What is Drupal?
Drupal is a content management system (CMS) that provides a backend framework for the majority of ANU sites. It simplifies web editing for user who are not familiar with html or other coding languages.
How is the ANU website structured?
The ANU website is not a single entity, it is a large group of individual websites that interact with each other. For example ANU.edu.au is a separate site to services.anu.edu.au.
Each site will have its own access management meaning editors will only get access to the specific sites they have requested and you will need to login into each site separately.
To log into a website, simply add /user to the domain name. For example, if you wish to log into the gateway website at https://www.anu.edu.au, you go to https://www.anu.edu.au/user
Distributed access model
ANU employs a distributed access model. This means that any member of ANU staff can gain access to edit the site.
The distributed access model is utilised by ANU to ensure that the website remains a shared platform.
Rather than having a centrally located web administration team, the distributed model allows subject experts to take ownership of their content.
Access groups
Each division is assigned to a specific access group. These groups allow the users assigned to them to edit pages associated with those divisions. For example, a member of the accommodation team will not be able to edit recruitment pages etc. as they sit outside of that divisional remit.
This system is designed to ensure that subject matter expert have ownership of their content.
Can I be assigned to multiple access groups?
Yes – in some circumstances multiple access groups are required. To have a new access group assigned you will need to submit a ticket to the service desk.
Template system
Many websites use a component system where individual content blocks are stacked to create a page. To ensure a secure and consistent experience for students, ANU is using a 'template system' in Drupal. This allows our development team to keep all the templates up to date and allow for an easy editor experience.
Templates ensure that style consistency is maintained across the site and gives structure to editors when creating or editing pages.
If the template for the page type you are creating does not fit your needs, you will need request a project or custom page via the service desk for the request to be assessed.
What is possible?
As an editor you will be able to:
- create new pages within your access groups
- edit pages within your access group
- add limited formatting via the CMS
- publish and unpublish content.
What isn’t possible?
- Editing pages outside your access group
- Editing custom coded pages
- Creating new web page designs
- Creating new page templates
- Editing existing page templates