Within UAB’s content management system (CMS), Joomla, all sites use the same template created and maintained by Marketing & Communications' Web Operations and Web Communications teams. Basic parameters are set up when the sponsoring UAB department or unit initially requests the site. Vendors who are proficient in CSS and HTML can customize most aspects of site presentation but must be aware of a few factors:

• All Marketing & Communications-prescribed branding, as well as UAB Quicklinks and the required footer elements that cover copyright and terms of use, must remain intact.
• Sites are developed and tested in our development environment, which is only accessible on campus networks or via UAB’s virtual private network (VPN). See below for information regarding vendor access to the UAB network through XIAS and VPN. 
• All custom CSS, HTML, and Javascript will be audited by our Marketing & Communications web teams before being published to our production environment; i.e., the site going live to the public. Please contact Web Operations when you are ready for us to review before launch, and allow up to three working days for any code feedback. Additional PHP is not allowed in most cases.
• Web Operations curates add-ons that cover a wide array of functionality as part of our core site installation. Any additional requested extensions or add-ons for Joomla should be supplied to Web Operations to review for necessity and efficacy, and to our web hosting vendor to review for security, and must be purchased by the vendor or sponsoring UAB unit or department. Please allow up to 10 working days for review. If approved, Web Operations will install the add-on to the site and will update the add-on as required throughout its existence on our CMS. If additional costs are necessary to perform future updates to the add-on, it will be the sponsoring unit’s responsibility to procure the paid update and supply it to Web Operations for installation. If add-ons reach end-of-life, are no longer supported by their creator/developer, or are later found to pose a security risk, they will be removed from the site at Web Operations’ discretion. If the add-on is found to be exceptionally useful and bring benefit other users within our CMS, Web Operations may choose to deploy on other sites and take over future paid updates and support of the add-on.
• Future updates to the CMS or core add-ons may result in unexpected results to the user experience on highly customized sites. Web Operations will not be responsible for troubleshooting these issues should they arise, but will contact the identified representative in the affected UAB department or unit and offer to assist their vendor in resolving the issues as our resources allow.
• Vendors will be given a position map of available content areas within our template and have access to all training materials and videos created by Web Operations to assist them in working within our CMS environment. Please refer to these materials as development work begins on the site.
• Help/trouble tickets can be submitted to Web Operations. The request will then be placed in the support queue managed by Web Operations for additional assistance and handled as resources allow. Our support is limited to content and resources developed by Web Operations. Web Operations cannot offer support for vendor-provided custom CSS, HTML, or Javascript during development or after public site launch. Please consider adding post-launch support or maintenance hours to vendor agreements and contracts.

UAB Network and Resource Access

Outside vendors can receive an XIAS account from UAB IT through the UAB department or unit with whom they’ve contracted to work. A XIAS account will allow access to UAB’s VPN through which the administrator interface of a specific site can be reached. VPN is required for admin access from off campus. Web Operations can help guide users through this account setup process. Once the sponsoring UAB department or unit’s representative has supplied Web Operations with the appropriate login usernames (email addresses) of the vendors’ users, those users will have the same rights and privileges as a UAB user on the site. More information can be found on UAB IT's Guest User Accounts page.