How This Website was Built:
Assessment.arizona.edu evolved from a PHP-intensive site with large amounts of custom code to a fully-fledged content-management system using Drupal 5, then Drupal 6.
It currently allows over 75 users representing every academic program and service unit on campus to contribute content used for accreditation and assessment reviews. In addition, conference and workshop registrations, surveys and document distribution are readily available using Drupal modules which require only minor amounts of configuration rather than complex code generation.
The "look and feel" aspects of the site were also easily updated as the site was moved from the previous systems into the possibilites of Drupal theming. There was some discussion with UA administrators and program directors over page layout, menu configurations and the positioning of required content elements, all of which were easily manipulated for a custom theme which offers a consistent presentation for the varied units .
User satisfaction and productivity seem to have greatly increased with the cleaner and more contemporary appearance of this latest version of the site. After workshops with small groups as well as conference presentations, site-specific help pages were developed to further enhance the utility of the site for the content providers.
Website: http://assessment.arizona.edu/
Type of Site: Department
Status: Live
