Sites@Duke Express

Business Profile

Core Value Proposition

Sites@Duke Express provides a free enterprise WordPress network for the Duke community to create blogs, course websites, project/group sites, and personal portfolios.

Target Customer

Duke faculty, staff and students (including course instructors and site owners) within the Duke community

Key Differentiator

Free, pre-configured WordPress environment with Duke-themed templates, Duke NetID authentication, and automated course roster integration, governed by OIT and Duke Learning Innovation with formal governance and support processes

Implementation Timeline

Not specified in content

Pain Points

1Complex or custom website setups are not required due to predefined themes and plugins
2No cost to users for creating and hosting sites
3Course-related sites can automatically link to official rosters and leverage NetID authentication

Key Features

1Dozens of themes adopted from the WordPress theme repository, including Duke-branded themes and a Duke School of Medicine theme
2Plugins to modify or add functions, with a controlled and reviewed set for consistency
3Duke NetID authentication for user and group management
4Automated linking to official course rosters for course blogs
5Comment moderation and governance policies applied across sites
6Integrations with services like ArcGIS Online, Box, Panopto, Qualtrics, Vimeo, YouTube, and more
7Two primary uses: official courses and non-course sites, with guidelines and data retention policies

Target Customer Industries

Decision Makers

1Not specified in content

Client Results

1No charge to Duke community users
2Faster creation and deployment of course and non-course sites using predefined templates
3Centralized management and governance of themes/plugins and policies
4Public data hosting with clear privacy and data retention guidance

Competitive Advantages

1Zero cost for users
2Integrated Duke NetID authentication and roster data for courses
3Duke-branded themes, including specialized templates (e.g., Duke School of Medicine)
4Controlled, reviewed plugin ecosystem with periodic assessments
5Governance, support through OIT and Duke Web Services, and documented policies

Key Benefits

1No-user-cost website hosting

2Easy setup with predefined templates and themes

3Roster-driven course sites and NetID authentication

4Central governance and support from OIT/Duke Web Services

5Wide range of approved integrations for enhanced functionality

Additional Product Information

Product Description

A free enterprise WordPress network for the Duke community to build blogs, course sites, project/group sites, and portfolios with predefined themes and approvals.

Target Market

Duke faculty, staff, and students seeking quick, standards-based website solutions within the Duke ecosystem

Unique Value Proposition

A cost-free, pre-configured WordPress environment tightly integrated with Duke NetID, course rosters, and governance, offering consistent themes and a managed plugin ecosystem for the Duke community

Technical Requirements

Powered by WordPress; requires Duke NetID for access; suitable for public data; not a custom development environment; domains are within the Duke hosting context; adheres to Duke data retention and privacy policies

Pricing Model

Free to Duke community; no charges for using the service

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