What is Zuse?
Zuse is our customized content management system, built for UW System for all our web needs. It will help us update our websites and make maintaining our websites easier in the future.
Why are we using Zuse?
Zuse is a framework that allows everyone to contribute their content to the UWSA website. It is flexible, offering a wide variety of options for building a website, while keeping a consistent look between departments.
Can I use other tools?
Zuse will be taking the place of Dreamweaver, MODx and any other web authoring tools that your department might use to update any site on wisconsin.edu or uwsa.edu. In most cases, Zuse will be the only tool needed to maintain your website. If there are features not included that you need, or if you have questions on whether Zuse is the right tool for you, please contact the Web Team: webteam@uwss.wisconsin.edu
What can I do with Zuse?
Zuse is a tool for building websites. Zuse offers a wide variety of options for building pages, both simple and complex. Using Zuse, you will be able to create menus to help users navigate around your site. It allows you to upload documents, images, and other types of files to post on your site. You can create events using Zuse as well as forms to manage registration or other data collection needs. Zuse offers the option of a News section and a Blog to post timely content.
How is Zuse different from Dreamweaver, MODx and other tools we have used?
Zuse is an online application. That means you can update your website from your browser instead of buying software for you computer. MODx was also an online tool, however with Zuse we have many more features to allow flexible layouts and functionality for your content.
What is the concept of a community site?
When you update your content, you will be doing so on a community site. Community sites are the individual websites owned & operated by UWSA Offices. The key change being introduced is that content should be organized around an audience or topic rather then organized around an office structure.
Site owners have full control over the Main Menu, the organization of content, and the individual content pages. The business purpose of each community site is unique to the needs of the particular audience. The owners of each community site will decide for themselves what the Business Purpose of the site is.
Office pages (pages about an office) will be housed on the UW System umbrella site.These pages are called office snapshots and describe the purpose of the office and other office-wide information. They link to the office's community site(s).
Both the the community site and umbrella site concept is part of UW System's overall Information Architecture plan.
What are the roles in Zuse?
There are four roles in Zuse. Different roles have different capabilities in the system and require different types of training. Below, they are listed in order of the least to most capabilities.
Stakeholder
The stakeholder role is the only role that requires no training. It allows you to view pages that have not yet been published. For more information, see The Stakeholder Role.
Author
Authors are the most limited role that can edit in Zuse. They can:
- Update existing and upload new documents.
- Create and publish news stories, posts and events.
- Make live drafts and new Classic Editor pages, but they cannot publish these pages.
- Edit Classic Editor Pages that have not been published yet.
- Create forms and menus.
Authors can not:
- Make changes to Zuse Create pages.
- Publish changes to any type of page.
If you only use Zuse Create pages on your website, authors cannot make changes to any page.
Editor
Editors have all of the capabilities of Authors and:
- Publish new pages and make updates to existing pages.
- Edit Zuse Create pages.
Administrator
Only Web Team members are Administrators. Administrators can:
- Create new community sites.
- Change the URLs of existing sites.
- Add and change users' access to sites.
Features and Capabilities of Zuse in Non-Technical Terms
Zuse provides the capabilities to have:
- flexible layouts
- document management for files like PDFs, XLSs and DOCs
- blog and news feed functionality
- feedback, registration and other custom forms
- restricted access for specific UW working groups
- custom and flexible menu options
- editable main site menu
- sub-page menus
- supplemental menus for related content
- tabs and accordion menus for groups of content shown on one page
- RSS feeds
- social media capabilities
- carousel image galleries
- events and calendars
- reuse content throughout site
Get help, make a suggestion or request a change.
If you have a question you can start off by contacting the web team at webteam@uwss.wisconsin.edu. Depending on your request, you may also want to bring the concern up with your Web Governance Committee Representative so it can be discussed at the next WGC meeting.
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