If you work within Sitecore, SMU’s Content Management System for the web, you’ve probably heard about new design templates being designed and implemented across all SMU web pages to improve the look and feel of our web presence as well as improving accessibility for those using assistive technologies. We’d like to provide you with an update on how the conversion to these new “Cornerstone” templates is going!
Currently, over 5,500 pages have been moved to the new templates. Another 5,000 are in the planning stages. Some great-looking examples of these new pages include the Dedman School of Humanities & Sciences, the SMU Police Department, the Dedman School of Law, and more recently the Simmons School of Education & Human Development. These sites show how the new Cornerstone templates make pages more readable, engaging, and much easier to edit. This conversion work continues with the Perkins School of Theology, SMU-in-Taos, and Enrollment Services in the coming months.
As part of this multi-year endeavor, OIT’s web team has also been ramping up individual consultation and instruction sessions. As of today, 37 sessions have been delivered to web editors across campus, further improving the Sitecore experience for the community. With all of these major projects currently in-flight, new project requests are currently in a holding pattern so they may be tackled once our new web design standards are completely in place.
If you have any questions regarding your SMU web page(s), contact the IT Help Desk at 214-768-HELP or help@smu.edu and we’ll be happy to help. We are excited to bring all of the great new features that Sitecore has to offer to all of our web pages soon!
