BigTree is the content management system (CMS) for the Kenyon website. In addition to the online guide, training sessions are offered periodically by the Office of Communications. Please contact Emily Lindo if you have any questions, require access to BigTree or would like to arrange an individual training session or meeting.
Logging In
There is a two-factor authentication process for logging into BigTree. If you have not already done so, you will need to enroll with Duo, a two-factor authentication tool. More information about Duo and how to enroll can be found on the LBIS website.
Type https://www.kenyon.edu/admin into your browser. Enter your Kenyon username and password. Complete the two-factor authentication process using Duo.
Finding Your Webpage
Open another browser tab and go to the Kenyon home page and navigate to your page, or go directly to the URL of the page that you need to edit.
Click the "Edit Content" button in the top left corner. This brings up a dialog box that will let you see the main editing fields for a page. Most text will be in the large "Page Content" field.
Previewing Changes
After making any changes, click the blue "Save & Preview" button. You'll see a preview (not the live version) of the page. The BigTree bar at the top of the page will say "This is a Preview of Pending Changes."
Publishing Changes
If you are a publisher for this page, click the blue "Save & Publish" button at the bottom of the editing box. The page will go live immediately.
If you are an editor, not a publisher, a publisher will see your page waiting for approval after you click "Save & Preview."
Even if you are a publisher, always try to have someone serve as a second set of eyes for your page.
Deleting or Moving a Page
If you need to delete or move a page, please contact Emily Lindo at lindoe@kenyon.edu.
Naming a Page
Each webpage has a Navigation Title, Pages Title and Page Header, which display in the website's visible navigation, in browser tabs and at the top of the page itself, respectively. Names should be short and consistent.
Introduction Text
Most webpages don't require text in the "Introduction" field, which displays directly under the page header. If your page does have introduction text, it should be short and cannot contain any styles or links.
Header Image
Most webpages don't require a header image, which displays to the right of the page header. Please contact Emily Lindo if you would like to include a header image.
Organizing Content
Within the "Page Content" field, you can use pre-defined header styles, bold, italics and lists to organize your content.
Headers can be found under the "Formats" drop-down. To apply a header, highlight the appropriate text and then select the header. Headers should be used in descending order (Header 2 for main categories, Header 2 for sub-categories, etc.). Header 1 is reserved for the page name and should not be applied in the page content area.
Please do not underline text for emphasis as people assume that underlined text contains a hyperlink.
If you would like to include images within the page content area, or you would like to add a table to a page, please contact Emily Lindo.
Inserting Hyperlinks
To make text link to a webpage, email address or document, highlight it in the page content area and click the "Insert/edit link" icon (the chain links). Paste the full URL (including http://) in the "Url" field or type in the email address. Use the "Title" field to describe what you are linking to ("Kenyon homepage," for example). Click the blue "Ok" button. If you have added an email address, you will see a pop-up asking to add a "mailto:" prefix. Click "Ok" again.
Make sure that the text you are turning into a link is short but descriptive — not just "click here" or "read more." If linking to a document, you should indicated that by hyperlinking "Download[document name]" or "the completed report(PDF)." Making your hyperlinked text specific is important for screen readers and other accessibility-related programs.
To change a hyperlink, highlight the linked text and click the "Insert/edit link" icon. To remove a hyperlink, highlight the linked text and click the broken chain link icon.
BigTree includes a file storage platform where you can upload images and files, which can then be displayed or linked to from a webpage.
• More about working with images
Please contact Emily Lindo for assistance.
After logging in to BigTree and navigating to your page, you can use the "Edit in BigTree" button in the top left corner for more advanced editing tasks including:
• Adding a new page
• Searching for a page
• Changing the name of a page
• Reordering subpages
• Reverting to an earlier version of a page
• Editing or adding a component
• Archiving an existing page
• Accessing modules
If you need assistance with any of the above options, please contact Emily Lindo at lindoe@kenyon.edu.
BigTree has many components — elements that allow for specialty display styles and formatting. Components include:
• Accordions (how information is displayed on this page)
• Topic rows (the most flexible type of component)
• Call to action blocks
• Contact information blocks (scroll down for an example)
• Featured events and related event lists
• Related news lists
• Media galleries
• People lists (like on department faculty pages)
• Testimonials and writing excerpts
Detailed guidance on commonly used components is available online, please contact Emily Lindo for additional assistance in adding or editing components.
Some areas of BigTree are accessible to edit via modules including the directory of faculty and staff members and the calendar of events. Please contact Emily Lindo at lindoe@kenyon.edu to request access to either module.
Non-BigTree users should follow these directions to update their directory information.
It is important that your website content can be easily navigated and accessed by everyone regardless of their viewing platform (phone, tablet, laptop, etc.) and internet speed and by those with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities.
Accessibility Tips
• Check your page title, navigation title and page header
• Use the built-in header styles
• Avoid underlining text and over-using bold and italic styles
• Paste as plain text (Ctrl + Shift + V) or highlight text and click the "clear formatting" icon (Tx) to remove external styles
• Use descriptive link text that makes sense out of context (avoid "click here")
• Use the "image description" field (aka ALT tag)
• Use text instead of pictures of text and summarize graphs and charts
• Use the Microsoft accessibility checker for Word, Excel and PowerPoint files
• Document structure tags for accessibility when saving PDFs
• Create a webpage or use an online form rather than uploading a document
• Proofread, spell-check and preview page updates
Accessibility Resources
• Creating Accessible Documents in MS Word
• Creating Accessible PDFs from MS Word
• Student Accessibility and Support Services
• SensusAccess Document Conversion Service
Please contact Emily Lindo in the Office of Communications or Student Accessibility and Support Services with any questions about accessibility.
Short how-to videos are now available for some aspects of BigTree.
Emily Lindo
