Website Modernization

Summary

UMO.edu currently operates on a legacy WordPress architecture supported by more than 50 third-party plugins. This dynamic environment recalculates every request from scratch, leading to performance failure under normal load and significant security exposure. This proposal details an in-house transition to a static-first web presence to eliminate crashes and recapture over $50,000 in annual external management fees.

Full Site Redesign: Static-First Architecture

Strategic Architecture

Transitioning from a monolithic WordPress site to a high-performance decoupled model.

WordPress Vault

Handles image uploads and article posting only; zero public-facing PHP rendering.

Static Frontend

Rebuilt in clean HTML/CSS/JS designed from scratch with no database dependencies on load.

Rolling Process

Continuous, iterative improvements instead of high-risk launch of a new site.

Stability & Scale

Maintaining institutional history while maximizing modern security perimeters.

Zero Content Risk

The 2,100-article archive and 30GB media library remain untouched.

Deployment

Rapid, zero-cost deployment of microsites for campaigns, proposals, and events.

In-House Power

Deep brand familiarity leverages existing institutional knowledge for faster response times.

News Archive & Security Hardening

News Archive Fix

Resolving the architectural flaw that causes weekly crashes during dynamic post recalculation.

Flat-File JSON

Index generated automatically when new articles are posted with zero database load or PHP worker stress.

Instant Results

Immediate search results delivered without server-side processing.

Three-Layer Perimeter

A professional grade security stack protecting both static and vault layers.

Sucuri WAF

DNS-level interception of malicious traffic and DDoS mitigation.

IP Whitelisting

WordPress admin access restricted strictly to campus IP ranges.

Endpoint Shield

Real-time threat monitoring and integrity scanning via Wordfence.

Performance & Hosting

SiteGround Cloud Optimization

Moving from shared GoGeek plans to dedicated Cloud resources for sub-second load times.

Dedicated CPU

Eliminates resource contention; 30GB library served without bottlenecking critical processes.

Core Web Vitals

Fast load times improve SEO search rankings and mobile recruitment impact.

Data Continuity

Daily automated snapshots providing point-in-time restore capability without plugin dependencies.

Institutional Fiscal Performance

Management Infrastructure	Annual Cost	Control Type
External Agency Management (Legacy)	$56,000	Vendor-Dependent
Proposed In-House Modern Stack	~$3,000 – $6,000	Full Ownership
NET RECAPTURED BUDGET	$50,000+	Institutional

*Stack includes Cloud Hosting, DNS-level WAF, and Wordfence endpoint protection.

Implementation Roadmap

Stabilization

Infrastructure Deployment

Cloud migration and DNS-level Sucuri WAF perimeter deployment.

Phase 1

Recruitment Conversion

Static rebuild of key recruitment tools: Home, Admissions, FA, etc.

Phase 2

Archive Fix

Deployment of Flat-File search index for the 2,100+ article news archive.

Phase 3

Deep Conversion

Rolling conversion of remaining institutional and academic pages.