YaleSites upgrade project update

    August 3, 2022

    Summary

    As previously announced, under the sponsorship of the Office of Public Affairs and Communication, Yale ITS is upgrading YaleSites, Yale’s web-publishing service. The YaleSites team will provide quarterly updates to keep the community aware of progress. Last quarter:

    • All YaleSites were reviewed to determine potential upgrade pathways based on size/complexity. We will reach out to Lead Administrators and site owners beginning this summer to start planning.
    • The team is engaging the community to raise awareness of platform benefits, determine specific user needs, and present demos. For details, see the Community Engagement section below.

    Details

    About the Project

    • YaleSites will upgrade from Drupal 7 to Drupal 9, a supported, secure, and accessible content-managed platform.
    • It includes an intuitive and flexible design platform, improving the authoring experience and providing a cohesive visual identity.
    • The project is scheduled to begin site migrations in early 2023.
    • Extensive training and resources will be available to site builders, authors, and editors.

    Benefits of the YaleSites upgrade:

    • Sustainability. Bi-annual updates keep YaleSites secure and accessible without the burden of future upgrades.
    • Structure. It combines ease of use with creative options, saving time and improving content.
    • Standardization. The upgrade will ensure Yale’s accessibility, usability, and identity standards across YaleSites.

    Project Status

    • The team is planning proof-of-concept sites, allowing real-world use of the new platform. The Yale community will be able to review and draw inspiration from these sites as they develop.
    • Resource pages are being created on the YaleSites website. Links to training and resources will be available over the next several months.

    Community Engagement

    • User experience focus groups are underway to determine platform refinements.
    • Stakeholder meetings and roadshows that review project goals, communication plans, and site demos are underway.
    • Site owners will review suggested migration paths and determine plans/timelines.
    • For less complex sites, the site owners and authors will be able to rebuild in the new platform.
    • For more complex sites, YaleSites will take the lead on the rebuild.Large sites may need an outside vendor.
    • Sites that are no longer active can be archived.
    • Site authors and editors recently attended content-related training sessions.
    • Additional training sessions will be offered this summer and fall.

    For more information, please visit the YaleSites Upgrade Program page.

    Questions

    Contact the YaleSites Team at YaleSitesUpgradeProgram@yale.edu.