Overview
Developed and continue to maintain a WordPress Multisite network for San Diego State University’s Academic Affairs division, providing a centralized platform for managing more than 100 departmental websites.
The network allows individual site administrators to manage their own content while technical maintenance, development, and support are handled centrally.
The network has grown from more than 50 websites in October 2021 to more than 100 as of October 2026.
The Challenge
Academic Affairs needed a scalable way to support multiple departmental websites while allowing individual departments to maintain responsibility for their own content.
The platform also required centralized technical administration, ongoing maintenance, and user support to maintain consistency across the network.
Additionally, site administrators needed accessible documentation explaining website management procedures, institutional guidelines, and usability and accessibility expectations.
The Solution
Developed a WordPress Multisite network that enables Academic Affairs departments to operate individual websites within a shared administrative environment.
Established a model in which departmental administrators manage their own content while centralized technical support handles maintenance, development, and troubleshooting.
Also developed and maintained a central website containing instructional guides and guidelines for site administrators, incorporating institutional requirements from the President’s Office alongside accessibility and usability standards.
Technical Implementation
The project involved five primary areas:
- Multisite development: Established a WordPress Multisite network supporting multiple departmental websites.
- Distributed content management: Enabled individual site administrators to maintain content independently.
- Centralized administration: Managed network-wide technical maintenance, development, and support.
- User documentation: Developed a central website providing instructions and guidance for departmental administrators.
- Standards and governance: Incorporated institutional guidelines, accessibility requirements, and usability standards into the network’s supporting documentation.
Outcome
Established a centralized WordPress Multisite platform that has grown to support more than 100 Academic Affairs websites as of October 2026.
The network enables departments to independently manage their content while benefiting from centralized technical administration, development, and support.
Both the Multisite network and its accompanying documentation website remain actively maintained, supporting institutional guidelines, accessibility standards, and usability requirements.