WordPress Migration & ADA Remediation Project
About the Projects
The WordPress Migration & ADA Remediation Project is a campus-wide effort to move all UWSP websites into a modern, unified WordPress environment while ensuring every page meets current accessibility standards. This work simplifies site management, retires aging platforms like SharePoint and single-site WordPress installs, and creates a more consistent, secure, and sustainable web experience.
In parallel, we’re conducting a comprehensive accessibility review—addressing ADA issues, improving content structure, and providing the tools and training editors need to maintain long-term compliance. Our goal is to ensure all users can access campus information without barriers.
This page offers updates, resources, and guidance on the migration from SharePoint to WordPress, the transition into our centralized multisite, and our continuing accessibility efforts supported by tools like Silktide. It will continue to expand as we add more resources and tutorials in the coming months.
Four Step Migration Process
Step 1
PREPARE
Determine what needs to move, what can be cut or archived, and what can be consolidated. Complete the Digital Accessibility 101 Course if you haven’t already. Determine who all in your department will take part in migrating content.
Step 2
DISCUSS
Schedule a meeting with the web team. We’ll answer questions, map your migration approach, set up your WordPress site, and confirm permissions so you can start building pages and moving content.
Step 3
BUILD
With your site ready, begin migrating content into WordPress. Rebuild pages, add content, and don’t hesitate to reach out with questions as you go.
Step 4
REMEDIATE
After building your pages, review your site with Silktide to fix accessibility issues and ensure ADA compliance. Use this time to consolidate pages, remove redundancies, refine content, and confirm everything is accurate, clear, and accessible.
Project Plan and Migration Timelines
WordPress Multisite Launch Date – May 27, 2026
May 27th is the official go-live date for the new WordPress Multisite. This is a firm deadline, and all areas should begin migrating now to ensure readiness. Please refer to the WordPress and ADA Migration hub for the most up to date info regarding the migration project.
What this means for current WordPress (single site) areas:
All sites must be fully migrated and in a launch-ready state by May 27th. We cannot have both the single site and multisite live at the same time. On launch day, the current live WordPress single site will be moved into a test environment. You will still be able to reference old content if needed, but anything that needs to remain public must be fully built and ready in the multisite by May 27th.
What this means for SharePoint areas:
The majority of your website must be migrated into WordPress and ready to launch by May 27th. We will implement redirects so end users are automatically sent to the new WordPress site instead of SharePoint. SharePoint sites will remain accessible until July; however, the majority of your content should be migrated and live by May 27th.
If you have workflows built into SharePoint, please notify IT as soon as possible so we can evaluate and plan solutions.
Web Team open office Hours
Drop In, Ask Questions, and Stay Connected
Our team is now offering open office hours every week to provide hands-on support and direct communication throughout the project. Whether you have quick questions, need feedback on your work, want to share concerns, or simply want to stay in the loop, you’re welcome to stop by.
These sessions are informal and flexible – join for a few minutes or stay the entire time. It’s an easy way to connect with the team, get guidance, and help us ensure we’re meeting your needs as we move forward together.
Schedule for March 2026.
April 2 — No session
April 7 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 9 — No session
April 14 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 16 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 21 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 23 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 28 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
April 30 — 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Frequently Asked Questions
The WordPress Multisite launches on May 27th, 2026. Please migrate from SharePoint to WordPress by this time.
The deadline for the SharePoint site to become no longer available is July 14, 2026. After July 14, 2026, Microsoft will no longer issue security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for SharePoint 2016, and as such we will not be able to host it publicly anymore.
Please start the migration process as soon as you can, following the Four Step Migration process above. As soon as you have met with IT, your site will be created and you can begin recreating pages and content in the WordPress multisite test environment.
Every area can have their own site if they want to. An example url would be www.uwsp.edu/department
Areas can also be housed within a site – for example, all COFAC-related sites might want to be housed under a singular COFAC site. An example URL would be www.uwsp.edu/department/department-related-site.
If you are not sure which direction to go, our recommendation is that each area be there own site. We can change the structure at a later date if need be.
We’ve added a bug reporting form to the website. When you’re logged in, you’ll see a
blue floating tab on the right side of front-end pages on the website labelled “Report a
Bug”.
Clicking that brings up a form in a modal window. The form has a text box to describe
the bug, will let you attach a file (like a screenshot, if that would help describe the
issue), your name, email, and a checkbox to include information like what page you’re
on, what page you came from, what browser you’re using, and your screen resolution.
Submitting this form automatically creates a ticket in Jira for the web team to take a look
at. This is not the regular IT ticketing system TDX, it is something we use internally in
Application Development.
If you are concerned about meeting the May 27th, 2026 deadline, please reach out as soon as possible to Noah Warren (nwarren@uwsp.edu), as IT can assist areas in the migration process.
The new WordPress multi-site is not a continuation of the single site and is instead a new site. This had to happen for a multitude of reasons related to scalability, security, and future development.
Many of the features and blocks people grew accustomed to had to be rebuilt from the ground up, and though we tried to make things look the same as possible, there will be differences. Development on these features/blocks is ongoing, so that is why some are still missing. We expect most of the missing features to be added over the next two months.
General guidelines for page counts
While each site functions as its own site, we’re developing broad guidelines to help maintain clear, manageable site structures. These numbers are not final and may evolve as we continue reviewing campus needs.
1–50 pages — Healthy
Your site is in great shape. No action needed.
50–100 pages — Generally Healthy
Your site is still in good standing. Just be mindful of continued growth.
100–150 pages — Needs Review
At this size, it’s helpful to assess content, remove outdated information, consolidate pages where appropriate, and be intentional about creating new ones.
150+ pages — Oversized
Sites above 150 pages may become difficult to maintain and can negatively affect overall site quality. A reduction plan is recommended unless an exception is requested and approved.
These guidelines are meant to support clarity, consistency, and long-term sustainability—not restrict content. Our team is happy to help review your site and discuss what makes the most sense for your area.
You can email Noah Warren (nwarren@uwsp.edu) or Dawn Anthes (danthes@uwsp.edu) your question, or you can virtually stop into the Web team open office hours (link and times are listed above) to ask your question(s).
Need additional Help?
If you have questions about the WordPress migration project, ADA remediation, or improving your department’s web content, please reach out to ADA-TitleII@uwsp.edu or nwarren@uwsp.edu. We’re here to support you.