Digital University Marketing & Communications

UMC Updates:

Presented by Jasmine Sherbotie, Senior Project Manager at UMC Digital

Theme/Widget Updates: The Marquee Widget has been enhanced with background video support, advanced branding and styling options, and improved accessibility features. Recent notable site launches include swoop.utah.edu, chemistry.utah.edu, and elevateu.utah.edu.

Data Analytics/Research Updates: The team is enhancing its site optimization support by offering custom analytics reviews. This includes personalized Google Analytics reviews, custom Looker or Clarity dashboards, and insights to improve performance, accessibility, and goal achievement. They provide data on popular pages and detailed metrics, which can be integrated directly into WordPress sites.

Digital Marketing Updates: Full-service digital marketing support is available for new and ongoing campaigns to help users succeed online.

Support Operations Updates: A new Support Operations service featuring a smart ticketing solution for faster issue resolution is launching soon. A live demo with more details will be given at the next Digital Meetup.

Digital Accessibility Updates: The team is working towards 100% accessibility compliance by April 2026, in line with new Title II regulations. Current efforts include site audits and remediation. They also offer customized training and access to tools like Axe Monitor, Axe DevTools, and Deque University to aid in accessibility improvements.

Main Topic: Data-Driven Title II Compliance

Presented by Sravi Garikipati, Associate Director Digital Research & Operations at UMC Digital

This presentation emphasizes a data-driven approach to Title II accessibility compliance. Instead of a broad, reactive strategy, it advocates for using website analytics to prioritize accessibility efforts for maximum impact.

Key takeaways:

• Data is crucial: It allows for a refined focus on areas needing the most attention, improving user experience and regulatory adherence efficiently.
• Accessibility matters: It impacts a large audience (over 1 billion people with disabilities), and compliance is an ethical and legal imperative for public universities like theirs (Title II ADA, WCAG 2.1 AA standards).
• The challenge: Their websites are extensive, resources are limited, and accessibility expertise varies within the team. The core question is where to start.
• Data as the guide: Leverage web analytics tools (like Google Analytics, Hotjar) to identify:
  • Top pages: Most frequently visited and entry points.
  • Critical user journeys: Key tasks users perform.
  • Problem areas: Pages with high bounce rates.
• Actionable steps:
  1. Identify top pages: Focus on pages covering ~80% of traffic and core service pages.
  2. Diagnose issues: Use automated scanners (AXE Monitor), keyboard navigation testing, and basic screen reader testing to identify accessibility problems on those top pages.
  3. Prioritize fixes: Address issues on high-traffic/critical pages first, focusing on severe blockers (WCAG Level A/AA failures) and quick wins. Create a remediation plan.
  4. Implement, verify & monitor: Assign fixes, rigorously re-test using the same methods, and schedule regular checks. Monitor analytics for improvements in user behavior.

The presentation stresses that accessibility is an ongoing commitment, not a one-time project. By using data to guide their efforts, the team can strategically allocate resources and make the most significant impact on creating a more inclusive digital experience.

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