UH’s Modern Web Makeover

Out with the old and in with the new.

After years of managing pages, templates and tools in the old Cascade CMS, the University of Houston has given its digital presence a modern glow-up. The University recently completed its large-scale migration to Modern Campus, a next-generation content management system designed to make editing easier, ensure consistency and set the stage for the future of uh.edu.

“Our website is often the first impression we make on prospective students, families and the community,” said Lisa Holdeman, vice president for marketing and communications. “This migration ensures that UH presents itself with clarity, consistency and accessibility — reflecting the excellence of our institution.”

UH’s Web Marketing team has worked diligently for over seven months, working alongside more than 130 campus stakeholders to move approximately 30,000 pages across 189 websites. This outstanding feat, that could be described as a labor of love, creates a more consistent and accessible online experience. Along the way, the web team trained more than 400 users during more than 20 basic and advanced learning sessions.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the cooperation, buy-in and patience shown by our entire community throughout this migration,” said Kyle Stehling, director of online marketing and user experience. “It was truly inspiring to see everyone come together on such a large scale to achieve this shared goal.”

The scope of the project was immense. Between January and August 2025, the team not only migrated content but also carried out a massive cleanup effort, investing more than 2,858 hours into the effort.

One of the biggest wins? Cutting down clutter. The team deleted 13,000 outdated “rogue” pages that were floating around UH’s web space and archived 18,000 assets from old images and files.

“This migration was like physically moving an entire university. It forced us to pack up everything, evaluate what was truly necessary and throw away what was no longer useful,” said Deana Kreitz, executive director of web and digital strategy. “It gave us the chance to break old habits, streamline processes and put better systems in place. In the end, we didn’t just move our websites into a new platform — we reset how we manage content, strengthened compliance and built a sustainable digital presence for the future.”

Why Modern Campus?

UH leadership selected the platform to give content owners across the University more power and confidence in managing their sites. With a true WYSIWYG editor (what you see is what you get), reusable snippets and components, and built-in checks for spelling, broken links and accessibility, Modern Campus makes it easier than ever to keep UH’s digital presence polished and professional.

It also introduces approval workflows and unified templates, providing stronger governance, and better brand consistency across every college and department.

The technology is impressive, but Stehling pointed out that the real success came from the people behind it.

“I want to commend the resiliency and agility of our Web Marketing team. For seven straight months, they worked in a fast-paced environment, balancing competing priorities while delivering exceptional customer support,” Stehling said. “Their ability to troubleshoot issues quickly, assist with cleanup and maintain a positive, solutions-focused attitude throughout the migration made me incredibly proud.”

What’s Next?

With the migration complete, the work doesn’t stop. The team is now focusing on:

• Expanding the snippet library for faster, smarter editing
• Limiting custom HTML/CSS to stay compliant with state regulatory requirements
• Refreshing the look and feel of uh.edu with modernized design
• Conducting usability studies and gathering feedback for ongoing improvements

“A website as expansive as uh.edu is never truly finished — it’s a living, evolving part of the University,” said Kreitz. “This migration sets the stage, but the real work is in continuously improving, adapting and making sure our digital presence grows right alongside the needs of our students, faculty and community.”

189 Websites Migrated

30,000 Pages Migrated

13,000 Rogue Pages Deleted

18,000 Assets Archived

400 Users Trained

2,858+ Hours of Work