Websites & Aurora

Need a Website?

Requesting a new website requires going through Extension Communications, please contact Stacey Stearns to discuss your options. 

New websites are available to all University-supported entities including schools, colleges, divisions, departments, centers, institutes, research labs, programs, projects. Individual UConn faculty may also create websites. New websites should not be created for events. Events should be handled as pages or posts on your existing website, or through the University events calendar. Exceptions for large, recurring events will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

  1. Consider your need. - Should this be a new, separate website, or would this content fit better within an existing site? Is there enough content to support a new website and is there a plan for how it will be maintained?
  2. Review and be prepared to implement University web standards, including accessibility requirements. All sites are checked for compliance before it goes live.
  3. Take the online Aurora WordPress Training. Extension and CAHNR Communications have limited time available to help manages and maintain websites, we focus on more complex and "admin" type services. All websites are required to have at least one point person capable of making basic content updates on their own.

What Are Web Standards?

CAHNR and Extension follow UConn’s web governance framework to ensure all college-affiliated websites align with institutional standards for branding, accessibility, and user experience. Read CAHNR's outline for CAHNR-specific guidelines that supplement the University’s official UConn Web Guidelines. We ALL are required to adhere to these guidelines.

What is Aurora?

Aurora is a multi-site WordPress service provided by UConn ITS (run by the Website Development group) to the university community and is the required UConn-related website platform.

What is Cynder?

Cynder is the newest Aurora custom theme. This new theme uses WordPress Block Editor, this is different than the past "legacy" themes. The Block Editor lets you build custom layouts per page using predefined block types. At first, the Block Editor may seem confusing especially if you have used the old classic editor. Like anything, it will become easier as you use the Block Editor.

Existing websites using older themes can continue on as is, however all NEW websites will need to be built using Cynder (Block Editor).

Using Images

Before inserting images into Posts and Pages, you will need to prepare the images before they are uploaded.

Tips to Save Space

This article provides information that users can use to optimize storage space in their devices. 

Storage Space & Specifications

Videos

Faculty and staff can add videos from Kaltura, YouTube or Vimeo into their Aurora site.

Adding videos to your site

Checklists

Accessibility (ADA) Compliance is Required!

Recent Changes to ADA Title II

April 2026 is the deadline for all existing sites to be in compliance. 

(from the UITS website) In April 2024, the Department of Justice issued an update to Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act which requires state and local governments – including public universities – to ensure that their digital content is accessible to people with disabilities. These changes will impact many in our community, and we want to share information and resources that will help everyone prepare and comply with the new standards. 

Visit the UConn UITS Creating Accessible Digital Content page for more information on these changes.

    While Aurora’s central themes are tested and kept accessible by UITS web developers, individual webmasters are responsible for keeping the content of their pages, posts, documents, images, videos and sites accessible.

    The University Communications and Web Development won't approve a website to "go-live" until all ADA compliance is met. 

    WAVE Tool to audit your website - WAVE shows your original web content with embedded icons and indicators that reveal the accessibility information within your page... WAVE can help you evaluate the accessibility of your web content. You can submit web content to WAVE for evaluation by providing a URL, uploading a file, or entering/pasting HTML code.

    6 Key Accessibility Requirements

    The 6 main accessibility issues that most appear are:

    1. Adding an "Alt Tag" to an image is one of the easiest ways to comply with ADA requirements. Assistive technology such as screen readers or text-to-speech engines can only "read" what is in your website or document. All images must include an "alt (alternative) tag" where the image is described as needed to convey a message. Using words like "decorative" (UConn's preference) or "artifact" are industry standard and acceptable if the image doesn't add value or is purely for decorative appeal.
    2. Don’t Use Tables to Layout Content
      Content layouts of rows and columns should be done with Bootstrap code or Blocks, not HTML Tables. Besides being inaccessible, HTML tables also break your pages in mobile views. Tables should only be used when the content in a cell is defined by what row and column it belongs to.
    3. Avoid ‘Click Here’ Links
      Avoid ‘Click Here’ and similar phrases for links. Instead, have the link text describe the link destination. In addition to being more accessible, it helps with your Google search rankings. For example, “for more information about our admissions process, "click here" should be written as “more information about our admissions process".
    4. Use Headings
      Use headings to organize your page content. For example, this page uses Heading 2 (h2) and Heading 3 (h3) tags. “Quick Tips to Keep Your Pages Accessible” is a Heading 2, and “Use Headings” is a Heading 3. Besides bringing in a larger font and adding white space, these headings are great for accessibility. They allow impaired users to skip through the heading tags the same way you would visually scan a page for headlines. Heading 3 would be a subsection within a Heading 2 section. You can add headings by going to Format > Formats > Headings or by using the keyboard shortcut (Control + 2, Control + 3, etc. on Windows or Command + 2, Command + 3, etc. on Mac). Headings help your site to look great, be more accessible, and they really help your search engine rankings.
    5. Color Contrast
      Be careful with color contrast. You can change the color of your page text or upload images with text. Remember that users may have forms of color blindness or low vision. In the Resources section below, there are ways to measure the contrast levels with some websites or apps. In general, do not put red text on a green background or yellow text on a white background; make sure your text is clearly legible. Use a Contrast Checker to check color accessibility.
    6. Contact Information
      Be sure to have contact information clearly visible on the homepage. Also add a link to a Contact page in the Top Navigation, or in a sub menu. This provides the ability to request alternate versions of inaccessible material to viewers with disabilities.

    Learn More