State University of New York College at Geneseo

Procurement Number TRU225A

PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS

Drupal to WordPress Migration SUNY Discretionary Procurement pursuant to NYS Education Law 355(5)(a)

Proposals are due by 10 am on 3/27/25.

Project Overview

SUNY Geneseo is seeking a qualified vendor to migrate its Drupal 10 website to WordPress, ensuring a seamless transition with minimal downtime and an optimized user experience. The project includes approximately 6,550 published pages from geneseo.edu and 450 pages from Scene Magazine.

The new WordPress site will be deployed on a cloud-based hosting solution, and the migration must ensure functional parity (or improvements) while preserving content integrity, taxonomy, and metadata.

The selected vendor will work with Geneseo’s IT team and cloud hosting provider (If you are interested in submitting a proposal for cloud hosting services as well, please reach out to the designated contact listed below.) to ensure a smooth migration, address technical requirements, and optimize site performance.

Content Migration

● Accurately migrate all content, media, and metadata from Drupal 10 (custom theme built on Bootstrap 5) to WordPress (Divi theme), preserving associations, taxonomy, and metadata.

● Content will be migrated into WordPress's native Block Editor (Gutenberg), not directly into Divi layouts.

● Geneseo will provide the site theme and page templates, which will be created in-house using the Divi base theme.

● High-visibility pages (e.g., Admissions, Student Life, Homepage) will be manually redesigned in Divi after migration by Geneseo staff.

● Ensure each subsite has independent menus and provide a plan for migrating existing navigation structures.

● Ensure that plugins and hosting meet WCAG 2.2 AA and GDPR compliance. While the Divi theme and page content accessibility will be audited and remediated in-house, the vendor should:

● Ensure that any recommended or installed plugins meet accessibility best practices.

● Ensure that the migration process does not introduce new accessibility issues (e.g., missing alt text, improper heading structures, broken ARIA attributes).

● Identify and flag any major accessibility concerns encountered during migration that may require in-house remediation.

● Ensure that existing 301 redirects are properly migrated.

● Preserve SEO metadata, including titles, descriptions, and schema markup.

Plugins and Third-Party Integrations

● Assist Geneseo staff by vetting and installing plugins for custom site functionality.

● The following pre-identified plugins will be used for content management, accessibility, and performance needs.

Vendors may propose alternative plugins if they provide a clear improvement.

Plugin / Service Description Category Notes

Divi Visual page builder for design & customization

Content/Marketing Applied globally, but content remains in Gutenberg.

PublishPress Permissions Pro

Granular control over user roles & permissions

Performance/Functionality Used to manage subsite navigation access.

miniOrange

SSO

Single Sign-On for secure login

Performance/Functionality Preferred authentication solution for @geneseo.edu users.

ACF (Advanced Custom Fields)

Custom fields for structured content

Performance/Functionality Supports taxonomy & content migration.

CPT UI (Custom Post Type UI)

Manage custom post types & taxonomies

Performance/Functionality Free plugin for defining post types.

Imagify Image optimization for faster loading

Performance Ensures optimized image migration (WebP preferred).

WP Rocket Performance optimization & caching

Performance Used for site-wide performance improvements.

Divi FilterGrid Advanced filtering and grid display

Performance Supports enhanced content filtering.

SEO Plugin (Yoast or

AIOSEO)

SEO optimization & metadata management

Content/Marketing Ensures SEO best practices during migration.

● The only required third-party integration is the Employee Directory search tool, which must be maintained in collaboration with Geneseo IT.

● Vendors must demonstrate expertise in making cross-site HTTP requests to applications and APIs hosted by Geneseo on-premises.

Content Types & Taxonomy Migration

● Vendors must ensure a 1:1 mapping from Drupal content types and taxonomies to WordPress, preserving metadata and structured relationships.

● The existing taxonomy structure is simple and is used primarily for basic categorization—it does not include complex hierarchies. Vendors will not be required to build new taxonomies, restructure, or expand the system. Any unused taxonomies may be omitted.

Content Type Breakdown

The migration includes approximately 6,550 published pages from geneseo.edu and 450 pages from Scene Magazine.

Key content types include:

● Basic Pages (4,550 total) – Standard pages with banner image, title, body, and related pages.

● Advanced Pages (250 total) – Paragraph-based pages using “basic content,” “view,” or “employee listing” structures.

● Faculty Pages (500 total) – Text fields, department and expertise taxonomies, and paragraph fields.

● Academic Program Pages (100 total) – Image, body, department taxonomy, area of study taxonomy, program type taxonomy, and keywords.

● Alumni Profiles (100 total) – Image, body, and structured fields.

● Department News (250 total) – Image, body, department taxonomy, faculty taxonomy, and keywords.

● News Articles (625 total) – Similar to department news with additional SEO metadata.

● Policy Pages (51 total) – Basic fields with taxonomy references.

● Research Briefs (26 total) – Basic fields, some taxonomy usage.

Taxonomy Mapping

● The following taxonomies should be mapped directly into WordPress without modification:

○ Academic Program Keywords – Used for program categorization.

○ Author – Used for news content.

○ Career Field – Used for alumni profiles.

○ Department Category – Groups faculty and staff profiles on employee pages.

○ Departments – Used across faculty pages, department news, and research briefs.

○ Faculty Expertise – Used in the faculty database.

○ News Feeds – Categorizes news items by feed.

○ Policy Definitions – Provides descriptions for terms in policy pages.

○ Slideshows – Categorizes slideshow content by placement.

○ Status – Tracks faculty employment status for profiles and department pages.

User Permissions

● WordPress Multisite will not be used.

● The expected solution for managing editor permissions is PublishPress Permissions Pro or an equivalent widely used, well-supported plugin.

● Custom-built role management solutions are not required or desired—vendors should propose a plugin-based approach that allows designated editors to manage their subsites and left-side navigation while maintaining a unified website structure.

● Proposals should include:

○ A detailed plan for configuring user roles, permissions, and workflow management in WordPress.

○ The impact on pricing, hosting requirements, and long-term maintenance.

○ Any proposed plugins or third-party solutions must be actively maintained, have a strong user base, and demonstrate long-term security.

● Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication must be included using @geneseo.edu credentials. Geneseo strongly prefers Microsoft Entra SSO.

Performance Optimization

● Image Optimization:

○ Ensure images are migrated in an optimized format (WebP preferred).

○ Resize, compress, and optimize images without loss of quality.

● CSS, JavaScript & Asset Optimization:

○ Minimize and properly enqueue assets.

○ Remove redundant or outdated assets from Drupal.

● Caching & Load Performance Enhancements:

○ Implement server-side and browser caching strategies.

○ Ensure compatibility with caching solutions like WP Rocket.

● Technical Performance Report:

○ Provide a post-migration performance analysis covering Core Web Vitals and optimization recommendations.

Testing and QA

● Vendors must conduct post-migration QA testing to verify:

○ Content is fully transferred and formatted correctly.

○ Metadata and taxonomy mappings remain intact.

○ All links are functional and resolve correctly.

○ SEO metadata (titles, descriptions, schema markup) is preserved.

○ Basic accessibility compliance (WCAG 2.2 AA) is met.

○ Identify and flag any major formatting issues caused by the migration.

Target Completion Date

The target completion date for this migration is August 1, 2025. Vendors should provide a realistic project timeline in their proposal, including estimated completion dates for key milestones. If a vendor foresees challenges in meeting the August 1 deadline, they should outline an alternative timeline with clear justifications.

Proposal Evaluation

The College will be making the award under its discretionary authority, pursuant to NYS Education Law 355(5)(a), to a supplier whose pricing has been determined to be fair and reasonable and provides the best value for the College.

SUNY Geneseo will evaluate each proposal based on the following factors:

● Demonstrated expertise with Drupal to WordPress migration.

● Understanding of our needs and proposed solutions.

● Project timeline and management approach.

● Cost-effectiveness and value.

● Demonstrated quality of service and responsiveness during projects.

● Client references, if provided.

Content of Proposals

All proposals should include the following information:

1. A work plan, that includes details as outlined and requested in the Project Specifications listed above.

2. A cost proposal. Suppliers should bid an all-inclusive flat fee in dollars. The all-inclusive flat fee must include all of the suppliers’ costs of doing business.

3. Certification regarding NYS Executive Order No. 16. All bidders must complete and submit the certification found at the following website location:

https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/04/eo16_certification.pdf

4. Certification of compliance with NYS Finance Law 139-j and 139-k. All bidders must complete and submit the two (2) certifications found at the following website locations.

● Form B – Affirmation with respect to NYS Finance Law 139-j and 139-k https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=282

● Form C – Disclosure and Certification with respect to State Finance Law §§139-j and 139-k https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=283

5. Completed required MWBE/SDVOB forms as described below.

Questions

Email questions to the designated contact, Thomas Underwood, Director of Purchasing & Central Services, at underwoo@geneseo.edu, before the close of business on Wednesday, March 19, 2025.

This RFQ is being reissued to incorporate key clarifications and refinements to the project scope, particularly around content migration, taxonomy mapping, site structure, and plugin usage.

To ensure transparency and efficiency in the bidding process, a compiled document containing vendor questions and SUNY Geneseo’s official responses from the initial RFQ process will be incorporated into these project specifications.

This document should help address many common inquiries and provide additional clarity on project requirements.

The Director of Purchasing will coordinate with the College Communications and Marketing department to address any new questions submitted during this period, and all responses will be provided in writing.

Submission of Proposals

Proposals are due by 10:00 am Thursday, March 27, 2025. Proposals will be accepted by email only. Hard copy proposals will not be accepted. Please do not submit your proposals as a zip file.

Please email your proposal to:

Thomas Underwood Director of Purchasing & Central Services https://ogs.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2022/04/eo16_certification.pdf https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=282 https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=283

SUNY Geneseo underwoo@geneseo.edu

In accordance with NYS Procurement Lobbying Law, the Restricted Period for this procurement has begun and will continue through contract approval. During this time, bidders, potential bidders and interested vendors only may contact the designated contact identified above. All communication pertaining to this procurement must be directed to the designated contact.

Do not contact any other SUNY Geneseo official. Doing so may jeopardize the procurement and/or may lead to disqualification of the bidder’s proposal.

SUNY Exhibit A and A-1

SUNY Exhibit A (Standard Contract Clauses State University of New York) and A-1 will apply and be incorporated into the agreement resulting from this discretionary procurement opportunity. A copy of SUNY Exhibit A and A-1 may be found at the end of these Project Specifications.

mailto:underwoo@geneseo.edu

STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK

MINORITY AND WOMEN’S ENTERPRISES REQUIREMENT FOR COMMODITY AND SERVICE CONTRACTS

Consistent with the State University of New York’s commitment to and in accordance with Article 15-A of the New York State Executive Law, contractors are required to ensure that good faith efforts are made to include meaningful participation by Minority and Women-Owned Business in SUNY’s MWBE Program. These requirements apply to all SUNY commodity and service contracts in excess of $25,000. Receipt of MWBE documentation is required with submittal of a bid or proposal for commodities and services contracts. The MWBE forms identified below must be submitted by all bidders.

a. MWBE Utilization Plan (Form 7557-107) provided by the University-wide MWBE Program Office.

b. MWBE – EEO Staffing Plan (Form 7557-108) provided by the University-wide MWBE Program Office.

c. Vendor/Contractor EEO Policy (Form 7557-104) provided by the University-wide MWBE Program Office.

If the MWBE participation rate on the MWBE Utilization Plan is below 20.00% (10% MBE, 10% WBE), the contractor will receive a written notice of Utilization Plan deficiency from the campus within twenty (20) business days of its submission, as required under 5 NYCRR Part 142.6(c). The notice will include, but not be limited, to the following:

a. A list of NYS certified MWBEs that the contractor could potentially use inside the work scope of the contract.

b. A list of NYS certified MWBEs that the contractor could potentially use outside the work scope of the contract for the contractor’s operation (i.e. office supplies, equipment, etc.).

c. Any other information which the MWBE Program Coordinator determines to be relevant to developing an approvable MWBE Utilization Plan.

The contractor must respond to the notice of deficiency by submitting to the MWBE Program Coordinator a revised MWBE Utilization Plan within seven (7) business days, as required by 5 NYCRR Part 142.6 (e).

If the deficiency is not rectified and the MWBE participation rate on the MWBE Utilization Plan remains below 30.00% (15.9% MBE, 14.1% WBE), the contractor should request a Waiver or Partial Waiver. The Waiver Request submitted by the contractor will include, but will not be limited, to the following:

a. A request for partial or total waiver of MWBE goals as required by 5 NYCRR Part 142.6 (f) on a Request for Waiver form (Form 7557-114) provided by the University-wide MWBE Program Office. b. A copy of the deficient Utilization Plan.

b. The contract’s Scope of Work. If there are subcontracting opportunities, please provide documentation d, e, and f.

c. Screenshot of search result for available MWBEs in NYS MWBE Directory located at the following website location:

https://ny.newnycontracts.com/FrontEnd/VendorSearchPublic.asp?TN=ny&XID=447

d. Email blast sent to MWBEs on the list of search result. The email blast should notify the recipients the subcontracting opportunity and inquire as to their ability and interests in participating in the contract.

e. Responses from email blast recipients.

Please submit the MWBE Forms 7557-107, 7557-108, and 7557-104, described above and attached hereto, with your proposal to:

Thomas Underwood

Director of Purchasing & Central Services

SUNY Geneseo underwoo@geneseo.edu

Information regarding this legislation may be found at:

http://www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE/Data/Final_Proposed_MWBE_Regulation.pdf https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=611#forms https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=611#forms https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=611#forms https://www.suny.edu/sunypp/documents.cfm?doc_id=611#forms https://ny.newnycontracts.com/FrontEnd/VendorSearchPublic.asp?TN=ny&XID=447 mailto:underwoo@geneseo.edu http://www.esd.ny.gov/MWBE/Data/Final_Proposed_MWBE_Regulation.pdf

SERVICE-DISABLED VETERAN-OWNED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE REQUIREMENTS:

COMMODITY AND SERVICE CONTRACTS

Consistent with the State University of New York (SUNY) ’s commitment and in accordance with Article 17-B of the New York State Executive Law and its implementing regulations, state agencies and contractors are required to ensure that good faith efforts are made to include meaningful participation by Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Business. The requirements apply to all SUNY commodity and service contracts in excess of $25,000.

Bidders must submit SDVOB documentation with all of the bids or proposals for commodities and services contracts when SDVOB goals apply. The SDVOB forms identified below shall be submitted by all bidders.

a. SDVOB Utilization Plan (Form 7564-107)

If the Bidder’s SDVOB participation rate shown on its SDVOB Utilization Plan is below 6%, the campus MWBE Program Coordinator will provide a written notice of deficiency of the Utilization Plan within twenty (20) business days of its submission to the Contractor, as required under 9 NYCRR § 252.2(l)(4).

The notice will include but not be limited to the following:

a. A list of NYS certified SDVOBs that the Contractor could potentially use within the contract scope of work.

b. Any other information which the MWBE Program Coordinator determines to be relevant to developing an approvable SDVOB Utilization Plan.

The Contractor shall respond to the notice of deficiency by submitting a revised SDVOB Utilization Plan within seven (7) business days, as required by 9 NYCRR § 252.2(l)(5) to the MWBE Program Coordinator.

If the deficiency is not corrected and the SDVOB participation rate on the SDVOB Utilization Plan is still below 6%, the Contractor should request a waiver.

The Waiver Request Form submitted by the Contractor will include but not limited to the following:

a. A request for partial or total waiver of SDVOB goals are required by (9 NYCRR § 252.2(m) (2) on

Request for Waiver Form (Form 7564-114) provided by the University-wide MWBE Program

Office.

b. Copy of the deficient Utilization Plan.

c. Work Scope of this contract. If there are subcontracting opportunities, please provide documentation d, e, and f.

d. Screenshot of searching result for available SDVOBs in Directory of NYS Certified SDVOBs located at the following website location: https://ny.newnycontracts.com/

e. Copy of email messages containing the request for quote along with the responses from MWBEs.

http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/lookup.cfm?lookup_id=618 http://www.suny.edu/sunypp/lookup.cfm?lookup_id=625 http://ogs.ny.gov/Core/docs/CertifiedNYS_SDVOB.pdf

RFQ Vendor Questions and the Colleges Repsosnes for Website Migration - TRU225A

1. (Migration) Is there any possibility that a block theme and the use of WordPress core blocks and patterns would be permissible (i.e. using the native WordPress functionality) rather than using a Divi theme and Divi layouts/templates which are pagebuilders added on top of WordPress.

No.

2. (Migration) Are the 200 subsites independent with unique needs, or part of a shared framework/multisite?

The 200 subsites share the same CMS features and framework. We prefer not to use multisite. Each subsite has a set of pages within a specific subfolder, and the page editors can only manage content within their designated subfolder (e.g., /math, /registrar, /financial-aid, etc.)

3. (Migration)For the alumni magazine, should it be integrated into the main site or stay separate?

It should be integrated into the main site.

4. (Migration) Does the 7,000 pages figure include other assets like PDFs or media?

5. (Migration) Do you have an estimated budget for this project?

There isn’t an estimated budget for this project.

6. (Migration) What are the pain points that prompted you to move to WordPress?

● Need for user-friendly page layout templates, reusable design elements, and drag-and-drop content authoring in a low-code environment

● Wanting an easier system for content tagging and association

● Need for automated issue monitoring

● Preference for cloud hosting with reliable backup solutions and managed updates

7. (Migration) What goals would you like to achieve through this migration exercise?

● Simplified content management for non-technical users

● Improved page-building and layout flexibility

● Simplified system for content association and tagging

● Enhanced site performance

● Better integration with marketing and analytics tools

● Overall, a simpler and more agile site that’s easy to edit, redesign on the fly at the page and template level, and to administer. We want to keep things as simple and out-of-the-box as possible, with limited plugins and customizations. We want a lightning fast, rock-solid website.

8. (Migration) When does your current Drupal platform subscription expire?

We self-host our Drupal instance.

9. (Migration) One of the objectives in the RFQ document is to optimize the user experience. Does this include a redesign as part of the migration, or will we retain the existing design on the new WordPress website with necessary functionality and code optimizations?

No, design services are not part of this procuement. The WordPress site will have a different design from the current Drupal site. The site theme and page templates will be built in-house using the Divi theme and page builder. The selected vendor will assist with applying the theme and templates to the migrated content.

10.(Migration) Is there any document outlining the user flows for different roles within the system, such as students, parents, editors, and administrators?

There is no specific document outlining user flows for the Drupal-based main website. Students, parents, and the public cannot log in, so there are no user flows within the system for those groups. (Note: Other Geneseo subdomains allow logins for account management and other functions, but these are separate systems not included in this migration.)

Editors, limited to a subset of Geneseo employees and trusted student interns, log in via the footer and access their workbench through the admin navigation bar at the top of the site. From there, they can view and edit the subsites and pages they can access.

Admins log in the same way but have an expanded navigation bar. Communications & Marketing staff manage content and design, while CIT oversees the back end and technical aspects of front-end development and management, all using the same admin toolbar.

11.(Migration) Could you explain the User Permissions use case? It's assumed that a section of the site will be the responsibility of one or more editors. Do we also assume that each section is in essence a sub-site which could have its own set of users managing it?

Yes, each subfolder of the site currently functions as a sub-site with its own designated content editors (e.g., /math, /registrar, /financial-aid). We follow a distributed editing model, where individual departments are responsible for maintaining their content. Multiple users can have access to the same sub-site.

Communications & Marketing and CIT serve as administrative editors with full access to the entire site, overseeing content governance and technical management.

As part of our migration from Drupal to WordPress, we're considering a more centralized management system where Communications & Marketing are the primary site editors, with a limited number of additional editors.

We recognize the pros and cons of this approach and would like feedback on how respondents would recommend managing user permissions at the sub-site level in WordPress, should we decide to maintain our distributed content management model.

12.(Migration) Could you please help us with the list content types present in the existing Drupal setup?

In the existing Drupal setup, the following content types are currently in use:

● Basic Pages: 4,550 pages (custom content type, three fields: title, body, related pages; the vast majority of pages have no links listed for related pages, so most just have a title and a body field)

● Advanced Pages: 250 pages (custom content type, uses paragraphs module, not all pages are the same, pull from different views and content blocks)

● Faculty Pages: 500 pages (custom content type, fairly complex setup)

● Academic Program Page: 100 pages (custom content type, simple setup)

● Alumni Profile: 100 pages (custom content type, simple setup)

● External RSS Entries (CDL): 100 entries

● Google Sheets Dynamic Page: 1 page (custom content type)

● News Article: 625 articles (custom content type, simple setup)

● Research Briefs: 26 briefs (custom content type, simple setup)

Total: Approximately 6,553 pages across various types

In addition to these, the following custom pages and functionalities need to be considered during the migration:

● Scene Magazine: 5 pages (WordPress pages) and 424 posts (WordPress posts). The site is currently using the Divi-based Extra Magazine theme.

● Academic Program Finder: A new page template will be built by Geneseo staff to reproduce current functionality in Divi, likely powered by a plugin.

● Employee Directory: Ensure integration is reproduced for employee data.

13.(Migration) We assume that the Geneseo login portal/dashboard is not included in this migration. Could you kindly confirm if this assumption is correct?

Correct. Our campus portal and other websites are NOT included in the migration.

14.(Migration) Could you please share more details about the "site architecture planning"? Will there be any changes to the existing site structure, navigation, or content hierarchy?

The overall site structure and content hierarchy will remain largely the same, but we will assess opportunities to streamline navigation and improve organization where needed. The selected vendor will assist in ensuring that the migrated content is well-structured, aligns with WordPress best practices, and integrates properly with our in-house designed Divi theme and page templates.

15.(Migration) Is there a specific reason for using the Divi base theme? How open are you to the idea of considering a custom-built theme for greater flexibility, performance and scalability?

We have chosen the Divi base theme because we own the license and will be building the site theme and page templates in Divi prior to the migration. As a result, we are not open to custom-built themes or alternative solutions. The selected vendor will assist with applying the Divi theme and templates to the migrated content.

16.(Migration) The project requirements section mentions that Geneseo will provide the site theme and page templates, which will be created in-house using the Divi base theme. Could you please elaborate on this to clarify the activities/tasks expected from the vendor?

Geneseo will create the site theme and page templates in-house using the Divi base theme. The vendor’s role will be to:

● Apply the Divi theme and templates to the migrated content

● Ensure proper content mapping and formatting within the new WordPress structure

● Identify and resolve any layout or display issues post-migration

● Provide recommendations for optimizing content presentation within Divi

● Assist with any necessary adjustments to maintain functionality and usability

● The focus is on ensuring a smooth transition of content into the predefined design framework, rather than developing new templates or design elements.

http://my.geneseo.edu

17.(Migration) Are there any other WordPress-based properties in the current setup besides https://scene.geneseo.edu/?

18.(Migration) Would the WordPress.com-hosted alumni magazine integrate as a subsite of its own? Or part of another subsite in the network?

The Scene Alumni Magazine will be integrated into the main Geneseo website but will have its own distinct section. While it will share the overall site structure and framework, we aim to provide it with a unique landing page and design elements to differentiate it from other content.

19.(Migration) Would it be possible for you to share the list of subsites that are part of the SUNY Geneseo network?

There are approximately 200 subsites included in this migration, all of which exist within the same Drupal instance. These subsites are managed using the "Groups" module and are structured as separate subfolders within the site architecture (e.g., /math, /registrar, /financialaid).

While the full list is too long to share, the subsites primarily consist of:

● Academic departments

● Professional offices

● Official student groups

● College programs and initiatives

Each subsite has its own designated editors, with content managed independently within its assigned section.

20.(Migration) Is there any plan to utilize the multi-site structure for all the Geneseo network of WordPress properties for better control and efficiency?

Given the number of subsites (roughly 200), we prefer not to use a WordPress Multisite structure. The added complexity and administrative overhead of managing a multisite network would outweigh the potential benefits.

Instead, we plan to maintain a single WordPress instance where subsites are structured as individual sections within the main site, allowing for easier content management, flexibility, and streamlined updates.

That said, if the vendor believes a multisite structure would provide significant advantages in terms of efficiency, scalability, or maintenance, we are open to hearing their case for consideration.

21.(Migration) Could you please provide a list of features and third-party integrations that need to be carried over to the new WordPress solution? Also kindly share details on the Drupal add-ons in use and their purpose.

Features:

● Role-based user permissions for distributed content editing

● Content tagging and taxonomy for organization and filtering

● SEO metadata management

● Redirects for existing URLs to maintain link integrity

● Feature to automatically and manually create page-level redirects as needed

● Accessibility compliance features aligned with WCAG 2.2 AA

● Google Analytics and Tag Manager integration https://scene.geneseo.edu/

● Embedded multimedia (videos, images, PDFs)

Third-Party Integrations:

● Google Tag Manager & Google Analytics

● Single Sign-On (SSO) authentication via Microsoft Entra

● Cookie Script cookie consent tool (loaded through our GTM tag)

● Siteimrove site monitoring tool (loaded through our GTM tag)

● Limited need for API connections to external systems (specific details can be provided as needed)

Drupal Modules in Use:

We have a significant number of Drupal modules installed—some are core, some are contributed, and others are custom-developed in-house. However, most of these will not be relevant to the migration, as their functionality is either available out of the box in WordPress or will be integrated through other means.

The few WordPress plugins that Geneseo staff will be identifying and installing will focus on key functionality, including:

● The presentation, sorting, and filtering of academic program finder pages.

● A potential new plugin to support faculty pages, allowing faculty to log in and manage their profiles without needing broader editing access to the site.

● A potential site search plugin to enhance site search results

● An SEO plugin such as Yoast.

A few Drupal modules that will need to be considered during the migration process:

● We use the (deprecated) Groups module for content access control (to wall off subsites as separate groups with their own content and editors, and also to allow each subsite to have its own left menu).

● We use the Redirect module for managing URL changes.

● We currently use the CKEditor Templates module in Drupal (to offer editors basic Bootstrap 5 grid layouts on pages). We will not be using CKEditor in WordPress; new page-level templates will be designed in Divi by Geneseo staff. However, we’ll need to determine a plan to reproduce or otherwise adjust the Boostrap grid layout as part of migration.

22.(Migration) The RFQ document mentions migrating 200 subsites in a subdirectory structure along with a

WordPress-based alumni website. During our review, we also came across subdomains like https://connect.geneseo.edu/ and events.geneseo.edu. Could you confirm if these are included in the migration scope?

None of the subdomains of Geneseo.edu are included in the migration scope except for scene.geneseo.edu.

23.(Migration) If these subdomains are included in the migration scope, some of them currently utilize eCommerce functionality. Could you provide more insights into it's use case?

Not applicable; they are not included in the scope.

24.(Migration) Are there specific compliance requirements for this engagement, apart from WCAG 2.2 AA and GDPR, that the agency will need to adhere to?

https://connect.geneseo.edu/ http://events.geneseo.edu

Apart from WCAG 2.2 AA for accessibility and GDPR for data protection, there are no additional compliance requirements specific to this engagement.

However, vendors should follow best practices for security, privacy, and performance, ensuring the site meets industry standards for higher education web platforms. We are expecting vendors will minimally follow OWASP best practices for security as one example:

https://owasp.org/www-project-secure-coding-practices-quick-reference-guide/stable-en/

25.(Migration) Is the Geneseo team planning to perform content modification or clean-up activity while migrating it to the new WordPress website?

The Geneseo team is currently performing content cleanup on the site, including deleting old files, removing outdated pages, and moving some content to the intranet. While we expect the cleanup process to significantly reduce the number of images and documents in our filesystem, we do not anticipate a significant reduction in the number of pages. We do plan to complete this cleanup separately from the migration, before the migration process. The vendor will be responsible for post-migration quality assurance, including identifying and resolving any issues related to broken links, missing assets, or functionality problems.

26.(Migration) Do any permalinks or URL structures need to be modified? Should any new redirects be created for changed URLs?

The Geneseo team plans to keep the same URLs for all pages, except for those related to scene.geneseo.edu, where approximately 500 URLs will need to be changed and redirected. The vendor will need to assist with setting up proper redirects for these changed URLs to ensure users and search engines are properly directed to the new locations. Additionally, we have a list of existing redirects in our current Drupal instance, which are currently managed by the Redirect module. These redirects will need to be carried over to the new WordPress site to ensure continuity.

We also expect the vendor to help implement a solution for automatically and manually creating redirects for any future page-level URL changes after migration. This will help maintain SEO integrity and prevent broken links moving forward.

27.(Migration) Could you please elaborate on the requirement for the technical performance report? Additionally, what specific aspects are you expecting to be addressed as part of performance improvements/optimizations?

The technical performance report is expected to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the website’s performance after migration, specifically addressing any issues that may have arisen due to the migration process itself. The vendor will be expected to conduct a thorough analysis of the site’s speed, load times, and any other relevant performance metrics, identifying any areas where performance could be further optimized.

The report should also provide a comparison of the site’s performance pre- and post-migration, with clear recommendations for further improvements, if necessary.

In terms of performance improvements and optimizations, we are expecting the vendor to focus on several key aspects:

● Page Load Speed: Ensure that the website performs efficiently, with fast load times, especially for high-traffic pages.

● Optimizing Images and Media: All images and media should be optimized for quick loading without sacrificing quality, which may involve compressing or resizing large files.

● Mobile Performance: Verify that the site functions well on mobile devices, maintaining quick load times and smooth navigation.

● Code Optimization: Ensure that any code, such as JavaScript or CSS, is optimized for performance and does not introduce unnecessary bloat or slowdowns.

● Hosting Performance: Collaborate with the cloud hosting provider to ensure the server and hosting setup are optimized for the expected site traffic, scaling resources as needed to handle traffic spikes.

● SEO and Technical Enhancements: Address any technical SEO issues that may impact site speed, like reducing render-blocking resources, improving caching, or optimizing server response times.

The vendor will be expected to implement these optimizations, ensuring that the site is fully optimized for performance post-migration, with any identified bottlenecks or issues addressed promptly.

28.(Migration) We assume that you have access to the geneseo.edu domain's Google Analytics and Tag manager properties. Please confirm if you will be able to share appropriate integration codes or need to do an SSO authentication for implementing into the WordPress system.

We can share Google Analytics and Tag Manager properties.

We can provide any configuration or code needed to configure SSO authentication. We strongly prefer Microsoft Entra SSO.

29.(Migration and Hosting) Could you please share the budget allocated for the migration, cloud hosting, and managed services projects? The input will help finalizing the solutions and craft a well-aligned development plan.

30.(Migration) Is your team open to using the WordPress Block Editor as opposed to Divi? We ask as aligning with the direction of WordPress (without using a third party page builder) will reduce dependencies, and help streamline accessibility and performance.

31.(Migration) Is the base theme available for review (read only access)? Knowing how the theme is built and any pre-built components will help with estimation.

Sure—the base theme files are available for download at this link:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4uq1ve15s20o0abo12tc9/Divi.zip?rlkey=vfadw1m2i9kvlym32pgodaisf&st=j7r4kl yr&dl=0

32.(Migration) Will all content move over, or are there candidates for content that will be retired or rewritten as part of the migration?

The Geneseo team is currently performing content cleanup on the site, including deleting old files, removing outdated pages, and moving some content to the intranet. Any content that needs to be redesigned or rewritten will be addressed after migration, by the Geneseo team. While we expect the cleanup process to significantly reduce the number of images and documents in our filesystem, we do not anticipate a significant reduction in the number of pages. We do plan to complete this cleanup separately from the migration, before the migration process. The vendor will be responsible for post-migration quality assurance, including identifying and resolving any issues related to broken links, missing assets, or functionality problems.

33.(Migration) What (if any) layout and/or design changes anticipated as part of this migration to WordPress? Or is the goal to recreate the existing site on WordPress using the current site for visual reference.

The WordPress site will have a different design from the current Drupal site. The site theme and page templates will be built in-house using the Divi theme and page builder. The selected vendor will assist with applying the theme and templates to the migrated content.

34.(Migration) Can you share more information on the expected integrations, including what data will be shared via Geneseo’s APIs?

There are a few possible integrations, though not all may be necessary. The primary integration required is the employee directory (https://www.geneseo.edu/directory), which will pull employee contact information from our HR system.

Additionally, two other integrations may be needed:

1. Current Classes Taught – Displayed at the bottom of faculty pages (e.g., https://www.geneseo.edu/languages_literatures/adabra), this data is sourced from Banner.

2. Notification Banner – Potential integration with our custom-built myGeneseo campus portal (https://my.geneseo.edu/dashboard) for important alerts.

35.(Migration) Are there any requirements around site keyword search?

We currently use Google Custom Search (GCS) and are evaluating our options for search functionality in WordPress. While WordPress has a built-in search feature, we are exploring plugin solutions that could enhance the experience. If we find a robust option that meets our needs, we may transition away from GCS, but we are also open to maintaining it if it remains the best solution.

A key requirement is the ability to integrate search results from our Bulletin (bulletin.geneseo.edu), Wiki (atlassian.geneseo.net), and Library website (library.geneseo.edu), as we do currently. We will manage the selection and implementation of the search tool, but we welcome any recommendations based on your experience.

36.(Migration) For the alumni magazine site (https://scene.geneseo.edu/) what is driving the need to migrate this into the main site? E.g. SEO, content consolidation, etc.

The migration of the alumni magazine site (https://scene.geneseo.edu/) is driven by several factors:

● SEO – Consolidating content under our main domain will strengthen search visibility and improve rankings.

● Content Consolidation – Bringing Scene into the main site will create a more cohesive experience for users and simplify site management.

● Content Integration – By leveraging tagging and taxonomy, we can better associate related content across the website. For example, a Scene story about a biology alumnus could be linked to the biology department’s news page—an integration that isn’t possible in the current setup.

37.(Migration) Can you share a sense of the overall budget range or cap? This will help our team calibrate an approach that takes into consideration any budgetary constraints.

https://www.geneseo.edu/directory https://www.geneseo.edu/languages_literatures/adabra https://www.geneseo.edu/languages_literatures/adabra https://my.geneseo.edu/dashboard

Standard Contract Clauses

State University of New York June 21, 2023

The parties to the attached contract, license, lease, amendment or other agreement of any kind (hereinafter, "contract") agree to be bound by the following clauses which are hereby made a part of the contract (the word "Contractor" herein refers to any party other than the State or State University of New York, whether a Contractor, licensor, licensee, lessor, lessee or any other party; the State University of New York shall hereinafter be referred to as “SUNY”):

1. EXECUTORY CLAUSE. In accordance with Section 41 of the State Finance Law, the State shall have no liability under this contract to the Contractor or to anyone else beyond funds appropriated and available for this contract.

2. PROHIBITION AGAINST ASSIGNMENT. In accordance with Section 138 of the State Finance Law, this contract may not be assigned by the Contractor or its right, title or interest therein assigned, transferred, conveyed, sublet or otherwise disposed of without the State’s previous written consent, and attempts to do so are null and void.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, such prior written consent of an assignment of a contract let pursuant to Article XI of the State Finance Law may be waived at the discretion of SUNY and with the concurrence of the State Comptroller where the original contract was subject to the State Comptroller’s approval, where the assignment is due to a reorganization, merger or consolidation of the Contractor’s business entity or enterprise.

SUNY retains its right to approve an assignment and to require that any Contractor demonstrate its responsibility to do business with SUNY. The Contractor may, however, assign its right to receive payments without SUNY’s prior written consent unless this contract concerns Certificates of Participation pursuant to Article 5-A of the State Finance Law.

3. COMPTROLLER'S APPROVAL. (a) In accordance with Section 112 of the State Finance Law, the State Comptroller’s approval is required for the following contracts: (i) goods, services, construction, and construction-related services for State University hospital or healthcare facilities which exceed $150,000; (ii) purchases utilizing an Office of General Services (OGS) centralized contract which exceed $200,000 (iii) goods, services, construction, and construction-related services not described in (i) or (ii) and which exceed $75,000;

(b) If this contract exceeds the threshold amounts listed above in Paragraph 3(a), or, if this is an amendment for any amount to a contract which, as so amended, exceeds said threshold amounts, or if, by this contract, the State agrees to give something other than money when the value or reasonably estimated value of such consideration exceeds $25,000, it shall not be valid, effective or binding upon the State, and the State shall bear no liability, until it has been approved by the State Comptroller and filed in his or her office.

4. WORKERS' COMPENSATION BENEFITS. In accordance with Section 142 of the State Finance Law, this contract shall be void and of no force and effect unless the Contractor shall provide and maintain coverage during the life of this contract for the benefit of such employees as are required to be covered by the provisions of the Workers' Compensation Law.

5. NON-DISCRIMINATION REQUIREMENTS. To the extent required by Article 15 of the Executive Law (also known as the Human Rights Law) and all other State and Federal statutory and constitutional non-discrimination provisions, the Contractor will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment, nor subject any individual to harassment, because of age, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, sex, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, familial status, marital status, or domestic violence victim status or because the individual has opposed any practices forbidden under the Human Rights Law or has filed a complaint, testified, or assisted in any proceeding under the Human Rights Law. Furthermore, in accordance with Section 220-e of the Labor Law, if this is a contract for the construction, alteration or repair of any public building or public work or for the manufacture, sale or distribution of materials, equipment or supplies, and to the extent that this contract shall be performed within the State of New York, Contractor agrees that neither it nor its subcontractors shall, by reason of race, creed, color, disability, sex, or national origin: (a) discriminate in hiring against any New York State citizen who is qualified and available to perform the work; or (b) discriminate against or intimidate any employee hired for the performance of work under this contract. If this is a building service contract as defined in Section 230 of the Labor Law, then, in accordance with Section 239 thereof, Contractor agrees that neither it nor its subcontractors shall by reason of race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex or disability: (a) discriminate in hiring against any New York State citizen who is qualified and available to perform the work; or (b) discriminate against or intimidate any employee hired for the performance of work under this contract. Contractor is subject to fines of $50.00 per person per day for any violation of Section 220-e or Section 239 as well as possible termination of this contract and forfeiture of all moneys due hereunder for a second or subsequent violation

6. WAGE AND HOURS PROVISIONS. If this is a public work contract covered by Article 8 of the Labor Law or a building service contract covered by Article 9 thereof, neither Contractor's employees nor the employees of its subcontractors may be required or permitted to work more than the number of hours or days stated in said statutes, except as otherwise provided in the Labor Law and as set forth in prevailing wage and supplement schedules issued by the State Labor Department. Furthermore, Contractor and its subcontractors must pay at least the prevailing wage rate and pay or provide the prevailing supplements, including the premium rates for overtime pay, as determined by the State Labor Department in accordance with the Labor Law. Additionally, effective April 28, 2008, if this is a public work contract covered by Article 8 of the Labor Law, the Contractor understands and agrees that the filing of payrolls in a manner consistent with Subdivision 3-a of Section 220 of the Labor Law shall be a condition precedent to payment by the State of any State- -approved sums due and owing for work done upon the project.

7. NON-COLLUSIVE BIDDING CERTIFICATION. In accordance with Section 139-d of the State Finance Law, if this contract was awarded based upon the submission of competitive bids, Contractor affirms, under penalty of perjury, that its bid was arrived at independently and without collusion aimed at restricting competition. Contractor further affirms that, at the time Contractor submitted its bid, an authorized and responsible person executed and delivered to SUNY a non-collusive bidding certification on Contractor’s behalf.

8. INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT PROHIBITION. In accordance with Section 220-f of the Labor Law and Section 139-h of the State Finance Law, if this contract exceeds $5,000, the Contractor agrees, as a material condition of the contract, that neither the Contractor nor any substantially owned or affiliated person, firm, partnership or…