As part of our Meet the ITS Team series, we highlight Digital Services, led by Kim Vassiliadis, Director of Digital Experience and Communications.
What is ITS Digital Services?
The ITS Digital Services team provides WordPress-based web development and web hosting for the University. The team helps enterprise site owners (departments, schools, centers) with content strategy, site architecture, content migrations, design, site testing, training and documentation. It also provides a self-service option for anyone at the University to create a website on TarHeels.live.
Who is the Digital Services team? 
- Kim Vassiliadis
- Adam Lenz
- Gia Branciforte
- Michael Triplett
- Paul Cardillo
What would campus be surprised to know about Digital Services?
“We are a tiny team managing approximately 4,500 University websites, including the University’s homepage, Alert Carolina and more than 500 Med School websites,” said Kim Vassiliadis, Director of Digital Experience & Communications.
As of 2018, the Digital Services team hosted approximately 22,000 campus websites. Last year, through outreach efforts focusing on empowering users to declutter and reduce their digital footprints, the team reduced the number to about 4,500.
In March 2021, amid the COVID-19 lockdown, Support Developer Paul Cardillo began Zoom office hours to support users. To date, Cardillo has held more than 300 consultations. Due to its popularity, Digital Services made this a permanent offering, with Cardillo holding twice-weekly sessions.
The team also maintains the University’s central app developer accounts for Apple Enterprise, Apple Standard and Google Play. These central accounts enable departments on campus to publish apps for sale in the public app stores as well as manage ad hoc distribution for in-house apps.
Describe the web experiences Digital Services team creates for campus.
Digital Services offers web hosting, design and development services to campus departments, schools and a few System Office departments. Redesign projects have included departments such as Undergraduate Admissions, the University Office for Diversity and Inclusion and organizations such as Gear Up NC.
The team’s redesign projects are a collaborative effort. At first, the team consults with the campus client to define project goals, a content strategy and website architecture. Then it develops a functioning website using UNC Creative’s page designs.
“Our web development work aligns with the University’s strategic plan to optimize operations,” Vassiliadis said. “We understand the innate needs of the campus community and serve as an in-house agency. We build sustainable websites for academic, research and business units, and offer free hosting and support.”
What’s special about TarHeels.live?
TarHeels.live is a web publishing service enabling anyone with an Onyen to create a University website. Designed specifically for the campus community, it’s a shared, managed environment with approved themes, plugins and code. Digital Services currently hosts more than 2,000 active websites on TarHeels.live.
TarHeels.live was created as an initiative to enable website visitors to distinguish between websites created for official University use and those created for personal or academic projects.
What’s on the horizon for Digital Services?
Adam Lenz is building a new WordPress theme for the University. It is an accessibility-first theme that is more flexible and sustainable than previous versions. It will utilize WordPress’ new full site editing features — a new way to approach theme-building blocks to create pages and websites.
“We are working closely with the Digital Accessibility Office to ensure the new theme fits a wide range of needs and use cases,” Vassiliadis said. “This new theme will improve user experience, accessibility and better promote the University’s brand.”