May 31, we celebrated the big and successful move of our www.utc.edu to our new hosting environment, which was officially launched May 30. (Woohoo!) [Throw confetti here.]
Next in line, we’ll be moving our blog.utc.edu as well as some smaller applications to that same new host. This not only brings improved performance and reliability, it reduces costs and time with maintenance tasks. The blog is tentatively scheduled for migration by Sept. 26, 2025. Be on the lookout for updates as that date draws near!
UTC to Co-Host 2025 Chattanooga Open Source Camp – and You’re Invited!
The UTC Web Team is excited to team up with ChaDUG (Chattanooga Drupal Users’ Group) to co-host the 2025 Chattanooga Open Source Camp — formerly known as Drupal Camp Chattanooga — on Sat., Nov. 8, 2025.
This annual event brings together developers, designers, editors, marketers, and anyone curious about the web to learn, share, and connect around Drupal, WordPress, and open source tech. And this year, we’re expanding the focus beyond Drupal to celebrate all open source platforms — because, as the camp theme goes, “We are all better together.”
Best of all? It’s completely FREE for all UTC students and employees.
Who Should Attend?
Web Developers
Designers & Creatives
Digital Marketers
Content Editors
Anyone looking to start a career in web or tech
What to Expect:
60+ attendees from across the U.S.
15+ workshops and sessions on everything from design to development
Full-day trainings for WordPress and Drupal
Average November temps in Chattanooga? A comfy 62°F
Free lunch, snacks, coffee, and even a snazzy camp t-shirt
A fun after party to mingle, swap stories, and grow your network
Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just curious about open source, this is a welcoming, high-energy event you won’t want to miss.
Registration is not yet open but forthcoming. Mark your calendars and be on the lookout for updates!
Scheduled Maintenance – Friday, July 25 We’ll be performing maintenance on both www.utc.edu and blog.utc.edu on Friday evening, July 25, 2025. Keep in mind: any updates or content added to the test site will be overwritten during this process. If you’re working on pages, make sure to save your changes on the live site or back them up elsewhere before the 25th.
Suggestion: Create unpublished page(s) on the live site, then after maintenance publish it (them) on the test site.
Go here to review IT’s 2025 maintenance windows, including web.
Menu Access Questions We’ve seen a few tickets about users not being able to edit menus or breadcrumbs.
Here’s how it works: Menu access is granted at the college level—not the department level. So, if you’re a content editor with full access to your college’s entire site, you’ll be able to manage menus and breadcrumbs. But if your access is limited to a specific department or section, you can create and update pages, but not modify the menu.
Log-out Glitch for Editors Some editors have noticed they appear to be logged out after making an edit. This is just a display bug—it hasn’t actually logged you out, but we know it’s annoying. A fix is in the works and will roll out during the next maintenance window. The glitch doesn’t affect public users or site visitors—just content editors.
Faculty Bios – Who Manages What? We’ve had several tickets about updating faculty biographies. Here’s the scoop: The content on the faculty/staff pages is managed in Drupal. But if you click a “More Info” button on a faculty card, that information comes from Digital Measures—not Drupal. Each faculty member is responsible for updating their own Digital Measures profile. If you need help figuring this out, submit a ticket and we’re happy to assist.
UTC IT is deploying a new enterprise generative AI platform that gives employees access to multiple leading AI models including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Anthropic’s Claude, and Mistral AI. The platform operates entirely within UTC’s network boundaries, protecting your data. (Note: While this tool maintains strong security controls, it is not currently approved for sensitive, confidential, or regulated data.) This unified interface allows users to select their preferred AI model. As this new tool rolls out, the IT team encourages you to share feedback about their use cases and experiences through the built-in feedback button. Your insights about how you’re using the AI platform will help shape future improvements.
The platform can be found by visiting https://chatt.utc.edu/. It is currently only available when connected to the campus network or by VPN.
Content Tip:
Layout Tip:
Editor Spotlight: Bryan Wootan
As a Graphic Designer and Web Design Specialist in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Bryan Wootan plays a key role in developing print materials, social media graphics, and web pages to promote the college’s degree programs. His work supports events, recruitment, and communication efforts across the college. He also helps coordinate the promotion of major regional events such as the Technology Symposium and the Spring Research and Arts Conference—both of which give students a chance to showcase their work to local industry leaders.
What Bryan enjoys most about being a content editor is the collaborative spirit of UTC’s editing and development team. He describes the group as thoughtful, responsive, and always willing to tackle challenges together—whether that means working through technical limitations or brainstorming creative solutions. [Awe, thanks, Bryan! Right back atcha!] Over time, he has built strong working relationships across departments, fostering a sense of community that makes the work both easier and more rewarding.
One of the most meaningful aspects of Bryan’s role has been helping shape parts of the UTC website that have gone on to influence the university’s broader digital presence. Knowing his design and development work has a global reach is especially fulfilling. He also values the opportunity to contribute beyond the College of Engineering, collaborating with talented colleagues across campus. The creativity, professionalism, and shared commitment to excellence continue to inspire him every day.
Fun fact! Bryan’s been shaping the digital face of UTC for seven fabulous years—and he’s just getting started. Keep an eye out… you never know where his next pixel-perfect idea will show up!
Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just getting started, The Content Compass is your trusted guide for making every webpage the best it can be.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any feedback! We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, happy editing!
The Editor’s Edge: News, Tools & Tricks to Keep Your Website Sharp
Welcome to the second edition of The Content Compass! As we work together to enhance the university’s web presence, your commitment to creating accurate, accessible, and compelling content is more important than ever. Let’s continue to showcase the excellence of our campus community through every page we publish.
Big changes are on the horizon! Our new hosting environment for www.utc.edu officially launches May 30, bringing improved performance and reliability.
IMPORTANT! Beginning at 8 a.m. onFri., May 30, 2025, through Sat., May 31, 2025, editors will NOT be able to log in to the website to make any changes as the site will be locked for migration purposes. However, if there are any important edits that need to be made during that time, you can submit a ticket here and our team will make those for you after migration is complete.
Byte-Sized Briefs
If Content Is King, Then Communication Is The Crown. In our endeavor to build-up our web community, the UTC Web Team recently inaugurated a UTC Website Knowledge Base blog to share how-tos, updates, and best practices. Watch for new posts each month and please feel free to send us some suggestions!
Enhancing Media File Management: As of the last deployment, the Web Dev Team implemented the Media Replace and Media Delete modules in Drupal to offer greater control and flexibility for site administrators. Media Replace allows users to update the underlying file of a media entity—such as swapping out an outdated image or PDF—without breaking existing references to that media item throughout the site. This streamlined workflow simplifies media updates and helps maintain content integrity across pages. With Media Delete, users can cleanly remove media entities along with their associated files, preventing clutter and unused assets from accumulating in the media library. Together, these modules support better media lifecycle management for Drupal websites. To learn more on how to use these modules, please visit our Knowledge Base Article here.
Silktide Training Must Be Completed By May 30! As part of our ongoing efforts to improve the quality of content on our platform, weʼve rolled out important training videos for Silktide. This tool will be key in helping us maintain high standards across our content, and it’s essential that all Content Editors complete the training by May 31, 2025, as Acquia Optimize services will end on 6/2/2025. For more information, please go here.
Building Better Connections: We’re in the early stages of developing a new university intranet, and to guide this process, we’re forming an Intranet Review Committee led by Senior Director of Marketing, Sally Halloran. This committee will evaluate potential platforms to ensure our internal web content is organized and aligned with the needs of our campus community. Their recommendations will help shape the foundation of a more effective and user-friendly intranet experience. Stay tuned for upcoming communications as the committee begins its work and shares findings.
Stronger Together: New Council Forming To Oversee Web Strategy. The Web Management Team is in the process of establishing a Website Governance Council, which will replace the Web Steering Committee, to help guide the strategic direction, consistency, and quality of our web presence. This cross-functional group will include representatives from key departments and is responsible for enforcing standards and ensuring alignment with institutional goals. By implementing this governance structure, we aim to foster more coordinated, efficient, and user-focused web management across all university sites.
Welcome Aboard, Kevin!
With over 20 years of experience, Kevin Tugman, UTC’s new Director of Creative Services in Communications and Marketing, is a creative problem-solver who specializes in turning great ideas into powerful content and engaging user experiences. He will help guide the next phase of our web design evolution, scheduled for release in 2026.
Known as a go-to partner for breaking through creative roadblocks, he brings fresh perspectives to even the most complex projects. His sweet spot lies in bridging design, strategy, and storytelling to craft content that truly connects. Whether helping teams overcome challenges or elevating creative approaches, Kevin is dedicated to making great things happen. As a proud UTC alumnus, he is always cheering—Go Mocs!
Please join us in giving Kevin a warm welcome!
Good file management is like good housekeeping…
…no one notices it until it’s missing.
As we move to our new host environment, the UTC Web Team is evaluating file storage and making some adjustments and recommendations. Storing large files directly on a website consumes valuable server space and can dramatically slow down page load times, leading to a poor user experience and lower search engine rankings. They also increase the risk of timeouts and errors, particularly for users on mobile devices or with limited bandwidth. From a long-term perspective, large files make site backups and migrations more cumbersome and can contribute to higher hosting costs. Keeping file sizes lean and storing bulky content in appropriate external platforms helps ensure your website stays fast, efficient, and easy to manage. Here are some tips for managing your files:
Images
When using Photoshelter, please download images at either the Medium (1200px) or Small (600px) size for uploading to the main site’s media library.
For AdobePhotoshop, ensure your images are 72 dpi and no larger than 1200px in width. To optimize them for the web, go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). In the dialog window, select “High” quality. This will balance image quality with faster load times for the web.
Optimizing your PDF helps reduce file size, improve load time, and ensure better accessibility. To optimize a PDF, remove unnecessary images or compress them, limit embedded fonts, and reduce the overall file size using export or compression tools. Additionally, make sure the PDF is accessible by tagging headings, adding alt text to images, and using clear document structure. A well-optimized PDF not only loads faster but also improves usability, searchability, and compliance with accessibility standards. Follow these steps to make your PDF web-ready:
Step 1: Open Your PDF
Launch Adobe Acrobat Pro.
Open the PDF file you want to optimize.
Step 2: Use the PDF Optimizer Tool
Click File > Save as Other > Optimized PDF.
This opens the PDF Optimizer window.
Step 3: Choose What to Optimize
In the PDF Optimizer window, you can control compression and remove unnecessary data:
Images: Downsample and compress images (e.g., use JPEG or JPEG2000 for better compression).
Fonts: Unembed unused fonts.
Discard Objects: Remove unnecessary elements like form fields or annotations if not needed.
Discard User Data: Remove hidden data like metadata, comments, or file attachments.
Clean Up: Optimize structure and remove unused elements.
Step 4: Audit File Size (Optional)
Click Audit space usage (bottom left of the Optimizer window) to see what’s taking up space in the file. This helps identify the biggest contributors to file size.
Step 5: Check Accessibility
For accessibility, use Tools > Accessibility > Full Check to identify any issues before uploading.
Step 6: Save Your Optimized PDF
Click OK to apply your optimization settings.
Save the file with a new name (e.g., “filename_optimized.pdf”) to preserve your original.
Layout Tip: Keeping It Above The Fold
On desktop screens, users often decide within seconds whether to stay on a site, and if essential information—like calls to action or a creative headline—is buried below the fold (the portion of a webpage that is visible without scrolling), it risks being overlooked. On mobile devices, where screen space is even more limited, placing high-priority content in the visible area ensures immediate visibility and an improved user experience. According to an article by TheeDigital, “content positioned above the fold attracts the majority of a user’s attention during the first few seconds of a page visit”—designing and building web pages to keep key content above the fold directly impacts user engagement.
Did You Know…
…that go.utc.edu is UTC’s official short URL and QR code generator, designed to make sharing university-related web content quicker and more user-friendly. Whether you’re promoting events, linking to important resources, or streamlining printed materials, go.utc.edu allows you to create clean, branded short links and QR codes (with the Power C!) that are easy to share and track. This tool helps maintain consistent UTC branding while offering a practical way to manage and distribute web links across digital and print platforms. It’s available to faculty and staff and is especially useful for marketing, communications, and departmental outreach. Want to learn more? Please see our UTC Website Knowledge Base article here or…
Editor Spotlight: Holley Beeland
After 22 years of dedicated service, Holley Beeland, Scientific Graphic Designer in the Research Institute, is retiring, leaving behind an incredible legacy of creativity, precision, and institutional knowledge.
As the Content Editor supporting the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, Holley played a vital role in shaping and maintaining the university’s web presence for all things research-related, add that she liked the immediacy of the outcomes web work provides as well as being a nice contrast to doing illustrations and visuals.
She has a rare talent for transforming complex scientific information into accessible, compelling content—whether for technical proposals, scientific visualizations, or promotional materials. Her work spanned web, print, and presentation formats, always guided by her sharp eye, deep understanding of the research landscape, and commitment to UTC branding.
Holley’s impact reaches far beyond her beautifully designed brochures and well-structured web pages—she has been a trusted colleague, a steady presence, and a passionate advocate for UTC research.
Her contributions have not only helped secure funding and build partnerships but have also inspired students, faculty, and collaborators alike. She will be deeply missed, and we wish her all the best in this next chapter.
Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just getting started, The Content Compass is your trusted guide for making every webpage the best it can be.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any feedback! We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, happy editing!
Ready to crush the web content game? We got you! Introducing our brand new bi-monthly e-newsletter, The Content Compass! Whether you’re perfecting your copy, boosting your workflow, or hunting down the best tools to level up your pages, we’ve got your back. Expect the freshest updates on what the UTC web team is up to, insider tips on website tools and components, content and layout hacks, plus a special spotlight on a UTC web editor. Let’s navigate this wild web world together! Go, Mocs!
Heads Up, Team! Big Updates Ahead
Maintenance Alert: We’re rolling out some exciting updates (hello, new features and extra security!) on Friday, March 28. Just a quick reminder: Anything you’ve created on the test site will be overwritten by the live site when we deploy. So, be sure to save your work—either on the live site (but unpublished) or elsewhere. One cool update you’ll love: Silktide is coming to Drupal, replacing the current Editoria!!y tool. Check out the article below for the full scoop!
New Hosting Service Coming: Big news on the hosting front! In May, we’re switching up our hosting service. Currently, our sites like www.utc.edu, blog.utc.edu, and go.utc.edu are hosted on different servers—but soon, we’ll beconsolidating everything in the cloud! This move will save the university money and give us the flexibility, performance, and killer website solutions we need for the future.
New Web Design Coming Soon: Get ready for a fresh new look later this year! We’re diving into a major redesign for our site to bring more vibrancy, better page-building tools, and streamlined accessibility. Plus, we’ll be implementing new web branding guidelines to make sure we’re all on the same page. Stay tuned for updates and instructions!
Drupal 11 is On the Horizon: Exciting times ahead—Drupal 11 is coming! While our current Drupal 10 platform has a 2026 expiration date, we’re already prepping for the next big thing. Get ready for a smoother, faster www.utc.edu experience.
UTC Brand Guidelines Incoming: The Division of Communications and Marketing is about to drop the official brand guidelines! This will include everything you need to make sure we’re all on the same page with UTC’s look and feel. Since the website is our top communication tool, these guidelines will shape the way we roll out our web branding, too.
Stay pumped, stay tuned, and get ready for some awesome upgrades coming your way!
Editorial Features and Tools: Silktide
We’re excited to introduce Silktide as our new website quality assurance tool, replacing Acquia Optimize (formerly Monsido). Silktide offers a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach to improving our website’s accessibility, SEO, content quality, and overall performance. (Get a preview here in this short video.)
Why the Change?
Silktide provides enhanced insights and automation to help us maintain a high-quality website with less manual effort. It offers better reporting, improved accessibility checks, and a more intuitive interface for our university section editors.
SEO and Readability Analysis – Helps optimize content for search engines and user engagement.
Broken Links and Spelling Checks – Quickly identifies errors to maintain a professional website.
Mobile and Performance Testing – Assesses how well our site performs across different devices in real time with an interface that mimics the real thing.
Easy-to-Use Dashboard – Offers clear reports and actionable insights.
Drupal Implementation – We are implementing a new Silktide tool inside of the www.utc.edu to help you as you build or edit content.
WordPressImplementation – Future plans include adding our blog.utc.edu site and integrated tools as well!
Over the next few weeks, we’ll be setting up your new account so you may be receiving some login information. Once that is complete, we’ll provide instructions on training and support to help you get familiar with Silktide. Stay tuned for details on upcoming sessions!
Content Tips
Did you know? Hover cards on desktop turn into sleek tile cards on mobile! (Everyone knows you can’t hover with a finger!) To keep things smooth for users across all devices, make sure every section is fully packed with info and that your call-to-action buttons are crystal clear. Those buttons are front and center in mobile view, so make them count in driving engagement!
Desktop version of hover image
Mobile version of hover image
Having trouble picking the right photos? Need access to Photoshelter (UTC’s online photo library)? Stuck on how to word something? Not sure if your grammar’s on point or if you’re following the university’s style? Don’t stress! The Division of Communications and Marketing crew has your back. Hit them up through their ticketing system or find all the answers you need online here. And for a quick refresher, check out the UTC editorial style guidelines. Let’s make sure everything is on point!
Layout Tips
In 2024, UTC’s website received approximately 15.5 million views, with nearly 5.5 million (about one-third) coming from mobile devices. When designing page layouts and structuring content, it’s crucial to consider all potential devices—mobile, desktop, and tablets. Last year, we even had some traffic coming from Smart TVs.
Content Editor Spotlight: Ethan Arnold
Meet Ethan Arnold, our Web Content Editor on the Web Team! A UTC senior majoring in Computer Science, you might have crossed paths with him on campus or through our ticketing system. Ethan works closely with faculty and staff to keep the university’s website fresh, functional, and user-friendly. He’s teamed up with several departments, including the Center for Women and Gender Equity, Chemistry and Physics, and the College of Engineering and Computer Science. These experiences have given him valuable insights into effective website management—everything from organizing pages and coordinating with departments to ensuring top-notch quality.
We’re excited to embark on this journey with you. Whether you’re a seasoned editor or just getting started, The Content Compass is your trusted guide for making every webpage the best it can be.
Feel free to reach out to us if you have any feedback! We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, happy editing!
