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School of Medicine IT

I Need a Site

The School of Medicine’s (SOM) website solution, managed by the SOM IT Web Team, provides professional, SOM-branded websites using the WordPress content management system. This solution presents a consistent and professional online presence that aligns with the School’s branding guidelines.

We provide departments, centers, programs, and labs the flexibility to design and build websites with little to no technical skills required. Our centralized approach saves staff time, as we manage software updates, security patches, and routine maintenance, while also offering new features, integrations, theme updates, and bug fixes — all at no cost.

1. Learn About the SOM Web System

Before requesting a site, review About the SOM Web System, Eligibility Requirements, and Web Standards and Policies.

These pages outline what types of sites are allowed, who is responsible for maintaining them, and the standards all SOM websites must follow.

2. Request a New Site

All new websites begin by requesting a new School of Medicine website. This request lets the Web Team know that a new site is needed and identifies the intended purpose, audience, and Primary Site Administrator.

3. Site Provisioning

Within a week of your site request, the School of Medicine Web Team creates and configures the site in the SOM WordPress system and assigns the Primary Site Administrator.

At this stage:

  • The site is not public and should not be shared beyond site editors or designated reviewers
  • The site is an empty shell with no content
  • The site exists as a staging space for content development until it goes live

After provisioning, the site is handed off to the Primary Site Administrator. It is the responsibility of the Site Administrator and content creators to build out the site’s pages, structure, and content following SOM standards and documentation.

4. Training

Before gaining access to a School of Medicine website, the Primary Site Administrator is required to attend the Introductory Web Training class. This ensures the person responsible for the site understands SOM standards, accessibility requirements, and core WordPress functionality.

Additional site editors can be identified and granted access during the site request process.

Training requirements by role:

  • Administrators – Required to attend the Introductory Web Training before access is granted.
  • All other roles (Editor, Author, etc.) – Strongly encouraged to attend the introductory training, but not required. Attendance is at the discretion of the Primary Site Administrator.

All site editors should reference the User Guide, which provides detailed documentation and best practices on topics introduced in training and extends beyond what was covered.

5. Plan Your Content and Site Structure

Great website content isn’t just well written, it’s well organized. A clear structure helps visitors quickly find what they need and makes your site easier to navigate and maintain.

Start by identifying the major topics of your website (for example: Research, Directory, Education, Services). These topics often become your main (top) navigation. From there, outline the pages that belong in each section, draft your content, and identify any images or supporting materials you’ll need.

Taking time to plan your site structure before building saves significant effort later. Thoughtful organization improves usability, supports accessibility, and reduces the need for rework. Sites that skip this step often end up with confusing navigation, duplicated content, broken links, and accessibility issues that must be fixed before launch.

6. Build Your Website

The Primary Site Administrator and content creators work together to build out the site while following School of Medicine standards, accessibility requirements, SEO best practices, and documentation.

As you begin adding content, focus on keeping pages clear, consistent, and easy to scan. Use headings to organize information, meaningful links to guide users, and clear calls to action where appropriate. Maintain consistent styling across pages by using the theme’s built-in styles.

This is usually the longest phase of the site timeline and often involves iteration, review, and refinement as content is developed and improved.

7. Request a Site Review and Launch

Before submitting a launch request, use the Site Launch Checklist to ensure your site meets required standards. When the site is believed to be ready for public viewing, the Site Administrator submits a request for a site audit and launch, which alerts the Web Team that the site is ready for review. Reviewing the checklist in advance reduces delays and helps streamline approval.

8. Pre-Launch Review

The Web Team reviews the site using the site launch checklist to ensure it meets SOM requirements, accessibility standards, and best practices.

9. Address Issues

The Site Administrator and content creators resolve any issues identified during the pre-launch review. Once updates are complete, the site is ready to move forward.

10. Website Launch

The Web Team launches the site, making it publicly accessible. At this point, the site becomes visible to visitors and search engines, and URLs can be shared.

11. Post-Launch Maintenance

A website is never truly finished. After launch, continue to review and update content to keep it accurate, accessible, and current. Sites that are not properly maintained may be flagged for review or taken offline.