Why Drupal for Higher Education?

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Higher education institutions need a robust, flexible platform to manage their digital presence and connect with audiences, from students to faculty and graduates.

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) that offers a perfect solution for higher education. With its scalability, security, and adaptability, Drupal allows institutions to build custom websites that enhance engagement, support learning, and simplify operations. As a community-driven platform, Drupal continually advances, ensuring academic websites remain modern, accessible, and responsive.

Key Features of Drupal for Higher Education

Multi-Site Management

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Universities often have multiple departments, colleges, research centers, and administrative units, each requiring its own web presence. Drupal’s multi-site capabilities allow institutions to manage multiple websites from a single codebase, providing centralised control while allowing individual sites to maintain their unique content and branding.

Content Management

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Faculty, staff, and administrators need to create, review, and publish a wide range of content, including news articles, research papers, event announcements, and course information. Drupal offers powerful content creation and management tools, including customisable content types, workflows, and user permissions, ensuring content accuracy and consistency across all web properties.

Personalisation & Targeted Content

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Higher education websites must cater to various user groups, including prospective students, current students, alumni, and faculty. Drupal’s personalisation features allow institutions to deliver targeted content based on user roles, behaviour, and preferences, enhancing user engagement and experience.

Responsive and Accessible Design

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Ensuring that websites are accessible on various devices and compliant with accessibility standards is crucial for higher education institutions. Drupal supports responsive design out-of-the-box and offers numerous themes and modules to ensure websites are accessible and meet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standards.

Integration with External Systems

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Universities frequently use various third-party systems for student information, learning management, library services, and more. Drupal’s flexibility and robust API capabilities facilitate seamless integration with these external systems, ensuring smooth data exchange and interoperability.

Event Management

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Universities host numerous events, such as conferences, workshops, lectures, and social events. Drupal provides comprehensive event management tools that enable easy creation, promotion, registration, and management of events, streamlining the process for both organisers and attendees.

Key Benefits of Drupal for Higher Education

Drupal offers a flexible, scalable, and secuDrupal offers a dynamic, scalable, and secure platform tailored to the unique needs of universities and colleges, enabling them to build engaging, user-centric websites that support academic and administrative goals.

Open-Source and Cost-Effective:

Avoid licensing fees and benefit from a wide range of free modules and themes, allowing flexibility within budget constraints.

Customisable

Create tailored digital experiences for various departments, research units, and programs, ensuring each reflects its unique identity and needs.

Centralised Multi-Site Management

Manage multiple websites efficiently from one platform, ensuring consistency and ease of maintenance while allowing for individual customisation.

Enhanced User Engagement

Use powerful personalisation tools to deliver relevant content to different audience groups, improving user satisfaction and interaction.

Seamless System Integration

Easily connect with educational tools like LMS and SIS, enhancing the digital ecosystem of the institution.

Accessibility and Inclusivity

Meet global accessibility standards, ensuring your digital content is available to all users, regardless of abilities.

Advanced Security Features

Protect sensitive academic and personal data with Drupal’s robust security measures, ensuring compliance with data protection standards.

How Higher Education Institutions Succeed with Drupal

Explore how universities and colleges have successfully leveraged Drupal to enhance their digital presence. From improving content management and personalising user experiences to managing multiple sites and integrating with essential educational systems, see how our Drupal solutions have enabled educational institutions to achieve their digital goals.

Websites

Maritime University of Szczecin

We designed a coherent user experience to combine content from all 60 universities' websites and implement them on one CMS engine equipped with a Multisite module for the universities' core audiences: prospective students, students, and staff.

How Magnetic Point Can Help

 

At Magnetic Point, we provide comprehensive Drupal development services tailored for higher education institutions:

 

  • Custom Development and Integration. We develop bespoke modules and integrate third-party tools, such as learning management systems and student information systems, to create a seamless and engaging user experience.
  • Support and Maintenance. Our team ensures your website remains secure and up-to-date with ongoing support, maintenance, and upgrades.
  • Training and Empowerment. We offer comprehensive training to your team, enabling them to manage and optimise your Drupal website effectively, ensuring you get the most from the platform.

Acquia Certified Drupal Consultants

Our team at Magnetic Point includes Acquia Certified Consultants, guaranteeing expert guidance backed by recognised industry standards. With this certification, our developers bring verified skills and up-to-date knowledge to your Drupal projects.

 

Acquia Drupal Certification

Why Choose Magnetic Point for Your Education Institution's Drupal Website?

At Magnetic Point, we understand the unique challenges that higher education institutions face in the digital space. With over 20 years of experience in web development and as a Drupal Association Member, we specialise in delivering robust and flexible Drupal-based solutions that empower universities and colleges to connect with their audiences effectively. Let us help you bring your digital vision to life with Drupal – the ideal content management system for higher education.

FAQ: Drupal Solutions for Higher Education

1. What is Drupal, and why is it a good choice for higher education institutions?

Drupal is an open-source content management system (CMS) known for its flexibility, scalability, and security. It is an ideal choice for higher education because it allows institutions to build custom websites tailored to their unique needs without the high costs associated with proprietary software. With strong community support, robust features, and the ability to handle complex content structures, Drupal provides higher education institutions with the tools to manage their digital presence effectively.
 

2. Can Drupal handle multi-site environments for different departments and units?

Yes, Drupal’s multi-site capabilities allow higher education institutions to manage multiple websites from a single codebase. This enables centralised control while allowing individual departments or units to maintain their unique content and branding.
 

3. How does Drupal support personalisation for different user groups?

Drupal offers powerful personalisation features that allow institutions to deliver targeted content to various user groups, such as prospective students, current students, alumni, and faculty, based on user roles, behaviour, and preferences.
 

4. Is Drupal secure for managing sensitive educational data?

Absolutely. Drupal is renowned for its strong security features, which is why it is used by leading higher education institutions worldwide. The platform offers robust security measures, including regular updates, user access controls, encryption, and more, ensuring your data is protected against potential threats.
 

5. How does Drupal handle event management for higher education institutions?

Drupal provides comprehensive event management capabilities through various modules that allow you to create, manage, and promote events. Features such as event registration, ticketing, calendar integration, and attendee management are easily implemented, making it simple to organise conferences, workshops, lectures, and other events.
 

6. Do you provide training for our team to manage the Drupal website?

Yes, we provide comprehensive training sessions to help your team understand the Drupal interface, manage content, handle updates, and utilise various features effectively.
 

7. How can we get started with a Drupal website for our higher education institution?

Getting started is easy! Simply contact us for a free consultation, and our team will discuss your needs, provide a tailored proposal, and guide you through every step of the web development process.

Get in Touch

Michael

Michał Klemczak - CTO Magnetic Point

Client Advisor

Tell me about your digital challenges, and I will propose solutions, schedules and cost estimates.

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