UC Riverside is completing its transition to a new website content management system that will result in campus web pages with a consistent look and are easier to update.

By June 30, websites on the Omni Update platform can no longer be edited or updated with new content. Acquia Cloud Site Factory, which uses the Drupal platform, is now the university’s supported content management system, which allows users to organize, create, edit, and publish websites.

Information Technology Solutions and University Communications announced the transition in early 2018. Acquia is already used at UC Davis, UCLA, UC San Francisco and the UC Office of the President. 

The Drupal platform is designed for rapid deployment, has more robust features, and is easier to update, said Kelly McGrail, UCR’s director of digital marketing and analytics.

 “We wanted a content management system that allowed people to go in and build their own site,” she said. “Every profile is up to design standards. They’ll look better in desktop and mobile.”

The system is template-driven, which provides a consistent look to all UCR webpages, McGrail said.

As part of the transition, ITS and University Communications hope to consolidate about 1,200 websites, some of which are outdated, not needed, or no longer maintained. About 900 of those used Omni Update.

As of late April, 148 sites had moved to Drupal while 112 were in the process of doing so. About 560 sites will be eliminated while ITS and University Communications are trying to reach the owners of another 134 sites.

Website owners who need to move to the new platform should contact Michelle Tabula in ITS, McGrail or the site factory manager in their unit to start the change. More information and training resources are available at websites.ucr.edu.