We use Drupal to manage content on the Carlson website. The website is a crucial tool for communicating with our stakeholders. It is often the first or only way that someone interacts with our school.
The school's Marketing & Communications team administers Drupal and gives access to faculty, staff and student workers to edit content on the site. Each department is responsible for managing their own content on the site. Together, Carlson website editors ensure the quality of our website.
Who Can Have Access to Edit the Carlson Website?
Each department at Carlson is responsible for updating and maintaining their own web pages. Carlson faculty and staff can use Drupal to edit their department’s web pages.
Student employees are also given access as needed if a faculty or staff member approves their access.
The MarComm team automatically gives all faculty members access to edit their faculty profile/bio.
Required Training for Editors
User training is crucial to ensure our websites are up-to-date with the latest features, branding guidelines, search engine optimization (SEO) requirements and digital accessibility standards.
All Drupal users are required to complete the Carlson Web Editor Training course via Canvas within 30 days of gaining access to Carlson’s website. The training is tailored based on individual user needs and job responsibilities. Depending on the modules you are required to complete, it will take approximately 1.5-2.5 hours.
The course covers many important topics, including digital accessibility. Digital accessibility is not just a best practice; it's a legal requirement that ensures everyone, including individuals with disabilities, can access essential information and resources without barriers.
If you do not complete the required training, your web editing access will expire after 30 days.
After you’ve completed the course, 1-1 training is also available. Submit the web edit request form and select Request type > Training. Someone will be in contact within 1 to 2 business days to set up a time.
Training for Faculty Profile Editors
For faculty who edit their profile page, there is a faculty profile guide that explains how to make changes.
Accessibility
Digital accessibility is important for people with disabilities to be able to fully access our content. You are responsible for ensuring the web pages you create in Drupal meet digital accessibility requirements and laws.
Carlson web page templates in Drupal have been designed for accessibility. Even though the templates are formatted for accessibility, you still need to use the templates appropriately to ensure compliance. The Carlson Drupal training course in Canvas includes a module about digital accessibility and explains how to create Drupal web pages in an accessible way.
It is incumbent upon you to ensure that the content and information being presented via the web can work with the end user’s accessibility tools. For example, ensure that images have proper alternative (alt) text, ensure that text is contained within the web page itself (i.e., it can be copied and pasted) vs. being put into an image/JPEG file that a screen reader cannot read, etc. Learn more about website accessibility.
User Responsibilities
In addition to the guidelines for maintaining a website, Drupal users are responsible for the following:
- Maintaining up-to-date and accurate content: Each department is responsible for maintaining and editing their content to be up-to-date and accurate. The MarComm team is available to help with content strategy. To request a meeting, submit a web edit request.
- Requesting to delete or add web pages: MarComm will create and delete web pages at the request of departments. Submit a web edit request to create a new page or delete an outdated page.
- Monitoring and compliance: Monitor your pages for broken elements and typos. The MarComm team has tools in place to help monitor the website for broken links, misspellings, accessibility issues, etc. The MarComm team has the right to update any page with an issue to ensure the quality of our site.
- Following brand guidelines and use approved templates: The Carlson Drupal platform has custom templates that match the school's branding and are designed for mobile phones. You must use those templates as they are designed. Many “flexible features” allow you to add content for your needs, such as headers, intro text, photos, featured blocks, etc.
- Ensuring accessibility compliance: The University requires that all digital content including websites must meet WCAG 2.1 AA accessibility standards. This is important to ensure our digital presence is inclusive and accessible to all users, including those who rely on assistive technologies. By creating accessible content, we improve the overall user experience for everyone visiting our website. All Carlson web page templates are formatted for accessibility, but it’s the responsibility of the user to use the tools appropriately to ensure compliance. The Carlson website training course explains in detail how to make digital content accessible.
- Letting MarComm know if you no longer need access: You are responsible for letting the MarComm team know if you no longer need access to Drupal. Email Molly Rhodes ([email protected]). The MarComm department will automatically remove users who leave Carlson.
- Letting MarComm know if a student no longer needs access: If a student in your department no longer requires access to Drupal, please notify Molly. Additionally, if you know the end date of their role when granting access, we can set an expiration date accordingly.
Website Edit Requests
If you need help making edits on the website or if you run into any issues, please submit a request:
- Small changes: Need to update a contact person listed on a page? Want to update a small amount of text on a page? Need to delete a page? Submit a web edit request. We aim to fulfill simple edit requests within 1 to 3 business days.
- Large changes: Want to add new pages? Want to rework the content on a page and need help? Submit a MarComm project request. We will contact you with next steps.
Support & Requests
The table below outlines the support that is available:
Topic | Status | Turnaround Time |
|---|---|---|
Small Website Edits | For simple changes, submit a web edit request. | Usually 1 to 3 business days |
Large Website Edits and Content Review or Strategy | Available for new sections or major updates. Submit a MarComm project request. | Requests submitted by noon on the dates that meetings are held will be reviewed that same day. We will follow up with you regarding your request within 3 business days after it has been reviewed. |
Training | Available via Canvas Carlson Web Editor Training course and 1:1 training as needed. | All web editors have access to the training course on demand. We will respond to 1:1 training requests within 3 business days to schedule a time. |
Troubleshooting | Most resources are available via the Carlson Web Editor Training course. | The course resources are available on Canvas on demand. Contact Molly if you are having trouble using the Drupal templates or if the site isn’t working. |
General Support | If your need is not covered by another item in this list, contact Molly. | Initial response within 3 business days |
Communications
The web team will send out notifications as needed via email to keep all stakeholders informed of important events, including updates, code freezes and other critical changes. These communications will ensure that everyone is aware of upcoming modifications, allowing for proper planning and minimizing disruptions. Please keep an eye on these notifications to stay up-to-date with the latest developments.