Joomla4 Update

UAB Web team is updating all Joomla sites to the new Joomla4.

Joomla4 is a mandatory CMS update that we are having to make on every Joomla site for security and operational purposes. These updates will be a very manual process that require hands-on work on the backend of each site. So as we are going through each site, our Web team is making some styling updates that enhance the accessibility and usability of our sites.

We’re also working to unify styling across our Joomla sites to aid in the consistency of UAB’s digital brand. UAB’s digital brand is always a primary focus and lead initiative for our team from the President’s office. These styling efforts are in direct response to that initiative. Making some of these styling updates controlled from a more global approach instead of custom site designs helps us maintain strong UAB digital branding and keep with the accessibility standards we are upheld to for all 400+ Joomla sites. This, in turn, also enhances the user’s experience as they’re clicking around various UAB sites.

We are on a deadline to get these sites updated, but after this initial update phase is complete we look forward to hearing feedback on how our UAB Joomla sites can continue to evolve and improve.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why are we updating to Joomla4?

Since anything older than 4 will sooner no longer be supported by Joomla, for security reasons, we need to update all of our Joomla sites to Joomla4 by the upcoming deadline.
What elements of my site will change after this update?

We are using this update as an opportunity to make enhancements to our UAB Joomla sites to unify UAB's digital branding, accessibility standards and usability best practices. These aesthetic updates will not affect your site content unless we reach out to your school or unit directly to discuss specific changes. Some notable enhancements will be made to the horizontal navigation styling, the homepage layouts as well as site footers.
Will the backend of my site look different?

The Joomla4 backend layout looks slightly different than what our distributed admins are currently used to, although the core features are all still there. We have new training material for you to view on our YouTube channel that we’ll continue to expand upon.
Will I lose any content?

No, you will not lose any content in the update. We will reach out to a handful of UAB Joomla sites that are slightly more customized to discuss some minor changes to the location of some content, but no content will be pulled from your new site.

While it’s important for us to update to Joomla4 for security and operational purposes, we are also using this update as an opportunity to start to streamline and simplify our web elements and content preparation for our upcoming migration to a new CMS, currently planned to begin in the next 12-24 months. More communications on that will be released in the coming months. Our goal is to continue to improve the user experience across all sites while ensuring unit-specific content serves key audiences.
Will my site ever be down during the update?

No, your site will not experience any down time during this update.
Where can I receive training on the new site?

We have new training material on our YouTube channel linked in the Training section below.
When will my site be updated?

We are working to create the site update queue now. Hayley Zorn will reach out to the Communication Directors of each school/unit prior to us starting on your group of sites. We will be putting sites in a week-long content freeze during the update process, but the Communication Directors will know ahead of time and be able to provide that messaging to their school/units as Hayley reaches out to them.

If you currently login and manage your Joomla site, we ask you to begin going through the training materials linking in the Training section below so you will be ready to continue maintaining your new site once it goes live.
Where did my site quicklinks go after the update?
In Joomla4, we are retiring both the UAB Quicklinks as well as unit-specific quicklinks that were in the top-right corner of sites. Instead of the UAB Quicklinks, we have a new Explore UAB button that has many of the same resources as UAB. We also now direct all internal audiences to the myUAB portal.

For unit-specific quicklinks, we've provided two new locations for internal resources:
1. In the top-right corner of Joomla4 sites, we have an area where you can have a link or a dropdown with a limit of three items. You can put things like Contact Us, Give, or Apply with a dropdown to Undergraduate and Graduate Apply links.
2. There is also a section in the new global footer styling for a unit-specific resources list. There is a limit to eight items there.
What if I want to make changes to new styling or features to my site once it's live?

We are doing our best to transition all site content into the new Joomla4 template that makes sense for the content that exists. Once we move your site over to Joomla4, we encourage you to look over your site and begin documenting if there is content you want to add, especially to key pages like your homepage. Our web team is a bit underwater right now focusing on these required Joomla4 updates, so we are needing to continue moving through these as quickly as we can. But once we are done with the updates, Hayley Zorn, Executive Director of Web Services, will be more than happy to meet and discuss any needs you have on your site and talk about opportunities for continued enhancement. We see this Joomla4 update as a phase 1, and we will continue to welcome feedback on the new styling and changes to continue making improvements and enhancements in the future.