What you see is what you get:
New content management system to take www.rice.edu to the next level

BY ARIE WILSON PASSWATERS
Rice News staff

Managing a website can be daunting for people without information technology (IT) training, especially when computer code looks like the World Wide Web version of hieroglyphics to most users. But at Rice, those days are almost over. Within the next few weeks, Public Affairs will transition to a new, user-friendly content management system that will allow even Web novices to take control of material on their sites

Teaming up with Information Technology and Web Services, Public Affairs is helping move most of Rice’s Web content into CMS400, a development tool that will be the new university standard.

Sean Rieger, director of Web development for public affairs, said CMS400 is designed so that people with a basic knowledge of Microsoft Word will be able to work with the content on their websites.

“Anyone who knows how to use Word will be able to update their Web content,” Rieger said. “This is going give people the ability to take ownership and control over how and when the information on their website is updated. We want to get rid of those stale sites that haven’t been updated in months or longer, and this will help us do it.”

CMS400’s content area — also known as the WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) — displayed during editing appears very similar to what the actual site will look like, and gives the editor real-time content control. Along with the new WYSIWYG, content and pages will be more organized and users will have access to easy-to-create, properly branded templates.

While those who update the sites will notice the changes, people who visit Rice websites should not see much of a difference, Rieger said. What they’ll likely see, he said, is more timely, fresh information — the secret to a successful website.

“That’s why we’ve dedicated almost all of our resources to this project over the past few months,” said Rieger. “The idea is to do it right and to have a seamless transition.”

Jennifer Ongoco, a Web developer in public affairs who served as project manager for the transition, said the complex undertaking involved extensive collaboration with IT and Web Services.

“We knew from the start this was going to be a massive and lengthy process,” Ongoco said. “It was going to be a big task to move over thousands of folders, files and images from the previous content management systems to CMS400.”

With help from Web Services, they created a custom script and cut the lengthy process in half, she said.

The first phase of the transition will begin with the launch of CMS400. One change visitors will notice is a redesigned rice.edu home page, as well as a revamped news and media site (media.rice.edu). The new Rice News format will be based on a WordPress blog format that allows commenting on stories and social-media sharing.

The second phase of the launch will include sorting through and eliminating outdated content. Then departments will be asked to designate a point person to manage their site and keep their information up to date. Public Affairs will provide training so they are comfortable using the new system, Ongoco said.

In the heat of the transition, Public Affairs had to take on fewer website overhauls. “That’s not something we generally like to do.” Rieger said. “We’re looking forward to rolling out CMS400 and moving ahead with many other projects we have on tap. Moving to CMS400 was an ambitious project, but it will help us to better serve the Rice community in years to come.”

Over the past three years, the Public Affairs Web development team has created or upgraded nearly 140 websites, a process that, in conjunction with Web Services, has introduced more consistent branding to the www.rice.edu domain. The overhauls have improved design, functionality and content; added measurement systems to track traffic; and introduced social media and Section 508 compliance for disabled visitors. In addition, these sites are fully accessible on mobile devices. Traffic to rice.edu has increased by 50 percent during that time.

“Rice’s website is one of its major, and one of its fastest-growing, means of communication within its own community and with the outside world,” Rieger said. “We want people who visit rice.edu to have a quality, enlightening experience that reflects the quality and intellectual power of this institution.

“It’s always a work in progress, but progress we will.”