Overview
Please note: Be aware that CSUN has migrated to a new web environment. The W: drive, \\webdrive\username, is now used to host websites. Your Webdrive will remain a location for you to keep your files, but not the web content you are using for your website.
For information about mapping the new W:,“webdrive” please refer to the Information Technology documentation at http://www.csun.edu/it/training/guides/webdrive.html
The purpose of this reference guide is provide faculty information concerning the use of Contribute 4 as a web editor with the Faculty Web Templates. Contribute enables users to create and edit web pages on existing websites. It is both a content management system (with permissions based editing and access management) and a simplified web page editor for non-developers to maintain and edit pages and sites. Roles are assigned to users based on their responsibilities for page/site content. This guide focuses on the use of Contribute 4 as a web page editor. The topics that are covered are as follows:
- Setting Up Contribute 4
- Contribute Workflow Overview
- The Contribute Workspace
- Editing Text - Links and Lists
- Integrating Images and Tables
- Metatags and Title Attributes
- Publishing A Website
- Validating A Website
Learning Objectives
After completing the following tutorial, individuals will be able to:
- Edit the Faculty Web Templates (Faculty Bio and Faculty Syllabus) using Contribute 4.
- Identify the key workspace components of Contribute 4.
- Create an accessible table in the Faculty Web Templates.
- Add images and apply proper alternative text.
- Create an accessible and compliant web presence.
- Identify best practice standards for web development.
- Identify how to properly validate a web page.
Additional Contribute 4 Documentation
Additional information concerning Contribute 4 can be found under the following two sections at Adobe.com:
Also, additional documentation can be found in the downloadable document entitled Using Contribute 4 To Edit The Faculty Web Templates (.doc 8 MB).
Best Practices
Understanding the best practices for web development will help explain additional background information concerning creating, editing, and deploying a web site. Information pertaining to best practices and web standards at California State University, Northridge can be found at the following resources:
- Best Practices for Web Accessibility
- Web Architecture
- CSUN Graphic Standards Manual
- Web Cleanup Project - Web Communications
To begin, go to the first section of this online training entitled Setting Up Contribute 4.

