About the KU CMS

KU CMS Sunflower

KU Marketing & Communications and KU Information Technology have developed a new version of the KU content management system called KU CMS - Sunflower. The new KU CMS uses an updated version of Drupal, so expect a mix of numerous new elements with some familiar concepts and features.

KU CMS - Sunflower in Action

Take a look at the Admissions website. That is the first live KU CMS - Sunflower site. It was built almost entirely using the new sections and cloneable templates that are available to you.

When Do Sites Need to Be Migrated?

All current KU CMS sites in Drupal 7 must be manually migrated to KU CMS - Sunflower by July 1, 2022. KU IT assistance is available to help meet this timeline.

How Can I Request a KU CMS – Sunflower Site?

You can submit a site request now.

What You Can Do to Get Ready?

We strongly encourage all CMS site owners to begin the site migration process as soon as possible. To assist you, we have provided a step-by-step Site Migration Plan. View the Site Migration Plan

Looking for the Previous Version of this Site?

This site exclusively details information and resources for KU CMS - Sunflower. The legacy version of cms.ku.edu with information for Drupal 7 KU CMS sites continues until all sites in the original Drupal 7 KU CMS are migrated to KU CMS - Sunflower.

Drupal

KU uses a Drupal-based content management system (CMS) to provide site administrators/editors with an easy to use and consistent backend user experience, which allows them in turn to produce consistent and high-quality end-user experiences across university sites.

• The KU CMS enables those without technical knowledge of HTML and CSS coding to easily build and maintain websites.
• The KU CMS is also robust enough to allow experienced web developers to incorporate customized features.

Features of the CMS

• Theme — A common KU theme built using KU MarComms’ Limestone Design System provides consistent branding across all KU websites, while giving units flexibility to tailor their information and site to the needs of their audience.
• Responsive Design — Pages in the CMS are viewable on any device, scaling or reformatting for smart phones, tablets, and computers.
• Versioning — Versions are saved of every published draft including an audit log, allowing content managers to revert to previous versions if needed.
• KU Central Authentication — Once you are assigned permissions by a site administrator, you can log in with your KU Online ID and password to manage your website and content.
• Syndicated Content — Pull content from central KU sources, such as the Course Catalog and KU Calendar of Events.
• XML Sitemap — Increases your site's searchability both externally and internally.
• URL Redirects and Aliasing — Allows for "clean" URLs for any webpage

Benefits of the CMS

• Easy Content Management – Any approved user can quickly and easily publish webpages without complicated software or programming.
• Consistent Brand and Navigation – Common KU theme provides a consistent brand image and standard navigation across all KU websites.
• Design Separate from Content – You can manipulate content without fear of accidentally changing the design.
• Shared Resources – Website managers have access to shared resources, including documents, images, audio/video files, etc.
• Mobile Ready – The CMS automatically scales your site to fit tablets, mobile devices and smaller browser windows.
• Archive Capabilities –You can track who has made changes to your page and archive previous versions of your page.
• Remote Access with KU VPN – While logged into the KU VPN service, you can access and update your site from anywhere with an Internet connection.
• Security – Security is automatic.
• Search Engine-friendly – The CMS helps to optimize your website so that search engine users can easily find your information.
• WCAG 2.0 Compliant - The CMS is designed to be WCAG 2.0 compliant to ensure accessibility.  Users and administrators still need to follow all accessibility guidelines to ensure their content is compliant. See Accessibility for more information.
• Flexibility for Developers – Because the CMS enables non-technical users to easily publish content, this frees up technical developers to focus on functionality and enhanced features.