Learn about making and editing news, events, and profiles to display either only on your site or to syndicate throughout PDX.edu.
On this page
What is Syndication?
Syndication is the site used to create and export content shared to multiple pdx.edu sites, including top-level pdx.edu. Syndication is primarily used for staff and faculty profiles, to ensure they display in the Faculty and Staff Directory, though shared news and events may also be created on that site.
Academic Program (AP) Pages are also edited in Syndication, though these are managed by the AP Page Management group. Learn more about what that group does on UComm’s Web Communications page..
A few things to note:
Content created in Syndication will export about two hours after publishing.
Only create news and events in Syndication that must export to other sites. Make news and events specific to your site directly on your site - this content will not export to other sites (including top-level).
All syndicated content must be edited in syndication; edits made within your own site will not update other copies of the content.
Never link directly to content in syndication. Double-check the URLs to make sure they do not contain “ondeck.pdx.edu/syndication”; use the URLs that are created when the content is on a PDX.edu site.
You cannot set a focus point for images in Syndication as the focus is not retained when the content is imported to your site. Use these dimensions to customize your images before uploading to Syndication:
News Article Image: 945 x 520 pixels
Event Image: 455 x 325 pixels
Profile Secondary Image: 320 x 223 pixels
If a piece of content is syndicated to your site that you do not want to be displayed on your site, simply unpublish it. This will prevent the content from being re-importing in a published view.
Creating and managing news and events
News and events should be built directly on your site unless they’re intended to be shared among other sites. This will ensure they publish promptly for your visitors. If a news article or event needs to be shared on multiple sites, it should be created in Syndication.
Managing news articles
Create a news article
Log in to your site (or Syndication if you are creating shared content).
Use the admin menu to navigate to "Content → Add content → News Article"
Complete the form:
Article Title: The title of the article. Keep it concise and accurate.
Article Subtitle: Displays below the Article Title in on the News Article itself. This can be used to add more detailed information.
Author: Who wrote the article.
Image: Displays at the top of the news article, and in any blocks that feature the article (upcoming news or featured news).
Image Caption: Displays below the image.
Article Body: The actual content of the article.
Related Links: Display below the article text.
Show Featured News: Do not use - this will be deprecated.
Expiry Date: When you want the article to be archived. Required.
Tags: Topic based tags visitors can use to filter different articles based on interest. Start typing a tag name and select the correct one from the list of options. Separate tags with commas, if using more than one.
Content Hub Tag: This is only applicable if building the news article in Syndication. See “Syndicating news and events” on this page for more information.
Scheduling Options: Use if you want to schedule the article to be published in the future. Otherwise, it will go live once you save the article.
Save the article.
How to display news on your site
Automatically built news listing
There is an automatically-built news listing page that displays all published news imported to your site. Example news listing.
You can create links to this page in the navigation menu by adding one in the PSU Primary Menu settings. You can also link to this page using CTA buttons or other links.
The URL for the page will always be pdx.edu/SITE/news - replace SITE with your site's URL to view your site's news listing.
Dynamic news block
The block "Shared Content: Recent News" is a dynamic block that automatically updates with the most recent (by publish date) news articles imported to your site. There is a link at the bottom of the block to let visitors view all the news.
This block can be added to any landing page on your site.
Featuring a specific article
You can feature an individual article using the "Feature: News Article" block if there is a particular article you want to highlight. Add that block to a page, then type the title of a published news article on your site into the text field.
Managing events
Create an event
Log in to your site (or Syndication if you are creating shared content).
Use the admin menu to navigate to "Content → Add content → Event"
Complete the form:
Event Title: The name of the event. Keep it clear, concise, and accurate to the event.
DATETIMES: The start and end date of the event. If it's a recurring event, there are added instructions - refer to Repeating events on this page for these instructions.
Weekly repeat: Refer to Repeating events on this page for these instructions.
Monthly repeat: Refer to Repeating events on this page for these instructions.
Location: Where the event will be held. No formatting is allowed, but if you add a link it will automatically turn into linked text upon saving.
Cost / Admission: Optional but recommended. Text only - if the event is free write "Free".
Contact: Required - who should the visitor contact if they have questions about the event? No formatting is allowed, but if you add a link it will automatically turn into linked text upon saving.
Image: Optional but recommended. Add an image which will display in event blocks that display upcoming events. It also displays on the right side of the event page.
Event Details: The written text about the event. Be descriptive and informative.
Content Hub Tag: This is only applicable if building the news article in Syndication. See “Syndicating news and events” on this page for more information.
Save the event.
Repeating events
If you are making a repeating event, the DATETIME field should show the start and end of the entire series of events.
For Weekly and Monthly repeating events, you choose the correct day(s) of the week or day(s) of the month on which the event repeats.
For example, if I have a recurring event that lasts from 5-6pm every Thursday from October 1-November 30, the Start date will be 10/01/2020 at 5:00pm and the End date will be 11/30/2020 at 6:00pm. I would choose "Thursday" on the weekly repeat, and leave the monthly repeat as -None-
How to display events on your site
Automatically built events calendar
There is an automatically-built events calendar page that displays all published events imported to your site. It has three views: month, week, and day. Example event calendar.
You can create links to this page in the navigation menu by adding one in the PSU Primary Menu settings. You can also link to this page using CTA buttons or other links.
The URL for the (month view) page will always be pdx.edu/SITE/calendar/month - replace SITE with your site's URL to view your site's calendar page.
Dynamic events block
The block "Shared Content: Upcoming Events" is a dynamic block that automatically updates with the closest upcoming (by event date) events imported to your site. There is a link at the bottom of the block to let visitors view all events.
This block can be added to any landing page on your site.
Featuring a specific event
You can also feature an individual event using any of the link blocks or CTA blocks, if there is a particular event you want to highlight. There is no automated block that can be used to highlight a specific event.
Syndicating news and events
Syndicating news and events
News and events created in Syndication are imported to different sites using the Content Hub tag. This is a tag added when editing or creating a news article or event in Syndication. Adding this tag to an event or news article made directly on your site will not export it to other sites.
Content Hub Tag: the field labeled “Content Hub Tag” is where you choose the sites that will import the news article or event. Every tag of this sort starts with “AP -” or “CH -”; this tag is invisible to visitors. Select “Add another item” to add multiple tags; separating by commas does not work. Each site has one Content Hub Tag by default.
To import content to the main PDX.edu site, you must use the “CH - Top Level” Content Hub tag on that content.
To import existing content to your own site, edit the page in Syndication and add your site’s Content Hub tag to the content.
Creating and managing profiles
Profiles for staff or faculty should be created in Syndication; this allows these profiles to export to the Faculty and Staff Directory. If you are creating a profile for a different purpose, such as a student profile or a profile for an affiliate, then create the profile directly on your site.
Staff and faculty profiles
Staff and faculty profiles are created using a combination of directory information from the Odin Account Manager (OAM) and from syndication. If someone has a profile built, it will display in the Faculty & Staff Directory. If they do not, their OAM directory information will display with a message that the biography is unavailable.
Create a profile
Step 1: Verify the profile doesn’t already exist
Login to Syndication at ondeck.pdx.edu/syndication/login
Use the admin menu to select “Content”.
Search for the person's profile using the Content filter options:
Enter the person's last name in the Title field
Choose "Profile" as the content type
Select "Filter" to search
If no results are found, you can create the profile. If a profile exists for that person, edit the existing profile instead.
Step 2: Create a new profile
Use the admin menu to navigate to "Content → Add Content → Profile"
Complete the form:
Profile Name: Enter the preferred name for the person. This might be their first and last name (i.e. Jane Doe), or their title and first/last name (i.e. Jane Doe, PhD or Dr. Jane Doe).
Profile Username: Enter the person's Odin (not their PSU ID number) then select “tab” on your keyboard. This imports their OAM directory information.
Note: If they area staff/faculty member but their Odin does not work and you cannot find them in the faculty and staff directory, then this person has not have activated their directory entry. They need to login to OAM to edit their directory entry, and select "Enable directory entry" in the warning at the top of the page.
Biography: Enter the preferred biography details.
Additional Link (optional): Enter a URL and accessible link text to an added resource, such as PDX Scholar.
Content Right Column Image (optional): Add an image that will appear in the right sidebar of the profile. NOTE: the primary profile image pulls from OAM.
Department: Start typing in the person's department and select the correct option from the list that appears. This is how the profile will determine which sites to export to.
Select the checkbox next to "Published".
Save the page.
Any content included in the expandable "PROFILE DETAILS - IF YOU ARE PULLING PROFILE DATA FROM OAM, ANY CONTENT ADDED HERE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN" area is the responsibility of the individual. They manage that content in the Odin Account Manager (OAM). If the person does not have an OAM account, then you can add content to this section.
Other profiles
Profiles for anyone who is not a staff or faculty member should be created directly on your site.
Create a profile
To create a new profile, use these steps:
Log in to your site.
Use the admin menu to navigate to "Content → Add Content → Profile"
Complete the form:
Profile Name: Enter the preferred name for the person. This might be their first and last name (i.e. Jane Doe), or their title and first/last name (i.e. Jane Doe, PhD or Dr. Jane Doe).
Profile Username: Do not use - only used for staff and faculty profiles which should be built in Syndication.
Biography: Enter the preferred biography details.
Additional Link (optional): Enter a URL and accessible link text to an added resource, such as PDX Scholar.
Content Right Column Image (optional): Add an image that will appear in the right sidebar of the profile. NOTE: the primary profile image pulls from OAM.
Department: Start typing in the person's department and select the correct option from the list that appears.
Expand the section titled: "PROFILE DETAILS - IF YOU ARE PULLING PROFILE DATA FROM OAM, ANY CONTENT ADDED HERE WILL BE OVERWRITTEN"
For staff and faculty profiles, this area would be filled in by OAM. For other profile types (i.e. ones built directly on your site), complete the applicable fields to ensure a robust profile is created.
Select the checkbox next to "Published".
Save the page.
How to display profiles on your site
Automatically created list of profiles
There is an automatically-built profile listing page - example profile list. This page displays all published profiles imported to your site. You cannot control the order they're displayed or the grouping.
You can create links to this page in the navigation menu by adding one in the PSU Primary Menu settings. You can also link to this page using CTA buttons or other links.
The URL for the page will always be pdx.edu/SITE/faculty-profile-search.
Manually created list of profiles
You can manually create a profile list using a landing page and paragraph blocks, instead of using the automated one.
To link to a person's profile or directory listing:
Imported profiles: Find the profile in your site's Content listing, then get the URL from the View tab of the profile. Example profile.
Directory listing: If a profile has not been made, you can link to their directory listing. The URL is pdx.edu/SITE/profile/exists?id=ODIN - replace SITE with your site's URL and ODIN with the person's Odin.
Feature a specific profile
You can feature an individual profile using the "Feature: Profile" paragraph block. Add that paragraph block to a page, then type the title of a published profile on your site into the text field.