The University IT@UMN Collaboration & Web Content Services team supports an enterprise content management platform for units across the University of Minnesota system that choose to use it, to save money, innovate faster, and improve communication.
Purpose
The Enterprise Drupal Advisory Board represents the shared interests of University of Minnesota enterprise Drupal platform users and makes recommendations to the Collaboration & Web Content Service Owner regarding platform standards, principles, and best practices.
Membership
Representative Members
The board will consist of a Chair, Vice-Chair, and board members representing campuses, colleges, departments, and units that use the platform, including but not limited to:
- One representative from each system campus along with one alternate
- Two representatives from up to ten different Twin Cities colleges, each with an alternate
- Two representatives from five different Twin Cities administrative units, each with an alternate
- Two representatives from University Relations, each with an alternate
Representatives will be selected based on their super power (developer, content strategist, communicator, etc.) and users of both Drupal Enterprise and Drupal Lite will be represented. The board shall be constituted such that the range of Drupal users and site owners served by Enterprise Drupal and Drupal Lite are appropriately represented. Each representative will serve a two year term that begins on July 1.
Alternates attend meetings when their representative is unable to attend. They may fully participate in board activities including voting when filling in for their representative.
Nominations for and selection of the chair and vice-chair will be done as needed at the July meeting. The chair serves one year in that capacity and is replaced annually by the vice-chair.
If any member is unable to serve the full two year term, their alternate must be able to serve the remaining portion of the member’s term in their place. The alternate is responsible for finding their own replacement alternate.
Ex-Officio Members
In addition to the representative members, the board shall consist of up to 3 Ex-Officio members serving on the OIT Drupal team including the Product Owner, Service Owner/Product Manager, and a developer from the OIT Drupal platform team.
Ex-officio members will continue to serve so long as they maintain their role with the OIT Drupal team. The developer representing the OIT Drupal Team may be rotated at will based on the needs of the OIT Drupal team.
Ex-Officio members may serve as chair or vice-chair.
Meetings
Meetings will be conducted on a monthly basis. Board members are expected to attend and actively participate in all meetings or send their alternate if they cannot attend.
The chair may cancel the meeting if the chair determines the topic(s) on the agenda is(are) insufficient to have a meeting.
Time Commitment
Board members are expected to participate in 1.5 hour board meetings each month. Between meetings, board members may be required to research module requests and should be prepared to report on the Drupal needs or issues related to their unit at each board meeting.
Voting
The board will seek decisions by consensus. In cases where consensus is unattainable or where board sentiment is unclear, the chair may ask for a vote. Decisions put to a vote may be approved with the support of a simple majority when a quorum is present A quorum shall consist of at least 10 board members. Ex-officio members may vote.
Roles and Responsibilities
Members
- Solicit information about issues with the platform from the community and bring them to the board
- Review, research, and make recommendations about requested changes to the platform
- Act as ambassadors of the enterprise content management service within the University community
- Be present at, be prepared for, and be engaged with board meetings and activities
- Honestly debate the pros and cons of suggested changes and support board decisions once they are made when discussing them with the University community
- Help ensure that the platform enables platform users to develop websites that conform to University accessibility, brand, and security standards and industry best practices
Chair
- In consultation with the ex-officio members and board members, schedule dates, times, and locations for meetings
- Monitor suggestions for agenda items and add appropriate suggestions to the agenda
- In consultation with the ex-officio members and board members, establish, prioritize, and confirm an agenda for each meeting
- Ensure the meeting agenda and relevant documents are circulated to the members of the committee in advance of the meeting
- Invite non-board members to attend meetings when they have an item on the agenda
- Officiate and conduct meetings
- Provide leadership and ensure committee members are aware of their obligations and that the committee complies with its responsibilities
- Ensure that discussion on agenda items is on topic, productive, and professional
- Ensure meeting notes are complete and accurate, retained, and reviewed at the next meeting
- Provide final recommendations to the ex-officio members to help guide the platform
Vice-Chair
- Carry out the Chair's duties in his or her absence
- Update the board’s website
- Provide support and assistance to the chair in carrying out his or her responsibilities
- May agree to take on specific responsibilities from the chair
Other Enterprise Drupal Users and Stakeholders
- Prepare and submit necessary documentation for requests
- Act as request coordinators when called upon by the board
- Act as subject matter experts when called upon by the board
Ex-officio Members
- Deliver platform decisions based on board recommendations
- Exercise primary platform decision authority
- Hold chair accountable for performing his or her role
- Serve as the point of escalation for platform exceptions
- Support the board and review process
- Champion enterprise content management within IT@UMN
- Communicate decisions to the University community
- Maintain board membership
Objectives (Types of Requests)
- Changes to the platform code, themes, and modules
- Enhancements to the service or changes in service processes
- Recommendations about communicating with platform users
Critical Success Factors
Several critical success factors have been identified as important to ensure the success of the board:
- Knowledge of and alignment with University accessibility, brand, and security standards and web industry best practices
- Integration with the IT Governance process, where appropriate
- Integration with the Change Approval Board (CAB) process, where appropriate
- Key stakeholder buy-in for the platform
- Open communication between committee members, the University community, and the Collaboration & Web Content Services team
- Implementation of an established process for meetings, including agendas and issue resolution
- Active participation of all committee members