Jenny Hols' Education Case Study-DBS 2011

Overcoming the Departmental Site Challenge:

How to Unify a University’s Web Platform With Drupal 7

Jennifer Hols, Director of Sales & Marketingimagexmedia.com/jennifer

@jhorocks

Toronto Drupal Summit: December, 2 2011

@jhorocks

1Friday, 9 December, 11

ü Started in 2001 in Vancouver, BC. Exclusively Drupal since 2006. Presently specializing in Education, Non-Profit & Media Publishing.

Who Is IXM?


Locally in 2007 - Delta School District

o Wanted an effective online community tool.o Faced funding challenges and declining enrollment.o Wanted multi-language support.o Needed an easy to use CMS suited for future growth

How We Got Involved in EDU


ü Since then we’ve had further opportunities: ASU, UCSF, UC Berkeley, NPC, VSB, BCIT, UBC & Others

ü Sites that are easy to manage, scalable, customizable BUT don't cost a fortune to maintain!

ü Discovered a BIG need within EDU for better looking and better working websites.

The Realization


The Facts

SOURCE: Noel Levitz 2011 E-Expectations Report


ü Your 2011 Student Enrollment x 17% = # of students that discounted your school just because of your website.

ü 57% of parents may chose another school over yours because of your website.


Majority of Higher Eds Run

ü Duplicated effort to manually update content on platforms that don’t interact.

ü Wasted costs in technical staff maintaining content that non-technical people could easily do with the right tools.

ü Spending more than necessary to train & support the specialists required to manage all the different platforms.


http://www.pdx.edu


http://www.pdx.edu

http://www.pdx.edu

ü System can power 1 to an infinite number of

websites, unifying multiple websites on one single platform.

ü Site admins can create new sites with a few clicks of a button

ü Powerful theming & branding capabilitiesü Syndicated news server to push content across some

or all sites.

What We Built for PSU


Problem: "How can we minimize the time required to implement and configure new sites and integrate them with the existing platform?" Challenge: Need to add new fully-functional sites quickly and easily.

Solution: Create install profiles, layout and configuration options.

Install Profiles / Deploying New Sites


Branding DashboardProblem: "Departments are going in all sorts of directions in terms of design and it’s difficult to maintain a unified brand.”

Challenge: Need for consistent branding university wide.

Solution: Create a flexible theme platform wide


Style Guide / Templating System

@glennhilton

Problem: "Template layouts are boring and don't allow for uniqueness or for departments to properly highlight and showcase what they do.”

Challenge: As a department, need for unique identity.

Solution: Create a number of customizable layouts


Problem: "How can we disseminate content across the university, or across certain sites, from one location and easy to use system.”

Challenge: Need easy, flexible way to update content across some or all sites. Solution: Phase I - Rebuild of the syndication server.Phase II - Content from sites to server.

Syndication Server


ü Updating or unifying their current web infrastructure.

ü Taking a survey to provide insight on your present needs.

IXM is currently seeking EDUs interested in…

www.imagexmedia.com/drupal-education


http://imagexmedia.com/drupal-education


www.imagexmedia.com/drupal-education

@glennhilton




Overcoming the Departmental Site Challenge:

How to Unify a University’s Web Platform With Drupal 7

Jennifer Hols, Director of Sales & Marketingimagexmedia.com/jennifer

@jhorocks

Toronto Drupal Summit: December, 2 2011

@jhorocks


Jenny Hols' Education Case Study-DBS 2011

Technology

Transcript of Jenny Hols' Education Case Study-DBS 2011