Institutional Use of Vignette at the University of California, Los Angeles Greg Partipilo UCLA Portal Project Manager

Our Challenge “When the Web initially took hold at our institutions in the mid-1990s, the first order of business was to load and link useful campus content... The institutional Web grew as rapidly as a gold rush town, with an overall infrastructure and organization as chaotic as a shantytown. Departmental publishing led to a campus Web built around the existing organizational structure, requiring all users to know something of the institutional organization in order to navigate and use the campus Web.” -- Carl Jacobson, EDUCAUSE Review, UCLA has over 650 independent, publicly accessible web sites on campus – each having it’s own:  Look & feel  Navigation & presentation behavior  Content usually aligned to one particular box on the org chart An institutional web strategy using a portal was needed and Vignette’s software was selected.

Vignette Software Components VCM – Vignette Content Management Module  Content Data Base: text, pictures, media  Meta-data: roles, classifications, dates, audiences,  Workflow: content creator, approver, etc. VAP – Vignette Application Portal Module  User Interface for Content Management System (VCM)  Navigation Channels  Customization & Personalization  Application Portlets (JSR 168) VAB – Vignette Application Builder Module  Application development wizard for users

Institutional Portal Aspirations Configure a robust development and production environment Secure support from a proven product integrator (Neogent) Present all pages as part of a single institution  Consistent & predictable ‘reader’ experience  Uniform navigation & searching Give content owners control over the creation, maintenance, and organization of their content Empower non-technical content experts to create content without relying on technicians Share writing and publishing standards across the enterprise Accommodate persons with disabilities Provide full AIS Portal Team support to all participating areas Enable personalization Provide single sign-on Ensure applications, acquired or developed integrate with the portal

Implementation Approach 1.Complete a pilot - 4 B&A departments used the portal to replace 9 independent unit web sites in August  Consistent look and feel; integrated navigation  100 authors in Housing, Hospitality, HR & Buying  620 articles published according to Style Guide & Portal standards

Implementation Approach 2.Move on to develop content for the remaining B&AS units and UCLA homepage ( during FY 05/06 3.Replicate the approach to all other areas on campus as defined in the following content categories (ie., taxonomy)

Implementation Approach 4.Establish Campus Portal Editorial Board in Support of a Campus- Wide publishing model

Project Tasks for Participating Groups (Director) Assign a Content Manager to coordinate the overall effort Development an action plan to move off current site server(s) (Director & Content Manager) Convene a Content Development Workgroup (CDW) (Content Manager) Arrange for the CDW to receive a kick-off orientation (Workgroup) Define subject area & scope according to portal structure Review & inventory all current site content & applications Map out navigational structure to meet everyone’s needs Prepare a matrix including navigation, articles and authors (Content Manager) Schedule training class in using content development tools Work with portal team to set up system folders for navigation selected Develop internal workflow process for content development/review Request login IDs for all persons creating or reviewing articles Insure all author workstations have required resources

Project Tasks for Participating Groups (Development Team) Attend the training session (Content Manager) Work with portal team to develop landing pages Work with other CMs to synchronize interdependent content (Authors) Write content in accordance with Style Guide & Portal Toolkit resources (Local Editor) Optional Conduct initial edit in accordance with the Editor’s Checklist (Content Manager) Conduct final local edit in accordance with the Editor’s Checklist Insure that all news articles are fresh Insure that required URL redirects are in place Issue site announcement to clients as required Submit approved content to the AIS Portal Editors (AIS Portal Editor) Perform final review & publish submitted content

AIS Portal Team Support Centrally-managed server & software support Participate in all content workgroups as needed Publish time-sensitive or emergency content immediately Provide a 1-2 day turn-around publication of non-urgent content Offer on-site, online and remote training Screen articles against publication standards on an ongoing basis Coordinate all technical support tasks with Vignette & Neogent Support deployment of application portlets

Publication Workflow Author  Develop new article & related information  Confirm accuracy with subject matter expert  Notify local editor that article is ready for review & approval Local Editor/Content Supervisor/Content Manager  Review & edit text  Ensure compliance with standard templates, style guide, & policies  Check for broken links  Approve and notify Campus Editor that article is ready for publication Campus Editor (AIS Portal Team)  Proofread content against portal standards  Check links and technical components  Publish content to live site.

A Few Content Tips for Authors/Editors Understand the needs of the reader Identify the main message and key tasks Write as if you are speaking to a person in your target audience. Use meaningful titles, subheads, and lead-ins Be consistent Optimize for the search engine Track and update your contents Follow Style Guide & adopted standards in the Portal Toolkit

Portal Toolkit Resources for Authors/Editors Writing Guidelines Applying Best Practices for Grammar & Punctuation Creating An Article Editing An Article Formatting An Article Creating Chart, Checklist & Contact Box Templates