An overview of the plugins and themes available on the blog.umd.edu WordPress platform, including Clark School branded themes built by Engineering IT, the Divi page builder, and recommended themes for faculty and research group sites.
The blog.umd.edu platform is a managed WordPress Multisite environment (powered by CampusPress/Edublogs) available to the University of Maryland community. This article provides an overview of the plugins and themes available to site administrators.
Plugins
Plugins extend the functionality of your blog.umd.edu site. The following plugins are available for activation by site administrators. They are grouped by category for easier browsing.
Content Editing & Page Building
Content Editing & Page Building Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Divi Builder |
A full-featured drag-and-drop page builder for creating complex page layouts without code. Already bundled when using the Divi or Extra theme. |
| Classic Editor |
Restores the traditional WordPress editor (TinyMCE) and Edit Post screen for users who prefer the pre-Gutenberg editing experience. |
| Advanced Editor Tools |
Adds extra toolbar options to the visual editor including tables, emoticons, and custom font families. |
| Live Shortcodes |
Provides ready-made shortcodes for accordions, toggles, tabs, dividers, buttons, and other UI elements. |
| Advanced Custom Fields PRO |
Enables the creation of custom field groups on edit screens for structured content beyond standard posts and pages. |
Forms & Surveys
Forms & Surveys Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Formidable Forms |
A flexible form builder for creating contact forms, surveys, quizzes, and other data collection forms. |
| Crowdsignal Polls & Ratings |
Create and manage polls and reader ratings that can be displayed on posts, pages, and comments. |
Media & Visual Content
Media & Visual Content Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| MetaSlider |
Quickly add responsive image slideshows to posts, pages, and widget areas. |
| Media Tree |
Organize media library files into categories and display them in a tree view using shortcodes. |
| Regenerate Thumbnails |
Regenerate image thumbnail sizes after a theme change or when images display at incorrect dimensions. |
| VR Viewer |
Embed 360-degree photos and videos in posts or pages using a simple shortcode. |
Navigation & User Experience
Navigation & User Experience Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Table of Contents |
Automatically generates a table of contents for long posts and pages based on headings. |
| Scroll To Top |
Adds a "scroll to top" button so readers can quickly return to the top of the page. |
| Safe Redirect Manager |
Create and manage URL redirects for pages, posts, or entire site paths. |
| Post Types Order |
Allows drag-and-drop reordering of posts and custom post types. |
Publishing & Workflow
Publishing & Workflow Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Edit Flow |
Collaboration and editorial workflow tools for multi-author sites, including an editorial calendar, custom post statuses, and private editorial comments. |
| Duplicate Posts & Pages |
One-click duplication of any post or page, preserving title, content, tags, and categories. |
| Subscribe by Email |
Lets visitors subscribe to receive email notifications when new posts are published. |
| Print, PDF & Email by PrintFriendly |
Gives readers the option to print, download as PDF, or email a clean version of any post or page. |
Appearance & Styling
Appearance & Styling Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Custom CSS |
Add custom CSS stylesheets to modify theme fonts, colors, borders, and backgrounds without editing theme files. |
| Customizer Export/Import |
Export and import WordPress Customizer settings to replicate theme configurations across multiple sites. |
| Advanced Settings |
Additional configuration options for front-page content, post display order, featured images, excerpts, and injecting custom JS or CSS into headers or footers. |
| Divi Accessibility |
Improves the accessibility of Divi-based sites in accordance with WCAG 2.0 guidelines. |
Comments & Moderation
Comments & Moderation Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Akismet Anti-spam: Spam Protection |
Automatically filters spam comments by checking content against a centralized spam database. |
| Disable Comments Completely |
Disable comments site-wide or on specific post types. |
Academic & Specialized
Academic & Specialized Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Publications Manager |
Organize and display academic publications in a structured format. |
| Footnotes |
Add inline footnotes to posts and pages using a simple bracket syntax. |
| Wiki |
Create wiki-style pages on your site for collaborative or reference content. |
| Calendar+ (An Accessible Events Calendar) |
Create, manage, and share an accessible events calendar. |
| LMS Integration |
Connect your CampusPress site with Canvas, Blackboard, or other LTI-compatible learning management systems. |
Analytics & Integrations
Analytics & Integrations Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| Google Analytics |
Network-wide visitor tracking with per-site statistics displayed under Dashboard > Statistics. |
| Jetpack |
A suite of tools including site stats, security features, performance optimizations, and social sharing. |
Profiles & Widgets
Profiles & Widgets Plugins Table
| Plugin |
Description |
| User Widget and Profiles |
A sidebar widget that displays blog participant information including post count, comment count, and profile links. |
Themes
blog.umd.edu offers over 200 themes. The platform default is Edublogs Default. You can browse the full library in your dashboard under Appearance > Themes and use Live Preview to test any theme before activating it.
Clark School Branded Themes (Built by Engineering IT)
Engineering IT has designed custom themes with UMD branding, Clark School logo, and university colors for a consistent institutional look. For details on features and customization options, see the Clark School Branded WordPress Theme KB article.
- Clark School Superhero with Slider theme (recommended)
- Clark School Superhero theme
- Clark School Twenty Eleven
- UMD Access Learning
Build Your Own Design with Divi
If the pre-built themes don't fit your needs, the Divi theme and Divi Builder plugin are both available on the platform, giving you full drag-and-drop control over your site's design without writing code. The Divi Accessibility plugin is also available to help meet WCAG 2.0 guidelines on Divi-powered sites.
Other Themes Worth Considering
A few additional themes from the platform library that work well for faculty, research groups, and lab sites:
- CampusPress Flex -- A modern, flexible theme designed for higher-ed sites
- Responsive -- A clean, adaptable theme with multiple layout options
- Sequential -- A single-column layout with a professional, content-focused feel
The platform includes 200+ additional themes across a range of styles. Browse and preview them all under Appearance > Themes in your dashboard.
Getting Started
- Activate a theme: Go to Appearance > Themes in your site dashboard, browse the available options, and click Activate on your preferred theme. Use Live Preview to test a theme before activating it.
- Enable plugins: Go to Plugins in your site dashboard and click Activate next to any plugin you'd like to use.
- Need help? Consult the Documentation link next to each plugin for usage guides, or contact Engineering IT for platform-level support.
This article covers the plugins and themes currently available on the blog.umd.edu CampusPress platform. Plugin and theme availability is managed at the network level and may change over time.
