{"id":15334,"date":"2026-02-09T14:13:51","date_gmt":"2026-02-09T19:13:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/?page_id=15334"},"modified":"2026-02-11T10:21:32","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T15:21:32","slug":"about-the-som-web-system","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/getting-started\/i-need-a-site\/about-the-som-web-system\/","title":{"rendered":"About the SOM Web System"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Medicine (SOM) Web System is a centrally managed WordPress platform designed to support departmental, program, center, and lab websites across the School of Medicine. It provides a shared technical foundation, consistent design, and built-in accessibility and security features to ensure SOM websites are reliable, and compliant with University standards.<\/p>\n<h2>Features<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Free<\/b> website and hosting.<\/li>\n<li><b>Easy-to-use editing interface <\/b>\u2014 no HTML knowledge required.<\/li>\n<li><b>SOM-branded theme<\/b> for consistency.<\/li>\n<li><b>Responsive and accessible theme<\/b> that functions on all devices.<\/li>\n<li><b>Free training &amp; documentation<\/b> for site editors.<\/li>\n<li><b>Dedicated support team<\/b> for technical assistance.<\/li>\n<li><b>Data backups<\/b> for site security.<\/li>\n<li><b>Routine code updates<\/b> for performance and security.<\/li>\n<li><b>Analytics<\/b> for site optimization.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Eligibility<\/h2>\n<p>Before requesting a site, review <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/web-standards-policies\/eligibility\/\">eligibility requirements<\/a><\/strong> to ensure your site qualifies as an official School of Medicine website.<\/p>\n<h2>Access Requirements<\/h2>\n<p>All site editors must have a <strong>UNC Onyen<\/strong> to access SOM websites. Health Care employees without an Onyen can obtain an<strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/fo.unc.edu\/sce\/hr\/affiliate-requests\/\">affiliate Onyen<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<h2>A Centrally Managed Platform<\/h2>\n<p>All SOM websites are built within a shared WordPress environment maintained by the SOM IT Web Team. This centralized approach allows us to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Maintain consistent branding and navigation across sites<\/li>\n<li>Apply accessibility standards that are built into the theme<\/li>\n<li>Ensure security updates and performance improvements are applied system-wide<\/li>\n<li>Reduce technical burden on individual departments<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Individual sites do not operate independently. While each site controls its own content, the underlying system, theme, and available tools are managed centrally.<\/p>\n<h2>Built for Accessibility, Consistency, and SEO<\/h2>\n<p>The SOM Web System is designed so that accessible and well-structured content is the default, not an add-on.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Pages, headings, navigation, and layouts are pre-styled for accessibility and consistency<\/li>\n<li>Editors should not customize fonts, colors, spacing, or layouts beyond documented options<\/li>\n<li>More accessible content improves usability and search engine visibility<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Following system guidelines ensures your site works well for all users, including those using assistive technologies and mobile devices.<\/p>\n<h2>Standardized Tools and Features<\/h2>\n<p>To ensure long-term maintainability, the SOM Web System provides a curated set of approved tools, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A shared theme with a responsive layout<\/li>\n<li>A limited set of vetted plugins<\/li>\n<li>Structured content tools (Cells, directories, forms, tables, etc.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Roles, Ownership, and Responsibilities<\/h2>\n<p>While the SOM IT Web Team manages the underlying web platform, each site is responsible for its own content.<\/p>\n<p>Each site has a designated Primary Site Administrator who serves as the main point of contact for the website. This role oversees site setup, user access, training requirements, and overall adherence to SOM standards.<\/p>\n<p>Content creation and ongoing maintenance are typically shared among multiple site editors. These editors are responsible for keeping information current, accessible, and aligned with the site\u2019s purpose.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/web-standards-policies\/primary-site-administrator\/\"><strong>Primary Site Administrator<\/strong><\/a> for details on responsibilities, training requirements, and administrative duties.<\/li>\n<li>See <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/web-standards-policies\/who-maintains-site-content\/\"><strong>Who Maintains Site Content<\/strong><\/a> for guidance on content ownership, updates, and long-term maintenance expectations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Content Guidelines and Security Responsibilities<\/h2>\n<p>The SOM web system is intended for publishing public, informational content. It is not a secure platform for storing private data, internal documents, or sensitive information.<\/p>\n<p>To learn more, review:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/web-standards-policies\/unsuitable-content\/\">Unsuitable Content<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 Content types that should never be placed on SOM websites<\/li>\n<li><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/web-standards-policies\/data-security\/\">Data Security<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 How to protect sensitive information and avoid security risks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Support<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li>The Web Team provides\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/training-events\/\">instructor-led training<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0and detailed\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/\">documentation<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for using the SOM web system.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/getting-help\/\"><strong>Contact the Web Team<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0with any questions or technical issues.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The School of Medicine (SOM) Web System is a centrally managed WordPress platform designed to support departmental, program, center, and lab websites across the School of Medicine. It provides a shared technical foundation, consistent design, and built-in accessibility and security features to ensure SOM websites are reliable, and compliant with University standards. Features Free website &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/getting-started\/i-need-a-site\/about-the-som-web-system\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about About the SOM Web System\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3206,"featured_media":0,"parent":15301,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"layout":"","cellInformation":"","apiCallInformation":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"class_list":["post-15334","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","odd"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>About the SOM Web System - Web Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.med.unc.edu\/webguide\/userguide\/getting-started\/i-need-a-site\/about-the-som-web-system\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"About the SOM Web System - Web Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The School of Medicine (SOM) Web System is a centrally managed WordPress platform designed to support departmental, program, center, and lab websites across the School of Medicine. 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