Notre Dame Photos Search and Import

As I'm sure you are aware, we have amazing photographers here at Notre Dame. To help remove the barrier between their lens and your website, Conductor now has the ability to search ND Photos and import images directly within the assets upload area.

Supporting information that the photographers have added on ND Photos will be inserted into the caption field for your image. Note: you are still responsible for adding the alternative text.

News Import Requests

If you have Events enabled on your site, you are probably aware of the event import request feature where you can submit your events to other sites for import. We have now expanded that functionality to news as well. In addition, you can now begin an import request directly from the edit screen for both News and Events.

Please note this is only available for published news, so you will not see the option for syndication until the "Publish" check box is active. And as with events, you can only send a request to sites that either have your site specifically set as a content source, or are configured to import from all sites. Learn more about that restriction on the support page.

We've made a minor update to uploading images and files. You now have two options for adding Uploads… 1) Click to browse your files, or 2) drag and drop onto the drop window. Keep in mind you still have a limit of ten files at a time.

Recent Launches

• Air Force ROTC
• Childhood and Adolescence Resilience (CARE) Lab
• Department of Political Science
• Neuroscience and Behavior
• Notre Dame Review
• NuMATTER Design Lab
• Office of Institutional Equity
• Q-Bio@ND

Community Articles

Ten marketing trends for higher education you can't ignore in 2025

Digital marketing is evolving at lightning speed, and we're seeing first-hand how shifting student expectations, emerging technologies, and competitive pressures are transforming the way universities connect with prospective students.

Read more about Ten marketing trends for higher education you can't ignore in 2025

Six things NOT related to accessibility that will improve your disability inclusion efforts

Emphasizing inclusion, flexibility, and growth is essential for empowering employees with disabilities.

Read more about Six things NOT related to accessibility that will improve your disability inclusion efforts

The webteam will on break from December 21 through January 1. While we will be monitoring our support channels, response times will be reduced.

Retiring FindND

Almost ten years ago the university launched the website FindND as a resource to help the Notre Dame community "find" a variety of resources on and around campus. However, due to a variety of factors such as low traffic, effort of keeping the data up-to-date, and overlap with externally available services that meet the same needs, we have decided to retire the website effective January 15, 2025.

On that date any links to FindND will be redirected to Search Notre Dame. We recommend you check your site for any links to FindND and update accordingly.

Recent Launches

• Gender Relations Center
• Malaria Crosses Collaboration
• Procurement Services

Community Articles

Designing for anyone: The power of accessible products

Here's a powerful idea that's changed my perspective: Accessible design isn't designing for everyone, it's designing for anyone. This subtle shift in thinking opens up a world of possibilities and challenged me to think more inclusively about our users.

Read more about Designing for anyone

10 Simple Ways to Make Your Social Media Posts Accessible

In today’s digital age, social media is the dominant medium. On average, people spend more time on social media than they do on websites! However, not everyone experiences social media content in the same way. By making your posts more accessible, you can reach a wider audience and increase engagement.

Read more about 10 Simple Ways to Make Your Social Media Posts Accessible

Does anyone else feel like they can't toss a rock these days without hitting a tech product unnecessarily shoe-horning "AI" into their product? It's all becoming a bit overwhelming.

On a completely unrelated note…

We’re excited to announce two new generative AI-powered features in Conductor that will enhance accessibility and search engine optimization! Content editors can use these features to assist in the creation of meta descriptions and image alt text. The meta description feature analyzes the text in the Content tab to produce concise, SEO-friendly summaries, helping improve search visibility. The alt text generator ensures that images are accessible to all users by providing descriptive, context-appropriate alt text, fostering a more inclusive experience for everyone.

To use these features, look for the button with the blue star . Clicking this button will generate the content which you will then need to review and save. For meta descriptions, the button is located to the right of the input field when editing Pages. For alt text, you will find the button below the Description field when editing an image.

When using these features, be aware that these tools are meant to assist with content creation. As with any content on Notre Dame sites, the web editor is responsible for and is expected to review the generated content for accuracy, appropriateness, and best practices.

Did you know?

The Center for Social Concerns recently renamed to the Institute for Social Concerns. There are many references to the previous name throughout the University website network. Today OPAC will implement a find and replace for all instances of “Center for Social Concerns” in Conductor page content. We will not update news or events. Campus web admins should review their websites and update any related images, logos, or other references to the previous name. Let us know if you have any questions.

Recent Launches

• Notre Dame Energy
• Parseghian Fund
• Processes in Personality and Psychopathology (PoPPy) Lab
• The Bishop's Ministry of Governance Seminar

Community Articles

How to fix the 5 most common Accessibility errors

We recently reanalyzed a sample of up to 100 pages from every college and university in the United States with our Higher Ed in 4k project. Similarly WebAIM analyzed the top million most popular home pages with their WebAIM Million project. Between the projects we have learned lots of interesting information about the state of web accessibility.

Read more about How to fix the 5 most common Accessibility errors

Social Media and Accessibility - Part 2: Images & Video

Part two of a two-part blog series explores practical tips for creating accessible social media content. Topics include fonts, color contrast, hashtags, images, memes, videos, and more. The goal is to provide a checklist to help you create the most accessible social media content.

Read more about Social Media and Accessibility - Part 2: Images & Video

You may have noticed some rather annoying bugs associated with subpages in the admin. Those pesky critters have been thoroughly stomped upon. If you notice any lingering issues when working with pages, please let us know.

Did you know?

In the spirit of the season we asked our local ChatGPT "what are the top five favorite candies are in the United States?" It responded with the following list:

• Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
• M&M's
• Snickers
• Hershey's Bars
• Skittles

I mean sure, those top three are pretty darn good, but given the distinct lack of Baby Ruth on the list, we at the Notre Dame Webteam have determined that LLM's are filthy liars and should not be trusted.

Recent Launches

• CASPAR
• Keough School of Global Affairs
• Office of Financial Aid
• Office of Military & Veterans Affairs
• Sleep and Health Research Lab
• Somos ND

Community Articles

15 Ways to Improve Web Accessibility

(Reposting since last month the link was incorrect)

Accessibility is more than a nice thing to do; it’s also a business opportunity that makes experiences easier and more enjoyable to use for everyone. Here are 15 practical steps for a more accessible web experience.

Read more about 15 Ways to Improve Web Accessibility

Captions vs. Subtitles: Leave No Viewer Behind

Some countries use "subtitles" instead of "captions." But in the U.S., captions and subtitles are not the same thing. The word isn't important, but the difference is important.

Read more about Captions vs. Subtitles: Leave No Viewer Behind

No matter if you're new to Conductor or a seasoned user, it's possible to encounter tasks you're unfamiliar with. In such cases, use the "User Guide" link in the top right of the Conductor admin screen to access our comprehensive documentation, covering all common features. If you still need assistance, use the "Request Help" link for free support. And if it's been a while since you last used Conductor or you want a refresher, sign up for free training to get back up to speed.

Recent Launches

• Division of Student Affairs
• Forum 2024-25
• Notre Dame Learning
• Pop Up Pregnancy & Family Village
• University Operations, Events, and Safety

Community Articles

15 Ways to Improve Web Accessibility

Accessibility is more than a nice thing to do; it’s also a business opportunity that makes experiences easier and more enjoyable to use for everyone. Here are 15 practical steps for a more accessible web experience.

Read more about 15 Ways to Improve Web Accessibility

Boosting Accessibility Awareness in Higher Ed

As technology continues to integrate into the learning experience, it's imperative that all students, regardless of ability, have equal access to digital resources and information. Digital accessibility is a critical issue that higher education institutions can no longer afford to ignore.

Read more about Boosting Accessibility Awareness in Higher Ed

Unique meta descriptions play a crucial role in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) by directly influencing how your webpages appear in search engine results. These descriptions provide a concise summary of the page's content, and when well-crafted, they can significantly improve click-through rates from search engine results pages. By writing unique and relevant meta descriptions for each page, you can effectively communicate the page's value to both search engines and users.

It's also important to note that search engines often display only a limited number of characters from the meta description—typically up to 160 characters. Adhering to this character limit ensures that your entire message is visible in search results, avoiding truncation that could omit important information.

To help you optimize your meta descriptions, the meta description field on all pages now includes a live-updating character count. This feature allows you to see exactly how many characters you've used as you write, making it easier to stay within the recommended length and create effective, user-friendly descriptions.

Did you know?

The Conductor rich text editor now supports Markdown. For instance, for a new `<h2>`, start by typing two octothorps (##) at the beginning of a line followed by a space, and the RTE will convert it to a heading.

Recent Launches

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Ethics and the Common Good

Community Articles

A More Descriptive ALT Text: Shaping Experiences and Perceptions

Any image that conveys relevant, meaningful context should have ALT text. The details of the ALT text will depend on the context of the image and the content creator. And there are times when ALT text, to be truly effective, should include characteristics such as skin tone, race, ethnicity, and disability.

Read more about A More Descriptive ALT Text: Shaping Experiences and Perceptions

Dungeons & Dragons taught me how to write alt text

Eric Bailey draws parallels between the narrative techniques used in role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons and the crafting of effective alt text for web accessibility. He emphasizes the importance of prioritizing key information and setting the right tone, similar to how a Dungeon Master would describe a scene.

Read more about Dungeons & Dragons taught me how to write alt text

A number of updates were made to our Rich Text Editor to address minor bugs when entering content. A bug that was preventing errors from displaying when saving content was also addressed.

Did you know?

Much like a garden, websites grow and change over time, and therefore need regular upkeep and maintenance. This includes website editors who have access to your site admin. The start of the new fiscal year is a great time to review your site's Users (available to users with the Admin role) and deactivate any users who should no longer have access. Deactivating a user retains their edit history while removing their access to the site admin.

Recent Launches

• CIF Blue
• Interfacial Thermofluids Laboratory

Community Articles

How screen readers read special characters: an update

Screen readers interpret what is on the screen. They can read most text easily and accurately, but how do they handle special punctuation and characters? Let's find out!

Read more about How screen readers read special characters: an update

A complete guide for adding captions to YouTube videos

YouTube captions, which sync with the video, provide the text of the narration. They are crucial for accessibility, aiding users with hearing impairments and those who watch videos on mute or need help understanding the content.

Read more about A complete guide for adding captions to YouTube videos

Google has finalized the transition from Universal Analytics to Google Analytics 4 (GA4). Universal Analytics properties will be retired on July 1. The retirement process will delete all historical website data stored in Universal Analytics (prior to 2023). If you would like to maintain access to the historical website data stored in your Universal Analytics property, we have provided documentation to do so.

View Data Backup Process

Recent Launches

• Ethics and the Common Good
• Office of the President
• PARISH Project
• The Mary E. Galvin Science & Engineering Scholars Program

Community Articles

A complete guide for content creators to start making accessible content

Website content creators are responsible for the web pages, blog posts, videos, and documents that make up the Web. We make strategic decisions so our users can easily read, navigate, and enjoy our content.

Read more about A complete guide for content creators to start making accessible content

Ableism and Related Terms You Need to Know

It's important to understand topics like ableism, microaggressions, unconscious bias, and stereotypes. Ignoring uncomfortable topics like these gives power for them to continue. Hence, we need to learn about them, understand them, talk about them, and know how to address them. Otherwise, change will not happen.

Read more about Ableism and Related Terms You Need to Know

Are you new to Conductor? Do you feel like you need a refresher? Training sessions are offered a few times a month and cover the basics of managing a website using Conductor. Training is offered free of charge to all Conductor users.

See the upcoming training schedule.

Recent Launches

• Core Curriculum
• Staff Advisory Council (SAC)
• SMIL+E Lab

Community Articles

The Complete Guide to Captioned Videos

In recent years, captioning has gotten so much easier and more affordable. This guide will dive into why captioning matters, how it provides a huge ROI, 10 rules for creating great captioned videos, and how to caption your videos.

Read more about The Complete Guide to Captioned Videos

Write Alt Text Like You’re Talking To A Friend

If you take nothing else away from this post, I want you to remember this: Write alternative text as if you’re describing the image to a friend. Keep it brief, but informative! Give the most important information and leave out unimportant details.

Read more about Write Alt Text Like You’re Talking To A Friend

Google Analytics

With Google finalizing the transition from Universal Analytics to GA4, you’ve likely received emails from Google about the retirement of Universal Analytics in July. This step will delete website data historically stored in Universal Analytics.

In the coming weeks, ND Creative will publish an article with information about how historical data can be exported into reports in advance, for those interested in preserving their data.

 Email Signature Generator

An email signature builder was recently added to On Message. This tool allows you to enter your information and will generate the necessary content that you can then paste into your Gmail signature.

Google Analytics

With Google finalizing the transition from Universal Analytics to GA4, you've likely received emails from Google about the retirement of Universal Analytics in July. This step will delete website data historically stored in Universal Analytics.

In the coming weeks, ND Creative will publish an article with information about how historical data can be exported into reports in advance, for those interested in preserving their data.

Recent Launches

• Office of Treasury Services
• Women Lead 2024

Community Articles

Accommodating Neurodivergent Learners

Star Peterson discusses how to design learning content that is accessible to autistic learners as well as learners with ADHD, learning disabilities, Traumatic Brain Injury, and other neurodivergences.

Read more about Accommodating Neurodivergent Learners

Be flexible about what people need (and don't assume).

Your assumptions about facilitation and accommodation can be wrong. They're often shaped differently and smaller than you think. Awareness is key.

Read more about Be flexible about what people need (and don't assume).

On July 1, Google will begin deleting Universal Analytics data. These are the properties that pre-date the move to GA4. Google has released basic instructions on how to export data, and we'll share some documentation soon to assist you with archiving your historical analytics.

Recent Launches

• Card Office
• Exoneration Justice Clinic
• Notre Dame Police Department
• Office of Federal and Washington Relations

Community Articles

Handling Death Gracefully in Digital Experiences

Jason Grigsby on dealing with loss, and how online applications that handle death poorly and add to the pain.

Read more about Handling Death Gracefully in Digital Experiences

Accessibility Myths

Twenty-two common accessibility myths debunked.

Read more about Accessibility Myths

A recent change to the Conductor Asset workflow now requires a description to be added for images and files. Read more at Enhancing Accessibility: A New Approach to Descriptions in Conductor.

Recent Launches

• iLocater
• Office of Institutional Transformation

Community Articles

Thrive as a social media team of one

Columnist Kevin Agee lays out a three-part strategy for finding success as a solo social media manager.

Read more about Thrive as a social media team of one

Common Analytics Assumptions

Discover common analytics assumptions with Dana in this Whiteboard Friday. A must-watch for marketers seeking clarity in the ever-evolving landscape of analytics.

Read more about Common Analytics Assumptions

What's Changing?

Starting next week, we are implementing a workflow change to Conductor that will require users to add a valid description for all newly uploaded assets (images, PDFs, etc.) before they can be inserted into content or selected as a resource. This change is designed to promote accessibility and ensure that your site is accessible to a wider audience.

Why Descriptions Matter

Accessibility is a fundamental aspect of the web, and it goes beyond just providing alt text for images. Descriptions play a crucial role in making digital content more inclusive, especially for individuals with visual or cognitive impairments who may rely on screen readers or other assistive technologies.

By adding a meaningful description to an asset, you're providing important context for those who may not be able to see the content. This includes:

• Screen Reader Users: Quality descriptions enable screen reader users to understand the content of an image or other media element, enhancing their overall browsing experience.
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Detailed descriptions not only improve accessibility but also contribute to better SEO. Search engines use alt text to understand the content of images, potentially boosting your website's visibility.
• Searching in the Conductor admin: Clear and concise descriptions make assets easily discoverable within the Conductor admin. With a quality description, the next time you search for the image, the higher probability it will be found.

How to Implement Descriptions

Adding descriptions to your assets is a straightforward process. After uploading an asset, you will see a notice prompting you to provide a description. Take a moment to think about the key details a user might need to know if they can't see the image, and enter that information into the description field. By taking the time to add these descriptions, we're saying "everyone's welcome" and ensuring that every visitor can truly experience the full richness of your content.

Below are some resources with tips on how to write quality descriptions:

• WebAIM: Alternative Text
• Web Accessibility Initiative Tips and Tricks
• Perkins School for the Blind: How to Write Alt Text and Image Descriptions for the visually impaired

For existing content, we encourage you to review and update descriptions for images and other assets in the Assets section of your site. This small effort can make a significant impact on the overall accessibility of your site.

Our Commitment to Accessibility

At Notre Dame we are committed to making the web a more accessible place for everyone. This change is just one step in our ongoing efforts to create a platform that is user-friendly and considers the diverse needs of our community.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding as we implement these improvements. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Webhelp.

Share widget update

The default share widget that appears on News and Events now includes LinkedIn.

Scheduled and Unpublished Events

Similar to News, you can now schedule Events to go live in the future. A new Event entry will default to Published with the current date and time.  You can choose at time of creation to unpublish the event, or change the publish date to a future date and time.

Did you know?

DubBot has launched a new Learning Center. The site includes resources to learn about accessibility in general, as well as instructional content for DubBot users.

Recent Launches

• Department of Africana Studies
• Department of Economics
• Human Computer Interaction
• Lisouskaya Research Group

Community Articles

HighEdWeb 2024 Michigan (Thursday, May 23)

From programmers, marketers and social pros, to managers, designers and writers (and all team members in-between), together we'll explore and find solutions for the unique issues around digital at colleges and universities — because we know that the impact of digital extends far beyond divisional or department lines.

Read more about HighEdWeb 2024 Michigan

ChatGPT is not ready to handle web accessibility remediation

Recently a friend shared with me a “Custom GPT” called “Accessibility Copilot”. This is one of many interesting applications of ChatGPT that are arriving to market at breakneck speed, but is unfortunately not something I would rely on for effective remediation of accessibility issues.

Read more about ChatGPT accessibility remediation

This month's updates include an improvement when working with images in Custom Databases and Custom Fields. Rather than an empty text field where you would need to paste in an image URL, you will now see a "Select Image" button. This will open the image library and allow you to select the image. You will also see a preview of the image alongside the button when one is selected. This functions exactly like the Featured Image in News and Events, as well as the People photo selector. If you do not see the image selector where expected, or if it's showing up where it should not, please contact WebHelp from your site's admin.

Did you know?

The most recent release of macOS (Sonoma) includes a feature that allows you to turn a website into an application. Apple has a quick guide to get you started: Turn a website into an app in Safari on Mac.

Recent Launches

• ACC Meeting of The Minds Conference
• Byron and the Mediterranean “Cult of the South”
• Faculty Administration Support & Training
• Global Human Rights Clinic
• Jacques Maritain Center
• Michiana Community Health Coalition
• Responsible Computing @ ND

Community Articles

How Screen-Reader Users Type on and Control Mobile Devices

Users who are blind or have low vision prefer dictation over typing with a keyboard whenever possible. Screen readers on touchscreen devices are restricted to a well-defined set of gestures which makes interaction more challenging than on computers.

How Screen-Reader Users Type on and Control Mobile Devices

How user-centered design and information architecture shape user experiences on the web

Robust information architecture (IA) is grounded in user research and strategic planning. Jessica Schillinger shares best practices for user-centered website design.

How user-centered design and information architecture shape user experiences on the web

Import People

To expedite the population of the People module, we have a new feature that allows for the import of people from a CSV. To help with data formatting, download the example CSV from the People section of your site which comes pre-populated with the available fields. This is a beta feature, if you have a use-case for importing people, contact Webhelp to get started.

Recent Launches

• Baraka Bouts
• Fresh Writing
• The Santiago-Tirado Lab
• TRIO Programs

Community Articles

Quick overview of “What's New In WCAG 2.2” explainer posts

Quick overview of "What's New In WCAG 2.2" explainer posts
Sometimes it's the best method of learning when different people with different teaching styles teach the same subject. Since Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 has landed just recently, and it is really important to get a grip regarding the testing of the new success criteria, here's an overview of recommended and – in my opinion – valuable explainers by fellow members of the accessibility community.

Quick overview of “What's New In WCAG 2.2” explainer posts

How To Make A Strong Case For Accessibility

Getting support for accessibility efforts isn’t easy. There are many accessibility myths, wrong assumptions and expectations that make accessibility look like a complex, expensive and time-consuming project. Let’s fix that!

How To Make A Strong Case For Accessibility

5-minute website improvement guide

In their Best of Conference-winning presentation, Mackenzie Huber and Whitney Tabbert share a six-part rubric for making your website more usable in 5 minutes flat.

5-minute website improvement guide

Duplicate Events

A new "Duplicate" button is available on all upcoming and past events. This feature will create a new event using the values from the original event minus dates and times. Please note, you can find past events in the primary navigation under "Events".

External People

The People Module is the easiest way to manage directory listings in Conductor. However, since the feature was limited to people it could find in the ND Directory, it did not allow for non-ND records. Our latest release includes an experimental feature to allow for non-ND records to be added to the People section of your site. If you have a use-case for external people  and would like to test the feature, contact Webhelp and we can activate it on your site.

Did you know?

The ND Webteam uses the site governance tool DubBot to monitor the health of many of the university's top-level sites. DubBot scans websites for issues such as broken links, misspellings, accessibility issues, and more. Site owners get weekly reports on the health of their site with helpful information on how to address the issues.

If you would be interested in using DubBot on your site, contact Webhelp for pricing.

Recent Launches

• AI@ND
• BRAIN Lab
• Catholic Peacebuilding Network
• Family Services and Programs
• Forum 2023-24
• Galactic Archaeology (Kirby Group)
• Gallivan Program in Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy
• Maternal Health Resources Indiana
• Notre Dame Nanofabrication Facility
• XR Collective

Community Articles

How People Use Assistive Technology

Assistive technology ensures that individuals with disabilities can interact with websites and digital content effectively. The types of assistive technology needed to interact with a website can vary depending on the specific disability and the individual's needs.

How People Use Assistive Technology

Proof Accessibility Matters

Website accessibility "boils down to three things: the legal requirements, the commercial opportunity, and the moral imperative."

Proof Accessibility Matters

Due to Twitter's recent name change to "X", we have begun the process of updating social links to "X/Twitter" accompanied by the new 𝕏 logo. If you notice an instance on your site that needs updated, please contact webhelp.

In addition to the name and logo changes, the Twitter embed functionality to limit the number of tweets is currently broken resulting in a very tall embed. If you would like the embed removed from your site, please contact webhelp.

Recent Launches

• Arts @ ND
• Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• College of Arts & Letters
• Engineering Innovation Hub Portal
• Experience Notre Dame
• John J. Reilly Center for Science, Technology, and Values
• Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies

Community Articles

We’re All Just Temporarily Abled

One in five people currently have a disability. One-hundred percent of people will have some form of disability in their lifetime.

Read We’re All Just Temporarily Abled

Pedro Ribeiro appointed vice president for public affairs and communications

Pedro Ribeiro, senior vice president for communications and public affairs at the Association of American Universities (AAU), has been appointed vice president for OPAC.

Read Pedro Ribeiro appointed vice president for public affairs and communications

The releases this past month focused on UI updates to improve consistency across the admin, as well as some accessibility updates. We've also been working on upcoming feature improvements. More on those soon.

Did you know?

Conductor has some advanced image search filters you can use in the Uploads section. With it you can find large files, filter by width, and locate uploads that are not being used. View advanced search options.

Recent Launches

• A&L Faculty and Staff Resources
• Bilgicer Lab
• Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
• Haciendo Caminos
• Postpartum Care, Access, and Quality
• Three Leaf Catering

Community Articles

There’s no such thing as a “normal” user

Accessibility expert Karl Groves advocates for the use of Universal Design, which acknowledges the diversity of users and promotes inclusivity for all.

Read There’s no such thing as a “normal” user

Dear Colleague

Two US Government Agencies Address Online Accessibility in Higher Education: Are Regulations Next?

Read Dear Colleague