMS, members of each unit has been considering what content they have on their site and how that content is managed– that is, where does content come from, who puts it online and how they do that, and how it is updated. As the implementation proceeds many more people will become involved in the creation, publication and management of content. (See “Who is running the project?” below.)

This applies to both Mac and PC users. Although the Mac version is delayed, it is important for colleges, schools and departments that use primarily Macs to continue to participate in ongoing training and planning. When Mac support becomes available, they will be ready to implement the CMS for their sites.

Who is running the project?

The Executive Sponsors of the project are the members of the DUSIS and Administrative Information Technology Committee (DAITE):
Ron Troyer (co-chair) Provost
Vicky Payseur (co-chair) Vice President of Business and Finance
John Willey Vice President of Institutional Advancement
Tom Delahunt Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid
Susan Ladd Director of Student Financial Planning
(representing the DUSIS Team Leaders)
Paul Morris Chief Information Officer

The project is being led by a Project Team:

Brooke Benschoter (co-chair) Director of Marketing and Communications
Paul Morris (co-chair) Chief Information Officer
George Miller Director of Network and Technical Services
Angela Embree Director of Campus Information Systems
Jeremy Sievers Director, Web Communications


Web Policy Committee
The Web Policy Committee is playing a very active role in representing their units in implementation planning and execution. It is also revising the University’s Web Policy and Procedures to reflect the new systems, and the revised policy will go to senior University management for approval. (See Web Policy Committee Page for Members)

Is participation mandatory?

Yes. All official Web pages from Drake schools, colleges, departments and organizations will need to comply with the University Web Policies and Procedures. That document, currently under revisions, ultimately will require use of university and area templates and layouts, consistent navigation between major sites and a footer containing copyright and last-revision date information. It will also be a requirement that official information used by several areas be maintained made in a single place, and published to its users as required. The Policy likely will include review of all official pages at least once a year, with appropriate changes made and an update to the last-revision date.

The simplest way to meet those policy requirements will be by using the CMS.

The goal of the project is improvement. The function of individual area sites will be improved rather than impeded. The Web Policy Committee, the project team and DAITE are dedicated to making this a smooth transitions and handling any problems as they arise to the best possible satisfaction of all parties.

Who is participating?

All areas who provide content to official Web pages will eventually participate. Those who create or manage Web content will be trained and given support as the project progresses. Currently, a small number of people from each area on campus are working to get the first pages converted.

Over time, more people will become involved as more pages are converted. One of the strengths of the CMS is that it has easy-to-use tools that allow the schools, colleges and departments to create their own Web pages rather than relying upon outside sources for creation, maintenance and publishing.

Marketing and Communications, for example, create template and layouts, but individual areas will control their own content.

I am a Dream Weaver (or FrontPage, etc.) user. Can I still use that?

The CMS has an easy-to-use- WYSIWYG interface for creating content, and the University and unit templates and layouts will make arranging content on the page easy. Those who wish to continue using their present page-creation tool can do so, but they will have to cut and paste their HTML code into the window of CMS editor.

What types of training and technical support will be available for users?

The vendor has a “System Fundamentals” training session which shows how content creators, content managers and site managers (the three roles in the CMS) perform their tasks. Peggy Steinbronn, instructional technology specialist in OIT, is handling this type of training for the Web project. She can be reached at x4510 or peggy.steinbronn@drake.edu.

We will also be providing seminars on the principles of creating attractive web pages, which will go beyond “how to I create content in the CMS?” to the more interesting question of “how do I design my page before I start entering the content?”

When we have completed arrangement, we will make an announcement.

If you have a question about an individual page, contact Jeremy Sievers, Director of Web Communications, at x2795 or jeremy.sievers@drake.edu.