1. Overcoming the Departmental Site
Challenge:
How to Unify a University’s
Web Platform With Drupal 7
Toronto Drupal Summit: December, 2 2011
Jennifer Hols, Director of Sales & Marketing
imagexmedia.com/jennifer
@jhorocks
@jhorocks
Friday, 9 December, 11 1

2. Who Is IXM?
ü Started in 2001 in Vancouver, BC. Exclusively Drupal
since 2006. Presently specializing in Education, Non-
Profit & Media Publishing.
Friday, 9 December, 11 2

3. How We Got Involved in EDU
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
Friday, 9 December, 11 3

4. The Realization
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.
Friday, 9 December, 11 4

5. The Facts
SOURCE: Noel Levitz
2011 E-Expectations Report
Friday, 9 December, 11 5

6. 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.
Friday, 9 December, 11 6

7. 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.
Friday, 9 December, 11 7

8. Friday, 9 December, 11 8

9. http://www.pdx.edu
Friday, 9 December, 11 9

10. What We Built for PSU
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 capabilities
ü Syndicated news server to push content across some
or all sites.
Friday, 9 December, 11 10

11. Friday, 9 December, 11 11

12. Install Profiles / Deploying New Sites
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.
Friday, 9 December, 11 12

13. Branding Dashboard
Problem: "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
Friday, 9 December, 11 13

14. Style Guide / Templating System
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
@glennhilton
Friday, 9 December, 11 14

15. Syndication Server
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.
Friday, 9 December, 11 15

16. IXM is currently seeking EDUs interested in…
ü Updating or unifying their current web
infrastructure.
ü Taking a survey to provide insight on
your present needs.
www.imagexmedia.com/drupal-education
Friday, 9 December, 11 16

17. www.imagexmedia.com/drupal-education
@glennhilton
Friday, 9 December, 11 17

18. Overcoming the Departmental Site
Challenge:
How to Unify a University’s
Web Platform With Drupal 7
Toronto Drupal Summit: December, 2 2011
Jennifer Hols, Director of Sales & Marketing
imagexmedia.com/jennifer
@jhorocks
@jhorocks
Friday, 9 December, 11 18