Please note: There are file size (i.e. byte size) limitations on file uploads. Most files must be less than 3MB for uploading to the CMS. See IT training or Instructional Support for information on how to reduce file sizes in various applications.

Uploading Images/Files Using Assets

Note: This module has a new look as of April 23, 2013.

 

1. Go into Assets, which you can get to from the Add-ons menu.











2. Select “Assets.”


















Note: If you have File Manager bookmarked prior to May 6, 2013, remove the bookmark. Now go back under Content, look for Files, and click on File Manager. This will bring you to Assets/the new look for File Manager.

 

3. Look for, and then click on, the folder with your section’s name. Note: Some folders have subfolders underneath them, like the Controller’s Office.

   

   
   
   
   

   Note: Depending on the name of your section you might need to scroll a bit (using the far left scroll bar that will pop up when you scroll down the page).

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. Now that your folder is selected, scroll up (far left scroll bar) until you see a cloud icon on the far left that says “Upload files.” Click “Upload Files.”




















5. This is what the screen will look like as it is processing.




















6. When it is uploaded, the system will highlight your upload in gray.

Now that the file has been uploaded you may follow instructions at end of this page “Linking Files Already Uploaded to the Server”  or “Obtaining Relative Paths for Linking within Modules”

Uploading Files Using File Manager

1. Access the File Manager. To initially access ‘File Manager’ go to the top of the window, CONTENT -> Files -> File Manager (see figure below).

Figure: Accessing File Upload area













2. You are now in the File Manager area of the CMS. You should now see a list of files already uploaded to the server. In future, you can avoid step #1 by clicking the ‘+Add’ button at the top of your screen. That will put a ‘File Manager’ link directly at the top of your screen.

 

3. Click the Upload File button on the right side of the screen (see figure below)







4. The File Upload dialogue box appears.















5. Click the Browse button and route to the file on your computer.















6. You will then be directed back to the File Manager list page and you should see the file you just uploaded at the top of the list.

Now that the file has been uploaded you may follow instructions at end of this page “Linking Files Already Uploaded to the Server”  or “Obtaining Relative Paths for Linking within Modules”

^Top

Linking Files Already Uploaded to the Server

1. Go to the EDIT area by clicking CONTENT -> EDIT from top of your screen to see your list of entries. Open an entry within your site. If not already expanded, expand the Body Text field (see figure).
2. Select the line of copy that will ‘link’ to the file you want viewers to download.

Figure: Body Text Field













3. Choose the LINK button (world icon, see figure below).

Figure: Link Button in Format Bar









4. The Link Dialogue Box pops up.

Figure: WYGWAM Link Dialogue Box























5. Choose the ‘Browse Server’ button. Your screen should look something like this. Note: The way this box presents itself after this step changed on April 23, 2012.

Figure: WYGWAM Files on Server





















6. You will be using this feature ‘only’ to access files already uploaded to server. You will NOT be using this area to upload files; that step was already done using File Manager as explained at top of this page. In the left panel look for, and then click on, the folder with your section’s name Note: Depending on the name of your section, you might need to scroll a bit (using the far left scroll bar). Also note: Some folders have subfolders underneath them, like Academic Support Services. Hint: (Centers and institutes will be nested in the ‘centers_institutes’ folder).

   

   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Click on the arrow next to the main folder to hide or see the subfolders. It may take a few seconds for the system to catch up with the folder you’re trying to access.

7. With the proper folder selected from the server in the left panel you should see the files for your site appear in the ‘right panel.’ Scroll up until you see the menu options at the top. You will see four icons on the top right of the module, on the same plane as the button with a cloud icon on the far left that says “Upload Files.” The four buttons will be red or gray, depending on if you have selected them or not. The first button (that has four squares that make up a bigger square) lets you View files as thumbnails. The second button (that looks like a TV) lets you View files as big thumbnails. The third button (that looks like a notebook) lets you View items as a list. You use the fourth button (a curvy arrow in a circle) to refresh the results.

   Assets seems to remember how you last had your items presented (as icons or as a list.) If the files in your folder look like this, you might find your file faster if you click on the third button on the right to View items as a list.
























8. If you are seeing an alphabetical list and you want to search by date, click on “Date” to sort by date.














9. If you are seeing the oldest items on top and you want to see the newest items on the top, hit “Date” another time.














10. If you are seeing files listed by date and you want an alphabetical listing, click on “Name.” If you know the title of your file, you can also use the search bar to find the file you are seeking.














11. To select the file you want to link, highlight it (so it turns gray) and double click on it.

^Top

Obtaining Paths for Linking Files within Modules

To obtain the file path for use in modules or elsewhere you need to access the format bar from the Body Text field. Follow steps for “Linking Files Already Uploaded to the Server” but instead of submitting the edit, do the following:

1. Copy this path which should begin with ‘cdn.umb.edu/images/’ and paste into a text editor (or ensure it is in the memory of your computer i.e. don’t copy anything else).
2. Note: you will NOT be editing this entry. You are only opening the entry to gain access to the Body Text and Format Bar to obtain the file path.There is no need to save or publish the work done in the editor since you were just using it to obtain the path. Therefore you can close the entry without submitting the change.
3. You can now Paste this path in any module of your webpage that requires a ‘Link URL’. Note: this path can also be used to link to any text within the Body Text field.
^Top See also
Internal Links
External Links
Anchor Tags
Email Links ]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Images Governance/40.2349 2013-05-10T16:19:13Z 2013-05-10T16:19:13Z Lisa Link Category:CMS


CMS Images Photo Examples

• View samples of photos that meet the UMass Boston branding criteria

Before adding an image, consider whether or not it is going to enhance your content/website goals? Images, as a general rule, will slow download time so you should only add pictures if they are necessary or help reinforce your message.

You will need to follow the University of Massachusetts Boston’s branding guidelines for photography. See samples of photos under CMS:Images Photo Examples




Photography Branding Guidelines
The photographic images should inspire prospective students and faculty and make a connection with the people and activities depicted and they should make alumni feel proud of their connection with UMass Boston. To achieve these goals, use primarily documentary-style photography that captures the authentic and vibrant interactions among students and among students and faculty. Avoid photos that are obviously posed or staged. See the UMass Boston Brand Manual for additional guidance at http://www.umb.edu/creative_services/brand_manual/. More examples of photos may be seen here.

Campus Resources and Photo Editors
The Office of Communications will select all official college, department, and center landing page photos. If you would like your college, center or department landing photo (the photos with the text on them of the college/department/center) changed, contact Colleen Locke at Colleen.Locke@umb.edu or 287-4849.

For New Photos
We recommend that you request University Photographer Harry Brett’s services.
You will need to fill out a form online here: http://www.umb.edu/news_events_media/communications_photo_request/ 

For Existing Photos
If you would like the marketing department’s help getting access to and selecting images from photos which have already been shot by university photographers, make a request at http://site.www.umb.edu/creative_services/creative_services_request.php.

Flickr Photos
A good way to document events is to make a Flickr album, for questions about Flickr, please contact Colleen Locke,  webeditor@umb.edu.

Staff Photos
specification: 100x100 pixels, 72 dpi
To arrange headshots for staff or faculty, please contact Colleen Locke,  webeditor@umb.edu in the Communications department.
Helpful tips: Try to find a neutral background. View this useful video on taking head shots.

Example of Image Used in a Module

‘Optional Fixed Width Image module’: Top banner like image used on standard pages

• Size requirements: 450x240 pixels, 72 ppi, under 50kb. NOTE: Photos used in this area MUST be 450 pixels wide, or there will be an ugly white box that appears around it, as in the example below. Different modules have different size requirements. Each module has the required dimension instructions outlined directly on the editing page. Details are explained in CMS:Naming Conventions.
  
  















Figure: example of an image formatted in wrong size in a module

 

• If you have an image that is NOT 450 pixels wide that you’d like to use on your page, you need to add an “inline image” in the BODY TEXT area (See Images Adding:Using the Image Icon from the toolbar). Images placed in the Body Text must be <450 pixels wide. For text wrapped images, usually 200-250 pixels wide.

• When preparing files, follow naming conventions using guidelines outlined in
  Naming Conventions
  
  Ex.) descriptionfirstnamelastname_category_sizetype_dimension_monthyear.jpg
  
  2grilsinlab_csm_gblg_450x240_aug11.jpg

Photoshop Presets for Image Size
View a video on how to install these presets into Adobe Photoshop CS5
http://media.umb.edu/ps
Photoshop CS5 Photo Presets
File:PS Tool Presets.zip

See also
Images Adding
Images Governance
Images Wrapping Text
Naming Conventions
Images Photo Examples

]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Images Photo Examples/62.2348 2013-05-08T13:51:48Z 2013-05-08T13:51:48Z Lisa Berelson Category:CMS
Following are some examples of photos that either fit or do not fit the photo branding requirements for use on the UMass Boston website and the reasons why they should or should not be used.
                                   

Recommended	Not Recommended
Photos of individuals look best when showing the person engaged in some form of action or motion. Three quarter shots are a particularly good angle. They tend to look less formal and have a more natural/documentary feel.	Portrait shots can look very stiff and unnatural. Additionally, this shot is trying too hard to communicate ‘diversity.’
This photo has good composition and a natural feel. It does not look staged.	This photo is obviously staged but presents as if it is candid. For non professional photographers, it’s preferred to take photos of subjects while naturally engaged in an activity rather than having them pose for a picture.
This photo has good lighting and contrast as well as good composition .	This image has poor lighting and contrast. Try to be sure the light source is not directly behind the subject matter or facing the camera when taking the picture. Light sources are best directly or indirectly ‘behind or above the photographer’ when taking pictures.
This photo is a good example of a foreshortened composition where the subject is prominent in the front of the camera. Foreshortening in composition has a nice dramatic effect.	The activity portrayed in this image has potential, but the composition lacks energy and authenticity.
These people are interacting with each other.	Try to use photos that communicate ‘dynamic interactions’, not just people in a space.
This is a single photo of the scene. The UMass Boston style requires single photographs.	This is a photomontage - two images together. This is not the UMass Boston style.

Please note: photos used on the website must be free from copyright restrictions. Copyright protected images are subject to removal from the website. See UMass Boston policies on copyright material. Refrain from using photos that some people may find distasteful or offensive (e.g. showing excessive cleavage). Images of a violent nature violate university policy and are not permitted.

*Composition: in photography, ‘composition’ generally refers to the placement or arrangement of people, animals or objects in relation to each other and within the frame of the camera.

See also
Images Adding
Images Governance
Images Wrapping Text
Naming Conventions

]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Deleting Uploaded Images and Files from the Server/46.2344 2013-05-07T14:55:38Z 2013-05-07T14:55:38Z Colleen Locke Category: CMS
Here is how you delete uploaded images or files from the web server. Important thing to note: If you delete a file that is being linked to from the site, it will result in a broken link. Delete with caution.

Deleting Images/Files Using Assets

Note: This module has a new look as of April 23, 2013.

 

1. Go into Assets, which you can get to from the Add-ons menu.











2. Select “Assets.”


















Note: If you have File Manager bookmarked prior to May 6, 2013, remove the bookmark. Now go back under Content, look for Files, and click on File Manager. This will bring you to Assets/the new look for File Manager.

 

3. Look for, and then click on, the folder with your section’s name. Note: Some folders have subfolders underneath them, like the Controller’s Office.

   

   
   
   
   

4. Click on the arrow next to the main folder to see (or hide) subfolders.
















Note: Depending on the name of your section you might need to scroll a bit (using the far left scroll bar that will pop up when you scroll down the page).




























5. Now that your folder is selected, scroll up until you see the menu options at the top. You will see four icons on the top right of the module, on the same plane as the button with a cloud icon on the far left that says “Upload Files.” The first button (that has four squares that make up a bigger square) lets you View files as thumbnails. The second button (that looks like a TV) lets you View files as big thumbnails. The third button (that looks like a notebook) lets you View items as a list. You use the fourth button (a curvy arrow in a circle) to refresh the results.




















6. Assets seems to remember how you last had your items presented (as icons or as a list.) If the files in your folder look like this, you might find your file faster if you click on the third button on the right to View items as a list.
























7. If you are seeing an alphabetical list and you want to search by date, click on “Date” to sort by date.














8. If you are seeing the oldest items on top and you want to see the newest items on the top, hit “Date” another time.














9. If you are seeing files listed by date and you want an alphabetical listing, click on “Name.” If you know the title of your file, you can also use the search bar to find the file you are seeking.































10. Once you have located the file you want to delete, right click on the file, and click Delete.


























Deleting Images/Files Using File Manager

1. Go into the File Manager, as shown in the screen capture below.

















2. You then need to select the directory that your images/files are in. (Note: you will not see as many options as are shown here.)


























3. If your screen looks like this, you need to click on “hide sidebar.” (Scroll all the way to the right to see where “hide sidebar” is located.
























4. Find the file you want to delete, and then check the box next to that file.














5. If you have just one file you are deleting, you can select the trash can symbol. If you have more than one item you are deleting, select “Delete Selected Files” from the drop-down menu at the bottom.














6. Then hit the “Submit” button and this screen will come up. Hit “DELETE” to delete the file.



]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Creating a news entry/18.2343 2013-05-07T14:45:58Z 2013-05-07T14:45:58Z Colleen Locke Category:CMS
To create NEWS entries, you need to create them in the NEWS channel. You do not have to do anything with the NEWS LISTING AT LOWER LEVELS channel; when you appropriately tag your news stories (instructions below) they will show up on your college/department/center’s news page. The NEWS LISTING AT LOWER LEVELS channel is set up to pull from the NEWS entries. It is a dynamic page, not one that requires manual entry.

Entries in the NEWS CHANNEL should be reserved for news releases, original content that university personnel have written on a faculty or student accomplishment, and department news. JOB POSTINGS should be posted on landing pages using the Flexible Right Content Module. See an example below.












The IN THE MEDIA CHANNEL is designed to feature faculty, staff, and students who appear on television, are on the radio, or are quoted in the Boston Globe, New York Times, etc. This channel is also used to feature articles written by faculty members that are published by outside sources. The Office of Communications populates both the In the Media page http://www.umb.edu/news_events_media/in_the_media and the News, Events, and In the Media modules that appear on each college, department, and most center pages. As of 3/13/12, web editors can ask for access to create their own entries. Here are the instructions on how to create entries: CMS:In the Media

The EVENTS CHANNEL is for both internal events and events to which the community is invited. Instructions on entering events are here: CMS:Creating an Events Entry

Because all of the news entries show up together on the Office of Communications’ news page, it is imperative that we all follow the same rules.

Please note that the Office of Communications reserves the right to edit/alter content to follow university naming conventions, better fit the brand, and make it easier for the reader to understand/use.

I’m going to outline here what should go in each field.

Under the PUBLISH Tab






































Title

UMass Boston style is to capitalize the first letters of each word in titles for news entries, with the exception of prepositions (for, of, etc.) and articles (and, the).

Examples:
UMass Boston Students Selected for Latino Leadership Initiative
Battelle and Collaborative Institute for Oceans, Climate, and Security Announce Conference
UMass Boston Chancellor Elected to Lead Carney Hospital’s Board of Trustees

URL Title

This field will auto generate when you start typing in your title. Note that this is not the REAL URL. Unless you do anything otherwise, what you type in here will generate itself in the Structure Tab under “Structure Listing URL.” I don’t like URLs that caught off in the middle of the word, so if my URL cuts off in the PUBLISH tab, I will adjust accordingly, and then copy and paste that URL into the URL field in the STRUCTURE tab.

Teaser Text

This is a required field, which only shows up when stories are selected to appear on the top level of the Communications Office’s landing page http://www.umb.edu/news_events_media/

Think of this as a way to entice web visitors to read your story. You can also summarize the main point of the story. Just make sure you don’t repeat the title here, as it will look odd when it shows up on the landing page.

About 150 characters look best. Because this field doesn’t keep track of your word count, what I do is go into the NSM BETTER META tab and type what I think I want for my TEASER TEXT into the DESCRIPTION FIELD (under NSM BETTER META TAB) because that field WILL count my words. This also kills two birds in one stone - a description for the story that will come up in searches and a teaser text for if the story appears on the Communications Office’s landing page.

Author

Required Field - can be your name or Office of X or College of X or Department of X or Center X - depending on your preference.

Article Date

The date which will appear on the story page.

News Article Image

In order for a photo to appear in the news list pages (example below), photos have to be entered here. So that the site has a uniform look, photos here MUST be 240x240 pixels. If you have a photo which is NOT 240x240 pixels which you’d like to incorporate into your story, you’ll need to create an INLINE Image in the Body Text area. You can read more about inline images here:  CMS:Adding Images Don’t forget to enter in Alt Text, a description of your picture for readers used by the visually impaired. Read other guidelines for accessibility here: CMS:ADA Compliancy










Related Media

This section is for links to related Flickr and YouTube galleries. This is NOT a required field.










Entering this information will create the appropriate “badges” to show up next to your news article.








Under the DATE tab

The “Entry Date” will default to the date you created a story. This field, NOT the Date Field under the PUBLISH tab, determines the order on the page where the news appears.

For backdating stories…
If you want want stories to appear in the order in which they were “written” you need to change this field to match.

Note that when you do change the date, that it will show up in the list with other entries from the date in question. i.e., it won’t float to the top, even if you just created the entry. The best way to find the article will be to search by title.

Under the CATEGORIES tab

Here is where you tag your story to appear on your pages.








Under the REVISIONS tab

If you enable the revisions (you can check a box when you click on this tab, you will be able to pull up old versions of your news story, as well as see who edited the page, and when.

Under the NSM BETTER META tab

If you don’t enter anything into this field, when someone Googles your article, they will see as the article’s description our default description: “The University of Massachusetts Boston is home to nearly 16,000 students…” This is also what will show up if someone puts up a link to your event on Facebook. Filling in this field is an opportunity for you to increase clicks on your article, because the readers will see the search terms they’ve entered in bold (if their search terms show up in your description) and a little bit about what your article is all about.

Try to get in “UMass Boston” and any key phrases you have identified using tools like Google AdWords Keyword Tool. If using Google AdWords Keyword Tool you are looking for a LOW competition number and a HIGH search number.

Most importantly, this description should describe what users will learn when they go to this individual page, not just your section as a whole.

For news stories, I use the same title as my article to fill in the TITLE field.

I use the same DESCRIPTION as my TEASER TEXT (under the PUBLISH tab); As stated above, I fill it out here first, and then copy it over.

Prior to launch, some pages also had a KEYWORDS field under this tab. This field has been removed because, as discussed in the CMS:Search Engine Optimization SEO Wiki, search engines don’t look to this field for keywords; they look to page titles, URLs, headings, body text, and alt text descriptions. For more information on the NSM Better Meta field, see CMS:Better Meta.

Under the TAGS tab

This is where you enter in the tags that will show up on the tag cloud, as demonstrated below.


































Here you usually want to use generic concepts, like scholarship, teaching, and athletics, although you can do some specifics. The idea is that someone who is interested in a concept or idea can click on a word or phrase in your tag cloud and that will take them to articles also tagged with those words.
























After typing in your one to three word phrase, hit return.
















A final, important thing to keep in mind: When you hit “submit” to publish your entry, PLEASE WAIT before hitting submit again. Otherwise, the system will create duplicate entries.

You’ll know when it’s done when you see a screen that says “View Entry,” as in the example below.












If there is something this document did not cover or you’d like some clarification, contact Colleen Locke, Web Editor, at 617-287-4489, or Colleen.Locke@umb.edu

]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Creating an Events Entry/30.2279 2013-04-17T17:08:53Z 2013-04-17T17:08:53Z Colleen Locke Category:CMS
To create EVENTS entries, you need to create them in the EVENTS channel. You do not have to do anything with the EVENTS LISTING AT LOWER LEVEL channel; when you appropriately tag your events (instructions below) they will show up on your college/department/center’s events page. The EVENTS LISTING AT LOWER LEVEL channel is set up to pull from the ENTRIES entries. It is a dynamic page, not one that requires manual entry.

Think of entries in the EVENTS CHANNEL as invitations or notices of “events” to which students, faculty, and/or the community is invited.

Important Note: So that we don’t have dated material on our website, the events will disappear from the page the day after the “start date.” This means that if you have a multi-day event, you should be filling out separate entries. Note: You do not need to set an expiration date for events as the events are set to go off pages the day after the start date. If anyone has linked to the event entry and it has been set to expire, a broken page will appear.

Also, check the main events page http://www.umb.edu/news_events_media/events/ to make sure no one else has already created your event. They are in order by date.

Because all of the events entries show up together on the Office of Communications’ events page, it is imperative that we all follow the same rules.

Please note that the Office of Communications reserves the right to edit/alter content to follow university naming conventions, better fit the brand, and make it easier for the reader to understand/use. For guidance on UMass Boston style, particularly as it pertains to numbers, see CMS:Styles Copy Guide.

I’m going to outline here what should go in each field.

Under the PUBLISH Tab






































Title

UMass Boston style is to capitalize the first letters of each word in titles for events entries, with the exception of prepositions (for, of, etc.) and articles (and, the).

URL Title

This field will auto generate when you start typing in your title. Note that this is not the REAL URL. Unless you do anything otherwise, what you type in here will generate itself in the Structure Tab under “Structure Listing URL.” I don’t like URLs that caught off in the middle of the word, so if my URL cuts off in the PUBLISH tab, I will adjust accordingly, and then copy and paste that URL into the URL field in the STRUCTURE tab.

Event Teaser

Think of this as a way to entice web visitors to find out more about your event. Don’t repeat the title or you will have duplicate information on the site. (See below.)












If you include critical information, be aware that this information will NOT show up in the events entry itself; you only see this when you’re on the main events page. ( http://www.umb.edu/news_events_media/events/ ) This means you may need to repeat some information in the BODY TEXT field. You can use no more than 100 characters.I recommend typing your text in the NSM BETTER META tab as the system will count your characters in this field. This also kills two birds in one stone - giving you a good description for use in searches.

Event Date or Start Date

Click on the box below to get a calendar to pop up. You can then select, from the calendar, the date of your event. Note that even after you’ve selected the date of your event, the TIME will be the time that you created your entry. Make sure that you fix this or it will be wrong on the page.




















The time must be in this format: X:XX PM or 0X:XX AM. You must have a space between the time and AM or PM. You cannot put the start time and the end time in this same line. You also can’t backdate an entry.










Event End Date (for multiple dates only)

Only use this field for a multi-day event.

Type of Event

Here is where you can indicate whether an event is Open to the Public, a Student Event, a Faculty Event, or an Alumni Event. If your event falls into more than one of these categories, I would leave this blank.

Location of Event

Self-explanatory. For guidance on UMass Boston style for buildings, floors, and room numbers see CMS:Styles Copy Guide.

Event Cost (optional)

Optional. Note that there is a character limit in this field.



Event Image

In order for a photo to appear in the news list pages (example below), photos have to be uploaded/selected here. Events images MUST be uploaded into the EVENTS folder, or they won’t show up on the list page. If you don’t have access to the EVENTS folder, email webeditor@umb.edu. Note that for the site to be uniform, these photos/images MUST be 240x240 pixels. Important notes: Make sure to fill in the Alt Text so that the site is accessible. More on Accessibility Guidelines here: CMS:ADA Compliancy. If you have a photo which is NOT 240x240 pixels which you’d like to incorporate into your story, you’ll need to create an INLINE Image in the Body Text area. You can read more about inline images here:  CMS:Images Adding

Event Body Text

Even if everything you have to say about this event is covered above, you must enter at least *some* text here because this is a required field. At the same point in time, make sure you are not repeating information that is above. Only the TEASER TEXT field won’t display; everything else will. Make sure you mention which college/department/center is sponsoring the event, and to link back to that college/department/center. Not only does this make the entry more clear, but it also gives you a chance to promote and provide a way back to your college/department/center as clicking on an events entry will bring web visitors to the News, Events & Media section. For guidance on UMass Boston style, particularly as it pertains to numbers, see CMS:Styles Copy Guide.

Link to Facebook Event Page

Optional. Filling this out will create a Facebook “badge” on the listings page.

Link to Twitter event page

Optional. Filling this out will create a Twitter “badge” on the listings page.

Entering this information will create the appropriate “badges” to show up next to your news article.

Link to Twitter event page

Optional. Filling this out will create a Twitter “badge” on the listings page.

Register Now Link

Optional. If you enter in a URL here, on the page it will say, “Register Now.”

Under the DATE tab

The “Entry Date” will default to the date you created a story. The date does not affect the entry, meaning the events happening next week will show up higher in the list than events two months from now, no matter what you do with this tab. You do not need to enter in an expiration date, as events will leave the page the day after the event. Again, you can NOT backdate entries.

Under the CATEGORIES tab

Here is where you tag your story to appear on your pages. IMPORTANT: If you do not check any boxes, your event will not show up on your page.










Under the NSM BETTER META tab

If you don’t enter anything into this field, when someone Googles your article, they will see as the article’s description our default description: “The University of Massachusetts Boston is home to nearly 16,000 students…” This is also what will show up if someone puts up a link to your event on Facebook. Filling in this field is an opportunity for you to increase clicks on your article, because the readers will see a little bit about what your article is all about. Try to get in “UMass Boston,” and any other key names.

I use the same title as my article to fill in the TITLE field.

I use the same DESCRIPTION as my TEASER TEXT (under the PUBLISH tab); As stated above, I fill it out here first, and then copy it over.

For KEYWORDS, search engines don’t use this field to determine keywords - they are really after keywords in your BODY TEXT. See CMS:Search Engine Optimization SEO for more on Search Optimization. See CMS:Better Meta for more on the NSM Better Meta field.










Under the TAGS tab

This is where you enter in the tags that will show up on the tag cloud, as demonstrated below. This isn’t a required field, but it is an opportunity to get your event more exposure; when someone clicks on the tag, they will be sent to a list of entries that all use that same tag.






























Here you usually want to use generic concepts, like community, athletics, alumni, etc. The idea is that someone who is interested in a concept or idea can click on a word or phrase in your tag cloud and that will take them to articles also tagged with those words. Hit “return” after each entry. Do not separate them with commas, or they will show up as one unit that you can’t separate.














When you’re done, here is what the entry will look like on the Events list page:












Here’s what it will look like entry will look like when you click on it from the Events list:












A final, important thing to keep in mind: When you hit “submit” to publish your entry, PLEASE WAIT before hitting submit again. Otherwise, the system will create duplicate entries.

You’ll know when it’s done when you see a screen that says “View Entry,” as in the example below.











If there is something this document did not cover or you’d like some clarification, contact Colleen Locke, Web Editor, at 617-287-4489, or Colleen.Locke@umb.edu

]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Images Wrapping Text/42.2278 2013-04-17T15:20:27Z 2013-04-17T15:20:27Z Lisa Berelson Category:CMS
• Images positioned in the Body Text do not have specific dimensions. However because the center column is only 450 pixels wide, we recommend using images between 200-250 pixels for text wrapping on standard 3 column templates.
• Position the cursor at the beginning of a paragraph in the Body Text field. Add the picture using the  Image Icon from the toolbar method as described in the wiki.
• Once the image is positioned at the beginning of the paragraph, right click the image and select ‘Image Properties’ from the contextual menu.
• The Image Properties window pops up.




























• Make sure the Lock Icon is set to lock so as not to distort the image. Be sure the width of the image is around 200-250 pixels wide in the width field. With the ‘lock’ icon turned on, the height of the image will automatically adjust proportionally when you adjust the width. Images can be sized down but should not be sized larger than their original width.
• In the Alignment dropdown, choose Right or Left depending on where you want the text to wrap around the picture.
• Add value of 5 in the HSpace  field.
• In the URL field, your image path should begin with ‘/editor_uploads/images…’ This is a relative path and should be used in lieu of absolute paths which begin with the umb domain name ‘http://www.umb.edu…’ 

Example Text Wrapping: Alignment Left

Text wrapping will look something like this…Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr, sed diam nonumy eirmod tempor invidunt ut labore et dolore magna aliquyam erat, sed diam voluptua. At vero eos et accusam et justo duo dolores et ea rebum. Stet clita kasd gubergren, no sea takimata sanctus est Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consetetur sadipscing elitr. Nam liber tempor cum soluta nobis eleifend option congue nihil imperdiet doming id quod mazim placerat facer possim assum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit, sed diam nonummy nibh euismod tincidunt ut laoreet dolore magna aliquam erat volutpat. Ut wisi enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exerci tation ullamcorper suscipit lobortis nisl ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat.


See also
Images Adding
Images Governance
Images Wrapping Text
Images Photo Examples







]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Images Adding/41.2276 2013-04-17T15:19:43Z 2013-04-17T15:19:43Z Lisa Berelson Category:CMS


Announcements

• Please review the information on Images Governance before uploading images to your website

There are different areas on your page where you may add images. This page describes the general technique for adding images in any portion of the website. The different areas of your webpage have different dimension requirements (measured in pixels). Preparation and naming of the image is important. Thus it’s a good idea to know where in advance you want to use an image and prepare the file in accordance with the governance rules. See [ Images Governance ] and [ Naming Conventions ]

There are two methods for uploading and placing an image in your page. You can also use these features for accessing images already uploaded to the server which you may want to reinsert in another page. Method 1 requires uploading the image first then selecting the image later for placement. Method 2 uploads and places the image at the same time.

Method 1: Using File Manager
Method 2: Using Inline Images via the Image Icon from the toolbar


Using File Manager

• 1. Select the File Manager tab created for you at the top of the control panel.
• 2. You should now see a list of files for your website. Most editors have only 1 folder designated to their site. If you have more than one folder, select it and hit ‘search’ to sort through images for that directory.
  






















• 3. Click Upload File in the upper right corner
• 4. The File Upload dialogue box appears and your folder should be selected for adding files. If your folder is not automatically selected from the dropdown, select it before going to the next step. You will be uploading the file in that space on the server so it’s important your file is uploaded with other files designated to your site.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 5. Select Choose File, route to the local image on your computer and select it.
• 6. Click the Upload File button that now appears in red in the bottom right corner of the dialogue box.
• 7. Now that you’ve uploaded the image, you can select it from a module. Please note, each module has specific dimension requirements that must be adhered to for the page to display properly. See Naming Photos for dimension and naming specifications.
Example of ‘Optional Fixed Width Image’ module

This is the most common area for inserting images. It appears as a ‘top banner’ on a Standard Page referred to in the CMS as the ‘Optional Fixed Width Image’. Centers and Institutes may not have this module but can always use Method 2 Using the Image Icon from the toolbar to insert images in the BODY TEXT area of their page.



• 8. Click the arrow next to the Optional Fixed Width Image to expand the module.
• 9. Click the [+]  button to access the module’s table. The row will expand.
• 10. Click the Add Image link in the first column
• 11. The File Manager dialogue box will reappear and you can then select the appropriate image for that module.
• 12. Finally, you must add an ALT TEXT in the second column on that table. See information on ALT TEXT at bottom of this page. All images on the university website need text to be ADA compliant.

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Hint: tricky thing about modules that use a matrix similar to the OPTIONAL FIXED WIDTH IMAGE field…

Even if you delete your image, you still need to delete the row—otherwise the outline of the box will remain, as in the example below.







To delete the row, you need to hover over the line between the number and the text. You should see something that says “Options.”







LEFT click and then select ‘Delete Row’.









Using the ‘Image icon’ tool to upload and place an image on the page

• 1. In the Body Text, position your cursor in the area where you want to place the image (usually at the beginning of a paragraph or between them).
• 2. Select the Image Icon from the toolbar
  










• 3. The Image Properties dialogue box appears
• 4. Select the Browse Server button
  




























• 5. The Upload File window pops up
• 6. If the WYGWAM folder is collapsed, click the left arrow to expand it
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 7. In the expansion list, find the folder for your website and expand it. Your folder may be nested in a subdirectory so be be sure to select the correct folder for your website.
• 8. Click the Upload a file button at the top of the dialogue box.
• 9. Now route to the local image on your computer and select it.
• 10. Make sure the image is selected and click Add file at the bottom of the dialogue box. Wait a few seconds for the system to upload the picture. The image should be listed in the right column with the other images. Hint: the ‘list view icon’ immediately left of the ‘Upload a file’ button is a quicker way to view image names in a list instead of icon view. Selecting that icon helps you see if the image is loaded in list view. The image should now be uploaded and placed on the page where you initially put your cursor in the body text (usually at the beginning of a paragraph or between them).
• 11. Once you’ve uploaded the file, be sure to fill in the ALT TEXT in the Image Properties dialogue box. You can always reaccess this field by right clicking  the image once positioned in the Body Text area.
• 12. Images positioned in the Body Text do not have specific dimensions. However because the center column is only 450 pixels wide, images should be <450 pixels. These images may have text wrapping around them (200-250 pixels width pictures work well for text wrapping on standard 3 column templates). See CMS:Images Wrapping Text  for details on how to wrap text around a picture.

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Add the ALT TEXT

As a public university, it is critical to make our site accessible to all web visitors. When adding photos, Alt Text is required so that those who are visually impaired and using text readers can know what your picture or illustration looks like. The WWW Consortium suggests that you imagine reading a short description of the picture/illustration aloud over the telephone. Keep the text short;  between 5 and 15 words. Alt text fields are available from all modules. For inline images that appear in the body text, you can always Right Click the image to access the Images Properties and add Alt Tags there. More tips on making our site accessible to all web visitors may be found here:  ADA Compliancy

Example ‘Alt Text’ field from a module






Hint: ‘Hide Sidebar’ to expand File Manager view

Sometimes the sidebar hides relevant information in the File Manager list. You can further expand your File Manager view by selecting the ‘hide sidebar’ link in the right column.









To view the sidebar again, click “Reveal Sidebar,” a small link underneath the logout button in upper right corner of your editing page.

See also
Images Adding
Images Governance
Images Wrapping Text
Images Photo Examples


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]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Flexible Content Modules Right Column/17.2275 2013-02-26T20:14:25Z 2013-02-26T20:14:25Z Colleen Locke Category:CMS

Standard pages come with a variety of modules, including Flexible Content Module (Right Column).

Please note you can now have up to THREE right content modules on each page.

This module was designed to be a place where you could write some information (teaser text) about a link.

However, there are a couple of other ways which you can use this module.

1. Creating a descriptive link



This is the basic way for using this module. You need to enter a Header (title), Teaser Text (description), and the Link URL. Don’t forget for links within UMass Boston, you want to start the link after the “dot net”.



2. Linking to a PDF or a DOC file (aka making it so the “Read More” language doesn’t show up)

To link to a PDF or a DOC file, you will need to upload your link in the BODY TEXT area. See CMS:Linking and Uploading Files and then once you arrive at this screen, follow the steps below.


































Copy the URL above. Make sure you highlight the whole thing. This is the PATH OF YOUR FILE.

You’ll then want to copy the coding below into the TEASER TEXT field of the FLEXIBLE CONTENT MODULE RIGHT COLUMN. Replace what is between the quote marks (in red) with the PATH OF YOUR OWN FILE. Replace the text in blue with the text you want to appear on the page.Make sure you are dragging over the closing bracket. Otherwise, any subsequent entry in this field will be linked to this same file.

<a href="/editor_uploads/images/life_on_campus/CSC.pdf">Download the Code of Student Conduct</a> 


It would then look something like this in ExpressionEngine.



And like this on the page.



You can also link only portions of the “teaser text,” as shown below.



To achieve the above look, copy the coding below into the TEASER TEXT field of the FLEXIBLE CONTENT MODULE RIGHT COLUMN. Replace what is between the quote marks (in red) with the PATHS OF YOUR OWN FILES. Make sure you leave the quote marks and all brackets. That goes for the brackets in green as well, including the final bracket. Otherwise, any subsequent entry in this field will be linked to this same file.

If the UMass Boston campus is closed, the library is closed, but <a href="http://atoz.ebsco.com/Customization/Tab/961?lang=en&lang;.menu=en&lang;.subject=en&tabId=6522">online databases</a> are still available. You can find out if the campus is closed by visiting <a href="http://www.umb.edu">www.umb.edu.</a> 

3. Using this space as an information box (perhaps with a title of Did You Know?) or an address.



To do this, you need to enter in a Header (title), and some text with coding into the Teaser Text section. To force a return/line break, enter:

<br> 

For email addresses, copy in this coding, and swap out the email for your own (note - there are two places you need to enter in your email):

<span id="eeEncEmail_CBw8tDhtBo"><a href="mailto:events@umb.edu">events@umb.edu</a></span> 



 

4. Inserting a photo/image to be lined up under the Connect Module position





To create this look, copy the coding below in the Teaser Text section, and swap it out with your own info.

<img alt="Formal picture of UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith
Motley"
src="http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/university/chancellor_university_160x200.jpg"
style="margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 1px; margin-top: 1px;
margin-bottom: 1px; width: 160px; height: 200px; border-top-width: 1px;
border-right-width: 1px; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-width:
1px; border-top-style: solid; border-right-style: solid;
border-bottom-style: solid; border-left-style: solid; float: left; "
/> 

Replace where it says, “Formal picture of UMass Boston Chancellor J. Keith Motley”, with your picture description (alt text), for the visually impaired using screen readers to access our site. Make sure you leave the quote marks. (”)

You next need to find out the URL of your PHOTO.

You need to upload your photo into the BODY TEXT area. (You can delete it later.)

Once the photo is uploaded, RIGHT CLICK and select “Image Properties.”



Now copy the URL, as shown below, and then put that URL into the coding where it says http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/university/chancellor_university_160x200.jpg (you are replacing that text).



There is a limit to 190 pixels in width in this area. When using a horizontal photo that is 190 pixels in width, 101 pixels tends to work well for the height.

5. Inserting a photo or image to be lined up under the Connect Module position that includes text underneath

Follow the instructions above (for Inserting a photo to be lined up under the Connect Module position ), placing the code below in the Teaser Text column, and then replacing the alt text information, the URL of your photo, and the text that you want to have underneath. Be sure not to delete any brackets.

<img alt="Picture of a student looking at a computer screen with enlarged font."
src="http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/it/roy_it_acl_flrt.jpg"
/>“The Assistive Technology Computer Lab is truly an exceptional environment which allows me to have an even playing field in a classroom.”<br><strong>—Roy, sociology student</strong> 

 

6. Inserting a photo or image to be lined up under the Connect Module position that includes text underneath and a hyperlink from the photo

Follow the instructions above (for Inserting a photo to be lined up under the Connect Module position ), placing the code below in the Teaser Text column, and then replacing the linked URL, the alt text information, the URL of your photo, and the text that you want to have underneath. Be sure not to delete any brackets.

<a href="http://www.umb.edu/it/getting_services/computer_labs/adaptive_computer_lab" target="_blank"><img alt="Picture of a student looking at a computer screen with enlarged font."
src="http://www.umb.edu/editor_uploads/images/it/roy_it_acl_flrt.jpg"
/>“The Assistive Technology Computer Lab is truly an exceptional environment which allows me to have an even playing field in a classroom.”<br><strong>—Roy, sociology student</strong> 

 

Need help? Contact Web Editor Colleen Locke (287-4849; Colleen.Locke@umb.edu).

]]> tag:umb.edu,2013:wiki:CMS:Naming Conventions/7.2274 2013-02-15T14:43:13Z 2013-02-15T14:43:13Z Lisa Berelson Category:CMS
Clarity, accuracy, and consistency are critical to help the university establish its identity. The following guidelines will help members of the UMass Boston community work toward this goal.

Please note that the Office of Communications reserves the right to edit/alter content to follow university naming conventions, better fit the brand, and make it easier for the reader to understand/use.

Table of Contents

1. The University’s Name
2. Names of Colleges
3. Names of Centers, Institutes, and Programs
4. Names of Departments
5. Program Pages: Degrees/Certificates/Minors
6. Degrees
7. Doctors vs. Professors
8. Page Titles/URLs (including titles of news entries)
9. College Abbreviations
10. Centers, Institutes and Program Abbreviations
11.  Naming Photos
12.  Photo Categories
13.  Photo Types and Dimensions
14.  Image Dimensions
15.  Browsing for Photos
16.  Uploading Photos
17.  Image File Sizes
18.  Alt Text
19.  Modules
20.  Connect Modules
21.  Giving Modules

1. The University’s Name


We are “The University of Massachusetts Boston” or “University of Massachusetts Boston or “UMass Boston.” UMASS Boston, U.Mass. Boston, UMass-Boston, The UMass Boston and UMB are not correct. UMass and University of Massachusetts refer to the whole state university system, not our individual school.  In order to have a strong university identity, it is crucial that we all use the correct names.

[ Top ]


2. Names of Colleges

When spelling out the full name of the college, use “and” as opposed to “&”.
The names of the colleges in the dropdown list should not have “The” before them.

3. Names of Centers, Institutes, and Programs

Centers should also have the full name spelled out: “and” as opposed to “&”.

4. Names of Departments

For the page title, we will use this naming convention:  X Department (e.g., Biology Department, Chemistry Department)
For branding photos on the department pages, we will just use the name of the department.  e.g., “Biology,” “Chemistry”

5. Program Pages: Degrees/Certificates/Minors

All program pages should be titled as such: Topic, Degree (no periods – same goes for PhD and MEd). 
It needs to be this way so they will all show up in the list on the main page alphabetically, and be easy to scan. If it is an online program, put online in parenthesis.

Program Page Examples:
Nursing, BS
RN, BS (online)
Mental Health, MS
School Counseling, MEd
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Post-MS
Gerontology, PhD

Certificates should follow the same naming convention.

Certificate Examples:
Family, Nurse Practitioners, Post-Master’s Certificate
Conflict Resolution, Graduate Certificate
Financial Planning, Certificate

In the case of Minors, the word Minor should follow the topic in parenthesis.

Examples for Minors:
Community & Civic Engagement (Minor)
Youth Work (Minor)

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6. Degrees

UMass Boston style is to NOT use periods for degrees. You should be using BS as opposed to B.S.; PhD as opposed to Ph.D.

7. Doctors vs. Professors

UMass Boston style is to NOT refer to people with PhDs and EdDs as “doctors” unless in a formal setting (invitation, program, university catalog, etc), or in a quote: “The thing about Dr. Smith is…” Doctors is a term we use for medical doctors.

8. Page Titles/URLs

News entries:

UMass Boston style is to capitalize the first letters of each word in titles for news entries, with the exception of prepositions (for, of, etc.) and articles (and, the).

Examples:
UMass Boston Students Selected for Latino Leadership Initiative
Battelle and Collaborative Institute for Oceans, Climate, and Security Announce Conference
UMass Boston Chancellor Elected to Lead Carney Hospital’s Board of Trustees

Other pages:

In ExpressionEngine, you should be titling your page according to the page notation in the CI; the URL, however, will benefit from a shorter, more succinct yet clear version of the page title. Please note that all URLs need to be lowercase.

Example:
Section: The University
CI ID: 1.6
Page Name: 25-Year Campus Master Plan
Page Title: 25-Year Campus Master Plan
Autogenerated URL: 25_Year_Campus_Master_Plan
Use this instead:  masterplan

Please note: we have already determined the URLs for the main landing pages, which will follow www.umb.edu. You do not need to enter this part of the address into ExpressionEngine, or any other part of the address which is part of your “parent” pages.

When creating a URL for the top level pages, use recognizable abbreviations for colleges as outlined in the table below:

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9. College Abbreviations

Colleges	Abbreviations
College of Education and Human Development	cehd
College of Liberal Arts	cla
College of Management	cm
College of Nursing and Health Sciences	cnhs
College of Public and Community Service	cpcs
College of Science and Mathematics	csm
John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies	mgs

When creating a URL for the centers and institutes, use the abbreviation the center is already using, outlined in the table below: (Note: not all centers and institutes are part of the web redesign at this point in time; some of these will have to be determined when sites join the design)

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10. Abbreviations for Centers & Institutes

Centers & Institutes	Abbreviations
Adult Literacy Resource Institute	TBD: They use “alri” for the program abbreviation, but “sabes” for the website, which refers to the System of Adult Basic Education Support
Andrew Fiske Memorial Center for Archaeological Research	fiskecenter
Center for Coastal Environmental Sensing Networks	cesn
Center for Collaborative Leadership	TBD:  They use “leaders” on their current website
Center for Community Democracy and Democratic Literacy	cddl
Center for Governance and Sustainability	cgs
Center for Green Chemistry	greenchemistry
Center for Peace, Democracy, and Development	cpdd
Center for Personalized Cancer Therapy	TBD (website under construction)
Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities After Disasters	crscad
Center of Science and Mathematics in Context	cosmic
Center for Social Development and Education	csde
Center for Social Policy	csp
Center for Survey Research	csr
Center for Sustainable Enterprise and Regional Competiveness	serc
Center for the Study of Gender, Security, and Human Rights	genderandsecurity
Center for Women in Politics and Public Policy	cwppp
Center on Media and Society	cms
Collaborative Institute for Oceans, Climate, and Security	ciocs
Commonwealth Compact	commonwealthcompact
Developmental Sciences Research Center	TBD (website under construction)
Edward J. Collins, Jr. Center for Public Management	cpm
Entrepreneurship Center	entrepreneurship
Gerontology Institute	geronotologyinstitute
GoKids Boston™ Youth Fitness Research and Training Center	TBD: Current website is gokids-boston.org
Institute for Asian American Studies	iaas
Institute for Community Inclusion	ici
Institute for Learning and Teaching	ilt
Institute for New England Native American Studies	inenas
Labor Resource Center	lrc
Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration	mopc
Moakley Chair	moakley
New England Resource Center for Higher Education	nerche
Osher Lifelong Learning Institute	olli
Pension Action Center	pensionaction
Research Center for Urban Cultural History	rcuch
Small Business Development Center & Minority Business Center	sbdc
The Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy	gaston
Urban Harbors Institute	uhi
Venture Development Center	vdc
William Joiner Center for the Study of War and Social Consequences	joinercenter
William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black Culture	trotter

When creating a URL for the lower level pages, use ug for undergraduate, grad for graduate, and keep the following in mind:

Page Titles

Page Titles	Suggested URLs	Why?
Contact Us	contact	You don’t need the “us” to get the point across
Meet the Staff	staff	“Meet the” isn’t necessary to get the point across
About the Program	about	Words like “program,” “department,” “office,” etc. aren’t necessarily necessary
Graduate Orientation	orientation	This page lives in a section called “graduate studies,” so the graduate part has already been established. Putting it in again would be redundant.
Application Instructions	application_instructions	Using just application would imply that we are going to the application – there’s another page for that.
25-Year Campus Master Plan	masterplan	These two words can be smooshed together and still make sense and be readable
Honors, Study Abroad, and More	honors_studyabroad	“Honors” and “Study Abroad” seem like separate thoughts so I put an underscore between them
Info for Faculty	info_for_faculty	Using just “faculty” would imply a faculty listing, so use all three words, separated by underscores

For reference (URLs previously determined; no one has to enter these in)

Main sections of the site	URLs
Why UMass	/why_umass/
The University	/the_university/
Academics	/academics/
Research	/research/
Admissions & Financial Aid	/admissions/
Athletics & Recreation	/athletics/
Life on Campus	/life_on_campus/
In the Community	/in_the_community/
Faculty & Staff	/faculty_staff/
Giving	/giving/
Offices & Directory	/offices_directory/
News, Events & Media	/news_events_media/

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11. Naming Photos

The website is designed for specific photo dimensions and proportions used in different areas of the website. When photos of the wrong dimension are applied to incorrect areas of the site, the page may look wrong such as when too narrow a photo is used in an area where a wide format is required. When viewing images in File Manager, the files can all look the same and there’s no way to discriminate what photos are used where and for what purpose so we have devised a ‘naming convention’ for this purpose.

This system keeps the following information in mind:
* because of rights issues, we need to keep track of who took the photos and when - If our staff photographer, Harry Brett, took the photo, we know we have permission to use it. We can’t use copyrighted material without permission.
* only the first eight characters and the last four characters appear when you search, so the name of the person or topic and the size - the most important pieces of data you need to know when you are searching—needs to be contained in the beginning of the file and the end of the file

Taking all of this into consideration, this is the UMass Boston naming convention for photos on our website:
shortdescriptionalltogetherorlastname_ category_dimension_monyr_photographerinitials_sizetype

(see tables below for photo categories and size types)

Examples:
2girlsinlab_csm_mar11_hb_gblg
schwartz_news_apr11_hb_nedt

If you have a photo that doesn’t fit in a size type, for example, you’ve uploaded a photo in the body text, where a specific size is not required, then use dimensions instead of a size type.

Example:
2girlsinlab_csm_mar11_hb_100x100

Note: as with all paths and files on the site, no spaces or special characters are allowed in file names.

Why are these things important?

* Short description or last name: so we know who/what the photo is of
* Category: so we know who “owns” the photos
* The month and year the photo is taken: so we know how old the photo is
* Photographer initials: so we know if we have permission to use. hb is for Harry Brett, the staff photographer in the communications department
* Size type: so the correct photo gets used and it looks good on the page

When these conventions are applied, it makes it much easier to find photos in File Manager and easily understand their usage without having to see thumbnails of them. You’ll find using this convention greatly reduces time wasted hunting for appropriate photos on your server.

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12. Photo Categories

(Note: Not all centers have photo folders created at this time, so not all are included here; centers should use the following naming: ci_centerabbreviation (see URL naming section above))

     

Photo Directory	ExpressionEngine Abbreviation for Naming Purposes
Academics	academics
Admissions	admissions
Athletics	athletics
CI: Venture Development Center	ci_vdc
College Branding Images	collegebranding
College of Education & Human Development	cehd
CLA A-C	cla
CLA D-O	cla
CLA P-Z	cla
College of Management	cm
College of Nursing & Health Sciences	cnhs
College of Public & Community Service	cpcs
College of Science & Mathematics	csm
Events	event
Financial Aid	financialaid
Giving	giving
Home Why UMass Boston	homewhy
Home Send Us Your Pictures	homesend
In the Community Images	community
John McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies	mgs
Library	library
Life on Campus	lifeoncampus
News	news
Research	research
University College	uc
University images	university
University Voices blog	blog
Why UMass Boston	why

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13. Photo Types and Dimensions

Image type as outlined in the CI	Size specs in pixels (dictated in the various photo fields in ExpressionEngine )	Abbreviation
Send us your pics	263x186	send
Blog (home page feature)	61x61	blog
Fade-in-Banner	555x209	fban
Home Why UMass Boston	298x220	hwhy
Why pg top	450x243	wytp
Why pg thumbnail	180x115	wytn
Why pg module	182x117	wymd
Feature images (large gray box)	386x242	gblg
Top of a standard page	450x240	tops
News/event detail	240x240	nedt
Centers & Institutes Banner	1200x179	cibn
News Feature Large	290x193	nelg
Academics Landing Optional/Thought Leadership	60x60	actl
College Branding	676x238	cbra
Department Branding	676x165	dbra
Faculty/Staff Bio	282x309	bio
Flexible Content Module	150x132	fmod
Featured Club (on the Life on Campus page)	130x78	club
Staff (optional - we recommend doing staff pages as a list of names, titles, emails and phone numbers)	100x100	staf
Homepage Feature	75x75	feat

In the case of faculty photos, we want to use the last name, the college shortcut, if they are a dean, the month/yr shot, photographer, and the picture identifier “bio.” If they are a faculty member for a specific center, use “ci” (short for centers and institutes) then the shortcut for the center (listed in the URL naming section above).

Faculty Photo Examples:
schwartz_cla_apr11_hb_bio
grosovsky_csm_dean_mar11_hb_bio
hardy-fanta_ci_cwppp_may11_hb_bio

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A few more words about photos…

14. Image Dimensions

ExpressionEngine will allow you to add any size image to any image placeholder but if you don’t follow the dimensions, the page won’t look good. If your image doesn’t fit the size specifications as called for in the fields in ExpressionEngine, make an inline photo (photo in the body text field), as there are no specific size limits (we recommend no more than 200 pixels wide, however). See CMS:Images Wrapping Text

15. Therefore, when browsing for photos:

1. Look at the size specs in all the photo fields in ExpressionEngine
2. Match them up with the Size Types in the table above
3. This will give the abbreviation you should be looking for at the end of the image name.

16. When uploading photos:

1. Photos should follow the branding guidelines outlined in the brand manual (Image Guidelines of the Branding Manual: http://www.umb.edu/branding/documents/UMassBostonbrandmanual1-10.pdf)
2. Look at the size specs in all the photo fields in ExpressionEngine
3. Make sure you use Photoshop or another mechanism to crop your photos down to the proper dimensions (indicated in help text next to each image placeholder in ExpressionEngine) before uploading your images to the CMS.
4. For example, if I’m writing a news article or an event listing, ExpressionEngine tells me for the the dimensions should be 240 pixels x 240 pixels. If it is a picture that goes at the top of a standard page, the size should be 450 pixels x 240 pixels.
5. When using Photoshop to crop and edit images make sure to use the ‘Save for the web’
Command. This will provide much better compression than the ‘Save’ function. You should be saving your images as jpegs.
6. Find the “size type” in the “Size Types” table above.
7. Use this abbreviation when you name your file (see naming conventions above).
8. Make sure you are uploading your photos into the appropriate folder so others in your part of the site can find the photo as well.

For additional instructions/guidance on uploading photos, see CMS:Images Adding

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17. Image File Sizes

Although ExpressionEngine won’t limit the size of the file you are able to upload, adding large images to the page will drastically slow down the speed of the umb.edu site for visitors. Because a fast-loading site makes for happy users, make sure your images are no larger than 50kb. Even very large and high-resolution images can be compressed down to a maximum of 50kb and still look great on the web. When using Photoshop, rather than selecting “Save” or “Save as” from the “Edit” menu, select “Save for Web & Devices.”


























This will create a compressed version of your high quality photo. You can further compress your image using a free web tool such as Smush.it: http://www.smushit.com/ysmush.it/

Any UMass Boston employee can get a copy of Creative Suite, which includes Photoshop, for $15. Send an email to software@umb.edu and explain what you want.

18. Alt Text

Although ExpressionEngine does not require you to enter in Alt Text, you should. A reader for a visually impaired individual will read what you enter in this field, making it accessible to all audiences. The Alt Text should be able to describe the photo for someone who can’t see it. Examples: “Guy reading book under tree,” “logo for Little East Conference” See: CMS:ADA Compliancy

19. Modules

The umb.edu site makes use of several different reusable modules that are created in their own channel and can be re-used throughout the site on many different pages. So that users can find modules appropriate or useful to their section from the dropdown menus, we all need to use the same naming convention.

Please note that module names need to be all lowercase.

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20. Connect Modules

As in the previous examples, the names should be concise, yet clear.  Use underscores to separate each part.

1. The first part of the name should tell us where in the site it is used, e.g., life on campus, community, research, cla, uc (for University College), ci (for Centers & Institutes)
2. The second part of the name indicates whether this module is the standard one for the site or for a specific section. Use the following abbreviations:
• Standard one for the site: standard
• About the college: about
• For a specific department:  the name of the department (e.g., “english” for English department)
• Use an abbreviation for a specific center or institute (e.g.; “crscad” for Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities after Disasters)
3. If needed, the third part of the name further clarifies the module. Use the following abbreviations:
• Undergraduate: ug
• Graduate: grad

Use underscores to separate each part.

Topic of Connect Module	Module Name
In the Community	community_standard
College of Liberal Arts	cla_standard
College of Liberal Arts (about the college)	cla_about
English Department	cla_english
English Department – Undergraduate Programs	cla_english_ug
Center for Rebuilding Sustainable Communities After Disasters	ci_crscad_standard
CRSCAD About Us	ci_crscad_about

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21. Giving Modules

The naming conventions Nan Cormier will use as she enters in the giving modules will help users find giving modules appropriate to their part of the site.

As in the previous examples, the names should be concise, yet clear.  Underscores should separate each part, and everything should be lowercase.

1. The first part of the name indicates the opportunity category (see table below).
2. The second part further categorizes the opportunity (such as a department within a college) and/or is the specific name of the opportunity (e.g., isc, keith_motley_scholarship)
• Note that for athletics, it is divided into mens and womens, and further divided by sport: so the entire name would read, athletics_mens_lacrosse

Opportunity Category for Giving Module	Module abbreviation for labeling purposes
Athletics	Athletics
-Men’s	athletics_mens
-Women’s	athletics_womens
Buildings	Buildings
Centers and Institutes	ci_abbreviation of the specific center or institute (e.g., ci_vdc)
General Academics	academics
College of Education and Human Development	cehd
College of Liberal Arts	cla
College of Management	cm
College of Nursing and Health Sciences	cnhs
College of Public and Community Service	cpcs
College of Science and Mathematics	csm
John W. McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies	mgs
Faculty Chairs	collegeabbreviation_department_chair (e,g.,  cla_english_chair)
Faculty Development	faculty_development
Research	research
Scholarships	scholarships
Lectureships	lectureships
Student Support	student_support

Examples:
buildings_isc
scholarships_keith_motley_scholarship
athletics_mens_lacrosse
cla_english_writing_program

For those that you want those to be searchable in two categories, use both shortcuts.
Example: cm_serc

If there is something this document did not cover or you’d like some clarification, contact Colleen Locke, Web Editor, at 617-287-4489, or Colleen.Locke@umb.edu

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See also
Images Governance

 

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