Digital Content and Web Transformation (DCWT) Program

The Digital Content and Web Transformation (DCWT) program is a multi-year initiative led by the Office of Strategic Transformation and Delivery (OSTAD) in partnership with External Relations (ER).

Running through Summer 2028, DCWT will improve how the university creates, manages and delivers digital content through three connected initiatives:

  • Digital content governance to establish clear standards, processes and accountability for managing content.
  • An enterprise intranet to provide faculty and staff with a centralized source for internal information and services.
  • A redesigned public website to improve how students, community members and external partners find and use information online.

Digital Content Governance

The university will establish its first comprehensive digital content governance framework to support accurate, accessible and well-managed digital content.

The framework will define:

  • Content ownership and responsibilities
  • Approval and review processes
  • Accessibility and content standards
  • Long-term governance and oversight

Enterprise Intranet for Faculty and Staff

The university will create a centralized intranet that provides faculty and staff with a dedicated home for internal information, resources and services.

The intranet will:

  • Facilitate easier access to employee information and resources
  • Create a more consistent experience for faculty and staff
  • Support secure sharing of internal information
  • Reduce employee-focused content on the public website

U of A Website Redesign

The university’s public website will be redesigned to better serve students, faculty, staff and the broader community.

The redesign will focus on:

  • Improving navigation and search
  • Reducing duplicate and outdated content
  • Creating a more consistent user experience
  • Making it easier to find accurate information online

Why This Work Matters

Over time, the university’s digital presence has grown in size and complexity — totalling more than 100,000 pages today that engage both internal and external audiences. Without a clear governance framework to guide digital content, over time this has resulted in:

  • Duplicate, outdated and inaccurate content
  • A poor user experience for users attempting to navigate through or search the site
  • Erosion in trust because users are unable to find the content they need

Benefits to the University Community

The DCWT program will help the university create a more cohesive and sustainable approach to managing digital content while making it easier for people to find the information they need.

Specifically, the program will:

  • Establish clear ownership and accountability for digital content
  • Reduce duplicate and outdated information
  • Better support the needs of both internal and external audiences
  • Improve navigation, search and the overall user experience
  • Create a more sustainable approach to managing digital content

Program Scope

Included Excluded
  • Digital Content Governance: Creation of policies, standards, and roles for how information is managed, including content ownership, approval workflows, and accessibility
  • Enterprise Intranet: Procurement, pilot implementation, and launch of a secure portal for faculty and staff to house knowledge about internal services and processes
  • U of A Web Refresh: Redesign of ualberta.ca focused on external audiences, including new site structure, SEO improvements and integration of marketing technology for conversion growth
  • Centre and institute sites in Cascade.
  • Websites outside of Cascade such as Google Sites and IST-managed applications.
  • Student Services Portal and related projects.
  • Decommissioning of the existing local intranets and other ad-hoc intranet-like solutions, although local ways to do this will be made available.
  • Migration of content from local intranets to the new enterprise intranet.

Community Consultation and Engagement

The program will be informed by:

  • User experience research previously conducted by Stone-Olafson
  • Project Advisory Committees composed of academic and administrative representatives from across the university
  • Ongoing consultation with impacted members of the university community throughout all three initiatives

Contact Us

Questions about the Digital Content and Web Transformation program?

Email: dcwt@ualberta.ca

Project Governance

  • Elan MacDonald, VP, External Relations
  • Todd Gilchrist, VP, University Services, Operations and Finance

The project is guided by steering committee executive leadership from External Relations (ER), Information Services & Technology (IST) and the Office of Strategic Transformation and Delivery (OSTAD).

Voting members:

  • Chris Brunelle, AVP and Chief Transformation Officer
  • Gail Fredrickson, AVP Marketing and Communications (Chair)
  • Kerrie Buckler, College General Manager (Social Sciences & Humanities)
  • Mark Humphries, AVP and CIO, Information Services and Technology

Non-voting members:

  • Kayla Baretta, Director, EPMO
  • Laurenne Spratt, Acting Director, Digital and Creative

  • Abdul Rahman, Digital Solutions Developer
  • Aheed Ravji, Digital Solutions Developer
  • Andrew Lyle, Communications and Marketing Partner (OSTAD)
  • Darren Baden, Senior Project Manager
  • Diana Vincent, Digital Governance Lead
  • Caroline Mills, Digital Content Coordinator
  • Funmi Kayode, Business Analyst
  • Shane Riczu, Manager, Content Strategy
  • Slava Francis, Senior Organizational Change Management Consultant

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